January 27, 2025 • 74 mins
Discover the incredible journey of DeShawna Joe an ultra-endurance runner who balances her roles as a dedicated mother and a proud Native American woman. From her beginnings on the basketball courts of the Navajo Reservation to finding empowerment in the lonely miles of ultra-running, DeShawna’s story is one of resilience and cultural pride. Hear how she transitioned from the team sport dynamics of "Rez ball" to the personal victories and challenges of long-distance running, all while highlighting the significance of her Native heritage.
Explore the healing power of trail running as DeShawna shares her personal battles and the solace she found in the Utah running community during postpartum depression. Experience her journey through the demanding world of ultra-distance races, like the Cocodona ultramarathon, where the camaraderie of groups like the Trail Sisters and Women of Wasatch and the unwavering support of her husband played pivotal roles.
Finally, delve into touching stories of family, trauma, and the joy of nurturing young talent, whether in music or sports. DeShawna opens up about organizing a memorial race (Miles for Soraya 5k & 1 mile walk) and finding strength through grief, using running as a metaphor for life's challenges. The episode captures the essence of community support, the satisfaction of watching children pursue their passions, and the transformation that comes from channeling grief into purpose. Join us for an inspiring conversation that celebrates the resilience and determination found in the world of ultra-endurance running.
Instagram:
@forever_sorayas_mum
https://www.instagram.com/forever_sorayas_mum?igsh=MXRwNjhmbzVrYmp5dw==
Shoutout to:
DeShawna Joe
The Joe Family
Soraya
Miles for Soraya 5k & 1 mile walk
Distracted Driving Awareness
Cocodona 250 Crew
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: Milesmountainsyr3
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Shauna Jo, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Great to be here, great to be alive.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's an honor that you're here.
Actually, you know, I've hadsome names on here and I get a
little, you know, flustered anda little intimidated Not
intimidated, but it's like afanboy, you know, flustered and
a little intimidated, notintimidated, but it's like I
fanboy fan, you know, fan out.
And this has been in the worksfor a bit.
I know we tried before the yearand I had some you know
(00:59):
sickness and everything else.
Got that taken care of andeverything else Got that taken
care of, kind of, but finallyfigured out what it was.
And then my kids I mean it was,it was a couple reschedules and
here you are and it's just likethe day came and I'm like oh
man, am I getting a headache?
Oh man, is it just nerves andanxiety, nerves, anxiety.
(01:26):
I don't know what it is.
I don't know what it is,deshauna, but it is crazy that
you're on here and I am, Ibelieve I'm nervous.
Okay, I'm nervous becauseyou're one heck of an athlete.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Oh my gosh, I am far from that.
Oh my gosh, I am far from that.
Whatever, whatever I mean, I'mjust another person trying to
make in this world?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I don't know, but I just, I normally nobody like I
say I okay, well, you're humble,but I'm nervous because you
have a story and I want peopleto hear it.
Not that you know, you're a momand you do this, you do that,
you are that and you are this.
(02:16):
And here you are, you're a castand we're going to talk shop.
So you're an ultra endurancerunner, a mom, what else?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Oh um um, a native American woman.
That's first of all like I'm athe net, the net woman of my
people that uh, touchy me Welland that, oh, the net that she,
any woman and I represent mytribe, first of all, my blood, I
(02:50):
you know, that's who Irepresent, that's where I come
from, not just a mom and anultra runner.
That's the first and foremost.
And you know, I love torepresent my people and my
strength is where I get thatfrom and I don't know how, why
(03:10):
I'm here, but I am thankful tobe here and you know I I'm just
another person trying to beginthis world.
Basically, yes, yes in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Basically yes, yes, and I'm glad for that
introduction because you knowI've been following you for a
bit.
You know you are Native andeverything else and you stand
true to your Christian beliefsand so thank you.
I couldn't have said that evenany better.
So I appreciate you with thatintro Was running always in your
(03:45):
life your life.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Running has been in my life fora very long time.
Um, I started way back inelementary.
Um, I ran my elementary years,my part of my junior high and I
I also did my freshman and mysophomore year for running.
The only reason why I did it isbecause of basketball and, you
(04:09):
know, being on the reservationthey have, they call it res ball
and you have to learn how toplay res ball in order to run
with those fast kids.
It's just basically throw downthe ball down the court and
whoever gets it you know, on thesame team you grab it and you
make it easy layup, basically.
So basically catch and do alayup.
(04:31):
You know, and I was always, youknow, I was always that person
trying to get that ball at theend of the court and make that
easy layup.
So, you know, and I just didcross country just for that
ability to play play res ball.
But and other than that, youknow, I was like I love my air
(04:55):
conditioning, yeah, yeah.
So it was a good experience,you know, and I was forced to
play because my mom was ateacher at the school and you
know being, you know, growing upin a community where your mom
(05:17):
and you know they're in theeducation level and, like a
teacher, you have to have thatkind of like kind of have a role
with that.
And it sucked because it was alot of pressure and I had to,
you know, stand up to thosestandards to be a good person
and you know, to be a goodperson in the community and have
(05:40):
good athleticism.
And it was hard, it was, it wasa hard thing, but I did it just
to, but it was hard.
It was a hard thing, but I didit just to, but it was fun.
It was always fun, don't get mewrong.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
What did you enjoy the most running or basketball?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Oh well, back then it was basketball because I had my
best friend, crystal, whichshe's now my pacer a lot for
most of my big runs now, and youknow it was always about
friends and you know having agood time and you know just
(06:19):
being together and just make itfun.
You know basketball was alwaysfun and just make it fun,
basketball was always fun.
But now, and getting older, Ifeel like doing this individual
sport as running it's different.
It's different compared to whenyou're young.
You're in a team, you're soclose to being in a team and you
(06:44):
can blame whoever makes amistake.
But in running now you're olderand you know you don't want to
be blamed for anybody's mistakeand it's an individual sport
because it's everything yourfallouts and whatever happens,
your training, it's all on you,you carry it on your shoulders,
(07:06):
you carry it within everythingand you know you're the only one
to blame through the sport.
So and I fell in love withrunning, with that, and I was
like you know what it's all you,shauna, you know if it's up to
you, if you want it, go get it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
If not, then so res ball, it is a thing right.
It's not just hollywood statingyou know basketball's on a
plate on the reservation is isthat sports?
Basketball promoted more orless than most sports on the
(07:44):
reservation?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I think it's in the Navajo Reservation where I'm at.
It's promoted more becausethat's the top sport they play
there and it's kind of like ahighlight when you're in the
high school years and it'sdefinitely somewhere you want to
be at and want to do and it'slike a showcase basically and
(08:09):
you know, I've been there andstate, state champions is where
you want to be as far as, likeum, within the res ball area
with within the now a nation.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
so yeah, why is it the place to be when in high
school.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yeah, I think it kind of puts you on a pedestal for a
minute.
There, you know, and you know,you kind of like put out your
talent there, you want to knowit's a good recognition and it
makes you feel good for like asan individual because you work
hard to get there.
You know, especially as a team,and you just want to be, you
(08:51):
know, put out, just put it outthere every day, every game, and
work as hard as you can.
And you know, that's how I was.
I just wanted to put everythingout there all the time.
I just wanted to put everythingout there all the time and you
know.
And then, after you're done andyou want to sit down and it it
makes your parents proud for you, you make them proud and where
(09:13):
you're from and what you do.
And I don't know that's how Ithought, but I always did it for
myself.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
I like that.
I'm just glad it's not justHollywood, you know, and it is
true.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It is true that Red Bull is a place called Rock
Point, arizona, and we're likein the middle of nowhere and
where our school isn't wellknown.
We only have a good populationof like oh my gosh, less than
200 or at least 100.
And yeah, so I grew up in aplace like that and you know
(10:03):
from being in Rock Point goingto a bigger 3A school which was
Monty Valley High School, and itwas like wow, you know you can
do so much, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Okay, all right.
How many people graduate inclass if you stayed on the Reds?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
graduating class if you stayed on the reds um I
would say like a good uh, mygosh, 75 the grade most, yeah,
75 to 50, yeah, not a lot 3a, 3ayeah, 3a, yes, 3a so that's how
many people would havegraduated.
Yeah, yeah, okay yeah.
So it's really hard to get outthere.
(10:48):
It's really hard.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So you graduated high school?
When did running come back inyour life, or did it ever leave?
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Um, running came in my life.
Uh, I, I, I've been through alot.
I can tell you that, um, I hadmy ups and downs, you know,
before I had my kids and duringmy kids, and um, running came my
life again.
Um, I think, when I moved herein Utah, um, I said this before
(11:23):
another podcast but I, um, I had, uh, my third, my third child
at the time, ava.
Uh, I met my husband.
He was a trucker here, he worksfor Sierra England and um, at
the time, I met him and we hadmy daughter, ava, which is now,
which is she is now seven.
And uh, um, during that timebefore I and after, I had really
(11:48):
bad postpartum depression andyou know, I, I guess I didn't
know how to tolerate with it andI was.
It was so different with myfirst two because my first two I
was okay and I had my familyaround, but being so far away
from the reservation, being sofar away from my family, living
in a remote area in Tremont andLogan, providence and North
(12:10):
Ogden, it was like I didn't knowwhat to do with myself.
You know, I was so depressed.
I needed my family and I neededtheir help.
Nobody was around.
So I start running.
Nobody was around, so I startrunning.
I started going up Mayland andhitting up cool water and you
(12:33):
know the trails here in Ogdenand I love, I fell in love with
the trails.
And you know, there was justsomething different about trail
running in the community too,because they would invite you to
these trail runs and I would gothe community too because they
would invite you to these trailruns and I would go and that's
how kind of how I, how it kindof helped me with my depression
through post-boredom and itreally did help a lot.
And just being out there, youknow, having time for yourself
(12:57):
and working on your body, youknow, because you know, after
having a baby you don't lookgood, no more.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
So yeah you just want to even for guys.
Even for guys, I'm just sayingit happens.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Yeah.
You had to put time in foryourself every day.
You know you need to.
You know, especially havingkids, you're like, oh my gosh,
like I can't be this person.
You know I want to do better,you know so.
So that's how trail runningcame across and I started, you
know, getting to know moregroups like um, the trail
(13:33):
sisters, the woman of wasatchand just other trail community,
the within the women group, so,which is really fun, and got to
know a lot of good runners, anda lot of good elite runners too,
that I follow here in utah.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So and there's a lot of them.
There's, oh my god, yeahthey're.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
They are so badass and I'm just like, wow, I can
never, ever be at their level.
And it's like oh my.
God.
It's amazing what they do.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Yeah, so when did you find racing, especially at your
level, your distance that yourun, people don't know.
If you guys don't know what sheruns, she runs 250 miles.
She's ran Cocodona, she runs100 miles.
So when did you know you had athing for that distance?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I knew this back in high school.
I knew back in high schoolbecause I did 1600s and that was
like four laps, I think, or sixlaps around the track, yeah,
and it was insane because peoplewould tell me you're crazy to
run four laps, I think.
Or six laps around the track,yeah, and it was insane because
people would tell me you'recrazy to run four laps around
the track.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
They say that now too .
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Yeah, I knew that because I knew my endurance was
that high at the time and I saidthere's no way I'm a short
distance runner Like I can't, myheart's going to burst, like
basically Okay.
And you know, I knew that backthen and then I kind of used
that you know that mentality inthe future now.
(15:16):
So I'm like you know what, if Ican do that, maybe I'm born to
do that, maybe because you knowthey have that so-called muscle
memory.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
That is true, yes.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah.
So I'm like oh hey, you know,remember we did this back in
2002 or something, or you know,back in 2001 or something.
Can we do it again?
Can we bring it back?
Speaker 1 (15:44):
So the coach puts you two miler then yeah so.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
So now, um, I even still now like a 10k is so hard
to do because the speed, yes,correct, yes, the speed and the
pace is it hurts, it hurts, ithurts me and it's like this is
so long, it's taking me foreverjust to finish so what?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
what is it?
The?
The 100 to 250 miler comparedto 10k?
Like why is it so muchdifficult?
Yeah, why is it harder, mmm the200 10k over the 200.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Oh the 10k okay, it's just, you can feel everything,
like you're, you can feel everystep and you know here, every
crunch in your knee and you'relike, oh, like, oh, like, oh, my
God, like.
I can't believe that.
I hear my crunch in my kneesall the time and my back
spazzing and it hurts, you know,it hurts more than a long run,
(16:59):
a longer run, and it's like theintensity of finishing within a
certain time period is like, no,like, no.
Why am I doing this?
No, you know, it's just somepeople say that the other way
around though.
Yeah, some people yeah, but forme it's different, everybody's
(17:19):
different.
You know I like my long, longruns, because you know you have
to find a joy in it.
The pain is not, I mean, it'stemporary, basically everything.
And so it's good, time willpass, it will pass, that's all I
(17:41):
always say.
Time's going to pass, it's justfor a while, maybe one, two
minutes, and let it pass.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
You know it'll go by and then that's what you were
saying during Cocodona this pastyear yeah, yeah, yeah, you had
a couple moments I did I did.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Cocodona was oh my gosh, but oh my gosh, like I
love that race so much and Ijust can't stand the heat.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Yeah, yeah, you doing it again this year.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Oh no, not this year.
It filled up so fast.
After when I was done I waslike, oh my gosh, everybody
already filled it up, Like theydidn't even give me time to even
register or anything.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
And you're a finisher .
Speaker 2 (18:25):
They, they didn't give you priority oh no, and I I
didn't even think about that, Iwas just like just thinking
about recovering.
You know, I wasn't thinkingabout doing another race or
doing it again.
But after I finally recovered Ilooked at the website again I
was like, oh shoot, like it'salready full, like oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
So how long did it take you to recover?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
um it took me a good two months two months to recover
.
Yeah, yeah, yeah so, yep, it wasa very intense run and you know
my, my, my hip flexors aremessed up.
My feet were okay, thank God,it was just my back and a lot of
(19:18):
chafing.
I chafed a lot with my pack,lot like with my pack, and you
know, and hydration level, I didpretty good.
Eating level um, I ate a lot ofnormal food.
My husband was there, um besideme throughout the whole race
and he was just like grilling,like for a lot of protein a lot
(19:40):
of steaks.
And he'll be like what are youcraving?
What do you want?
Anything, you know, and I wantit like buffalo wings dang okay
yeah, I had pho and you knowsubway and I'm like I need this.
I'm hungry, you know I'm gonnaeat something good.
I'm like I got tired of eatingat the aid stations.
I was like, oh, like I needsome real food, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Shout out to your husband.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Oh, I know he's a good person.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Crew Crew member Crew .
Family members are the bestcrew members yes, shout out to
my crew, my Cocodona crew.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
You guys are awesome, woo yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
And you do give him a shout out, you give him a lot
of love on social media oh yeahyeah, you do.
I like that, I like to see that.
You know not too many.
You know runners give theirsignificant other a shout out
until it's time, or theirbirthday or something you know.
But you on the other hand,shout out.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I love that man Kids shout out.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no one could tell.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
No one could tell, no one could tell, I feel like he
saved my life.
Honestly, like without him,like I probably wouldn't even be
here and I give him everythingand he does a lot for me and I
don't need to work, he works forme.
And you know he's like don'tworry, I got you.
And it's hard to find acompanion like that these days,
(21:09):
you know, especially you knowliving out here in a real world
and especially doing ultrarunning too, and he's always
trying to like do make me be abetter person every day.
And and because of him and Ifound my faith again through the
Lord and it's, it's beenamazing, life's been amazing,
awesome, thankful for him.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
When prepping for a hundred plus mile or race right.
How many miles do you get in aweek?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Um, I try to stay between 20 to 30 ish.
I don't want to push myself Ilisten to my body.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I, I at leastI try to do at least three miles
a day.
And you know I I'm on weekendsI pull, like I pull, try to do a
lot of hurts.
(22:01):
You know, get the elevation,get my lungs going my my heart.
You know my thresh up higher onthose elevations.
And you know you have to listento your body.
You have to because if notyou're going to break yourself
and you're going to be sorry.
And you know, especially doingthese hundreds, and it's hard,
(22:23):
it's hard on the body.
You know, especially doingthese hundreds, it's hard, it's
hard on the body.
You have to rest, hydrate andeat the right kind of food.
Give time.
It's being patient.
It's being patient and doingthe right thing for yourself
because you want to make it tothat starting line.
You want to make it to thestarting line.
You want to feel good, you wantto feel fresh as much as you.
(22:47):
I don't know, I speak formyself.
You know, I see a lot of peoplepushing it, pushing it, pushing
it, and I'm like, wow, that'sgood for you, good for you, do
it for you.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
But I do me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
You know, and you know, I had a coach before and
it was hard.
It got hard because runningwasn't fun no more.
It kind of just put me in theground and I was like I hate
running, I hate running, I haterunning so much and I hated it,
like I didn't want to dotraining no more.
(23:20):
You know, I hated that feelingyou know, and you don't want to
put yourself in that predicament.
It's not.
It shouldn't be that way.
It shouldn't be that way.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
So you're not the first, nor will I'm pretty sure
you won't be the last, but it's.
It's interesting that you said20 to 30 miles.
You know, uh, less is more tosome a lot, not so much, but
it's.
I appreciate you being honestand and sharing 20 to 30 during
(23:50):
you prepping for a race.
Okay, so do you do you believemuscle memory is a thing and
does help you in time of need?
Yeah, I like how you said 20 to30.
That, that's.
That's good, because I try totell people less is more.
Um, and, and I've had, you know, mike McKnight on, I've had the
(24:13):
guy that ran barkley and won hestrict regiment, less is more,
and I couldn't believe he wassaying it because all these
influencers, all these peoplesaying, hey, more is more, more
is better, it's like you saidyou do you, so I glad you glad
(24:36):
you shared that.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Yeah, cause I I I mean I did a 250 so far and my
body knows and knows the agonyand knows the pain and knows
it's just all mental.
Basically it's all mental, amental game out there, Cause
your feet can take you anywhereIf you know how to take care of
your feet.
It's about taking care of yourfeet, basically, yeah, and just
(24:58):
eating the right food, you know,just keep eating, keep eating
and just keep moving, moving,moving basically, and you'll get
there.
You'll get there.
If you look forward, it's goingto take forever, but if you
look sideways, you're moving.
Right, I gotcha, I gotcha waysyou're moving, right I got you,
(25:19):
I got you, I got you, and that'swhy you take a lot of pictures,
landscape pictures, that's whyyou have to take pictures.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Yes, you take a lot of landscape selfies and it's
just like gosh, if I do that, mywife's like god, can you just
get out of the picture, you know?
Yeah but you know that's why Imade that comment a couple, like
a month ago.
I was like geez, you make everypicture great.
I'm like I can't even do that.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
So I know you have to be in the moment, Enjoy the
moment.
You know you just have to.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Well, you got a lot of great mountains over there,
so Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I love those.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Bare ones.
These are are.
I live in eastern washington soit's all desert, and then the
trees are more west, so yeahit's.
It's tough to get a greatlandscape shot, so wow, but you,
you have my so when you'redoing all these races and
(26:18):
everything prepping, how do youbalance life and getting your
vert and mom and wife?
How do you balance all?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
the above.
You just have to do it like.
You have to put time in it andjust doing it, not talking about
it.
It's hard to get out there somedays but I think my kids know
and I tell my kids I need to putmy run in and they know when
(26:50):
I'm getting frustrated, theyknow when I'm kind of antsy or
getting mad.
My oldest would be like Mom, Ithink you need to go for a run.
And that's usually when I wouldgo for a run like a good
three-miler or four-miler.
And when I come home she's likeMom, are you feeling good now,
(27:10):
do you feel better?
I'm like, yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
That's funny.
It's cool to see that the youknow, the family knows when we
need to get a work in when we'restruggling and everything else,
and like we're antsy, we're alittle miserable, a little, you
know, just a little down in thedumps, and they're like you need
to pick me up, go run.
It's like all right, come back.
You're like, oh hey how's itgoing?
(27:35):
You're energetic, you knowyou're loving life, you're
loving them.
I mean, you don't stop lovingthem, but you're just a deaf.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
You're definitely a different person.
Yes, yeah, you just didn't getall that frustration out and put
it on the run.
And man, it's like that coolair.
When you feel it, you feelalive again.
You're just like whoa.
Like oh, like, okay, you feelit, you feel alive again.
You're just like whoa like ohlike, okay, it reminds you where
you're at again.
And when you get back in homeinto a nice warm house, you're
like, oh, that felt good.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Do you stick on a strict routine or you just go
with the flow?
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I try to stick with a routine so I work out.
I run almost every day exceptfor Fridays.
This is my rest day and I tryto spend time with my kids on
Fridays do like outing with them.
Then on Saturday, through allthe way up to Thursday, I try to
(28:36):
put in some runs, and thenSaturdays, all the way up to
Thursday, I try to put in someruns, and then Saturdays are
usually my long runs or my vertruns.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Yeah, yeah, you did some running in the snow
yesterday correct?
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Oh yeah, that was so fun, that was so beautiful up
there.
Oh my gosh, running in the snowis so different than running on
the the road or sidewalk orwherever yeah, do you.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Do you go alone out there?
Speaker 2 (29:03):
um, yeah, I do, I go alone.
Yeah, I, I do a lot of thingsalone.
Sometimes I I add my my cousinsister lives in here, lay in me,
her, I'll drag her out thereand me and her we'll just go
like up granular and I usuallygo at her pace.
You know, I don't push her.
Sometimes I would, but it'susually just the time, you know.
(29:27):
This time on feet, basicallyit's not like how fast or how
you know be at a certain pace ornothing.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
And I just follow her .
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah, yeah, so and we just take our time going up
there and coming down.
You know we it's good.
You know when we take our timeeating, hydrating and yeah, you
know it's good sometimes.
You just need that and thoselittle things like that kind of
helps you because you know, whenyou're doing a hundred milers
200, you're still going to bewalking, no matter what some
part at some.
When you're doing these 100milers 200, you're still going
to be walking, no matter whatsome part some stage you're not
(30:00):
going to be running at a eightpace, eight minute per mile pace
, no way so so time on fee,taking care of your fee, as you
said.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
How many shoes and how many socks pairs of socks
did you go through duringCocodona?
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Oh my gosh, I went through you know what?
I had to buy two extra pairs ofshoes.
Really, yeah, my shoes that Ibrought to Cocodona.
They were so tight on me, myfoot swell, it swells so big,
(30:41):
like after the second day.
And then I told my husband Ican't fit into my shoes no more
and he went to the nearestrunning store in Sedona.
He brought two pairs of Hokashoes there and they were size
close to I think they were size11 in women's.
It was insane and I couldfinally like put my feet in
(31:04):
those shoes and man, I wasrunning good after that Cause
with the shoes I had that Ibrought.
They were too tight on me, my,my body swell, my leg swell, my
foot swell, my body swell, myleg swell, my foot swell.
Everything was swollen and itwas all that water weight and it
was insane, like I neverexperienced anything like that.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
But now I know you know, to double up on my sizes
on these next runs in the future.
Okay, good to know, good toknow how many pairs of socks.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Yes, so it was a good experience and you know I I'm
looking forward to what happensin the future with my feet again
.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yeah, your feet did pretty well during that.
What was your regimen then?
Like, what did you do?
How I?
I mean, did you use squirrelnut butter?
Did you make sure you you knowyou greased them up?
Socks, what like?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
um, I did a lot of um , what is it called?
Um, leg compressions, the bootsyeah, I, every time I um would
be done with, like, when I meetmy crew at every station, I just
put my legs right in the bootsand they went and eliminated a
lot of those, the water orwhatever.
(32:27):
Oh, wow, yeah, it justcompresses your legs and you
know it's like a lifesaver forme.
You know it's it's like alifesaver for me.
So I've been doing that almostlike every day now with those
compression legs and it's beenhelping me a lot.
Like the pain, the recovery onall my runs is less, less
(32:47):
painful.
So, yeah, I, it's, it's so muchneeded.
Cause, man, I feel like.
You know I there's severaltimes where I feel like I.
In the snow yesterday Isprained my ankle, but my ankle
was okay and I was like, wow,like, and then I put my when I
(33:07):
was done training.
I go home and I just lay in bedand drink a bunch of water and
then put my legs in the bootsand they just compressed my legs
throughout like three times,which is like 60 minutes.
So at least good three hours.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
So and I felt brand new again.
Game changer for all runners,huh, compression yeah, the boot
that what is the?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
call the nordic the nordic yeah yeah nordic leg
compressions.
Yeah so, and they had those atcocodona too.
That's where I discovered it,like I believe it was, uh, right
before one of one aid stationwas on top of a big old heel.
I don't remember, it was a blur, but I just put my legs through
(33:54):
those and, man, I felt so brandnew after that and I was like,
let's go, let's do this.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
Nice, what was your aid station time, the time that
you stayed there and, you know,just replenished aids.
What was the your average timeat aid station?
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Ooh, um, I believe.
Uh, one aid station.
I spent a whole, at least agood four hours.
I slept for two hours there.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
I don't remember where it was, but it wasn't it
like around one 20 to one 50,something like that?
There there was a.
You were struggling, but youwere on the struggle bus around
that time.
As I like to say, you know thestruggle bus you were, yeah, you
were struggling around 120 to150, I believe and so that's why
(34:48):
?
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I asked like what was your average time that that
mingus, that mingus heel wasrough for me one night.
So get this.
Before we hit Mingus Mountain,my husband volunteered to be my
(35:09):
pacer and he was my pacer for agood.
I would say 14, 12 miles andman it was bad.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Were you worried about?
Speaker 2 (35:20):
him no, no, no, no.
We were butting heads all theway, Like literally, like I, we
were just arguing, arguing,arguing, and it was so bad and I
was, I was being a big baby,basically.
And we got to the top of theMingus mountain and I was so
(35:43):
tired I couldn't even walk nomore and I was, I kept falling
asleep and I was walking likesleepwalking and I kept
following him and we got to thetop of the mountain.
It was really windy up thereand I told him I have to rest
and we laid down and I had myspace blanket oh, those things
are so comfortable, that spaceblanket and then I rolled up in
(36:04):
it and then he rolled up besideme and we slept for almost a
good 15 minutes.
But it was so nice becausewe're on Mingus Mountain and we
can see all the stars andeverything.
It was like in a romantic thingand we were both like, oh, I
think we kicked off a bucketlist.
That's cool.
(36:26):
And a time of distress and agony.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
You made it look like it's so beautiful, like those
beautiful landscapes.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, it was so beautiful and we got through it,
though Definitely those momentspush you through and you're
just like man.
I can't believe we went throughthat.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Yeah, well, that's cool.
I didn't know your husband wentout there with you.
Does he go on runs with you alot?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Oh yeah, yeah, he's been going on runs with me a lot
and sometimes he'll be likelet's go, you know you need to
train, you have this, you havethis race, or he'll call me and
be like you need to get outthere, like you need to get
moving, like I know, I know andyou know he's definitely a good
motivator yeah, that's awesomeright, with him motivating you,
(37:18):
what keeps you going?
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I know a lot of things have happened in your
life.
You know, with me I have the Cword, I'm doing my best to get
out and, you know, fight it andconquer it.
But I always find my reason andwhy and I have to what makes
you go out every day and conquerit?
Speaker 2 (37:42):
um, I think it's just my kids.
You know it all.
It always goes back to my kidsbecause I I want them to know,
um, you know I'm gonna be 40this year, so and I tell them
you know I need you guys to beat my level at my age and you
know I need you guys to bemoving when I get to 40.
I want you guys to do what I dotoo, and I want them to see it,
(38:06):
and especially in their fleshmode and you know, as their mom,
you know especially my girlsand you know they're like my
prize positions and I need them.
I need their data motivate meevery day and without them I
don't know what else I would dodo they do sports um, not at the
(38:30):
moment, but you know I don'tpush them.
They do a lot of.
They play instruments.
My oldest plays.
She plays the flute, she'slearning how to play flute and
now she's learning how to playpiano.
And so you know I try not topush them.
But my second one, ava, shesees me and she's like Mom, I
(38:53):
want to do it, I want to try it.
So I kind of let her go on myruns with me and and I can see a
lot in her doing a lot of trailrunning in the future.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
So Okay, so she can hang, she can.
She can hang with mom, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
She wants to get more into it.
And you know she falls.
I see her fall and she scrapesher hand and she gets up and I
I'm like, yeah, you know this iswhat happens.
It happens, you fall.
You know you gotta get up, youknow you gotta keep going.
It's just part of it and it's alearning experience for her and
it's it.
It hurts, but to see itespecially as your own, but it's
(39:32):
like, wow, you know she wants.
Okay, this is part of the game,you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Yeah, yeah, you got to tell her I still fall at 32
or, you know, 44.
Right, yeah, yeah.
So you're still going to fall.
It's just how you get back upand you know charge.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Yep, it's just how you go at it again.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
Every day.
You know charges.
Yep, it's just how you go at itagain yep every day.
How old is she?
She is seven.
She just turned seven onjanuary night, yeah, sounds like
my six-year-old.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Yeah, I'm not pushing anything on her, but I can tell
she's the runner of the thehousehold besides dad.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
So yeah, we can co-captain on those two.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Huh, yeah, yeah so you think cross country and
track is in the future?
Speaker 2 (40:23):
oh yeah, definitely.
I see a lot of potential inhere and I'm just like, oh my
gosh, what?
What did I start?
What's gonna happen here?
Speaker 1 (40:34):
yeah, that's awesome.
Any one mile races coming up or5k's coming up that you're
willing to sign her up um,probably, yeah, probably.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
Well, we'll see how it goes and get her heart going.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
We'll see how it goes get a little taste of the
little hardware that they get,or ribbons or whatever.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Yeah, yeah, she did really good.
I did a run for my daughter andmy late daughter.
The run it was a memorial runwe did for her back in September
and she wanted to do it, so shedid it and she finished it.
And she's like, wow.
And she's I told her that it'swhat happens when you do race
(41:27):
you have to go after it.
And she's like, oh, okay, mom,Okay, You're going to keep that
race going and, you know, tryingto help other people out there.
And it's hard, you know it'shard, but it's hard to put on a
race and being our first timedoing some kind of you know,
race directing like that.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
It was a good experience.
Yeah, race director, in theintro too.
Late intro, guys.
Race director.
Late intro.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
Yeah, it's a new beginning and you know I need to
um learn more about itbasically.
So it's hard, it's really hard.
There's nothing easy to being arace director.
I noticed and I found that out.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
So yeah, see how it goes I heard race directing is
almost as bad as running.
Oh and stressful.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Oh, yeah, yeah, it is .
Speaker 1 (42:20):
It takes a kick.
Okay, all right.
Did you have a big turnout onyour first annual?
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Yeah, we did.
We had close to 150 peopleparticipants.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
Yeah, it was good, they'll start getting more.
They'll start getting more.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Yeah, next year I'm hoping to have it out here in
ogden or somewhere.
You know they definitely a lotof people reached out to help me
to do a race out here for her.
But it was just a lot and youknow it definitely it's.
It's a lot of planning to do,basically a lot of planning and
especially getting permits andeverything you know, getting the
(42:57):
right people involved and notto make it too big.
It's hard, it's really hard toget the right people involved
and trusting the right peopletoo.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Oh yeah, ran a 12 hour this past year and the race
director messed up on a permitso we had to get kicked off.
The cops called and everythingelse.
I was like oh well I run thatrace.
but yeah, it's, yeah, it's tough, it's tough.
(43:27):
I don't know how people do it,but they do it If I'm pretty
sure.
If a buddy of mine, jasonRutherford, he runs one of the
biggest, uh, he directs one ofthe biggest runs in eastern
washington, right here where welive.
I mean, if he hears this I'mpretty sure he'll uh um love to
(43:48):
help you out and yeah I told himabout you yesterday.
I ran into him yesterday and Iwas like, yeah, man, I'm having
this one, this one runner on youprobably know her and I showed
him.
He's like I don't know.
But I'm like, dude, she has astory, she's gonna say it and so
, pretty sure, if he's gonnalisten, if he's listening, he's
gonna tune in and message youdefinitely all the help.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
yes, thank you, I would really appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
And I normally yeah, I normally stick with race
directors.
So I that's how I get my racesgoing.
I just stick with the racedirectors that I enjoy and trust
and everything else.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
So he's one of them.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
He's one of them.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
So it's really hard to meet those genuine people out
there especially.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Yeah, yes, I'm glad you say that, because it is
tough it is.
It is tough to to see throughit.
You know to see through a lot,yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I was hiking up Maylands yesterday and I went up
with one of my great friends.
We were talking and we weretalking about how the mountain,
just, you know, kind of pullsout the genuine and the just
(45:14):
pulls out the respect out of you.
You know, the right people, andit always has the right people
on the mountain.
And it was crazy because yousaid that too, because we're
like, wow, you know, it's reallyhard to meet those right people
and the mountain usuallyencounters all that and it's
amazing.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
But yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
It humbles you too, Because mother nature and the
mountain, it always wins.
There's no way around it.
Yes, you can conquer it, butyou know, when it's time she'll
allow you to conquer it.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:51):
That's so true.
It brings the best out.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Oh yeah, distracted driving distracted driving um
it's a big.
It's a big thing with me becausemy daughter was 16.
On September 5th my lifechanged completely and to the
(46:24):
worst.
I lost my 16-year-old daughterto a distracted driver and she
was run over by a dump truckdriver coming on her way home
while she was riding her bikeand she had her headphones on
and she was driving on theopposite lane from the incoming
traffic and it was like six, Ithink five, between 5 am to 6 pm
(46:48):
or 6 am sorry, september 5thand she got run over and it was
the worst day of my life and youknow, you always remember like
it was yesterday and you know.
I remember the cops coming downbanging on my door and my
husband answering the door and Iwas laying there on bed and I
(47:10):
remember I pushed my husband andI said somebody's knocking on
the door and he's like what.
He just jumped up and wentdownstairs, opened the door and
they told him like they told himfirst that your wife passed
away and he's like what.
I was like laying theretouching my body.
I was like, oh my gosh, am Idead?
(47:31):
And it's a surreal moment likehearing those words.
And it was like, am I reallygone?
And then that's when I jumpedup, I ran downstairs.
I said I'm right here.
And they're like, oh, okay.
Then they're like, okay, sorry,let's back this up.
And they're like, okay, know,let's back this up.
(47:51):
And they're like okay, did yourdaughter have airpods?
I said yeah, because my airpods, my name was engraved on it,
that's how they identified her.
And so that's when they told meyour daughter deceased or she
passed away this morning.
And I was like Like, are youserious?
(48:12):
And that's when I said I can'tbelieve it, like it was just so
real that you know, it happenedso instant.
And it was her.
And, yeah, my dad entered and hewas just screaming and I never
(48:32):
heard my dad scream before.
I never heard my dad screambefore.
I never heard my mom screamthat loud.
I was like, wow, what do we donow?
What happens now?
You don't prepare yourself forthese times or these moments,
especially doing a funeral for a16-year-old.
It was just mind mind blowing.
(48:53):
Like there's no handbook onthis type of lifestyle and it's
a very bad, taboo thing in ourtradition as Navajos.
You know we're not supposed totalk about it, we're not
supposed to like give outdetails or whatever.
But you know I I don't thinkfor me.
You know you have to talk aboutthese things to heal from it
(49:16):
and to you know, to let peopleknow that it happened.
You know it happened becausethis is the life we live.
You know we're not all going toand but yeah, you've documented
that and it.
Speaker 1 (49:27):
I could only imagine the way you you're talking about
it.
I'm surprised you're able totalk about it.
I have three girls myself andjust knowing that you lost your
(49:49):
oldest, and knowing what,possibly what you went through,
how you documented it, almost itfelt like a dream for us to see
what you put on Instagram.
You know social media and thenit was just.
It was surreal for us.
So I couldn't imagine whatyou're going through.
(50:11):
I mean just speechless, okay,speechless and and and.
The fact that you documentedand continue to document it and
talk about her and and run inher memory, always mention her,
it's like wow, you know it.
It's it's lovely to know thather name still lives within you.
(50:35):
You know and you do the thingsnot just for her, but for you
too, and whatnot.
But the documentation that youput is very, very nice and
lovely and for an outsiderlooking in it was it's pretty
cool to know that people can dowhat you do, you know and you do
(50:55):
it best, you do it best.
I that's what I would say.
Like me being a guy, I don'tknow how to say that kind of
stuff, but you, you put thingsin perspective and yeah we were
living with you or alongside youand and you allowed us to do it
, and you're a strong person todo that- so thank you, yeah, it
(51:16):
was.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
It was a numbing stage and you know that numbness
turned to me running more andme trying to equal to the pain
of that level you know, of beingso heartbroken and being, you
know, trying to live in thosemoments and just it was.
(51:42):
It was really hard.
Yeah, it was really hard, butyou know, I just, I just it's
still hard.
It is still hard.
Yeah, every day it feels likeit gets harder.
I just still hard.
It is still hard.
Yeah, every day it feels likeit gets harder.
Every day gets harder, becausein my mind I'm thinking like she
(52:04):
should be here, you know sheshould be here.
Speaker 1 (52:09):
This is not something runs.
You know what you have onInstagram.
I mean, I'm just saying likeshe's always there with you and
you allow us to be with youthere, you know.
Speaker 2 (52:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
With those passages that you put on, with what you
say, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
It's just lovely to see how she still lives with
within the family, with you yeahwhat you do so definitely, and
you know I I could be anotherperson, being just, you know, be
depressed and try and take myown life or whatever, but you
know I don't want to be thatperson.
You can choose from it.
You can choose a way to livethe right way and, you know,
(52:53):
talk about it and heal with itand be a better person.
And you know, because, like Isaid, like you know, we're all
not going to be here one day andI'm trying to help other people
that are going through it too,that lost their child, because
you know there's more andthere's more to there's more to
(53:13):
it.
And it sucks to say I hatethose words when they say it was
god's plan.
You know I hate those words Ihate that too and and it.
It sucks, but it is, you know,and it's like you can't change
it, you can't go back.
You can't go back and bring herback.
(53:35):
You know you just have to livewith it and grow with it and
heal with it.
And you know how can you be abetter person with, especially
me, a native american?
You know, you have to, just,you know, be a better person and
be stronger every day, and andyou are.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
I'm just telling you.
I was going to say before yousaid that it has made you a
stronger person.
Yeah, for you to to be, youknow, allow yourself to talk
about this right now makes itunbelievable that you can, you
know, talk about her right now.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
Yeah, and you know, talk about her right now.
Yeah, and you know, ultrarunning has really definitely
defined all that with me,especially.
You know, being strong and onestep at a time.
And climbing that mountain,like yesterday, man, it was so
intense and I could feel herpresence and, jesus, it hurts.
It hurts like it's like youjust want to give up.
You know, you're just like Ican't do this, no more, I can't
(54:36):
like why am I doing this?
Why am I here?
You question yourself every dayand when you're walking up that
mountain, it hurts and you'rejust like I can't do this.
But you have to, you have to,you haven't.
I had no choice.
You know, I wasn't given achoice and I just have to live
with it and carry myself on.
(54:56):
That's all you have to do everyday.
I guess you know.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And after Cocodona, what otherraces did you have?
Speaker 2 (55:09):
Um, I have a roof bar run up for air.
Um, I'm doing a yeah, that'sgonna be here in a granular.
I'm doing a six hour one andbeginning of february, the
seventh, I believe the seventhand the eighth yeah, I'm doing a
six hour one and yeah, and thenafter that I'm doing another
(55:29):
roof run up for air with theMaylands.
It's a 16 hour, no, 12 hour, 12hour race with Maylands.
So, and I believe that you knowwe, we need to, we need better
air here in Salt Lake with theinversion and everything you
know it's really bad out here.
So I try to help out within alot of be part of a lot of good
(55:54):
communities, within that help,within anything you know, just
to be there and donate to them.
Speaker 1 (56:05):
I asked about the races because I know for a fact
she will be there with you, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (56:11):
Yeah, always be there with you.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (56:13):
Always be there with you and you know, quite frankly,
I will always enjoy readingyour posts, your stories that
have her in it, and that's whyyes, yes, yes I really do enjoy
those, those moments that youpost on there.
Speaker 2 (56:33):
Yes, like oh my gosh, I truly believe she's my angel.
You know, like I don't knowwhere I go or what time or the
place I'm at and it's like boom,like there'll be a heart, rock
or rainbows or feathers, or youknow angelic numbers.
I'm just like what in the world?
Or it's so crazy, it's, it'samazing, and it's like like
(56:58):
those are the only thing thatreally uplift me.
Like oh, okay, she's here.
Speaker 1 (57:01):
Like oh my gosh I'm getting what you're putting down
.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
Yes, yeah, yeah, and but other than that, I do have a
lot more other races, but I Itry not to talk about them
because I don't want to jinxmyself.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
Gotcha, totally understand what.
What's your biggest race,though?
Biggest meaning miles wise,most miles this year.
Speaker 2 (57:29):
I'm doing it.
I'm doing a Monster 300.
Speaker 1 (57:36):
You're doing a 300?
Mike McKnight yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (57:44):
I know I'm too crazy.
I need to put my crazinesssomewhere.
Speaker 1 (57:49):
My life is just too crazy and I just think something
to you'll get if you did grindin you'll, you'll, you'll get it
, and hopefully they have thesame kind of.
You know, we can track you andfind out yeah, not so much the
split, but where you're at andhow you're doing, and we could
read it in between the lines,like I did with you and
(58:12):
everybody else that I follow soyeah, hopefully they have that
tracking system there speakingof that, my tracker in cocodona
was was not accurate like Iheard some parts I was like way
behind, but I was actually upthere.
Yeah, it was, it was off.
There was a little uh glitch,yeah, yeah, so hopefully it's
(58:35):
like that this time again.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
I'm hoping you don't want to know where I'm at.
I don't want you to know yeah,when is that race?
um, it's beginning of april,yeah, the first week of april,
yeah, so come quick, oh yeah.
Yeah, it's coming in fast.
That's why I have these two uhtraining races to work with and
(58:57):
my vert and stuff.
So it's gonna be intensetraining and I do have a lot of
support from my family and youknow just certain people I I
know that are gonna be there andI have my pacers in line and
they're ready to go and they'reworking hard too and you know
(59:19):
it's going to be fun.
I'm just going to make it a funtime, fun moment, and just take
it all in 300 miles.
Fun guys.
Speaker 1 (59:26):
Fun, fun.
Speaker 2 (59:29):
A fun.
300 miles, yeah, so it'll befun.
You have to get the fun out ofeverything.
You know you need to put somefun in there.
You know you can't be tooserious at everything,
especially in life, and I.
You know it has to be fun.
Try running it's fun.
(59:49):
Ultra running is fun.
Running long it's fun.
Speaker 1 (59:52):
Climbing mountains is even better.
Speaker 2 (59:54):
Oh yeah, mountains are even better.
Yeah, getting up high, gettingup high, there's nothing like it
.
There's nothing like it, I know, but I'm just kind of intense
with the weather, like I'm justhoping it's going to be a little
cooler, not too hot.
Yeah, I'm just like, oh my gosh, but yeah, cocodona was intense
(01:00:16):
.
The first 30 miles, oh my gosh,that that first 30, 25 miles
kicked my butt yeah, everybodysays that.
Hector rodriguez says that ohmy gosh poor hector.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh no, Iremember him for a day.
Speaker 1 (01:00:31):
Yeah have you done king's peak?
Speaker 2 (01:00:35):
I have not.
Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
No, okay, no that's a good training run really
where's that located at?
Uh, it's your neck of the woods, your, that's your guys's
highest point.
Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
Uh, utah's highest point oh really yeah oh, okay, I
heard okay, okay, kings, waiton the east side of us.
Okay, yeah, okay, yeah,definitely look into it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
Well, with all this going out there, are you?
Speaker 2 (01:01:06):
well, let me know if you are going out there this
year to do it yeah, we'll giveme in the loop, we'll get a
training room.
Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
Oh yeah, for sure that that that's.
That's my goal, just to do thewestern half of, uh, all the
highest points.
So because there's, I'm notgoing to go to indiana and do a
hill, you know, yeah, so Idecided to do all the Western
States and do the high points.
(01:01:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
Yeah, that's nice.
Speaker 1 (01:01:40):
That's fun On my list for the past five years and I'm
going to do it.
Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
So yeah, I'll be rooting for you.
Yes, you'll get there.
You'll get it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
Thank you, especially since I have the c word that we
won't talk about.
Speaker 2 (01:01:55):
but oh, I have to do something to keep my mind to
keep my mind there, you know,but uh yeah, goals are good,
goals are good when you're outand about.
Speaker 1 (01:02:09):
What's your go-to snack?
Speaker 2 (01:02:12):
oh my gosh um.
My go-to snacks will be umpotato chips okay, so you like
the salt, the salty, the carbs.
Okay yes, I like the saltiness II I've been doing a lot of
sweet but it's been irritatingmy teeth a lot so I'm trying to
(01:02:35):
do some saltiness, some chips,and then I'll do like gummy
worms, the sour gummy worms, andthen I'll do scratch the um,
the salt scratch is so good,okay, oh yeah, scratch and then
just water, like just streamwater, with my filter, okay, and
(01:02:55):
a couple of goose, not too muchso try to keep everything
simple.
Yeah, just keep it simple,basically Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:03:05):
Before we were on air , you mentioned peanut butter
jelly sandwich.
Oh God, I was shocked.
Not a lot of people have a beerin hand, which you did um and
then talk peanut butter jellysandwich.
So, since you mentioned first,since you mentioned that, what
beer are you drinking?
Roosters brewers okay, andthey're the local local.
Speaker 2 (01:03:31):
Yeah, it's a local as an outdoor say.
Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
You can see that okay , yep, yep, aldo said a mexican
launderer, okay what's thepercentage?
What's the percentage?
Percentage it's a fivepercentage okay yeah shout out
to roosters okay I haven't.
I really haven't mentioned thisquestion a lot, but people are
(01:03:55):
gonna love it.
So, peanut butter jellysandwiches do you eat them?
No, what?
What's your besides potatochips?
Okay, go for it, for it.
Speaker 2 (01:04:09):
I don't like peanut butter jelly.
I've been trying them the past,trying to feel with them lately
, and they get stuck up herelike on top of my mouth.
Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:04:23):
I just can't.
It's the best part, it's sohard to.
Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
Best part.
Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
The best.
It's so hard to digest.
Speaker 1 (01:04:40):
I can't sorry, but I tried it with pickles a lot of
people do okay pickles and yeah,end result still didn't like it
.
Speaker 2 (01:04:47):
I like the pickle part and I like the raspberry
jelly one.
The the preserve, yeah.
I rather have it with some realpreserved jelly.
But I used to until I went tojail.
Do you mind Okay?
It messes you up.
See, I've been through a lot,so you know I've been through a
(01:05:09):
lot, so you know you don't wantto know about my past, I got you
, I got you, I got you.
Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
So, if it's not chips , what do you enjoy on an outing
with family members, a long runor mountain hike?
Speaker 2 (01:05:28):
I like to do baby food, baby food, the little
pouch, yeah, yeah, I'll do those.
And then some Coke, ginger ale,and I think I've done a lot of
those crushers, those nerdscrushers.
Oh, the clusters, the clusters,yeah, clusters, yeah yeah, yeah
(01:05:52):
, yeah, you love your sweets.
No wonder your teeth are I know, I know I I've been to the
dental like twice this last yearand oh, I had two yeah, and my
husband's like you need to stayaway from sweets like go go salt
, go salt.
I'm like, okay, I've been tryingto go salt, so yeah, but beer
(01:06:15):
definitely helps though did they?
Speaker 1 (01:06:19):
did they find that, uh, you grind your teeth or you
clench your teeth yes, yes, soyeah, at night only yeah,
thinking about everything in theworld, correct?
Speaker 2 (01:06:33):
I know I was telling my best friend or my sister here
.
I was telling her I had a baddream last night and I told her
I had a dream while my teethfell out.
Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
So my wife's a dental hygienist, right, and she says
when that happens, when youdream of those of that, it means
you have a lot of stress inyour life.
Speaker 2 (01:06:58):
Uh-huh.
Speaker 1 (01:06:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
It was like that last week.
Oh my gosh, like I took in twokids in that were homeless.
You're just a great person.
Speaker 1 (01:07:11):
I'm glad I follow you , I'm glad I found you and I
started following you and thenthen, when I found out that you
know I'm kind of a good judge ofcharacter, right and once I
found out that, who you are andhow you are, I was like how can
I just present to her that Iwould like for her to be on the
podcast?
(01:07:32):
And so I I did it and man, I'mso glad yeah so glad I did I so
glad I did, and the thetechnical difficulties aside,
you're just a wonderful person.
Continue doing what you're doingokay and uh, don't stop, don't
stop, don't stop doing whatyou're doing.
(01:07:53):
I'm a huge fan.
I always will be a fan Not asbig as your husband and your
kids and your family, but fromfar Eastern Washington, I'm a
fan.
Speaker 2 (01:08:07):
Oh yeah, Hopefully I can do some races out there once
the babies are full time inschool.
Speaker 1 (01:08:14):
One in particular you have to run Jason Rutherford's
Badger Mountain Challenge.
Speaker 2 (01:08:19):
It's a big name.
Speaker 1 (01:08:21):
A lot of runners have done it Big name runners so if
you get a chance, pretty sure hecan give you a discount or
something.
How?
Speaker 2 (01:08:32):
many miles.
Is that one oh?
Speaker 1 (01:08:35):
he has a hundred.
He has uh, what is it?
The 50 miler, 50k.
You can do a 50 miler and a 50kone day and then the 50k the
next.
Yeah, oh, wow.
Hey, he has 50 miler, ruck, 15k, ruck.
(01:08:55):
Yeah, there's a lot of options,but the 100 miler, it's.
It's very deceiving.
People do it four times andstill don't get the hundred.
It's not guaranteed because ofthe terrain.
Speaker 2 (01:09:08):
So oh wow, but if you get a, chance.
If you get a chance, let meknow, let me know, yeah, it's
crazy, I am probably I'll end updoing it soon or whenever I do
have a lot of oh wow, yeah, I.
I definitely have still a lot ofbucket lists on my list that I
(01:09:29):
want to do, and you know, andI'm I just hope one day I'll get
to compete in those races whileI'm still here and that's all I
want to do.
You know, and just show myfamily, my community and my
people that you know we can doit too, especially being made
(01:09:52):
american.
You know we can all do it andit's, it's possible.
Anyone can do these races,anybody.
If you just put the train inand put the mentality in place,
and you can do it.
You can do it yes and I believethat and it's.
(01:10:12):
It's definitely hard, but it'sfun.
It's fun.
I love it, especially the ultrarunning community.
Man, it's a different level oflove, it's a different level
type of respect, and man, it'slike let's go, let's do it, and
they're just all in it and Ithink I love this sport more
than ever and I don't know how Ithere's nothing like it yeah,
(01:10:36):
there's nothing like it nothinglike it when yesterday on
maylands, you know, people werelike, hey, family.
And I was like, oh, like dang,that's, that's how it is.
It is like.
It is like that, like, yeah,you know, you want to hear that
everywhere you get up themountain they call you family,
you know.
Speaker 1 (01:10:59):
You won't.
You won't get that around here,but I'm glad you guys got it
there.
Speaker 2 (01:11:06):
We're pretty tight up here and we all watch out for
each other.
Speaker 1 (01:11:09):
So that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:11:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:11:12):
So Des, so dashana, it's been over an hour.
We can talk and talk.
If you want anything I missed,anything you want to add, I
definitely want you back on.
I want you back.
I do.
Maybe after the 300, I wantthat 300 yes, I want that too.
Speaker 2 (01:11:36):
I want it so bad.
I know I'm I've been dreamingabout it a lot like it's, it's,
it's there and I I know, I knowI can do it, your dreams yeah,
so that and the triple crown, Iwant all that okay I want it all
and there's more to come.
(01:11:59):
I want crazy melon again for thethird time.
I'm gonna get it.
I really need it and you wantit.
I'm hungry for it.
I'm hungry for more and I'mcoming for all.
Coming for it all, like I justI don't know, it's's going to
take a lot, but I'll get there.
You only live once, right.
Speaker 1 (01:12:21):
You're there, just give it time.
Just I know, no, you got it.
Don't stress too much, oryou're going to still have those
nightmares, those dreams.
Yeah, remember it's the thestress in your life that's
making you have those thoughtsof losing your teeth.
Speaker 2 (01:12:38):
Oh my gosh, I know, I was telling my sister that I
was like what does that mean?
Speaker 1 (01:12:44):
Yeah, that's what it means.
My wife tells me that all thetime, so it means you have a lot
of stress in your life.
So, deshauna, it's been apleasure.
I appreciate this conversation,I appreciate you, I appreciate
your content and what youbelieve in and how you present
(01:13:06):
yourself all around on themountain, off the mountain, as a
mom, as a runner, and it's anhonor that you are on here.
I want to continue thisfriendship outside and uh, see
you grow as a person and uhwhatnot.
So, tashauna, it's been apleasure, till next time.
Speaker 2 (01:13:30):
Yeah, definitely.
Thank you for putting me on andyou know talking about my story
.
You know it's it's been a hard,hard life, but you know nothing
.
Life comes easy, so it's goodto talk about it and I I just
hope I inspire some people.
Speaker 1 (01:13:52):
I just hope I inspire some people.
Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
You inspire more than you think.
Speaker 1 (01:13:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:13:57):
I appreciate you.
Thank you for your time, Iappreciate everything.
Speaker 1 (01:14:03):
Thank you, Tashaun.
Speaker 2 (01:14:05):
Shout out to everybody in my life.
Speaker 1 (01:14:06):
Shout out, shout out to husband.
Speaker 2 (01:14:09):
Yeah, and the kiddos.
Speaker 1 (01:14:10):
And the kiddos.
Speaker 2 (01:14:11):
And the kiddos and everybody, my family, yes, all
right.
Speaker 1 (01:14:17):
Thank you, Tashana.
Speaker 2 (01:14:18):
Thank you, have a good one.
We'll see you next time.
Shauna Jo, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Great to be here, great to be alive.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's an honor that you're here.
Actually, you know, I've hadsome names on here and I get a
little, you know, flustered anda little intimidated Not
intimidated, but it's like afanboy, you know, flustered and
a little intimidated, notintimidated, but it's like I
fanboy fan, you know, fan out.
And this has been in the worksfor a bit.
I know we tried before the yearand I had some you know
(00:59):
sickness and everything else.
Got that taken care of andeverything else Got that taken
care of, kind of, but finallyfigured out what it was.
And then my kids I mean it was,it was a couple reschedules and
here you are and it's just likethe day came and I'm like oh
man, am I getting a headache?
Oh man, is it just nerves andanxiety, nerves, anxiety.
(01:26):
I don't know what it is.
I don't know what it is,deshauna, but it is crazy that
you're on here and I am, Ibelieve I'm nervous.
Okay, I'm nervous becauseyou're one heck of an athlete.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Oh my gosh, I am far from that.
Oh my gosh, I am far from that.
Whatever, whatever I mean, I'mjust another person trying to
make in this world?
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I don't know, but I just, I normally nobody like I
say I okay, well, you're humble,but I'm nervous because you
have a story and I want peopleto hear it.
Not that you know, you're a momand you do this, you do that,
you are that and you are this.
(02:16):
And here you are, you're a castand we're going to talk shop.
So you're an ultra endurancerunner, a mom, what else?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Oh um um, a native American woman.
That's first of all like I'm athe net, the net woman of my
people that uh, touchy me Welland that, oh, the net that she,
any woman and I represent mytribe, first of all, my blood, I
(02:50):
you know, that's who Irepresent, that's where I come
from, not just a mom and anultra runner.
That's the first and foremost.
And you know, I love torepresent my people and my
strength is where I get thatfrom and I don't know how, why
(03:10):
I'm here, but I am thankful tobe here and you know I I'm just
another person trying to beginthis world.
Basically, yes, yes in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Basically yes, yes, and I'm glad for that
introduction because you knowI've been following you for a
bit.
You know you are Native andeverything else and you stand
true to your Christian beliefsand so thank you.
I couldn't have said that evenany better.
So I appreciate you with thatintro Was running always in your
(03:45):
life your life.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Running has been in my life fora very long time.
Um, I started way back inelementary.
Um, I ran my elementary years,my part of my junior high and I
I also did my freshman and mysophomore year for running.
The only reason why I did it isbecause of basketball and, you
(04:09):
know, being on the reservationthey have, they call it res ball
and you have to learn how toplay res ball in order to run
with those fast kids.
It's just basically throw downthe ball down the court and
whoever gets it you know, on thesame team you grab it and you
make it easy layup, basically.
So basically catch and do alayup.
(04:31):
You know, and I was always, youknow, I was always that person
trying to get that ball at theend of the court and make that
easy layup.
So, you know, and I just didcross country just for that
ability to play play res ball.
But and other than that, youknow, I was like I love my air
(04:55):
conditioning, yeah, yeah.
So it was a good experience,you know, and I was forced to
play because my mom was ateacher at the school and you
know being, you know, growing upin a community where your mom
(05:17):
and you know they're in theeducation level and, like a
teacher, you have to have thatkind of like kind of have a role
with that.
And it sucked because it was alot of pressure and I had to,
you know, stand up to thosestandards to be a good person
and you know, to be a goodperson in the community and have
(05:40):
good athleticism.
And it was hard, it was, it wasa hard thing, but I did it just
to, but it was hard.
It was a hard thing, but I didit just to, but it was fun.
It was always fun, don't get mewrong.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
What did you enjoy the most running or basketball?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Oh well, back then it was basketball because I had my
best friend, crystal, whichshe's now my pacer a lot for
most of my big runs now, and youknow it was always about
friends and you know having agood time and you know just
(06:19):
being together and just make itfun.
You know basketball was alwaysfun and just make it fun,
basketball was always fun.
But now, and getting older, Ifeel like doing this individual
sport as running it's different.
It's different compared to whenyou're young.
You're in a team, you're soclose to being in a team and you
(06:44):
can blame whoever makes amistake.
But in running now you're olderand you know you don't want to
be blamed for anybody's mistakeand it's an individual sport
because it's everything yourfallouts and whatever happens,
your training, it's all on you,you carry it on your shoulders,
(07:06):
you carry it within everythingand you know you're the only one
to blame through the sport.
So and I fell in love withrunning, with that, and I was
like you know what it's all you,shauna, you know if it's up to
you, if you want it, go get it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
If not, then so res ball, it is a thing right.
It's not just hollywood statingyou know basketball's on a
plate on the reservation is isthat sports?
Basketball promoted more orless than most sports on the
(07:44):
reservation?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I think it's in the Navajo Reservation where I'm at.
It's promoted more becausethat's the top sport they play
there and it's kind of like ahighlight when you're in the
high school years and it'sdefinitely somewhere you want to
be at and want to do and it'slike a showcase basically and
(08:09):
you know, I've been there andstate, state champions is where
you want to be as far as, likeum, within the res ball area
with within the now a nation.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
so yeah, why is it the place to be when in high
school.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yeah, I think it kind of puts you on a pedestal for a
minute.
There, you know, and you know,you kind of like put out your
talent there, you want to knowit's a good recognition and it
makes you feel good for like asan individual because you work
hard to get there.
You know, especially as a team,and you just want to be, you
(08:51):
know, put out, just put it outthere every day, every game, and
work as hard as you can.
And you know, that's how I was.
I just wanted to put everythingout there all the time.
I just wanted to put everythingout there all the time and you
know.
And then, after you're done andyou want to sit down and it it
makes your parents proud for you, you make them proud and where
(09:13):
you're from and what you do.
And I don't know that's how Ithought, but I always did it for
myself.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
I like that.
I'm just glad it's not justHollywood, you know, and it is
true.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It is true that Red Bull is a place called Rock
Point, arizona, and we're likein the middle of nowhere and
where our school isn't wellknown.
We only have a good populationof like oh my gosh, less than
200 or at least 100.
And yeah, so I grew up in aplace like that and you know
(10:03):
from being in Rock Point goingto a bigger 3A school which was
Monty Valley High School, and itwas like wow, you know you can
do so much, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Okay, all right.
How many people graduate inclass if you stayed on the Reds?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
graduating class if you stayed on the reds um I
would say like a good uh, mygosh, 75 the grade most, yeah,
75 to 50, yeah, not a lot 3a, 3ayeah, 3a, yes, 3a so that's how
many people would havegraduated.
Yeah, yeah, okay yeah.
So it's really hard to get outthere.
(10:48):
It's really hard.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
So you graduated high school?
When did running come back inyour life, or did it ever leave?
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Um, running came in my life.
Uh, I, I, I've been through alot.
I can tell you that, um, I hadmy ups and downs, you know,
before I had my kids and duringmy kids, and um, running came my
life again.
Um, I think, when I moved herein Utah, um, I said this before
(11:23):
another podcast but I, um, I had, uh, my third, my third child
at the time, ava.
Uh, I met my husband.
He was a trucker here, he worksfor Sierra England and um, at
the time, I met him and we hadmy daughter, ava, which is now,
which is she is now seven.
And uh, um, during that timebefore I and after, I had really
(11:48):
bad postpartum depression andyou know, I, I guess I didn't
know how to tolerate with it andI was.
It was so different with myfirst two because my first two I
was okay and I had my familyaround, but being so far away
from the reservation, being sofar away from my family, living
in a remote area in Tremont andLogan, providence and North
(12:10):
Ogden, it was like I didn't knowwhat to do with myself.
You know, I was so depressed.
I needed my family and I neededtheir help.
Nobody was around.
So I start running.
Nobody was around, so I startrunning.
I started going up Mayland andhitting up cool water and you
(12:33):
know the trails here in Ogdenand I love, I fell in love with
the trails.
And you know, there was justsomething different about trail
running in the community too,because they would invite you to
these trail runs and I would gothe community too because they
would invite you to these trailruns and I would go and that's
how kind of how I, how it kindof helped me with my depression
through post-boredom and itreally did help a lot.
And just being out there, youknow, having time for yourself
(12:57):
and working on your body, youknow, because you know, after
having a baby you don't lookgood, no more.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
So yeah you just want to even for guys.
Even for guys, I'm just sayingit happens.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Yeah.
You had to put time in foryourself every day.
You know you need to.
You know, especially havingkids, you're like, oh my gosh,
like I can't be this person.
You know I want to do better,you know so.
So that's how trail runningcame across and I started, you
know, getting to know moregroups like um, the trail
(13:33):
sisters, the woman of wasatchand just other trail community,
the within the women group, so,which is really fun, and got to
know a lot of good runners, anda lot of good elite runners too,
that I follow here in utah.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So and there's a lot of them.
There's, oh my god, yeahthey're.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
They are so badass and I'm just like, wow, I can
never, ever be at their level.
And it's like oh my.
God.
It's amazing what they do.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Yeah, so when did you find racing, especially at your
level, your distance that yourun, people don't know.
If you guys don't know what sheruns, she runs 250 miles.
She's ran Cocodona, she runs100 miles.
So when did you know you had athing for that distance?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I knew this back in high school.
I knew back in high schoolbecause I did 1600s and that was
like four laps, I think, or sixlaps around the track, yeah,
and it was insane because peoplewould tell me you're crazy to
run four laps, I think.
Or six laps around the track,yeah, and it was insane because
people would tell me you'recrazy to run four laps around
the track.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
They say that now too .
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Yeah, I knew that because I knew my endurance was
that high at the time and I saidthere's no way I'm a short
distance runner Like I can't, myheart's going to burst, like
basically Okay.
And you know, I knew that backthen and then I kind of used
that you know that mentality inthe future now.
(15:16):
So I'm like you know what, if Ican do that, maybe I'm born to
do that, maybe because you knowthey have that so-called muscle
memory.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
That is true, yes.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah.
So I'm like oh hey, you know,remember we did this back in
2002 or something, or you know,back in 2001 or something.
Can we do it again?
Can we bring it back?
Speaker 1 (15:44):
So the coach puts you two miler then yeah so.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
So now, um, I even still now like a 10k is so hard
to do because the speed, yes,correct, yes, the speed and the
pace is it hurts, it hurts, ithurts me and it's like this is
so long, it's taking me foreverjust to finish so what?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
what is it?
The?
The 100 to 250 miler comparedto 10k?
Like why is it so muchdifficult?
Yeah, why is it harder, mmm the200 10k over the 200.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Oh the 10k okay, it's just, you can feel everything,
like you're, you can feel everystep and you know here, every
crunch in your knee and you'relike, oh, like, oh, like, oh, my
God, like.
I can't believe that.
I hear my crunch in my kneesall the time and my back
spazzing and it hurts, you know,it hurts more than a long run,
(16:59):
a longer run, and it's like theintensity of finishing within a
certain time period is like, no,like, no.
Why am I doing this?
No, you know, it's just somepeople say that the other way
around though.
Yeah, some people yeah, but forme it's different, everybody's
(17:19):
different.
You know I like my long, longruns, because you know you have
to find a joy in it.
The pain is not, I mean, it'stemporary, basically everything.
And so it's good, time willpass, it will pass, that's all I
(17:41):
always say.
Time's going to pass, it's justfor a while, maybe one, two
minutes, and let it pass.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
You know it'll go by and then that's what you were
saying during Cocodona this pastyear yeah, yeah, yeah, you had
a couple moments I did I did.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Cocodona was oh my gosh, but oh my gosh, like I
love that race so much and Ijust can't stand the heat.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Yeah, yeah, you doing it again this year.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Oh no, not this year.
It filled up so fast.
After when I was done I waslike, oh my gosh, everybody
already filled it up, Like theydidn't even give me time to even
register or anything.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
And you're a finisher .
Speaker 2 (18:25):
They, they didn't give you priority oh no, and I I
didn't even think about that, Iwas just like just thinking
about recovering.
You know, I wasn't thinkingabout doing another race or
doing it again.
But after I finally recovered Ilooked at the website again I
was like, oh shoot, like it'salready full, like oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
So how long did it take you to recover?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
um it took me a good two months two months to recover
.
Yeah, yeah, yeah so, yep, it wasa very intense run and you know
my, my, my hip flexors aremessed up.
My feet were okay, thank God,it was just my back and a lot of
(19:18):
chafing.
I chafed a lot with my pack,lot like with my pack, and you
know, and hydration level, I didpretty good.
Eating level um, I ate a lot ofnormal food.
My husband was there, um besideme throughout the whole race
and he was just like grilling,like for a lot of protein a lot
(19:40):
of steaks.
And he'll be like what are youcraving?
What do you want?
Anything, you know, and I wantit like buffalo wings dang okay
yeah, I had pho and you knowsubway and I'm like I need this.
I'm hungry, you know I'm gonnaeat something good.
I'm like I got tired of eatingat the aid stations.
I was like, oh, like I needsome real food, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Shout out to your husband.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Oh, I know he's a good person.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Crew Crew member Crew .
Family members are the bestcrew members yes, shout out to
my crew, my Cocodona crew.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
You guys are awesome, woo yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
And you do give him a shout out, you give him a lot
of love on social media oh yeahyeah, you do.
I like that, I like to see that.
You know not too many.
You know runners give theirsignificant other a shout out
until it's time, or theirbirthday or something you know.
But you on the other hand,shout out.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I love that man Kids shout out.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no one could tell.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
No one could tell, no one could tell, I feel like he
saved my life.
Honestly, like without him,like I probably wouldn't even be
here and I give him everythingand he does a lot for me and I
don't need to work, he works forme.
And you know he's like don'tworry, I got you.
And it's hard to find acompanion like that these days,
(21:09):
you know, especially you knowliving out here in a real world
and especially doing ultrarunning too, and he's always
trying to like do make me be abetter person every day.
And and because of him and Ifound my faith again through the
Lord and it's, it's beenamazing, life's been amazing,
awesome, thankful for him.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
When prepping for a hundred plus mile or race right.
How many miles do you get in aweek?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Um, I try to stay between 20 to 30 ish.
I don't want to push myself Ilisten to my body.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I, I at leastI try to do at least three miles
a day.
And you know I I'm on weekendsI pull, like I pull, try to do a
lot of hurts.
(22:01):
You know, get the elevation,get my lungs going my my heart.
You know my thresh up higher onthose elevations.
And you know you have to listento your body.
You have to because if notyou're going to break yourself
and you're going to be sorry.
And you know, especially doingthese hundreds, and it's hard,
(22:23):
it's hard on the body.
You know, especially doingthese hundreds, it's hard, it's
hard on the body.
You have to rest, hydrate andeat the right kind of food.
Give time.
It's being patient.
It's being patient and doingthe right thing for yourself
because you want to make it tothat starting line.
You want to make it to thestarting line.
You want to feel good, you wantto feel fresh as much as you.
(22:47):
I don't know, I speak formyself.
You know, I see a lot of peoplepushing it, pushing it, pushing
it, and I'm like, wow, that'sgood for you, good for you, do
it for you.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
But I do me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
You know, and you know, I had a coach before and
it was hard.
It got hard because runningwasn't fun no more.
It kind of just put me in theground and I was like I hate
running, I hate running, I haterunning so much and I hated it,
like I didn't want to dotraining no more.
(23:20):
You know, I hated that feelingyou know, and you don't want to
put yourself in that predicament.
It's not.
It shouldn't be that way.
It shouldn't be that way.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
So you're not the first, nor will I'm pretty sure
you won't be the last, but it's.
It's interesting that you said20 to 30 miles.
You know, uh, less is more tosome a lot, not so much, but
it's.
I appreciate you being honestand and sharing 20 to 30 during
(23:50):
you prepping for a race.
Okay, so do you do you believemuscle memory is a thing and
does help you in time of need?
Yeah, I like how you said 20 to30.
That, that's.
That's good, because I try totell people less is more.
Um, and, and I've had, you know, mike McKnight on, I've had the
(24:13):
guy that ran barkley and won hestrict regiment, less is more,
and I couldn't believe he wassaying it because all these
influencers, all these peoplesaying, hey, more is more, more
is better, it's like you saidyou do you, so I glad you glad
(24:36):
you shared that.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Yeah, cause I I I mean I did a 250 so far and my
body knows and knows the agonyand knows the pain and knows
it's just all mental.
Basically it's all mental, amental game out there, Cause
your feet can take you anywhereIf you know how to take care of
your feet.
It's about taking care of yourfeet, basically, yeah, and just
(24:58):
eating the right food, you know,just keep eating, keep eating
and just keep moving, moving,moving basically, and you'll get
there.
You'll get there.
If you look forward, it's goingto take forever, but if you
look sideways, you're moving.
Right, I gotcha, I gotcha waysyou're moving, right I got you,
(25:19):
I got you, I got you, and that'swhy you take a lot of pictures,
landscape pictures, that's whyyou have to take pictures.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Yes, you take a lot of landscape selfies and it's
just like gosh, if I do that, mywife's like god, can you just
get out of the picture, you know?
Yeah but you know that's why Imade that comment a couple, like
a month ago.
I was like geez, you make everypicture great.
I'm like I can't even do that.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
So I know you have to be in the moment, Enjoy the
moment.
You know you just have to.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Well, you got a lot of great mountains over there,
so Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I love those.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Bare ones.
These are are.
I live in eastern washington soit's all desert, and then the
trees are more west, so yeahit's.
It's tough to get a greatlandscape shot, so wow, but you,
you have my so when you'redoing all these races and
(26:18):
everything prepping, how do youbalance life and getting your
vert and mom and wife?
How do you balance all?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
the above.
You just have to do it like.
You have to put time in it andjust doing it, not talking about
it.
It's hard to get out there somedays but I think my kids know
and I tell my kids I need to putmy run in and they know when
(26:50):
I'm getting frustrated, theyknow when I'm kind of antsy or
getting mad.
My oldest would be like Mom, Ithink you need to go for a run.
And that's usually when I wouldgo for a run like a good
three-miler or four-miler.
And when I come home she's likeMom, are you feeling good now,
(27:10):
do you feel better?
I'm like, yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
That's funny.
It's cool to see that the youknow, the family knows when we
need to get a work in when we'restruggling and everything else,
and like we're antsy, we're alittle miserable, a little, you
know, just a little down in thedumps, and they're like you need
to pick me up, go run.
It's like all right, come back.
You're like, oh hey how's itgoing?
(27:35):
You're energetic, you knowyou're loving life, you're
loving them.
I mean, you don't stop lovingthem, but you're just a deaf.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
You're definitely a different person.
Yes, yeah, you just didn't getall that frustration out and put
it on the run.
And man, it's like that coolair.
When you feel it, you feelalive again.
You're just like whoa.
Like oh, like, okay, you feelit, you feel alive again.
You're just like whoa like ohlike, okay, it reminds you where
you're at again.
And when you get back in homeinto a nice warm house, you're
like, oh, that felt good.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Do you stick on a strict routine or you just go
with the flow?
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I try to stick with a routine so I work out.
I run almost every day exceptfor Fridays.
This is my rest day and I tryto spend time with my kids on
Fridays do like outing with them.
Then on Saturday, through allthe way up to Thursday, I try to
(28:36):
put in some runs, and thenSaturdays, all the way up to
Thursday, I try to put in someruns, and then Saturdays are
usually my long runs or my vertruns.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Yeah, yeah, you did some running in the snow
yesterday correct?
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Oh yeah, that was so fun, that was so beautiful up
there.
Oh my gosh, running in the snowis so different than running on
the the road or sidewalk orwherever yeah, do you.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Do you go alone out there?
Speaker 2 (29:03):
um, yeah, I do, I go alone.
Yeah, I, I do a lot of thingsalone.
Sometimes I I add my my cousinsister lives in here, lay in me,
her, I'll drag her out thereand me and her we'll just go
like up granular and I usuallygo at her pace.
You know, I don't push her.
Sometimes I would, but it'susually just the time, you know.
(29:27):
This time on feet, basicallyit's not like how fast or how
you know be at a certain pace ornothing.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
And I just follow her .
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah, yeah, so and we just take our time going up
there and coming down.
You know we it's good.
You know when we take our timeeating, hydrating and yeah, you
know it's good sometimes.
You just need that and thoselittle things like that kind of
helps you because you know, whenyou're doing a hundred milers
200, you're still going to bewalking, no matter what some
part at some.
When you're doing these 100milers 200, you're still going
to be walking, no matter whatsome part some stage you're not
(30:00):
going to be running at a eightpace, eight minute per mile pace
, no way so so time on fee,taking care of your fee, as you
said.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
How many shoes and how many socks pairs of socks
did you go through duringCocodona?
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Oh my gosh, I went through you know what?
I had to buy two extra pairs ofshoes.
Really, yeah, my shoes that Ibrought to Cocodona.
They were so tight on me, myfoot swell, it swells so big,
(30:41):
like after the second day.
And then I told my husband Ican't fit into my shoes no more
and he went to the nearestrunning store in Sedona.
He brought two pairs of Hokashoes there and they were size
close to I think they were size11 in women's.
It was insane and I couldfinally like put my feet in
(31:04):
those shoes and man, I wasrunning good after that Cause
with the shoes I had that Ibrought.
They were too tight on me, my,my body swell, my leg swell, my
foot swell, my body swell, myleg swell, my foot swell.
Everything was swollen and itwas all that water weight and it
was insane, like I neverexperienced anything like that.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
But now I know you know, to double up on my sizes
on these next runs in the future.
Okay, good to know, good toknow how many pairs of socks.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Yes, so it was a good experience and you know I I'm
looking forward to what happensin the future with my feet again
.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yeah, your feet did pretty well during that.
What was your regimen then?
Like, what did you do?
How I?
I mean, did you use squirrelnut butter?
Did you make sure you you knowyou greased them up?
Socks, what like?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
um, I did a lot of um , what is it called?
Um, leg compressions, the bootsyeah, I, every time I um would
be done with, like, when I meetmy crew at every station, I just
put my legs right in the bootsand they went and eliminated a
lot of those, the water orwhatever.
(32:27):
Oh, wow, yeah, it justcompresses your legs and you
know it's like a lifesaver forme.
You know it's it's like alifesaver for me.
So I've been doing that almostlike every day now with those
compression legs and it's beenhelping me a lot.
Like the pain, the recovery onall my runs is less, less
(32:47):
painful.
So, yeah, I, it's, it's so muchneeded.
Cause, man, I feel like.
You know I there's severaltimes where I feel like I.
In the snow yesterday Isprained my ankle, but my ankle
was okay and I was like, wow,like, and then I put my when I
(33:07):
was done training.
I go home and I just lay in bedand drink a bunch of water and
then put my legs in the bootsand they just compressed my legs
throughout like three times,which is like 60 minutes.
So at least good three hours.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
So and I felt brand new again.
Game changer for all runners,huh, compression yeah, the boot
that what is the?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
call the nordic the nordic yeah yeah nordic leg
compressions.
Yeah so, and they had those atcocodona too.
That's where I discovered it,like I believe it was, uh, right
before one of one aid stationwas on top of a big old heel.
I don't remember, it was a blur, but I just put my legs through
(33:54):
those and, man, I felt so brandnew after that and I was like,
let's go, let's do this.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
Nice, what was your aid station time, the time that
you stayed there and, you know,just replenished aids.
What was the your average timeat aid station?
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Ooh, um, I believe.
Uh, one aid station.
I spent a whole, at least agood four hours.
I slept for two hours there.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
I don't remember where it was, but it wasn't it
like around one 20 to one 50,something like that?
There there was a.
You were struggling, but youwere on the struggle bus around
that time.
As I like to say, you know thestruggle bus you were, yeah, you
were struggling around 120 to150, I believe and so that's why
(34:48):
?
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I asked like what was your average time that that
mingus, that mingus heel wasrough for me one night.
So get this.
Before we hit Mingus Mountain,my husband volunteered to be my
(35:09):
pacer and he was my pacer for agood.
I would say 14, 12 miles andman it was bad.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Were you worried about?
Speaker 2 (35:20):
him no, no, no, no.
We were butting heads all theway, Like literally, like I, we
were just arguing, arguing,arguing, and it was so bad and I
was, I was being a big baby,basically.
And we got to the top of theMingus mountain and I was so
(35:43):
tired I couldn't even walk nomore and I was, I kept falling
asleep and I was walking likesleepwalking and I kept
following him and we got to thetop of the mountain.
It was really windy up thereand I told him I have to rest
and we laid down and I had myspace blanket oh, those things
are so comfortable, that spaceblanket and then I rolled up in
(36:04):
it and then he rolled up besideme and we slept for almost a
good 15 minutes.
But it was so nice becausewe're on Mingus Mountain and we
can see all the stars andeverything.
It was like in a romantic thingand we were both like, oh, I
think we kicked off a bucketlist.
That's cool.
(36:26):
And a time of distress and agony.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
You made it look like it's so beautiful, like those
beautiful landscapes.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, it was so beautiful and we got through it,
though Definitely those momentspush you through and you're
just like man.
I can't believe we went throughthat.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Yeah, well, that's cool.
I didn't know your husband wentout there with you.
Does he go on runs with you alot?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Oh yeah, yeah, he's been going on runs with me a lot
and sometimes he'll be likelet's go, you know you need to
train, you have this, you havethis race, or he'll call me and
be like you need to get outthere, like you need to get
moving, like I know, I know andyou know he's definitely a good
motivator yeah, that's awesomeright, with him motivating you,
(37:18):
what keeps you going?
Speaker 1 (37:20):
I know a lot of things have happened in your
life.
You know, with me I have the Cword, I'm doing my best to get
out and, you know, fight it andconquer it.
But I always find my reason andwhy and I have to what makes
you go out every day and conquerit?
Speaker 2 (37:42):
um, I think it's just my kids.
You know it all.
It always goes back to my kidsbecause I I want them to know,
um, you know I'm gonna be 40this year, so and I tell them
you know I need you guys to beat my level at my age and you
know I need you guys to bemoving when I get to 40.
I want you guys to do what I dotoo, and I want them to see it,
(38:06):
and especially in their fleshmode and you know, as their mom,
you know especially my girlsand you know they're like my
prize positions and I need them.
I need their data motivate meevery day and without them I
don't know what else I would dodo they do sports um, not at the
(38:30):
moment, but you know I don'tpush them.
They do a lot of.
They play instruments.
My oldest plays.
She plays the flute, she'slearning how to play flute and
now she's learning how to playpiano.
And so you know I try not topush them.
But my second one, ava, shesees me and she's like Mom, I
(38:53):
want to do it, I want to try it.
So I kind of let her go on myruns with me and and I can see a
lot in her doing a lot of trailrunning in the future.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
So Okay, so she can hang, she can.
She can hang with mom, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
She wants to get more into it.
And you know she falls.
I see her fall and she scrapesher hand and she gets up and I
I'm like, yeah, you know this iswhat happens.
It happens, you fall.
You know you gotta get up, youknow you gotta keep going.
It's just part of it and it's alearning experience for her and
it's it.
It hurts, but to see itespecially as your own, but it's
(39:32):
like, wow, you know she wants.
Okay, this is part of the game,you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Yeah, yeah, you got to tell her I still fall at 32
or, you know, 44.
Right, yeah, yeah.
So you're still going to fall.
It's just how you get back upand you know charge.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Yep, it's just how you go at it again.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
Every day.
You know charges.
Yep, it's just how you go at itagain yep every day.
How old is she?
She is seven.
She just turned seven onjanuary night, yeah, sounds like
my six-year-old.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Yeah, I'm not pushing anything on her, but I can tell
she's the runner of the thehousehold besides dad.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
So yeah, we can co-captain on those two.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Huh, yeah, yeah so you think cross country and
track is in the future?
Speaker 2 (40:23):
oh yeah, definitely.
I see a lot of potential inhere and I'm just like, oh my
gosh, what?
What did I start?
What's gonna happen here?
Speaker 1 (40:34):
yeah, that's awesome.
Any one mile races coming up or5k's coming up that you're
willing to sign her up um,probably, yeah, probably.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
Well, we'll see how it goes and get her heart going.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
We'll see how it goes get a little taste of the
little hardware that they get,or ribbons or whatever.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Yeah, yeah, she did really good.
I did a run for my daughter andmy late daughter.
The run it was a memorial runwe did for her back in September
and she wanted to do it, so shedid it and she finished it.
And she's like, wow.
And she's I told her that it'swhat happens when you do race
(41:27):
you have to go after it.
And she's like, oh, okay, mom,Okay, You're going to keep that
race going and, you know, tryingto help other people out there.
And it's hard, you know it'shard, but it's hard to put on a
race and being our first timedoing some kind of you know,
race directing like that.
Speaker 1 (41:43):
It was a good experience.
Yeah, race director, in theintro too.
Late intro, guys.
Race director.
Late intro.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
Yeah, it's a new beginning and you know I need to
um learn more about itbasically.
So it's hard, it's really hard.
There's nothing easy to being arace director.
I noticed and I found that out.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
So yeah, see how it goes I heard race directing is
almost as bad as running.
Oh and stressful.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Oh, yeah, yeah, it is .
Speaker 1 (42:20):
It takes a kick.
Okay, all right.
Did you have a big turnout onyour first annual?
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Yeah, we did.
We had close to 150 peopleparticipants.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
Yeah, it was good, they'll start getting more.
They'll start getting more.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Yeah, next year I'm hoping to have it out here in
ogden or somewhere.
You know they definitely a lotof people reached out to help me
to do a race out here for her.
But it was just a lot and youknow it definitely it's.
It's a lot of planning to do,basically a lot of planning and
especially getting permits andeverything you know, getting the
(42:57):
right people involved and notto make it too big.
It's hard, it's really hard toget the right people involved
and trusting the right peopletoo.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Oh yeah, ran a 12 hour this past year and the race
director messed up on a permitso we had to get kicked off.
The cops called and everythingelse.
I was like oh well I run thatrace.
but yeah, it's, yeah, it's tough, it's tough.
(43:27):
I don't know how people do it,but they do it If I'm pretty
sure.
If a buddy of mine, jasonRutherford, he runs one of the
biggest, uh, he directs one ofthe biggest runs in eastern
washington, right here where welive.
I mean, if he hears this I'mpretty sure he'll uh um love to
(43:48):
help you out and yeah I told himabout you yesterday.
I ran into him yesterday and Iwas like, yeah, man, I'm having
this one, this one runner on youprobably know her and I showed
him.
He's like I don't know.
But I'm like, dude, she has astory, she's gonna say it and so
, pretty sure, if he's gonnalisten, if he's listening, he's
gonna tune in and message youdefinitely all the help.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
yes, thank you, I would really appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
And I normally yeah, I normally stick with race
directors.
So I that's how I get my racesgoing.
I just stick with the racedirectors that I enjoy and trust
and everything else.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
So he's one of them.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
He's one of them.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
So it's really hard to meet those genuine people out
there especially.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
Yeah, yes, I'm glad you say that, because it is
tough it is.
It is tough to to see throughit.
You know to see through a lot,yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I was hiking up Maylands yesterday and I went up
with one of my great friends.
We were talking and we weretalking about how the mountain,
just, you know, kind of pullsout the genuine and the just
(45:14):
pulls out the respect out of you.
You know, the right people, andit always has the right people
on the mountain.
And it was crazy because yousaid that too, because we're
like, wow, you know, it's reallyhard to meet those right people
and the mountain usuallyencounters all that and it's
amazing.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
But yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
It humbles you too, Because mother nature and the
mountain, it always wins.
There's no way around it.
Yes, you can conquer it, butyou know, when it's time she'll
allow you to conquer it.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:51):
That's so true.
It brings the best out.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Oh yeah, distracted driving distracted driving um
it's a big.
It's a big thing with me becausemy daughter was 16.
On September 5th my lifechanged completely and to the
(46:24):
worst.
I lost my 16-year-old daughterto a distracted driver and she
was run over by a dump truckdriver coming on her way home
while she was riding her bikeand she had her headphones on
and she was driving on theopposite lane from the incoming
traffic and it was like six, Ithink five, between 5 am to 6 pm
(46:48):
or 6 am sorry, september 5thand she got run over and it was
the worst day of my life and youknow, you always remember like
it was yesterday and you know.
I remember the cops coming downbanging on my door and my
husband answering the door and Iwas laying there on bed and I
(47:10):
remember I pushed my husband andI said somebody's knocking on
the door and he's like what.
He just jumped up and wentdownstairs, opened the door and
they told him like they told himfirst that your wife passed
away and he's like what.
I was like laying theretouching my body.
I was like, oh my gosh, am Idead?
(47:31):
And it's a surreal moment likehearing those words.
And it was like, am I reallygone?
And then that's when I jumpedup, I ran downstairs.
I said I'm right here.
And they're like, oh, okay.
Then they're like, okay, sorry,let's back this up.
And they're like, okay, know,let's back this up.
(47:51):
And they're like okay, did yourdaughter have airpods?
I said yeah, because my airpods, my name was engraved on it,
that's how they identified her.
And so that's when they told meyour daughter deceased or she
passed away this morning.
And I was like Like, are youserious?
(48:12):
And that's when I said I can'tbelieve it, like it was just so
real that you know, it happenedso instant.
And it was her.
And, yeah, my dad entered and hewas just screaming and I never
(48:32):
heard my dad scream before.
I never heard my dad screambefore.
I never heard my mom screamthat loud.
I was like, wow, what do we donow?
What happens now?
You don't prepare yourself forthese times or these moments,
especially doing a funeral for a16-year-old.
It was just mind mind blowing.
(48:53):
Like there's no handbook onthis type of lifestyle and it's
a very bad, taboo thing in ourtradition as Navajos.
You know we're not supposed totalk about it, we're not
supposed to like give outdetails or whatever.
But you know I I don't thinkfor me.
You know you have to talk aboutthese things to heal from it
(49:16):
and to you know, to let peopleknow that it happened.
You know it happened becausethis is the life we live.
You know we're not all going toand but yeah, you've documented
that and it.
Speaker 1 (49:27):
I could only imagine the way you you're talking about
it.
I'm surprised you're able totalk about it.
I have three girls myself andjust knowing that you lost your
(49:49):
oldest, and knowing what,possibly what you went through,
how you documented it, almost itfelt like a dream for us to see
what you put on Instagram.
You know social media and thenit was just.
It was surreal for us.
So I couldn't imagine whatyou're going through.
(50:11):
I mean just speechless, okay,speechless and and and.
The fact that you documentedand continue to document it and
talk about her and and run inher memory, always mention her,
it's like wow, you know it.
It's it's lovely to know thather name still lives within you.
(50:35):
You know and you do the thingsnot just for her, but for you
too, and whatnot.
But the documentation that youput is very, very nice and
lovely and for an outsiderlooking in it was it's pretty
cool to know that people can dowhat you do, you know and you do
(50:55):
it best, you do it best.
I that's what I would say.
Like me being a guy, I don'tknow how to say that kind of
stuff, but you, you put thingsin perspective and yeah we were
living with you or alongside youand and you allowed us to do it
, and you're a strong person todo that- so thank you, yeah, it
(51:16):
was.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
It was a numbing stage and you know that numbness
turned to me running more andme trying to equal to the pain
of that level you know, of beingso heartbroken and being, you
know, trying to live in thosemoments and just it was.
(51:42):
It was really hard.
Yeah, it was really hard, butyou know, I just, I just it's
still hard.
It is still hard.
Yeah, every day it feels likeit gets harder.
I just still hard.
It is still hard.
Yeah, every day it feels likeit gets harder.
Every day gets harder, becausein my mind I'm thinking like she
(52:04):
should be here, you know sheshould be here.
Speaker 1 (52:09):
This is not something runs.
You know what you have onInstagram.
I mean, I'm just saying likeshe's always there with you and
you allow us to be with youthere, you know.
Speaker 2 (52:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
With those passages that you put on, with what you
say, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
It's just lovely to see how she still lives with
within the family, with you yeahwhat you do so definitely, and
you know I I could be anotherperson, being just, you know, be
depressed and try and take myown life or whatever, but you
know I don't want to be thatperson.
You can choose from it.
You can choose a way to livethe right way and, you know,
(52:53):
talk about it and heal with itand be a better person.
And you know, because, like Isaid, like you know, we're all
not going to be here one day andI'm trying to help other people
that are going through it too,that lost their child, because
you know there's more andthere's more to there's more to
(53:13):
it.
And it sucks to say I hatethose words when they say it was
god's plan.
You know I hate those words Ihate that too and and it.
It sucks, but it is, you know,and it's like you can't change
it, you can't go back.
You can't go back and bring herback.
(53:35):
You know you just have to livewith it and grow with it and
heal with it.
And you know how can you be abetter person with, especially
me, a native american?
You know, you have to, just,you know, be a better person and
be stronger every day, and andyou are.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
I'm just telling you.
I was going to say before yousaid that it has made you a
stronger person.
Yeah, for you to to be, youknow, allow yourself to talk
about this right now makes itunbelievable that you can, you
know, talk about her right now.
Speaker 2 (54:15):
Yeah, and you know, talk about her right now.
Yeah, and you know, ultrarunning has really definitely
defined all that with me,especially.
You know, being strong and onestep at a time.
And climbing that mountain,like yesterday, man, it was so
intense and I could feel herpresence and, jesus, it hurts.
It hurts like it's like youjust want to give up.
You know, you're just like Ican't do this, no more, I can't
(54:36):
like why am I doing this?
Why am I here?
You question yourself every dayand when you're walking up that
mountain, it hurts and you'rejust like I can't do this.
But you have to, you have to,you haven't.
I had no choice.
You know, I wasn't given achoice and I just have to live
with it and carry myself on.
(54:56):
That's all you have to do everyday.
I guess you know.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And after Cocodona, what otherraces did you have?
Speaker 2 (55:09):
Um, I have a roof bar run up for air.
Um, I'm doing a yeah, that'sgonna be here in a granular.
I'm doing a six hour one andbeginning of february, the
seventh, I believe the seventhand the eighth yeah, I'm doing a
six hour one and yeah, and thenafter that I'm doing another
(55:29):
roof run up for air with theMaylands.
It's a 16 hour, no, 12 hour, 12hour race with Maylands.
So, and I believe that you knowwe, we need to, we need better
air here in Salt Lake with theinversion and everything you
know it's really bad out here.
So I try to help out within alot of be part of a lot of good
(55:54):
communities, within that help,within anything you know, just
to be there and donate to them.
Speaker 1 (56:05):
I asked about the races because I know for a fact
she will be there with you, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (56:11):
Yeah, always be there with you.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (56:13):
Always be there with you and you know, quite frankly,
I will always enjoy readingyour posts, your stories that
have her in it, and that's whyyes, yes, yes I really do enjoy
those, those moments that youpost on there.
Speaker 2 (56:33):
Yes, like oh my gosh, I truly believe she's my angel.
You know, like I don't knowwhere I go or what time or the
place I'm at and it's like boom,like there'll be a heart, rock
or rainbows or feathers, or youknow angelic numbers.
I'm just like what in the world?
Or it's so crazy, it's, it'samazing, and it's like like
(56:58):
those are the only thing thatreally uplift me.
Like oh, okay, she's here.
Speaker 1 (57:01):
Like oh my gosh I'm getting what you're putting down
.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
Yes, yeah, yeah, and but other than that, I do have a
lot more other races, but I Itry not to talk about them
because I don't want to jinxmyself.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
Gotcha, totally understand what.
What's your biggest race,though?
Biggest meaning miles wise,most miles this year.
Speaker 2 (57:29):
I'm doing it.
I'm doing a Monster 300.
Speaker 1 (57:36):
You're doing a 300?
Mike McKnight yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (57:44):
I know I'm too crazy.
I need to put my crazinesssomewhere.
Speaker 1 (57:49):
My life is just too crazy and I just think something
to you'll get if you did grindin you'll, you'll, you'll get it
, and hopefully they have thesame kind of.
You know, we can track you andfind out yeah, not so much the
split, but where you're at andhow you're doing, and we could
read it in between the lines,like I did with you and
(58:12):
everybody else that I follow soyeah, hopefully they have that
tracking system there speakingof that, my tracker in cocodona
was was not accurate like Iheard some parts I was like way
behind, but I was actually upthere.
Yeah, it was, it was off.
There was a little uh glitch,yeah, yeah, so hopefully it's
(58:35):
like that this time again.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
I'm hoping you don't want to know where I'm at.
I don't want you to know yeah,when is that race?
um, it's beginning of april,yeah, the first week of april,
yeah, so come quick, oh yeah.
Yeah, it's coming in fast.
That's why I have these two uhtraining races to work with and
(58:57):
my vert and stuff.
So it's gonna be intensetraining and I do have a lot of
support from my family and youknow just certain people I I
know that are gonna be there andI have my pacers in line and
they're ready to go and they'reworking hard too and you know
(59:19):
it's going to be fun.
I'm just going to make it a funtime, fun moment, and just take
it all in 300 miles.
Fun guys.
Speaker 1 (59:26):
Fun, fun.
Speaker 2 (59:29):
A fun.
300 miles, yeah, so it'll befun.
You have to get the fun out ofeverything.
You know you need to put somefun in there.
You know you can't be tooserious at everything,
especially in life, and I.
You know it has to be fun.
Try running it's fun.
(59:49):
Ultra running is fun.
Running long it's fun.
Speaker 1 (59:52):
Climbing mountains is even better.
Speaker 2 (59:54):
Oh yeah, mountains are even better.
Yeah, getting up high, gettingup high, there's nothing like it
.
There's nothing like it, I know, but I'm just kind of intense
with the weather, like I'm justhoping it's going to be a little
cooler, not too hot.
Yeah, I'm just like, oh my gosh, but yeah, cocodona was intense
(01:00:16):
.
The first 30 miles, oh my gosh,that that first 30, 25 miles
kicked my butt yeah, everybodysays that.
Hector rodriguez says that ohmy gosh poor hector.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh no, Iremember him for a day.
Speaker 1 (01:00:31):
Yeah have you done king's peak?
Speaker 2 (01:00:35):
I have not.
Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
No, okay, no that's a good training run really
where's that located at?
Uh, it's your neck of the woods, your, that's your guys's
highest point.
Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
Uh, utah's highest point oh really yeah oh, okay, I
heard okay, okay, kings, waiton the east side of us.
Okay, yeah, okay, yeah,definitely look into it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
Well, with all this going out there, are you?
Speaker 2 (01:01:06):
well, let me know if you are going out there this
year to do it yeah, we'll giveme in the loop, we'll get a
training room.
Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
Oh yeah, for sure that that that's.
That's my goal, just to do thewestern half of, uh, all the
highest points.
So because there's, I'm notgoing to go to indiana and do a
hill, you know, yeah, so Idecided to do all the Western
States and do the high points.
(01:01:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
Yeah, that's nice.
Speaker 1 (01:01:40):
That's fun On my list for the past five years and I'm
going to do it.
Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
So yeah, I'll be rooting for you.
Yes, you'll get there.
You'll get it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
Thank you, especially since I have the c word that we
won't talk about.
Speaker 2 (01:01:55):
but oh, I have to do something to keep my mind to
keep my mind there, you know,but uh yeah, goals are good,
goals are good when you're outand about.
Speaker 1 (01:02:09):
What's your go-to snack?
Speaker 2 (01:02:12):
oh my gosh um.
My go-to snacks will be umpotato chips okay, so you like
the salt, the salty, the carbs.
Okay yes, I like the saltiness II I've been doing a lot of
sweet but it's been irritatingmy teeth a lot so I'm trying to
(01:02:35):
do some saltiness, some chips,and then I'll do like gummy
worms, the sour gummy worms, andthen I'll do scratch the um,
the salt scratch is so good,okay, oh yeah, scratch and then
just water, like just streamwater, with my filter, okay, and
(01:02:55):
a couple of goose, not too muchso try to keep everything
simple.
Yeah, just keep it simple,basically Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:03:05):
Before we were on air , you mentioned peanut butter
jelly sandwich.
Oh God, I was shocked.
Not a lot of people have a beerin hand, which you did um and
then talk peanut butter jellysandwich.
So, since you mentioned first,since you mentioned that, what
beer are you drinking?
Roosters brewers okay, andthey're the local local.
Speaker 2 (01:03:31):
Yeah, it's a local as an outdoor say.
Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
You can see that okay , yep, yep, aldo said a mexican
launderer, okay what's thepercentage?
What's the percentage?
Percentage it's a fivepercentage okay yeah shout out
to roosters okay I haven't.
I really haven't mentioned thisquestion a lot, but people are
(01:03:55):
gonna love it.
So, peanut butter jellysandwiches do you eat them?
No, what?
What's your besides potatochips?
Okay, go for it, for it.
Speaker 2 (01:04:09):
I don't like peanut butter jelly.
I've been trying them the past,trying to feel with them lately
, and they get stuck up herelike on top of my mouth.
Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:04:23):
I just can't.
It's the best part, it's sohard to.
Speaker 1 (01:04:29):
Best part.
Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
The best.
It's so hard to digest.
Speaker 1 (01:04:40):
I can't sorry, but I tried it with pickles a lot of
people do okay pickles and yeah,end result still didn't like it
.
Speaker 2 (01:04:47):
I like the pickle part and I like the raspberry
jelly one.
The the preserve, yeah.
I rather have it with some realpreserved jelly.
But I used to until I went tojail.
Do you mind Okay?
It messes you up.
See, I've been through a lot,so you know I've been through a
(01:05:09):
lot, so you know you don't wantto know about my past, I got you
, I got you, I got you.
Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
So, if it's not chips , what do you enjoy on an outing
with family members, a long runor mountain hike?
Speaker 2 (01:05:28):
I like to do baby food, baby food, the little
pouch, yeah, yeah, I'll do those.
And then some Coke, ginger ale,and I think I've done a lot of
those crushers, those nerdscrushers.
Oh, the clusters, the clusters,yeah, clusters, yeah yeah, yeah
(01:05:52):
, yeah, you love your sweets.
No wonder your teeth are I know, I know I I've been to the
dental like twice this last yearand oh, I had two yeah, and my
husband's like you need to stayaway from sweets like go go salt
, go salt.
I'm like, okay, I've been tryingto go salt, so yeah, but beer
(01:06:15):
definitely helps though did they?
Speaker 1 (01:06:19):
did they find that, uh, you grind your teeth or you
clench your teeth yes, yes, soyeah, at night only yeah,
thinking about everything in theworld, correct?
Speaker 2 (01:06:33):
I know I was telling my best friend or my sister here
.
I was telling her I had a baddream last night and I told her
I had a dream while my teethfell out.
Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
So my wife's a dental hygienist, right, and she says
when that happens, when youdream of those of that, it means
you have a lot of stress inyour life.
Speaker 2 (01:06:58):
Uh-huh.
Speaker 1 (01:06:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
It was like that last week.
Oh my gosh, like I took in twokids in that were homeless.
You're just a great person.
Speaker 1 (01:07:11):
I'm glad I follow you , I'm glad I found you and I
started following you and thenthen, when I found out that you
know I'm kind of a good judge ofcharacter, right and once I
found out that, who you are andhow you are, I was like how can
I just present to her that Iwould like for her to be on the
podcast?
(01:07:32):
And so I I did it and man, I'mso glad yeah so glad I did I so
glad I did, and the thetechnical difficulties aside,
you're just a wonderful person.
Continue doing what you're doingokay and uh, don't stop, don't
stop, don't stop doing whatyou're doing.
(01:07:53):
I'm a huge fan.
I always will be a fan Not asbig as your husband and your
kids and your family, but fromfar Eastern Washington, I'm a
fan.
Speaker 2 (01:08:07):
Oh yeah, Hopefully I can do some races out there once
the babies are full time inschool.
Speaker 1 (01:08:14):
One in particular you have to run Jason Rutherford's
Badger Mountain Challenge.
Speaker 2 (01:08:19):
It's a big name.
Speaker 1 (01:08:21):
A lot of runners have done it Big name runners so if
you get a chance, pretty sure hecan give you a discount or
something.
How?
Speaker 2 (01:08:32):
many miles.
Is that one oh?
Speaker 1 (01:08:35):
he has a hundred.
He has uh, what is it?
The 50 miler, 50k.
You can do a 50 miler and a 50kone day and then the 50k the
next.
Yeah, oh, wow.
Hey, he has 50 miler, ruck, 15k, ruck.
(01:08:55):
Yeah, there's a lot of options,but the 100 miler, it's.
It's very deceiving.
People do it four times andstill don't get the hundred.
It's not guaranteed because ofthe terrain.
Speaker 2 (01:09:08):
So oh wow, but if you get a, chance.
If you get a chance, let meknow, let me know, yeah, it's
crazy, I am probably I'll end updoing it soon or whenever I do
have a lot of oh wow, yeah, I.
I definitely have still a lot ofbucket lists on my list that I
(01:09:29):
want to do, and you know, andI'm I just hope one day I'll get
to compete in those races whileI'm still here and that's all I
want to do.
You know, and just show myfamily, my community and my
people that you know we can doit too, especially being made
(01:09:52):
american.
You know we can all do it andit's, it's possible.
Anyone can do these races,anybody.
If you just put the train inand put the mentality in place,
and you can do it.
You can do it yes and I believethat and it's.
(01:10:12):
It's definitely hard, but it'sfun.
It's fun.
I love it, especially the ultrarunning community.
Man, it's a different level oflove, it's a different level
type of respect, and man, it'slike let's go, let's do it, and
they're just all in it and Ithink I love this sport more
than ever and I don't know how Ithere's nothing like it yeah,
(01:10:36):
there's nothing like it nothinglike it when yesterday on
maylands, you know, people werelike, hey, family.
And I was like, oh, like dang,that's, that's how it is.
It is like.
It is like that, like, yeah,you know, you want to hear that
everywhere you get up themountain they call you family,
you know.
Speaker 1 (01:10:59):
You won't.
You won't get that around here,but I'm glad you guys got it
there.
Speaker 2 (01:11:06):
We're pretty tight up here and we all watch out for
each other.
Speaker 1 (01:11:09):
So that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:11:11):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:11:12):
So Des, so dashana, it's been over an hour.
We can talk and talk.
If you want anything I missed,anything you want to add, I
definitely want you back on.
I want you back.
I do.
Maybe after the 300, I wantthat 300 yes, I want that too.
Speaker 2 (01:11:36):
I want it so bad.
I know I'm I've been dreamingabout it a lot like it's, it's,
it's there and I I know, I knowI can do it, your dreams yeah,
so that and the triple crown, Iwant all that okay I want it all
and there's more to come.
(01:11:59):
I want crazy melon again for thethird time.
I'm gonna get it.
I really need it and you wantit.
I'm hungry for it.
I'm hungry for more and I'mcoming for all.
Coming for it all, like I justI don't know, it's's going to
take a lot, but I'll get there.
You only live once, right.
Speaker 1 (01:12:21):
You're there, just give it time.
Just I know, no, you got it.
Don't stress too much, oryou're going to still have those
nightmares, those dreams.
Yeah, remember it's the thestress in your life that's
making you have those thoughtsof losing your teeth.
Speaker 2 (01:12:38):
Oh my gosh, I know, I was telling my sister that I
was like what does that mean?
Speaker 1 (01:12:44):
Yeah, that's what it means.
My wife tells me that all thetime, so it means you have a lot
of stress in your life.
So, deshauna, it's been apleasure.
I appreciate this conversation,I appreciate you, I appreciate
your content and what youbelieve in and how you present
(01:13:06):
yourself all around on themountain, off the mountain, as a
mom, as a runner, and it's anhonor that you are on here.
I want to continue thisfriendship outside and uh, see
you grow as a person and uhwhatnot.
So, tashauna, it's been apleasure, till next time.
Speaker 2 (01:13:30):
Yeah, definitely.
Thank you for putting me on andyou know talking about my story
.
You know it's it's been a hard,hard life, but you know nothing
.
Life comes easy, so it's goodto talk about it and I I just
hope I inspire some people.
Speaker 1 (01:13:52):
I just hope I inspire some people.
Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
You inspire more than you think.
Speaker 1 (01:13:57):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:13:57):
I appreciate you.
Thank you for your time, Iappreciate everything.
Speaker 1 (01:14:03):
Thank you, Tashaun.
Speaker 2 (01:14:05):
Shout out to everybody in my life.
Speaker 1 (01:14:06):
Shout out, shout out to husband.
Speaker 2 (01:14:09):
Yeah, and the kiddos.
Speaker 1 (01:14:10):
And the kiddos.
Speaker 2 (01:14:11):
And the kiddos and everybody, my family, yes, all
right.
Speaker 1 (01:14:17):
Thank you, Tashana.
Speaker 2 (01:14:18):
Thank you, have a good one.
We'll see you next time.
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