At long last, the marathon is tomorrow. The wonderful, terrible, glorious distance I’ve finally clawed my way back to. Approximately 10,000 of us will be running on the same course, but we took 10,000 unique paths to the starting line. Some of the runners are professional athletes who have trained at an elite level few … Continue reading Back at the Starting Line
Author: Kate Ellingsen
Running brings me immense joy and peace. Like the fabled tortoise, my pace is slow and steady. I ran my first marathon in 2011, then lost my focus following a cross country move in 2012, gradually working my way back to 26.2 miles. I have no aspirations of qualifying for the Olympics or even Boston. The road is big enough for all runners, and my only goal is to be happy and well.
Location: Portland, OR
26.2 x 6 &
13.1 x 13
All Consuming
Running a marathon is all consuming, they say – I am they, as I’ve written about this often (here for example). 26.2 is out of reach for the casual athlete, so preparing for race day requires a high level of preparation. Over the course of several months, the longest weekly run gradually increases in distance, … Continue reading All Consuming
Let’s Try This Again
I’m running 20 miles tomorrow. I’ve been here before – many times – but this time feels different. The last time I covered this distance was 2019 on my final long run of Eugene Marathon training, where I infamously injured my foot. I legitimately didn’t know if I could ever run this far again, and … Continue reading Let’s Try This Again
Exit Strategy
I’m training for a marathon again – my first since injuring my foot in 2019 – which means it’s time to make a plan. Marathons don’t happen by accident nor by chance. 26.2 is a deeply intentional distance, and preparing for the race requires a combination of science, superstition, logic, preference and luck. To date … Continue reading Exit Strategy
Embracing Mediocrity
This post is a failure. Already by posting it today, I’ve failed. A longtime fan of New Year’s intentions, on January 1st I set a goal to publish one essay every calendar month. As achievable as I expected this goal to be, I struggled several times to try and finish this post. I sat down … Continue reading Embracing Mediocrity
Next Steps
Yesterday I had a good run – a really good run. It was the kind of run where mind, body and weather all cooperate. The kind of run where you dressed exactly right for the temperature. The kind of run where the only other people out are friendly or have cute dogs (or both). The … Continue reading Next Steps
Wildwood E2E Gear
One month ago today I hiked Wildwood End-to-End. After sharing my recap of the hike, I received a lot of questions on my gear. I’ll return soon to waxing philosophical about life through the lens of running, but enjoy my most literal and pragmatic post to date: all you ever wanted to know about the … Continue reading Wildwood E2E Gear
Wildwood E2E
It’s been a few weeks since I completed Wildwood End-to-End. The soreness has passed, but I’m still processing what it means to stare down a goal and face it one step at a time. I started at the trailhead near the Oregon Zoo at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 17th and walked the first mile … Continue reading Wildwood E2E
Wildwood Eve
Tomorrow I will be covering the farthest distance of my life on foot – just over 30 miles from end to end of the Wildwood Trail. This has been a bucket list goal since I moved to Portland, and training has been a salve on an otherwise rough year. This last year and a half … Continue reading Wildwood Eve
Taking A Different Path
For the majority of my adult life, I’ve defined myself as a runner in a way that is central to my identity. Running has driven my wardrobe, my diet, my social life. This path has served me well and is the foundation for many of my closest friendships. There’s real value in belonging to a … Continue reading Taking A Different Path
Racing the Hare 