Episode 154: Tammy Mirante - I'll Just Run Long

Episodes

Apr 3

Tammy Mirante qualified for Boston twice, then withdrew her application and decided to just run longer. Now she's one of the first women in Indiana to run 100 miles at a backyard ultra.

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About this episode

Tammy Mirante grew up in Wabash, Indiana, ran a half marathon in college at Ball State, then barely ran again until a friend invited her to a Run 317 race in 2019. A few years later she had qualified for Boston twice, but when the cutoff left her out the first time and the Full Mo 50K registration excited her more than Boston ever had, she asked Boston to pull her application. She's a mom of three, the owner of two rescued pet skunks, and the proud owner of 21 pairs of Chicken Legs shorts.

At Prairie on Fire, Tammy became one of the first four women to run 100 miles at a backyard ultra in Indiana, finishing 26 loops and 108 miles through bleeding blisters. We talk about how the backyard format works, why she checks the entrant list to find who can push her, her 200-mile goal for Grind on the Grid, winning a hometown Burrito League by running one segment over and over, and why she believes you are right where you're supposed to be.

In this episode, we discuss

Kipper and Remy, her two pet skunks rescued from a fur farm
Stopping to rescue baby opossums from the side of the road
Five marathons in 16 months chasing a Boston qualifier
Qualifying twice and asking Boston to withdraw her application
How a backyard ultra works: 4.167 miles every hour until one runner is left
Her first Prairie on Fire, where she ran 66 miles without a plan
Popping and lubing blisters in the middle of the night and finishing 108 miles
Why she set a 200-mile goal for Grind on the Grid
Her 2003 college half marathon with no watch and no idea of her mileage
Discovering adult racing at Run 317 and later finding the Fishers Running Club
Training solo to prepare for the dark moments of a backyard ultra
Learning to like trails and keeping her ankles healthy
Her collection of 21 pairs of Chicken Legs shorts
Winning the Fishers Burrito League with more than 200 miles on one segment
Her mantras: be patient, and you are where you're supposed to be

Chapters

00:00 · Intro
04:00 · Two rescued pet skunks
08:00 · Rescuing baby opossums
11:00 · 100 miles and moving on from Boston
17:00 · How a backyard ultra works
19:00 · Her first Prairie on Fire
21:00 · Blisters and 108 miles
25:00 · A 200-mile goal
30:00 · From Wabash to Run 317
35:00 · Run club and training solo
41:00 · Chicken Legs obsession
47:00 · An ultra coach and the backyard world
52:00 · Strength, family and scheduling
55:00 · The Burrito League
1:02:00 · Eight-hour races and future goals
1:08:00 · Mantra and next finish line

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Where to find Tammy

Instagram: @tammymirante22

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Prairie on Fire Backyard Ultra, Grind on the Grid, Boston Marathon, Glass City Marathon, Bayshore Marathon, Last Chance BQ, Full Mo 50K, Run 317, Indy Mini Marathon, Grand Park Half Marathon, Eagle Creek Night Trail Run, Eagle Creek 8 Hour, Big's Backyard Ultra, Monster 300, Burrito League
Organizations and charities: Fishers Running Club, Indiana Skunk Rescue, Athletic Annex, Ball State University, Orangetheory Fitness
Other: Chicken Legs shorts, Aquaphor, Strava, Peloton, Emma Grace Hurley

Previous guests mentioned

Related episodes

Frequently asked

Who is Tammy Mirante?

Tammy Mirante is an Indiana ultrarunner with the Fishers Running Club and one of the first four women to run 100 miles at a backyard ultra in Indiana, finishing 108 miles at Prairie on Fire.

Why didn't Tammy Mirante run Boston?

Tammy Mirante qualified for the Boston Marathon twice but withdrew her application after realizing Boston had been the run club's goal rather than her own, and she decided to run longer distances instead.

What is a backyard ultra?

As Tammy Mirante explains, runners in a backyard ultra complete a 4.167-mile loop every hour, starting again at the top of each hour, until only one runner is left.

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Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically, so it may contain errors.

This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast. Tammy Mirante: I totally forgot about the pain that my body was in until watching the documentary back. Wow. I was like, oh yeah, I did hurt really bad, didn't I? Ally Brettnacher: Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones, a podcast for everyday runners. I'm your host, Ally Brettnacher, and if you run, you're a runner and every runner has a story. Join me each week as I share these stories and we celebrate finish lines and milestones together if you are looking to upgrade your watch or wearables this spring, you should check out a Maze Fit. A Maze Fit is a global, smart wearable brand that designs smart watches, fitness trackers, and health technology for active lifestyles I wear the balance two smartwatch for all things running.

I was wearing it to track my sleep, but now I have the Helio ring. Which right now during the spring sale is only $109. So if you've been considering pulling the trigger on a smart ring, I would highly recommend looking into the Helio ring. And then my balance two watch that I just mentioned is only 2 49. So the functionality that you get with these products compared to similar products on the market is the same, and less than half the cost . You can go to a amazed fit.com, AMA ZFI t.com. My code Allie, B-A-L-L-Y-B, will work after the spring sale, which ends on April 4th.

So if you're listening to this after the spring sale, you can use that code for 10% off, but hopefully you hear it before the sale ends because you can get up to 27% off on select items. And please use the link in the show notes so they know where you found them. All right. There's a lot going on right now as you listen to this. I'm getting ready to head on spring break next week. We just announced our live show for the Indianapolis Mini Marathon, which is on May 2nd. The live show will be the day before on Friday, May 1st. It's at the Bottleworks Hotel, and I get to co-host with my friend Lindsay Heine, who is the host of the All, have another podcast with Lindsay Hein.

She's been. In the podcasting world for a decade, and I'm now part of her podcast network, Sandy Boy Productions. So if you're local to indie or you're coming in town for the race, please check that out. Tickets are in the show notes and we will sell out. We sold out our last two events that we've hosted at the Bottleworks Hotels, so get 'em while you can. And now that you're listening to this on Friday, I'm happy to announce that Emma Grace Hurley is going to be one of our speakers. She just broke Dina Castor's record in the eight K at the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago.

She is local to Indianapolis, and we're so lucky to have her. So I can't wait for you to hear from Emma Grace, and now for this week's episode with Tammy Morante, she is one of the first four women to run a hundred miles at a backyard Ultra in the state of Indiana. If you don't know what a Backyard Ultra is, we will talk about that in this episode and we talked about her pet skunks, She has not just one, but two pet skunks. We talk about that. She was chasing Boston. She's b queued a couple of times, but ultimately she decided not to run Boston.

So we'll talk about why that is, and I think it's an important message for everybody. We chat about her obsession with the brand chicken legs. If you don't know, you'll have to look them up after this and. Her upcoming big goals that she is setting. So I know you're gonna be super inspired by Tammy. Enjoy. Hey Tammy. Hello. How are you? Good. Liar. Tammy Mirante: A little nervous or way nervous? Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Oh my gosh. It's so crazy. I just told you before we hit record, I used to get so nervous. Tammy Mirante: when I, Ally Brettnacher: I was on podcasts for work a long, long time ago, and I would literally take Benadryl so I wouldn't break out in hives.

And you know what? I actually will still take Benadryl before I speak in person. Oh gosh. Because I hate it so much. Tammy Mirante: if it doesn't make you sleepy. Ally Brettnacher: It does, but it won't for a while. So if I take it like right before it's terrible. I, you'd think at this point I wouldn't care. But I don't like speaking in front of people. I like being in a room with one person with a microphone and pretending like no one else is listening Tammy Mirante: the microphone. Ally Brettnacher: It's okay. Just pretend like it's not right up in your face. So it's so nice to meet you.

I, I think we've met Yeah, like a handshake in passing. But it's good to sit down with you. I'm so excited. Yeah. And I told you the first thing I wanted to talk to you about was your skunks. Tammy Mirante: Yes. So Ally Brettnacher: So tell me all about the skunks. Tammy Mirante: They will be two in May-ish June. We got 'em in June, but Okay. they're rescues from a fur farm. How we still have fur farms in this day and age. I Ally Brettnacher: does the fur farm mean? Like they are using them for their fur. Mm-hmm. Tammy Mirante: Mm. Ally Brettnacher: That's really sad.

Tammy Mirante: It is very sad. Ally Brettnacher: So how did you, how did they get Tammy Mirante: um, there's an Indiana skunk rescue that is here, obviously in Indiana. Wow. And, she goes and rescues like 20 each year. And so, Ally Brettnacher: well, how does she get the, the fur farm to give them over? Tammy Mirante: She to buy 'em. Ally Brettnacher: Oh, you do? So Tammy Mirante: I mean, whether we're giving the money and then that's like a, double-edged sword, like you're giving money so that they're still in business, but we're giving money though to save them. Ally Brettnacher: so I feel like she's going and kidnap all Tammy Mirante: Yeah, Ally Brettnacher: That's what I picture like a, that won't Tammy Mirante: Let 'em all go.

Like Ally Brettnacher: like a recon mission to let 'em all go. What is skunk for? Used for like coats and stuff. Tammy Mirante: like, I don't even know. Why would you Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Why would you want that? Tammy Mirante: I don't know. Ally Brettnacher: People are weird. Yeah. It's so weird, but it's so crazy that you have two pet skunks. Remind me of what their names are. Kipper Tammy Mirante: and Remy. Ally Brettnacher: Ugh. And they're Tammy Mirante: they're always two. So yeah, we went to, we were just in a do one. and then it was. Ally Brettnacher: a package deal. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: It was like, well this one, well, so I picked Kipper out first.

He was just asleep on the bottom and I had him in my arms. And then there was this other one that was Remy. He was running around crazy. And my husband's like, you sure you don't want that one? And I was like, well, I can't put this one back. Like, I would feel terrible, like if I just like, oh no, I don't want you and put you back. And I was like, no, it's fine. You know, like he's fine, he's sleeping. But look at that one. Like, that one's crazy. And. I was like, well, we got two dogs and then we got the other two chihuahuas together.

We can get two skunks. Ally Brettnacher: It's like Noah's Ark. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: so we have two and they, flip flop personalities, they're not the same as what we picked out. Oh, Ally Brettnacher: Oh, that's funny. Yeah. So the sleepy one is the crazy one. Yes. Yeah. That's, ugh. Crazy. Yeah. Do people ever come over and not know that you have them before they arrive? No. Tammy Mirante: and so with that, if I really trust you, that's who gets to see them and or touch them because even though, they would never be out anywhere that they could get rabies, but they obviously as a species can get rabies.

So if someone were to be like, oh, that skunk at that house bit me, and they turn it in, then DNR has to come and Ally Brettnacher: take the skunk. Tammy Mirante: the skunk. The only way you can test for rabies is decapitation. So. TAMMY M INTERVIEW: taking. Ally Brettnacher: Wow. Okay. So Tammy Mirante: their, their life is over, Ally Brettnacher: geez. Tammy Mirante: geez. Yeah. So kids as friends can't, I just don't, sorry, I don't trust that. Like, their life is more important to me than somebody saying, oh, I, I've never touched a skunk before. Ally Brettnacher: Can I just pet it? And then you don't know if they're gonna be like, oh, yeah, who knows?

You never know. Yeah. People Tammy Mirante: and they're still wild animals. I mean, sometimes I get nervous around kipper, if he's in a crazy stage and I'm just like, don't buy me. Ally Brettnacher: So obviously they have their, what do they call that? Like their scent glands removed? Yeah. So they obviously aren't gonna Tammy Mirante: Yeah. So it's basically, it's a sack in there and they. pop it like, so in the very beginning, I mean, you can't make their body not produce the oil. Okay. Um, it just doesn't have a way of, being in a sack. Yeah. And so they can't, hold it to spray out.

But in the very beginning, I would pick 'em up and be like, I smell skunk in here, like sniff and skunk butts. And I'm like, something I never thought I would be doing. But when they're, you know, first little, sometimes if they went to the bathroom or whatever, some of it can come out and I for real smell skunk, like Yeah. But it, can't be sprayed out, but it's not as bad. I don't smell it ever anymore. I mean, they, they have a certain smell, like a ferret has a smell. Yeah. Okay. makes Ally Brettnacher: sense. So it's an animal Tammy Mirante: Yeah. Exactly. Ally Brettnacher: So, wait, how did, did you already say how you found out about the opportunity to, was it like on the internet or Tammy Mirante: so I think I've taken animal, like she's an animal rehaber.

Okay. And, but she mostly does. the skunks. And so she'll do like, you know, ones that come in injured or whatnot, and other animals. So I already knew about her. And then just through that, like, okay, so we wanna go really far back. Ally Brettnacher: so interested in this. Tammy Mirante: So, always been crazy animal person. my dad is, my grandpa was, I don't even know like why I've always been told this, but in, if you see like an o possum hit on the road, you're supposed to stop and check because they have a pouch that Ally Brettnacher: has the Tammy Mirante: babies in. And so Ally Brettnacher: how many times have you done that, Tammy?

Tammy Mirante: A lot. so a few years ago. I actually was coming back from Orange Theory and there was one in the road and it had lots of little babies. And so my husband probably, I don't know how, he hasn't divorced me yet. I'm like, FaceTiming and I'm blood all over my hands and like, I've got these babies. And I'm like, um, so I'm coming home with baby a possums. And he's like, what is happening? I mean, because she had been hit on the road and so like gut guts everywhere. Ally Brettnacher: the babies are just tucked in the pouch. Yeah. So they, Tammy Mirante: they, well, they weren't all in.

Some of 'em were, I actually could hear some of them, like, they do like a little like sca, like hissing sound. And they had been thrown into the grass and so I was out in the ditch searching for these little babies. You're angel, Tammy. Ally Brettnacher: Oh my gosh. So, Tammy Mirante: so I brought those home and then, ended up sending those off, to another lady that knew how to take care of 'em. And, when she got bigger, 'cause there was like four or five that survived. when they got bigger, we ended up housing one. so one of our dogs, when they go outside, go potty, they just go, we're on five acres.

they don't have a leash or anything like that. we just open the door and they run in the house. Mm-hmm. Well. One got sprayed by a skunk and, I mean they were always allowed on our furniture, and you don't know it until they ran in and got on the furniture and it was like, what is this smell? And it's an oil, so it's like in the air, it's everywhere. so we've already had this couch that now is ruined and we just moved it into our dining room and blocked it off. And Rosie was the, a possum's name, and she just took up house underneath there until it was time for her to be released.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Okay. So lover of animals. Of animals. Like hardcore lover of Tammy Mirante: for sure. Ally Brettnacher: for sure. Yeah. I mean, now every time I see a dead possum, I'm gonna think about that. I don't think I could do it. Do it. Yeah. Yeah. I would puke Tammy Mirante: I mean, some of the time I think it's just by chance too. I mean, most of the time they've been there Ally Brettnacher: a while, right? Or they've been hit. Yeah. Oh yeah, man. Well, Tammy Mirante: are probably Ally Brettnacher: already probably already gone. Yeah. Yeah. Geez. Well, that's wild. It's wild. I, and I love seeing the pictures of you holding your skunks.

Yeah. And they're just so, cute. Tammy Mirante: They are. They're a handful. yeah. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Then I think I've told you this, but if I haven't, I'll reiterate it. I still to this day regret not drawing your skunks for you in chalk because at Prairie on Fire I did some chalk art. Oh yeah. At the start, finish. And I asked people for requests. Oh yeah. And yours was one of 'em that I didn't get to. Tammy Mirante: It's okay Ally Brettnacher: now. This year I better, better have some Tammy Mirante: s skunks. Ally Brettnacher: It's gonna be all skunks. That's like the only thing that will be there, and people are gonna be like, oh, okay.

Yeah. TAMMY M INTERVIEW: Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: that was the first I learned that you had pet skunks, And now Prayer on Fire, you're one of the first four women in the state of India and I had to run a hundred miles at a backyard Ultra. Tammy Mirante: I know how crazy. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Tammy Mirante: I didn't even know it was, and maybe it's just because I did it, like, and you look at yourself doing it. I didn't know that TJ was like, this is a big deal. this is first time in Indiana and dah, dah, dah. It is just like, what? Like, yeah, okay.

I'm just going to go run. Ally Brettnacher: Just gonna go run. Yeah. And to us, like lowly marathoners, it's like, okay, a hundred miles is hard to comprehend. And I witnessed a little bit of the race, but that obviously goes well into the night. Yeah. Um, into the next, was it next morning? Next morning, yeah. Yeah. So how in the heck did you get into running a hundred miles? Tammy Mirante: I have Boston to think for that actually. so IB queued, well I took all my time trying to beq. I did like five marathons in like 16 months. Ally Brettnacher: Wow. Trying Okay. Which ones?

Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Oh gosh. glass City was the first and then there Ally Brettnacher: where's that? Tammy Mirante: In Ohio. Ally Brettnacher: Yes. It's like right after the caramel marathon. Yeah. Okay. Tammy Mirante: And then I did, I think I did car. I don't think I've done Carmel. I dunno. Bay Shore was in there. And then the BQ at the last Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Last Chance Tammy Mirante: bq, which is where I end up doing it. But then you get that, that buffer? TAMMY M INTERVIEW: Oh Ally Brettnacher: Oh no. Tammy Mirante: Yep. And yeah, I think it was the first time it was two minutes.

I mean, it wasn't, or maybe like a minute 30. I don't know what it was. Whatever it was, it was not crazy, like, oh, Ally Brettnacher: like it is now, it feels like. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. and then it was kind of like, you know, you got your hopes up for that, but then it's like, really? Was that my goal? was that my dream or was it just because you joined a run club and that was everybody's thing? I think about that a lot. Yeah. 'cause like, it was never, I mean, I've never, oh, Boston, I wanna go to Boston. Yeah. Like, I wanna run that.

it's never been on my list. And and then everybody else talks about it and you're like, oh, well yeah, that would be fun. Maybe. Which I don't even know why, because I'm such a baby about hills. Why? Why do I wanna run that? Why? I don't even know. Yeah. So then you get it and then you're like, oh, this is so exciting. This is so exciting. It's such a big deal. Then you get that buffer. Then it was like a heartbreak and it was like, well, maybe it is my, my, goal. Because that was such a Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. How many, do you remember how many seconds you were off?

Tammy Mirante: I mean, it wasn't more than two minutes, I don't think. Yeah, I don't think so. It wasn't like super close, but it wasn't so far off that I'm like, oh, well that's definitely Ally Brettnacher: gonna happen to me. Tammy Mirante: of thing. and then I think I did, I must have made it again because I've qualified twice. I maybe that time worked for two races or whatever, and then, I put my application back in and was hoping, you know, for that buffer or whatever. Well, then full mail came out and I was more excited that that registration opened up. That meant nothing. you don't get anything for, running that it's your own thing.

Yeah. I was more excited about that. So I emailed Boston back and said, take my application out. Ally Brettnacher: not, not even, yeah. So Wait, have you not run Boston? No. Oh. And Tammy Mirante: I don't think I want to, I mean, I honestly, I don't want to, like, I've moved on. Then it was more of like, you know what? I don't know that Boston was my thing. Like I was more excited that this 50 K was opening up Yeah. Than anything. And so, yeah, I asked them to take it out and then I was like, I'll just run longer. I think that's my thing is I'll just run longer.

Ally Brettnacher: Just run longer. Yep. TAMMY M INTERVIEW: Yep. Ally Brettnacher: Gosh. Okay. Tammy Mirante: thank you Boston for letting me down. Well, it's, Ally Brettnacher: Well, it's it, I just love the topic of is it your goal or is it like what you think you should be doing? Right. Because I think about that a lot in a lot of different things. Even outside of running, it's like, am I just doing this job? Like when I used to work a traditional quote unquote job, it's like, am I just doing this because society expects me to be doing this? Right. And the answer was, yeah. Yeah.

So thanks COVID for changing that for me. But then I also think about that with Boston because I've said that I wanna qualify, that I wanna run Boston, but man, it is a lot of work and it's just getting harder and harder. And for me, I'm just chasing my own best. Tammy Mirante: think I had more stomach issues trying to qualify Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Than I have. I could see that. Have with anything else where you're just putting so much pressure. So much pressure. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Right. And the whole point of running is to enjoy it. To enjoy it. Yeah. And so when you put that, yeah, I totally agree.

And so anybody listening who maybe has had that goal or Right. Is thinking about having that goal? I, I do think it's important her. Yeah. Check and see if it's really Tammy Mirante: yours. Make Ally Brettnacher: that it's something you want and not just what you think you should be doing as a runner, because Yeah, you don't have to do that. Right. Yeah. My dad's gone a few times and so that kind of gave me the itch a little bit. Um, and I'm bummed that I won't have the opportunity to run with him because he said his last marathon was last year. He is like, this is it.

I swear. Last one. And I really believe him for that one. So, Tammy Mirante: yeah, I mean, it would definitely be a cool experience, but for the experience only. Right. I don't think it would be something that I'm Ally Brettnacher: trying to race. Yeah. I don't know how. Yeah. People are nuts. Yeah. So many fast people, but, and charity runners too. Mm-hmm. but the full mo for people who don't know is on our paved rail trail. TAMMY M INTERVIEW: Mm-hmm. Tammy Mirante: When Ally Brettnacher: Have you done that every year since Tammy Mirante: it, no, I've only done it Ally Brettnacher: once. Okay. And Tammy Mirante: and that was first year?

Yep. Okay. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. yeah, I signed up Tammy Mirante: for it. Ally Brettnacher: It's fun. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: I mean, it, it's one of those where it's like, you get to your marathon mark and then it's like PR miles after that Ally Brettnacher: because Yeah. It's wild to think about. I don't know how I feel about it, but it's been something that I turned 40 this year and it's been something that I've kind of toyed with. Should I run an ultra marathon before I hit that milestone? So hopefully I will. Tammy Mirante: And then you'll get the bug and Ally Brettnacher: I know. It's like, I don't know about that because I was, I'm so curious about the Backyard Ultra format too.

Yeah. So, so tell people, I mean, a lot of people listening will be familiar, but for people who may not have heard of what a Backyard Ultra is, explain the Tammy Mirante: format So you run 4.167 miles, it's a cl the course in one hour, super fast, super slow, but, but you have to be done in an hour, and then at the top of that hour, you have to be in the corral and you start again until the last person sanding. Ally Brettnacher: Yep. Till you just literally can't. Yeah. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Which is such a different format. Like whereas, and I, I hesitate on saying this because I've never run a straight 100, but in my mind, because I've not done the other, so I don't, you know, have an experience.

This part I feel like is hard because you have to stop. Or you don't get the extra, like at an aid station, well, I need to sleep for 30 minutes. Right. Well, unless you're done in 30 minutes, you're not sleeping for 30 minutes. Yeah. So I feel like that you don't have your stuff together. Sorry. Either you're out or you figure it out. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So, so. Tammy Mirante: what Ally Brettnacher: And how many times have you done Prairie on fire? Twice. Twice. And how many times have you done grind on the grid? This will be, this Tammy Mirante: coming up Will be Ally Brettnacher: second time.

Your second time, okay. Those are the two in Indiana that I know of. I don't know if those are the, they're the only two. Okay. And so Prairie on Fire, what was your strategy going in this last, last year? Tammy Mirante: This last time was just make it to a hundred. Like it was more, I mean, 'cause you learn from the very first one. The very first one, We just didn't even know, like you still don't know like what you got into. 'cause it was like, well I just run the 50 K. So it was like, okay, let's go until just a little bit more in 50 K.

You've got pr. Well, if I make it past that, well let's run my age. And I think it was like 41, 42 or something. And then it was like, well if you make it to that, why don't you just run 50 miles? And then it was, then it was, okay, we're getting really far up there, but if we make it, let's run a hundred K. Well, we thought that a hundred K was midnight. And still, like, in my mind, it's never going farther than that. Like I've run 30, you know, 31 miles. Like that's all I've done. Yeah. And we get to, I think we get to a hundred K and we see that a hundred K is actually at 11:00 PM not midnight.

So it was like, okay, well let's hit, let's try to hit, you know, midnight. Well, I think this is Sarah I was running with, and she's like, oh, my stomach, you know, I think this is my last one. I just don't know. And I couldn't call it. At that point, I was just like, I, I think I've got another one in me, you know? And she's like, all right, well, I'm gonna cut off to the bathroom and then we'll make a decision when we, get to the finish or whatever. I come in and I'm like, all right, I think I'm gonna go one more. so then she decided to go another one, and we went out and it was like night and day, that last one at 11.

I was, yes. Going more when, that last one went hit, it was like. I was nauseous, I was cold sweats. Mm-hmm. Like, it was like, I am done. it was it. Yeah. So, so it was like, what, 66 miles. Okay. So another 30 plus what I'd ever run in my life. Which is crazy. Yeah, Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. To think about. To Tammy Mirante: about to think, right. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Incredible. Yeah. Wow. And we we're talking about Sarah Farney too. Yes. Again, a lot of people might, might know her. Yeah. Yeah. But she was early on this podcast, so people should go listen to Tammy Mirante: that.

Yeah. And so it was just like one of those things like, I think I can't hit a hundred, because I didn't even really know what I was doing at that point. And you hit 30 over. Ally Brettnacher: So Yeah, it, it certainly peaks my curiosity 'cause you're like, well. What is my limit? Right? Yeah. No idea. Right. And this is a great format to test that. it is a little scary thinking about the format. Like you said, you can't just like lay down for 30 minutes unless you really have that time. Right. yeah. It's, it's so fascinating to me and like seeing everybody will have like a tent with all their stuff.

Mm-hmm. So describe what your setup was like and who Tammy Mirante: setup this year, uh, just my husband was my crew and I mean, we had the big tent, we had the drawer pull out drawers. I had all my clothes, you know, just all of the things just in case. The one things I did not have was blister. Ally Brettnacher: You know, I watched the documentary, which I'll link here, , in the show notes. But yeah, I watched the documentary. I was just, I felt for you in Tammy Mirante: blisters. Never have I ever had blisters before, so I had no idea what to do.

Half the people when we were out running would say, no, you need to leave 'em. Some would say, you need to pop 'em. And I'm like, but I don't know. And if you pop 'em, there's no going back. Sure. And so it's like, what do I do? Yeah. Thankfully, Angie Frazier was there and they were like, she runs ultras. Like she knows what she's talking about. do whatever she says. Okay. And so, Ally Brettnacher: what'd Tammy Mirante: she say? She said, ' Ally Brettnacher: em. up. Okay. That seems like what you should do because the pressure of mm-hmm. The blister, I feel like hurts a lot.

Obviously the Tammy Mirante: said since I had popped 'em just to lube 'em up. Yeah. So much. Okay. And I had a big tub of Aquaphor Ally Brettnacher: that we just, just Tammy Mirante: slide on there. Yeah. Yeah. And it was like, I popped one 'cause I wasn't for sure. So we just did one Ally Brettnacher: a time. Okay. Well that's smart. Tammy Mirante: Oh. Lost work. And it was like, looking back at the documentary, I like couldn't even speak because I was just like, it was already in the middle of the night and I don't even know, but I don't know if it stopped hurting 'cause I can't feel it anymore.

'cause it's like numb. Yeah. That it hurts so bad that I can't feel it. Or if it really did go away. and then that's when she was like, do you have more? And I was like, yes, I have a Ally Brettnacher: lot more. Were they on both feet? Yes. Wow. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. And then the one bled through my shoes. So, Ally Brettnacher: I mean, there you are. Ultra runner. I mean, it's like, well I guess that comes with the territory. Yeah. Wow. So sheesh. And then you didn't stop at a hundred? No, Tammy Mirante: I won't. Ally Brettnacher: Let's just also put that Tammy Mirante: out there.

Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. How far, Tammy Mirante: many? I want two more. So 1 0 8. Wow. Yeah, Ally Brettnacher: Gosh. Tammy Mirante: I know. I wished though that, I mean, and kind of not because my thing is you are where you're supposed to be. Like I, I totally believe that things that, when you get an injury or whatever, like, don't panic. you're right where you're supposed to be. And if it's a setback, that's major, then it is. But if it's not, then it'll come out on the other side and you'll be fine. and half of me is like, I wish I would've had that competition in me to say, okay, Gracie, let's compete and see how far we can go.

But She was never my competition. Right. Like, Ally Brettnacher: you know, I never with you're competing with yourself. Yeah, Tammy Mirante: yeah, I was like, I wanna get to a hundred, do one more. And then they talked me into doing one more than that and, and I was just like, no, I am done. Yeah. I but I know that I can go more and I actually, I totally forgot about the pain that my body was in until watching the documentary back. Wow. Like, I was like, oh yeah, I did hurt really bad, didn't I? Like, I totally forgot Ally Brettnacher: about it. Yeah. That's how they get ya.

Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Do another one. Ally Brettnacher: Yep. And Gracie Bell was the female winner this year. She, I mean, and she had like a one year-old, or like a toddler in her tent with Tammy Mirante: her husband and you're Ally Brettnacher: like. Okay. Tammy Mirante: okay. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Uh, I need to interview her still too. Yes. That's just incredible. But I mean, 1 0 8. 1 0 8, I know. It's so many Tammy Mirante: so crazy that it didn't feel like that. I know it's a big, like I know if somebody else told me that and I never done it before, I'd be like, that is so amazing.

Like, I wish I could do that. Like, I don't know why it doesn't feel so big to me. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. I don't know why either. Dunno, that's crazy. Because it's absolutely incredible. Yeah. So when is grind on Tammy Mirante: the Ally Brettnacher: grid? May 9th. May 9th. Okay. So, coming up. Yeah. So what is you, do you have a goal? Is that how Tammy Mirante: you Well, I threw out, I know you're not supposed to throw out the whole mileage thing, but I knew that when I got to a hundred and then one more. Yeah. That my mind was kind of like, well, I hit what I wanted to hit, I'm done.

so I threw 200 out just because it's so far ahead that it's like, well, if I throw 1 25 out and I get there and I am still fine, how far can I really push past my mind that says, well you got to your goal. There's always next, you know, there's now Prairie that you can try for one 50 or something. Yeah. So I just threw 200 out that way. It's gonna take me a hot minute to get there and. If we get there, then we will really see if that's a limit or, I mean, and if I, if one 50 or 1 25 is or something, you know, or maybe even just one 12 is my limit, then like I'll figure it out.

But it won't be me stopping too early because of like, I hit the mileage. Right. Ally Brettnacher: Right. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. So that's the advice is not to set a mileage goal really Tammy Mirante: just to, yeah, I think that like Jeff and all of them, I think they just, they say just go until you can't anymore. But I have to Ally Brettnacher: have something to look for. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: to. Yeah. right, right. I gotta have a little bit to be like, okay, I gotta get to this. Yes. Yeah. So, wow. Ally Brettnacher: And so 200 miles would be, you run for 48 hours?

Yeah. yeah. Okay. Tammy Mirante: Yeah, I think in the format it just does, it seems so different because like you don't know the time. I keep my watch going and I pause it at, so you don't really see like the time of day. Right. And so it's kind of like, wait, we're at, we're at 20. Like, and you, you do go slower. So you're, I mean, you want to feel like you haven't ran. Yeah. You know, for the longest part. 'cause obviously even towards the end, four miles gets super hard, so. Yeah, And you just lose track of time. 'cause it's like, wait, what time Ally Brettnacher: is it?

What time? Where am I? Yeah. Tammy Mirante: I don't Ally Brettnacher: know. What is your favorite, one of your favorite things to Tammy Mirante: pancakes? Okay. pancakes? Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Pancakes. Pancakes. Fresh, freshly made. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. McGriddle, you know what actually, so now I just pop 'em in the microwave. They're just Ally Brettnacher: pre-made. Alright. Do, you, do you do Kodiak cakes or Tammy Mirante: like other No, it's just a regular. I don't even know. Just a regular pancake. Just a regular pancake Yeah. I ate three pancakes in the morning with my pre-workout. Ally Brettnacher: Perfect. Tammy Mirante: Every morning cakes. but Steven actually put 'em in a toaster.

Yep. For, and I was like, oh, these are crunchy. I Ally Brettnacher: think I like these. So, yeah. A little crisp on the outside. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So that was good. With syrup Tammy Mirante: or plain? No, Just plain. Okay. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, syrup would be, I mean, those extra carbs, I like using syrup for my fuel, so Tammy Mirante: I had to figure out fuel is gonna be different. I think I need to focus on calories instead of Ally Brettnacher: carbs. Okay. So Tammy Mirante: So it's interesting. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Right. I mean, that's uncharted territory Tammy Mirante: too. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: You're just like, Tammy Mirante: okay, Yeah.

And I, I think reason why my body hurt so bad, I hadn't ate for like seven hours. I stopped being able to eat anything in the middle of the night. And then, I mean, my race didn't stop until like, what, nine, 10 in the morning. And I think that that's was my body just kind of. Saying, breaking down, you know, like Ally Brettnacher: doing his thing. Like, we can't go anymore Tammy Mirante: can't go. Didn't know fuel. Yeah. Yeah. because I mean, you just touched my arm, like my skin hurt. I remember my mom like patting my arm. I was like, that hurts so bad.

That hurts. Ally Brettnacher: Did your, your mom came Tammy Mirante: Did your, your mom came to cheer Ally Brettnacher: on? Yeah. Oh, that's Tammy Mirante: cool. Yeah, my mom and my dad, my brother and his girlfriend was there. Um, and then my daughters were Ally Brettnacher: there. How Tammy Mirante: old are your daughters? 20 and 13. Okay. And then my son was at college, but he's 19, so. Wow. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Three kids. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: So Tammy Mirante: do any of them run? Ally Brettnacher: No. Okay. Tammy Mirante: Cadence? My oldest. She did? Yeah. What a good name. She did track, um, and cross country.

She liked pole vault when she was in high school. Okay. but she'll every once in a while do like a 5K, but she's not like a Ally Brettnacher: crazy runner. Not quite to mom. I mean, it's kind of hard. You look at mom, you're like, okay, mom. I'm not sure that that's, yeah, that's really great that they were there. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: That's really fun. fun. It was weird though because I didn't see their signs. and I don't know if it had to do with the cameras being there Ally Brettnacher: too. right. Are the cameras had lights, I'm assuming. Right. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. Just know.

Yeah. And just knowing that they were there. cause it was like, okay, just go back to my tent. Just go back Ally Brettnacher: to my tent. Please don't talk to Tammy Mirante: me. I do not Ally Brettnacher: wanna be on camera right now. I can't imagine being on camera in like the most vulnerable Tammy Mirante: in your life. Yeah. I think the more like tired that I got and like more in pain. I Ally Brettnacher: didn't really care. You're just like, Tammy Mirante: yeah. It was there. There and Ally Brettnacher: it was whatever. Yeah. Right. It reminds me of like having kids, you're just like, you know, at first maybe you start to go to appointments and you're a little shy, and then by the time you're just like, I don't give a shit.

Right. Just whatever. See, whatever. It's here I am. Yep. So I could see how you might get used to it. I don't know. That would be hard. That would be hard for me, I think. Yeah. Yeah. But see, I mean, but not, you think Tammy Mirante: this is harder? Yeah, I Ally Brettnacher: think so. Because you're like, well, I'm not delirious and I can't ignore the Tammy Mirante: lights right in my face right Ally Brettnacher: now. Yeah. So how did you end up getting into running in the first place? Tammy Mirante: um, I just, I mean, I was cross Ally Brettnacher: country Okay. Did you grow up Tammy Mirante: Okay.

Did you grow up in this Ally Brettnacher: area? No. Tammy Mirante: We're from Wabash. So little, little town in the cornfield. And that's what you did. You either played volleyball or cross country and actually that's all I knew of running. well, so my very first half marathon was in 2003. Okay. And. No watches. I don't even know what mileage I did. I think it was, and I don't even know why I Ally Brettnacher: did that. Tammy Mirante: no idea. I mean, I'm in college, like I think I just had, I had youth on my side that have that. I think I finished in like two 12 or something.

Yeah. And had no idea. I don't mean like to practice. I don't know what I ran. I don't even know like you ran around campus, but you Ally Brettnacher: know, like Tammy Mirante: where'd you go to college? Ball state. Okay. And so it's like, what miles did I do Ally Brettnacher: to run Tammy Mirante: half marathon? Ally Brettnacher: I only remember, 'cause I, I know I googled Hal Higdon, so those plans, that's what I did. Whatever that said. Like that's the only way I remember. Otherwise I'd be in the same boat. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: And so after that, no running, I mean just running Ally Brettnacher: like Tammy Mirante: if I wanted to.

Yeah. And nothing until after probably 2019. Yes. Yes. I didn't even know, like, 'cause we were here. No, we were here and a friend did three one sevens. Okay. And I think a friend of hers, couldn't make it or something. And she's like, oh, come, come do this. And I'm like, are you kidding? And I was like, wait, you can erase as an adult. this is for real. You get a medal. Like what? Wow. Yeah. And so it started from Ally Brettnacher: there. Okay. Yeah. And Tammy Mirante: now it's now here. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Now we've gotten to just a slightly different level in a very short amount of time, relatively speaking.

Right? Yeah. I mean that's, that is crazy. Yeah. And run 3 1 7, tell people what those are, who might Tammy Mirante: not be. So those are a little bit more than a Ally Brettnacher: 5K. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: 3 7, 3, 0.17. And that used to like really get Ally Brettnacher: me because I'm like, it is Tammy Mirante: weird, you know, you tried it, you want your 5K time, but you're like, but you have to go farther. Yeah. Like, and it doesn't seem like it's that much farther, but. Your time Ally Brettnacher: time is farther. Yeah. Well, and for people who aren't local, 3 1 7 is our area code.

That is why the races are like that, which is so cute for marketing purposes. But I do feel for people who, yeah, you know, you just wanna run a 5K. Yeah. So you have the 5K time. Yeah. But these are all a Tammy Mirante: a little, little bit longer. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Which Tammy Mirante: was your first Ally Brettnacher: one? city do you Tammy Mirante: Uh, I don't know, maybe mass. Okay. Maybe, I don't Ally Brettnacher: I don't know. Mass Ave. Tammy Mirante: I think I only did two because it was like, the friend probably bought the, the she probably did the package and she couldn't, so, Ally Brettnacher: yeah.

What was your Tammy Mirante: first half marathon? Ally Brettnacher: Where was that? Mini. Okay. It was the mini. Mm-hmm. Tammy Mirante: And I haven't run it since. Okay. Ally Brettnacher: Fair enough. Tammy Mirante: Uh, I think every time. Well ' cause it's May, right? Yep. Yeah. So May and I wanna say, oh shoot, which one is it? The Ally Brettnacher: Flying Pig. Grand Park maybe? Oh, grand Park half. yeah. Tammy Mirante: So it's just one that, I mean, it's not very big, it's just a, Ally Brettnacher: Now when is the Tammy Mirante: a little, what is a great Park one? I wanna say is it May, Ally Brettnacher: I don't know.

I Tammy Mirante: don't know Ally Brettnacher: it. Yeah, I don't think it's the same weekend. It might be like the weekend before I, I Tammy Mirante: Yeah, so I think it's around. Yeah, maybe it's Ally Brettnacher: Memorial Day. I think it, well, it was, I don't, I have no idea. Anyway, that one's close by. It's Westfield. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tammy Mirante: Okay. Because I did that one. You, I don't know why I haven't. Ally Brettnacher: It's so fun. Did the mini again. Yeah. I don't know why you haven't either. It's like the best, 'cause Tammy Mirante: you know what that that medal is like teeny tiny.

Like compared to what? The one I did in Ally Brettnacher: 2003. Oh yeah. Tammy Mirante: It's so Ally Brettnacher: teeny. I did my first mini was in 2007. And even those ones, it's like a tiny little race car. Yes. One of 'em, I think my first one, like the race car moves on it, but it's like the si. Yeah. It's like very, very small. And now I swear they're like, the bigger, the better metal. I'm like, can we just make these normal? So I don't need a gigantic medal. I really don't. I Tammy Mirante: just want it to Ally Brettnacher: like pretty. Yeah. And legit just gimme, just gimme a normal medal maybe with some sparkles, whatever.

Right. Okay. That's crazy. 2019. And so had you trained for stuff that was then ruined by Tammy Mirante: the pandemic? Um, actually I think I got injured. Okay. so I, 'cause I was doing Orange Theory and then started doing the running and I got injured and it was like, I think I either I got injured and then Right as we were able to come back or we came back or I came back and then that's when everything shut down. Yeah. And so I was like, well I guess it's a good time to be injured. I can't go do anything. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Ugh. Were all your kids at home.

Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: What Tammy Mirante: an interesting one. Yeah, it's Ally Brettnacher: it's crazy. Yeah, it is crazy to think about. And, okay, so, at what point in this last few years did you find Tammy Mirante: Fisher's Running Ally Brettnacher: Club? Tammy Mirante: Oh gosh, I don't even know. I think I just ha No, I just happen to be running for some reason, and I don't, we've never went this route, but over by the, um, schoolhouse. Ally Brettnacher: See, I don't know anything Tammy Mirante: so there's a schoolhouse, um, it's like on Cynthia Road, over there. I, a big old group of people were just running and I was like, Ally Brettnacher: what is this?

Tammy Mirante: And I, and then I went home. I was like, I think I ran into a run club. and so I just kind of Googled it and I joined and then didn't show up for any runs for a long time. 'cause I was scared. Ally Brettnacher: Sounds sounds fair. I know. It is so hard. Yeah. When you, especially when you're not joining with like, say a friend or a couple friends to just put yourself at, just show up Tammy Mirante: and be like, right. Ally Brettnacher: Hi. Yeah. So what was your first run? Like, do you remember? Did you know that you could be drinking water all day long and still be dehydrated without electrolytes?

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Yeah. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: And that started actually, for Grind last year. Okay. Because knowing it wasn't gonna be as big as Prairie that, and I was, I didn't know anybody running it at that point. but I was like, oh, I'm gonna be by myself. Ally Brettnacher: the whole time. Yeah. Better Tammy Mirante: you used to it. Yeah. Yeah. And it was kind of like one of those things, well, who's gonna pull you outta the dark spot? Like, you're not gonna have a friend to run with. Mm-hmm. And so that's why I did a lot by Ally Brettnacher: myself. Yeah. Well, in Prairie, this last year, when you ran Tammy Mirante: a hundred Ally Brettnacher: miles, did you run every yard Tammy Mirante: with, with No, it was some, I mean, with someone, yes.

But like with Sarah and Angela, we, and you know, Michelle and Carly, we kind of like. Some I would go faster or I would need to slow down or I'd be like, I, you guys are like, 'cause I had my walk where my walks were and sometimes they would take 'em early Ally Brettnacher: or later Right. And you're like, I just Tammy Mirante: you guys are messing me up. Yeah. Like, and getting in my head that, you know, it's not on my designated, but then it's like, you adapt to other people's plans too, like on the night course that it was like, okay, let's do what this person's doing just to change it up a little bit.

And then it was weird because then it's like they're doing like so many run minutes versus walk minutes and then you're like, well, what's the time? How are we gonna make it back in time? it's just like if you stick to your plan right, then it's better. Yeah. But that's fair. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. It seems like either you need your own plan or just to follow blindly Tammy Mirante: someone else. Someone, Yeah. Which Ally Brettnacher: seems like it could be difficult. Scary. Yeah. Too, because you know yourself, Tammy Mirante: right? Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. And so you mentioned the marathons that you did try to BQ in getting a bq.

Have you done any other marathons outside of those that you did? Or since that point, have you only Tammy Mirante: done ultras? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Yep. Ally Brettnacher: See, this is where, and people have heard me say this a million times, but I'm like, I'm such a road racer. Like, you know, marathon half marathon's really my favorite half, half marathon. But it's a feels like a whole different world. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: I feel like it, it is. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. But people Tammy Mirante: really like it. Mm-hmm. Well, and then you move from road to trail. Yeah. Because that's what almost every, ultra is, is Ally Brettnacher: on the trails.

Mm-hmm. Tammy Mirante: Mm-hmm. And I remember, running Prairie First, and that was for, I mean, I had done Eagle Creek Ally Brettnacher: a few times. Okay. Tammy Mirante: Okay. but. On that trail. And it's not really a trail. I mean, I mean it is trail, but it's not like Eagle Creek Trail. Okay. It's not jumping over trees type of things. So it's a baby, I call it a baby trail. And I remember I cannot wait to get to the night course. I cannot wait because I hated that trail. I hated it. 'cause I just don't, I ran road, that's what all I did. Yeah. And it was like, this is killing my ankles.

This is, and that was a big thing. It was, it really did hurt my ankles. but then it's like, then we got to grind and almost all of it was road. Okay. And there's a small portion was grass. Okay. And I was like, well this is my thing road. That's my favorite part, you know? Yeah. And, the grass part killed my ankles again. And that's why it ended up making me stop. But then I get, I'm like, okay, prairies trail is not gonna get me this year. Like I am out there every single day. I'm gonna run it. And then I get back out there, I'm like.

What is this? This is not even this is not bad. Why were you complaining the first time? Yeah. And then going out there practicing it. I never had ankle issues one single time. Ally Brettnacher: What damn mind will mess Tammy Mirante: with you. Yeah. Yeah. It's like that's what I went out there to make sure that I didn't, Ally Brettnacher: but not even Tammy Mirante: practicing minutes. I never even had an issue. Ally Brettnacher: Okay. So, yeah. Are there any hills to speak of on Tammy Mirante: the loop? A couple, but it's not, I mean, Ally Brettnacher: Ten Tammy Mirante: second walk up it probably, yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: not bad. Well, in the night course for people who don't, don't know is it's on just a sidewalk, right? Mm-hmm. Like out and back, just for safety Tammy Mirante: purposes. 'cause Yeah, and I think that the, Park park Ally Brettnacher: closes. Oh. okay. Like, I think they have the timeframe Tammy Mirante: on that, 'cause I may have went out there a few times at like 4:30 AM and like please don't Ally Brettnacher: kick me out. Tammy Mirante: Please don't kick me out. Yeah. But I think it's like 5:00 AM to I. Ally Brettnacher: I don't even know Tammy Mirante: what the end Ally Brettnacher: time is, but Well, yeah, you're like, who's gonna be out here policing this?

Like really? I've gotten kicked off my kids', uh, school track a couple times. Oh nice. Because they're like, don't go during school hours. I'm like, that's like the only time I want to go, actually. And there's nobody out here. The kids aren't even outside. Why do you care if a mom is gonna run a few laps, but they care? Tammy Mirante: Yeah. So Ally Brettnacher: I Tammy Mirante: haven't done that again, Ally Brettnacher: so, Tammy Mirante: Geez. Ally Brettnacher: So. Also, I wanna talk to you about, I find it so funny, your obsession, I'm gonna call it obsession with chicken legs, Tammy Mirante: the brand.

Oh, yes. Um, how many do you own? 21. Wow. 21 pairs. Yes. Okay. Ally Brettnacher: For people who don't know what they are, give us the high Tammy Mirante: just a fun brand of shorts. fun patterns. They are very, they're kind of flowy, but the inside, the underwear underneath of 'em are good coverage. So, crystal in our run club, okay, she had this idea one year, let's all get the peanut butter and jelly ones. And I like, look at the website. I'm like, those are so short. I cannot run in those. Sorry. Like I just can't. And so, but we're all gonna get 'em, we're gonna take a picture, like let's get 'em for this, whatever run we are doing.

I'm oh my gosh. So, you know, order 'em. And then I was like, oh, I kind of actually like these, these are fun. And they don't ride up. I've worn 'em to orange sherry before and like, I feel like they're good coverage. Like they're fine. Yeah. And then it was just like, oh, well look at this print. Look at this print. And that's all I run in 21 pairs. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Have you gotten rid of any pears? Mm-hmm. Okay. What is your, well, okay, you can't pick a favor 'cause there's like a million. Just rattle off a few examples of patterns. Tammy Mirante: I have some porta-potty ones.

so Valentine's Day, there's some heart ones, Christmas, um, I don't know Gingerbread Ally Brettnacher: ones Do you have the donuts? I have. That's, I think I have two pairs. I have like a tie dye looking pair and then I have Tammy Mirante: the donut Ally Brettnacher: pair. Yeah. But that's it. I Tammy Mirante: I don't have the dough. I don't have Ally Brettnacher: the tie dye. Yeah. It's not as fun. It's like a more normal-ish short. It's not even like real tie dye. It's like just a pattern. Yeah. It doesn't look like, it's not like rainbow tie dye. That would be fun. Yeah. I once entered a contest for chicken legs to design shorts.

Oh, nice. And I got through a couple rounds. Um, I did traffic cones. Oh yeah. And it, they were super cute. And I, they have them, they do now. Yeah. And I didn't like the design that they made as much as I liked my own, which sounds bad, but I, I really, I was like, I liked mine and if you win they make it obviously. And so I was really, I really wanted to win so I could have my own, my Tammy Mirante: very own Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Designed chicken legs. That would be fun. That would be so fun. So now I should pay attention to when they do that again.

'cause I think they do it every year. Yeah. Where they, people can design 'em and Yeah. The winner, they make a new pattern. Yeah. So, yeah. I cannot run in them really. And the reason is 'cause my thighs rub together. Yeah. And it's just, I. Even if I put some Aquaphor or Tammy Mirante: Yeah, whatever, Ally Brettnacher: it just, if I'm going any kind of distance, I can do it for like maybe four or less. But yeah. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: I think at the time, like I said, I'm one of those things happen for a reason. Um, I used to be a belt person and that's where I kept my, and, but I hated it up on my stomach, so I pull it down and so it would be like on my hips and it would look so weird, but I'm like, I cannot.

And so if I would've had my belt at that time, there's no way I could run in 'em. 'cause I could be stuck to your leg. It Ally Brettnacher: would be real weird. Right. And they would be like, yeah, it'd probably like go down too far. And you'd be like, oh crap. Tammy Mirante: Yeah, yeah, It would Ally Brettnacher: would look weird. It would look weird. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: 21 Ally Brettnacher: pairs that's crazy. Are, do they have ambassadors? 'cause I feel like you should be an ambassador because I wonder there's gotta be people that probably own every pattern they have. I would imagine there's people Tammy Mirante: that, but it's a lot like, I think the younger girls.

I mean, you know, so they're probably their ambassadors. Ally Brettnacher: whatever. I mean, they're not running a hundred miles in 'em. No. So how many pairs would you go through for? Tammy Mirante: I didn't change as much this year at Prairie the first year I did. but I don't, I didn't even have a tint. I mean, I went the very first year, I had like a couple duffle bags of stuff. I didn't bring long pants stuff. my daughter had a horse show for the very first one, and so my husband did that. And then I remember texting him, I'm like, well, it's into the night, so could you bring me a long Ally Brettnacher: shirt?

Oh Tammy Mirante: Like, I didn't even, like I said, that first one, I had no idea what I was doing. Yeah. Like, I don't even know that you knew like what we got into, the concept of it, of going far. You know, we just had, we didn't have any intentions on going as far as we did. Ally Brettnacher: Well, TJ Dailey, he, Has wanted me to do it, you know? Mm-hmm. He's been the kind of egg meal, and that's why I signed up for Full Mo. Finally. I was like, okay, okay, I'll do it. Yeah. I really want to. Mm-hmm. It's just been kind of finding the year to do it.

Yeah. But for Prairie, I was kinda like, yeah. You know, I could just go out there and run like a couple yards just to be like, I participated. Yeah. But what I now see and know is like that's, you really won't do that Right. Once you get there, and if, you know, you have to then prepare if you are to go any further, ' because Yeah, you have to have all Tammy Mirante: the things. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: All the things. Did Tammy Mirante: you sleep at all? Like I feel, no. And I didn't get to that. Like my body was tired, but I wasn't sleepy, tired.

Okay. So that'll be Ally Brettnacher: another, I think it would be so hard to sleep Tammy Mirante: there Ally Brettnacher: in that environment because I don't like sleeping for a Tammy Mirante: certain amount of time. Yeah. Feel worse. I, think. I, think it's gonna end up being, I mean, obviously I've not gotten there, so I don't know where you just are so tired that you could probably just close your eyes and be out type of thing. Ally Brettnacher: Like geez. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: mean. Makes sense. But yeah, it's hard to imagine. And now through these experiences, have you worked with a coach at all?

Tammy Mirante: Yeah. So started off and I've moved on from a couple, and now I've got a strictly an ultra coach. Okay. So well trust the processes. This will be my first go around Ally Brettnacher: with him. Okay. And Tammy Mirante: where we'll from, we'll have to Ally Brettnacher: Colorado. Colorado. Okay. Tammy Mirante: What's his name? Brian Pasante. Okay. So he's done like Leadville, ridiculous amount of times. All of those things. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: well, like I had Bob bu on. Mm-hmm. I don't if you've met Bob, but Yeah. And you're like, okay. Just, you know, you think there's just so many different levels to, to everything.

Right, right. And it's, Tammy Mirante: I, yeah. I don't wanna put my, if he ever listens, we are putting it on his shoulders. So he signed up for grind as well. Oh. And. Ally Brettnacher: And. Tammy Mirante: I know he can't do 200. Like he's got it in him. I know it. Yeah. And so I'm like, come on, we, and I remember, I'm gonna tell him too, I listened to his podcast when he was, and he's like, I got nowhere to be Ally Brettnacher: today. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: nowhere. Yeah. I love that. So that's be like, you have nowhere to be Yeah. But at 200, use Ally Brettnacher: use your words against you, Tammy Mirante: That's right.

Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Two. Yeah. I mean, Tammy Mirante: right. You're like, yeah, he can do it. Yeah, Totally Ally Brettnacher: can do it. Yeah. And what, what were the winner, the male winners? What, how far did they run? I Tammy Mirante: don't even remember. I think it was like 1 58 or something. Okay. I'm not even, I don't even remember what the end is, but obviously Jeff was the winner. Yeah. Um, and he just did one Missouri, maybe. Okay. I forget what it was called, but I was following him. Um, 2 55, I think it was. Ally Brettnacher: What? Yeah, Tammy Mirante: not so Jeff.

Yeah. So now he gets to go to Biggs Ally Brettnacher: in October. What's that? Tammy Mirante: That's the, like, the end goal, like that's the, like you get to run with or as the US team and like LA Ally Brettnacher: and all of the, whoa. Okay. Yeah. That's a little scary. Even about Tammy Mirante: that's like the Boston. Ally Brettnacher: okay. The Boston of Boston of Tammy Mirante: of, of back cultures in particular. Ally Brettnacher: particular. Right. I didn't even really actually think Tammy Mirante: about that. Yeah. That's, it's scary. Okay. That's a scary thing. Ally Brettnacher: She, well, and I think I, I've talked about this especially with, on Bob's, we talked about how it's so interesting you have to have somebody Tammy Mirante: with Ally Brettnacher: mm-hmm.

To go that far. Yeah. Because otherwise, if somebody else stops, stops, then you win and then you Tammy Mirante: can't go further. Yeah. And that's why like Jeff ha, he's, how he said, he doesn't look at lists. I look at Ally Brettnacher: that list you're like, who Tammy Mirante: is my dragon with you. Yeah. And I saw Bob on there at least I'm like, all right, I know you can do it. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: So, So, there'll be somebody out there. Yeah. So interesting. Well, I'm fa, I'm fascinated by the Yeah. The guys like Jeff. I, I've, I don't think I've ever met Jeff, what is his last name?

Walker again. Okay. Walker. Yeah. I think I follow him, but I, I didn't realize that he just did another one. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Geez. Like A big one. So I don't know if he'll, he's not on the grind list, but I don't know if he'll, if he'll sign up or I don't even, I mean, you just don't know what someone's Sure thing. I mean, he just did that and obviously October would be his main goal Ally Brettnacher: but Yeah. Gosh. And I don't even know how, you know, I, I tried to do two marathons in one year once, and it didn't go well. So then thinking about Tammy Mirante: trying to do TAMMY M INTERVIEW: Two, Ally Brettnacher: two, two backyard ultras, like pushing your body way further than Tammy Mirante: yeah.

And especially one that went 250 Ally Brettnacher: miles, Shoot. Well, and I, you know. You talk about injuries, it's like how do you not get injured and how do you deal with injuries? And I Didn't you recently or are you experiencing issues with your hamstring? Tammy Mirante: Yeah, so last, for this last prairie I was in a block and I think that one was different than this one, but it was the same hamstring, but that one was a strain. Okay. And it had to do with doing speed. So when you're out on the road and you're doing speed, you can just let your legs, you know, stride out.

I think that was my issue. when you run on trails, you kind of have to, pitter patter a little bit more. You can't really do as much because you've got uneven and all of the things. Well, this time around, it's, so it happened and I was out on the regular road doing, speed work and I felt it. And I knew exactly, I knew exactly what it was. I was like, oh man, this is real bad because this is exactly what happened last time. And it took me out for a little while. but it ended up being a glute issue. So my glutes are lazy. And so then my, so my hamstrings then take over and do all the work.

So by moving back out to the trails, my ham or my glutes have no choice but to take over because you're on all on the uneven. So I don't even wanna touch a flat road. Ally Brettnacher: I don't even, Tammy Mirante: even, like, it scares me almost just to go off of the trails, because grind is so close. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. And do you do any strength work? Tammy Mirante: Yeah, so I strength train Ally Brettnacher: twice a week. I guess Orange theory. Do you do orange Tammy Mirante: I haven't done orange theory, um, this block. But, I just do Brooklyn. Harvey, does my strength training Ally Brettnacher: stuff for me.

I don't know Tammy Mirante: know who that is. So she's in the Ally Brettnacher: run club. Tammy Mirante: Oh, okay. Too. And then I went and did pt so, and that, and that's when it was like, well, your body is just, you have lazy glutes. Yeah. So Ally Brettnacher: work Tammy Mirante: that Yeah, Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm a Peloton girl and , one of the instructors in particular, Jess Sims will always be like, bring your butt with you. Like, use your butt. 'cause Tammy Mirante: it's, crazy. Like the, and the trails is kind of like a lazy way of working it. Mm-hmm. But not lazy, but yeah.

I try to do a run out on the regular road and it's like, okay, think about your glutes. Think about making them work then your hamstrings. Yeah. And it's like, that was the most exhausting run I've ever. Yes. And I'm like, I can't do this. I'm supposed to be thinking of nothing when I'm out here. Yeah. Not of every step that I'm taking, Ally Brettnacher: so. Mm-hmm. Tammy Mirante: The lazy part of that is, let's go to the trails. I don't have to think, my body has to take over. Yeah. No matter what. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: So do you still regularly do PT or your Tammy Mirante: exercises?

I just do the exercises. Yeah. Yeah. Good for you. And it's just, I mean, it's as simple as stuff. Yeah. But it gets 'em firing. I was Ally Brettnacher: like, how is Tammy Mirante: is this hurting? Ally Brettnacher: Why is Tammy Mirante: this so hard? Yeah. Yeah. Out of everything else. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: so, doing all these things, you've got three Tammy Mirante: children. Mm-hmm. Ally Brettnacher: And I'm, you know, I, I obviously wait. One, Tammy Mirante: two, or one in college? Ally Brettnacher: One. One. Okay. Tammy Mirante: So one is she, well, she's an adult, so she is, she's getting married. Okay. In 2027.

And then middle is in away at college. Okay. And then youngest is Ally Brettnacher: seventh grade. Okay. So how do you, balance is never the right word, but Tammy Mirante: you know, you know, it's always during school. Yeah. It's either has to be before school, so super early. Mm-hmm. Or during school. those are my. Times and I mean, my husband travels a ton and so it's like it has to be my schedule. Like I have to make it around everybody else's Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. stuff. Well, it's great to have the flexibility of, you know, your husband having a job that allows you to just then not just not just at all.

At all. Because I'm in the same boat. Yeah. And it's this weird feeling Yeah. Where you're like, okay. Tammy Mirante: But it's like I have the time but it's not your time. Yeah. Like it has to be around. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally. And, and having the job of managing everything else, I think goes overlooked so much. Yeah. Because, you know, there's even times my husband, he has no idea all the stuff I have to do Tammy Mirante: school stuff. Ally Brettnacher: Right. I mean, and it seems like it's easy because it's just done. Right. So, but there's a lot going on that you still have to manage.

Yeah. Yeah. And so your husband obviously is supportive 'cause he comes and he cruises you. Yeah. does he ever run, does he do Tammy Mirante: races? So it started out he does Orange Theory. Okay. But because of the whole travel thing, like, I mean, he's gone for like two straight three weeks and then home, maybe like one or two days of that. And it's like, you're not gonna go work Ally Brettnacher: out Tammy Mirante: for two days and then, you know what I mean? Yeah. And so it's like those get, so when he gets a, like a good month off, then he'll do stuff. But he just, it just the time's just not there.

Like Yeah. To Ally Brettnacher: regularly. Is he traveling within the country or is Tammy Mirante: he out? Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: he's just in the country. Yeah. Still though. That's Tammy Mirante: so Ally Brettnacher: a hard, has he always Tammy Mirante: been like that? Yeah. For, well, at least the last 13 years. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So yeah. A road warrior man, I don't know how people do that. but you know, it would probably be weird to then have him switch and be at home all the time. Tammy Mirante: Yeah, that's what, and that's what, when the kids were little, it would be like when you were home.

It's messed things, our schedule up so bad. And I was like, I hate to say this, but when you're home, our schedule's way off. Like it's so bad. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That's funny how that Tammy Mirante: but it was crazy with the Burrito league. Oh, yes. Yeah. Let talk about that. Oh, that was on Ally Brettnacher: list. Tammy Mirante: That was a crazy, I don't know how my coach didn't fire me for that. it was kind of like winging Ally Brettnacher: it. Okay. You have to tell people what it is. Okay. I didn't even, I don't even really think I understand what it is. Tammy Mirante: so someone made up this burrito league and I don't even know all the details to it.

That, but then I think it was like sponsored by Chipotle maybe, and then it didn't get that this year and so then people just started making it up, just to do it. Okay. And, Ours on Fishers. It was kind of like a down, like down 0.3 and back Ally Brettnacher: 0.3. So they pi there's like a little stretch of road somewhere, Tammy Mirante: little trail segment. And it was just, you run it as many times as you want. Ally Brettnacher: And within what, how Tammy Mirante: long was it? I think it was like, I don't know, maybe 20 Ally Brettnacher: days or something like Tammy Mirante: like that.

It was, yeah, I think pe some people's, like out in Ally Brettnacher: Arizona or something. Oh, so you, Tammy Mirante: for like, there's like standard. Yeah. I, I think this year was just different. Okay. Just because of like, they didn't have, I don't know. I Ally Brettnacher: don't know all the Tammy Mirante: rules. It's weird to, it's weird 'cause it was really weird and I wasn't gonna do it and then I kind of was like, well I already run over there anyway. It'll get me outside off the treadmill. 'cause it's winter time. Yeah. And then I somehow was in the lead and then it was somehow, yeah.

Why Ally Brettnacher: I think I know why. Tammy Mirante: it was somehow in the lead and then someone else pops on there and was like. Ally Brettnacher: like, Tammy Mirante: They did a big run, they're gonna take it from me. And then it was got that competition going where I was like, no way. Like I've gotta do this now. Like I'm not backing off now. And then it was basically go out, I think I did like 10 miles in Ally Brettnacher: morning. So 10 miles just back and forth on this Tammy Mirante: one stretch. Yes. Yes. Just on this spec, this Ally Brettnacher: little half miles.

Okay. Tammy Mirante: Sounds fun. So did the 10 miles in the morning and then it was more of like, okay, what do I have to do each day just to match them? Because if I match 'em then they can't, you know, go more. And then it just kind of got carried Ally Brettnacher: away. That's so funny. Who was, who was the other person you Tammy Mirante: were competing So Keegan, who was in the run club. Okay. And then, Austin Lewis. Okay. So, so funny. I may have stalked him on Strava right for a minute probably. So he pops on with like a big like 20 miler, something crazy like that.

Cute. Yeah. And I was like, what? Who is this? And so I like, I look him up and I'm like, oh man. I was like, I was telling a friend, I was like, he look, I think he does ultras. He looks like he could be out here for days. Like I am screwed. And so then I was like, okay, what do you have to do? Like, and then at first I was like, that's fine. If he takes it, I'll just hang Ally Brettnacher: on to a second place I'll be in the podium. Tammy Mirante: can. I'll just be, you know, hang on as long as I can.

And then I was like, wait a minute. No way. I'm not letting him take it. So I just kept doing an add in Ally Brettnacher: and Tammy Mirante: it got, Ally Brettnacher: yeah, And Tammy Mirante: think I did like, like over, I did, I think I got over like 200 miles on it. Ally Brettnacher: little Tammy Mirante: yeah. So you know, when they do the segment, I think it was like 355. Cool burritos. Ally Brettnacher: It's so what people, these contests. Man. So weird. So I think I tried, so ours in Carmel was on our Monan trail and it was close to where Athletic Annex that our running store is in, clay Terrace, which is an outdoor mall area.

Mm-hmm. And and I tried to do at least one segment 'cause I was over there and I was Tammy Mirante: well, at least Ally Brettnacher: wanna like see, and I don't even know if I did it correctly. Like, I must have not run the right PI Tammy Mirante: don't even know. Oh Ally Brettnacher: But it's not that complicated. I just, Tammy Mirante: just didn it. Yeah. I just Ally Brettnacher: to get a sense for this is what people are doing. They're literally just running this one stretch back and Back and forth. Yeah. It's, that's crazy. Yeah. And then you get nothing, correct? Tammy Mirante: Yeah.

Well I did actually, athletic Annex gimme me $150 gift. Gift Ally Brettnacher: not nothing. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. And okay. Then I got, I think I had a full MO entry and then, a Dino. One of the dyno series entries. Ally Brettnacher: So, Cool. So it's basically anybody locally who wants to create one can. Yeah. And they're just like, here's the Tammy Mirante: stretch. Yeah. Hopefully. I mean, they're, I think once a year Ally Brettnacher: is good. Well, like, I don't know. That'd be to do it No, Tammy Mirante: like crazy amount of times. And January was perfect. weather wise it sucked, but nobody is in a training block, Ally Brettnacher: you know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah, Tammy Mirante: no one's really in their training block just yet to Ally Brettnacher: up. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. Because if we were to do it out again, I'd be like, I can't, Ally Brettnacher: like you're like, really? I need to do this and I can't. Yeah. I really can't do that Tammy Mirante: right here. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Geez. I would be, I don't know. I wonder how far I could do that for, I Tammy Mirante: know. I mean, it just goes with your mind, Ally Brettnacher: like the the mindset. training is Yeah. Is, Tammy Mirante: That it's like, this stinks that I have to keep going and going and going.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Wow. So funny. Yeah. I, I heard about it. I, I need to know when it's coming so I can like mentally prepare to then try to do some of it. I don't know that I would try to win. I am competitive, but there's just people like you out there who I'm like, okay, not gonna do that Tammy Mirante: much. Well, the very first, I just started doing what was on my plan, like for Ally Brettnacher: the week. Okay. I was like, Tammy Mirante: Okay. Like I was like, well, I'll just, yeah, and I'll just do it back and forth, whatever it was.

And then that was okay for the beginning until someone jumps on and gets a big mile. Like, wait a minute here. I can't just do, yeah. The minimum, like, yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Do you pay attention to the segments Tammy Mirante: that are Ally Brettnacher: there? No, because there are people who do Tammy Mirante: that. Yeah. I mean, I've hit a couple over on at Tiwi. Yeah. And I've noticed like someone would be like, well, how do you do this one? And I've noticed that to get it, you'd have to run it backwards so. But I Ally Brettnacher: I don't do yeah. Kawi is where prayer Tammy Mirante: and fire prayer is Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: I don't think I have any. I might, but every once in a while I'll get notified that I'm no longer the local legend somewhere or something. And it's interesting because I know some people who pay very close attention to that. And who almost treat those, like the burrito league where they're like, no, I must Tammy Mirante: own own Ally Brettnacher: all of these. Yeah. Anthony Bruns, who is friends with tj, he lives out in Colorado. Yeah. He was on this podcast somewhat recently. He owns, I don't know how many segments, but TJ was telling me that like 400 some or something Tammy Mirante: Oh my goodness.

Ally Brettnacher: Maybe I made that up, but it's a lot. Yeah. And I was like, oh, it's a whole subculture that exists. Kinda like the Burrito league just within Don't even Strava that You don't Tammy Mirante: don't even know about. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. You don't even care to know about. You're like, I have enough to worry about that. I'm like, Tammy Mirante: yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Okay. And then, oh, what is the, what's the coffee club that's part of, Tammy Mirante: um, it's on Sundays. Okay. What what is that? But Sundays are my rest day, so Ally Brettnacher: don't go do any Yeah. Well that's, that's, I'm the same way.

Sundays are my rest day and so anybody invites me to do anything on a Sunday. I'm kind of like. Tammy Mirante: No, sorry. Ally Brettnacher: It's, Tammy Mirante: yeah, I mean it's basically, it's just one of those where they meet and At a coffee club. That's cool. A coffee shop and then do their miles and then come Ally Brettnacher: back. Yeah. Just like a little club within the club. Tammy Mirante: Yeah. But it's Ally Brettnacher: Sundays, Yeah. So there are a couple other races on here that I had written down. The night trail run, is that when you're talking about doing Eagle Creek? Eagle Creek, yeah.

Is the night trail run and then eight hour you've done? Eight Tammy Mirante: hour or No, I've done it a couple of times. Okay. I'm gonna do it solo this next, July. Technically it was supposed to been last year and I was just gonna do it as a training run, and then I had the whole hamstring issue and so we Deferred it to this year. So now it's, now it's on there and it's kind of be, it's gonna be one of those things where we get to, to summer and I'm like, Ally Brettnacher: why? Why Tammy Mirante: did I do this? Why did I do this?

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. ' Tammy Mirante: cause when is that? Because it start, it's like July, I don't even know July 19 ish or around there, but, or maybe it's the week before. but it starts at like 10 in the Ally Brettnacher: morning. I went and spectated once for like a little bit and I was like, I don't know how Tammy Mirante: people heat already is so hot. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: My heat does not, I can't really run in heat very Yeah. I mean, maybe since I'm doing it solo and I can just, I can possibly treat it like a backyard, Tammy Mirante: you know, like go however many miles and then stop back and then whatever.

But I don't know. And I shouldn't look into it. 'cause I would be like, well what's the record or what's the solo people? So maybe I just won't even, maybe I won't look into it and I'll just be like, eh, just go out and just Ally Brettnacher: it, I can tell you're gonna look into it. Uh, well 'cause eight hour is where you just run whatever distance you can within Tammy Mirante: an eight hour Ally Brettnacher: timeframe. Yeah. Yeah. Which is also similar to the Backyard Ultra concept. To me, it's just so foreign. Like the idea of, at least for that one, there's a finish line, right?

The eight hours is your finish line. Yeah. which is obviously different than having a distance as your finish line. But the whole idea of not having a finish line for the backyard Ultra is so Tammy Mirante: weird Ally Brettnacher: to me. Yeah. Yeah. I just don't, Tammy Mirante: I don't know. Yeah. 'cause it's like with grind, like if say Bob, wasn't signed up and I wouldn't know who else could go past the hundred mark, like where would we stop? Would we stop really short or Yeah. And then weather too, like who knows what. Right. You know, all the things could happen. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: So, okay.

These races that you've done, obviously in the state of Indiana, what are you thinking about. In the future, are there races out there that you wanna go tackle as a non lover of Hills? Tammy Mirante: I don't, I don't know. Yeah. See that's what I don't know because all of your ultras out west, that's all elevation. Like how would I even train for that? Ally Brettnacher: Well, there's some people here you could lean on, probably rather, yeah. That would be, would be crazy. Yeah. Like I don't EI don't even know, I just don't even think I can, even fat. Like what it would even be like, yeah.

So I'm, I'm content Tammy Mirante: here. Yeah. But then again, how many times can you Ally Brettnacher: do Grindr the same race? Tammy Mirante: yeah. I mean, you know what I mean? Like, sure. Ally Brettnacher: I mean, they'll change with, you know, the size of the race and stuff. Year over year, how many people will do grind typically? Tammy Mirante: Right now there's only 28 signed up. Last year I think we ended with like 36 ish, somewhere like that. So it's definitely, it's not very big at all. I mean, it's gotta keep growing. It's not, you know, I think it's like four or five years.

in the running, but Prairie is sold out now, right? At two 20, well, 2 25. Ally Brettnacher: packed. That little tent city is not little anymore. It's like tons of tents. No, Tammy Mirante: That's gonna be Crazy. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. so stay in Indiana. Keep, keep Tammy Mirante: doing ' TAMMY M INTERVIEW: em Tammy Mirante: I guess I mean, there's some straight one hundreds. I mean, I would probably try a straight 100 soon-ish. Yeah. I mean, Ally Brettnacher: absolutely. I mean, Tammy Mirante: it at least Ally Brettnacher: do it. Try once. It does Tammy Mirante: feel like I think that was scary though. ' cause it's like the backyard.

I know. I'm coming back to camp Ally Brettnacher: for my stuff. That's true. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: your stuff with the straight 100. You're gonna rely on their aid stations and. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. What do Tammy Mirante: do you carry? What if I need to change my clothes? Like all of the things I need, my thing, Ally Brettnacher: I need my thing. That would, Tammy Mirante: that would be a hard adjustment. So I don't know. I would definitely want to run my first one with somebody who's Ally Brettnacher: done it before. Yeah, that makes Tammy Mirante: Yeah, that makes sense. That way it's like I don't, I don't even know what if you got Ally Brettnacher: lost or something.

Right. Well, fine. I feel like the ones I've heard of that are in our state, a lot of 'em are looped, right. So, oh yeah. You know, you could find one that's got, I don't know, the smallest loops, I guess would be your jam. I, most people probably hate that, but, right. I don't know. But it probably is nice in an ultra format to have the ability to get to your camp that many Tammy Mirante: times. Yeah. And you don't have to carry all the things with you. Like I've been watching the Monster 300 out there where they've like, well, we've got like five miles to the next aid station.

We're all out of water. Like, what do you do? Like you just have to suffer. that's nuts. And in the nighttime, in the desert. Ally Brettnacher: too many animals for Tammy Mirante: me for that. Ally Brettnacher: Like, I don't know, even here, I mean in the woods, I know there's not anything that Tammy Mirante: crazy, Yeah. but still I just. Ally Brettnacher: I'm a baby, so I mean, yeah. I think the only race I've done in the dark has been Vegas because they do start that one in the evening and it's at night, but it's not like you're running in the middle of the forest in the nighttime, so, or out next to a cornfield or wherever Prairie goes next to, yeah.

Yeah. So, man, well, I just, I admire you so much in what you've accomplished. It's, it's incredible. And especially in a shorter amount of time, right? I mean, a lot of people took up running during the pandemic and got into it, but I just, I feel like the fact that you've gone from literally run 3 1 7, like 3.17 miles to then running 4.16, seven miles, however many, how many yards was it? 26. 26. 26 times. You're Tammy Mirante: like, Yeah. It's amazing. Ally Brettnacher: it's it's absolutely amazing. So Tammy Mirante: It's fun. Ally Brettnacher: How was this? It wasn't Tammy Mirante: so bad, right?

Ally Brettnacher: No. Okay. Good. All right. I'm gonna ask you the end of the podcast questions now. Okay. They're super easy. But the first one is, what is your favorite running mantra and Tammy Mirante: song? So, songs, I just listened to everything and it's more, not even really like, listen, it's just something that's going. And actually the last backyards I haven't turned any Ally Brettnacher: music on. Right. Tammy Mirante: but for training it's just there. I would say what I always think about is just be patient. And that's definitely what the backyard is. I mean, 'cause you have to go slow enough. You cannot be like, oh, you feel really good right now.

Well be patient with it. Be patient Yeah. 'cause it's got, you want the long haul. And just like I said before too, you are where you're supposed Ally Brettnacher: to be. Tammy Mirante: Mm-hmm. with the whole. Injury thing happened, and then that wasn't even an issue when we got to Prairie this year. it doesn't, it didn't even matter. So, and I still Ally Brettnacher: made it. Yeah. Yeah. Did you do I remember this, did you write, be patient on Tammy Mirante: yourself? I did. Yeah. Yeah. Do not Ally Brettnacher: get too ahead of yourself. Do not go out. Well, I mean, that's the typical racing Right.

Advice too is don't go out Tammy Mirante: too fast. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. So similar, like, yeah, you just gotta take it slow. I, I feel like it would be so tempting to try to get more rest, but then it would just be so much Tammy Mirante: harder on your body. And that's why too, during training, it's hard to slow down that slow. Mm-hmm. Because then you're sitting around waiting and like, when you're in training, it's kind of like, okay, this this is taking forever. Come on, next hour. Whereas at, you know, the race, it's like, wait, what? That went really fast. Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Tammy Mirante: I bet.

So, Ally Brettnacher: and then we already know your next finish line, we'll be at Grind on the Grid on May 9th. Yes. And Tammy Mirante: May 9th is Ally Brettnacher: Mother's Day weekend. Okay. And it's, is it Saturday or Sunday? Okay, I should know this 'cause I'm planning my five year-old's birthday party that day. so nice. That'll be my own special kind of marathon go. Tammy Mirante: go. Yeah. Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Grind on the grid. And then Prairie. Are you? And are you signed up for the full Mo? No. No. Tammy Mirante: Okay. No, it's like only a couple weeks Ally Brettnacher: after Tammy Mirante: so hopefully.

Okay. Yeah, that's true. Hopefully I'm not walking. Well. Yeah, hopefully Ally Brettnacher: you're still in so much pain 'cause you ran 200 miles. Yes, that's right. Uh, all right, well thank you for doing this. Tammy Mirante: welcome. appreciate it. Thanks Ally Brettnacher: Thanks for having me. Of course. And thank you to everybody who's listened and happy running. Yes. Yeah. Tammy Mirante: You survived. I did. Ally Brettnacher: If there is one thing that you can do for me after listening to this episode, it is go to the show notes or my website, athlete bouquets.com and sign up to receive my weekly email newsletter. It highlights the current episode of the week.

Also updates you on my personal running stuff and journey. I highlight products that I love and I try to make 'em not suck. So go subscribe, and of course you can share this episode. That is another great way for people to find the show and as always, we'll be back again next Friday for the next episode. Bye.

Ally Brettnacher