What got you out running/walking for the first time?

A combination of high school cross country and seeing my mom running to manage her stress. She is one tough cookie.

What’s a song that helps pick up your pace?

My audio library is very eclectic. When not listening to trail running, psychology, or ag podcasts, I also like to use running time to go through audiobooks. When I’m fed up, I switch to my music library that goes anywhere between R&B, soul, rock, electro-swing, flamenco, Latino, electronic dance music, Caribbean, native, and hip hop.

What is the race medal you are most proud of and why?

A virtual race I participated in the fall of 2020. My motivation to train was down and I have been having trouble conjugating my work schedule and workload to my training for over a year – to a point where I was barely ever running anymore. This virtual race got me back outside by accepting to start small – I was doing in a month what I now do in one week.

What is your dream race or location for a run?

The Alps.

What is your favorite trail to run?

Shared miles. Miles with flowers. Even better shared miles WITH flowers.

What’s your favorite race distance?

I don’t know for race distance but for running in general, the distance that will bring me from the trailhead to the waterfall, the hot spring, or the nice views.

What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you or that you have seen on the trail?

Falling asleep on a solo trail run. Falling asleep by the fire during a winter backpacking expedition instead of sleeping in the tent I had hauled and assembled. Thinking the partridge I just heard was a bear. A cow in heat following me on the trail. Coming nose to nose with wild pigs on Kalalau Trail in Hawaii: scary at first but a good story after.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not running? 

Reading about future runs/expeditions/adventures, communicating/hanging out with friends, remodeling my house, enjoying smoked tri-tip with a good beer in good company.

Who are your running heroes? Who inspires you?

Courtney Dauwalter. Runners training in the Alps. Catra Corbett. Some people I follow on Strava. And my local buddies in the Moustache Squad.

Describe the moment you realized you were a “runner”.

If the question is when did I become obsessed with running, it happened in layers. The first coat was in high school when I realized running was helping with stress management – which served me through my college years. After graduation, it shifted towards a more meditative flavor and accomplishing new challenges: I did a couple of triathlons. All of this is punctuated by lots of miles of hiking over 10+ years. When I moved to California and its multitude of trails, I started looking for ways to cover more miles in less time. Trail running was the next step. Being new to California, I also had to stumble across the wilderness permits and the lotteries… This actually became a big motivator: by running a trail section on a one “day hike”, no need for a wilderness permit.

What are your goals?

Run a 50 miler in a foothill race, continue developing my outdoor and adventure network, invest time on my house and my health.

 What’s your favorite beer (or other drink if you don’t drink beer)?

Unable to pick one. All things strong beers. An occasional treat is a seasonal beer at Dust Bowl – Soul Crusher – an American Strong Ale. I love stouts, barleywines, Belgian beers, wheat ales. Recently acquired the taste for hazy and regular IPAs. The Belgian beers Chimay (Red Label) and Delirium Tremens are absolute treats as well as some beers from home I can find here eg La fin du Monde, Trois Pistoles, maple beers, so, so many.