Episode 34: Sara Oltvedt - I Am Here

Episodes

Nov 24

After a fractured tibia, a foot arthritis flare, COVID, and a black-flagged race, Sara Oltvedt ran her first Chicago Marathon anyway, side by side with her friend Molly.

Listen on Apple Podcasts · Listen on Spotify

About this episode

Sara Oltvedt is a Fargo runner I met through Instagram and the Peloton leaderboard after I ran the Fargo Half. She grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota, started running by pushing her young son in a stroller, and ran her first official race at the Fargo 10K in 2010. She has close to 12,000 Peloton workouts and a mantra that keeps her in the moment: I am here.

We talk about the Fargo Marathon, its 20th anniversary, and the loss of its executive director Mark Knutson. Sara tells me about the dog attack that fractured her tibia before Grandma's Marathon, then the arthritis, COVID, and canceled Twin Cities 10 Mile that came before Chicago. She ran Chicago with her friend Molly, who was running her first marathon, and they finished in the exact same time. We also get into the Peloton community and why she calls parenting the greatest endurance event of all time.

In this episode, we discuss

Turning down her valedictorian speech in high school
Getting bitten by a dog on a run and fracturing her tibia before Grandma's Marathon
Growing up in Moorhead, Minnesota and coming back to Fargo
How pushing her son in a stroller turned into a 6-mile run
Her first race, the Fargo 10K in 2010
Running the Fargo Half with her friend Brooke after Brooke's second baby
Parenting as the greatest endurance event of all time
The Fargo running community, the loss of Mark Knutson, and the race's 20th year
Running for the sake of running without a watch for her first seven years
A foot arthritis flare and COVID derailing her Chicago Marathon build
The black-flagged Twin Cities 10 Mile and the 10 miles she ran anyway
Running every step of the Chicago Marathon with Molly for her first marathon
Molly's Infinite Objects gift of their finish line video
Nearly 12,000 Peloton workouts and the friends she has met through it
Plans for the New York City Marathon with Team for Kids or Team Fox

Chapters

Intro
Turning down the valedictorian speech
Cora and the dog attack that broke her tibia
Growing up in Moorhead and Fargo
How stroller walks turned into running
The Fargo Marathon and its community
Running for the sake of running
Arthritis, COVID, and the Twin Cities black flag
Running Chicago with Molly
The Peloton community
Next finish line: New York
Classical music and the mantra I Am Here

Where to find Sara

Instagram: @runnergirlfargo

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Fargo Marathon, Grandma's Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Twin Cities 10 Mile, New York City Marathon, Zionsville Half Marathon, Ragnar Michigan, Marine Corps Marathon, Wobegon Trail Marathon, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Organizations and charities: Peloton, Tracksmith, Team for Kids, Team Fox
Other: Infinite Objects, Bex Gentry, Jess Sims, Selena Samuela, I'll Have Another podcast, Rise by Katy Perry, I Am Here by P!nk

Previous guests mentioned

Related episodes

Frequently asked

What is Sara Oltvedt's running mantra?

Sara Oltvedt, a Fargo runner known as Runner Girl Fargo, uses the mantra I am here to stay in the moment instead of worrying about what is ahead.

How did Sara Oltvedt start running?

Sara Oltvedt started running by pushing her young son in a stroller because he loved the wind in his hair, and one day a walk turned into more than 6 miles; her first official race was the Fargo 10K in 2010.

Who did Sara Oltvedt run the 2023 Chicago Marathon with?

Sara Oltvedt ran the Chicago Marathon alongside her friend Molly, who was running her first marathon, and the two finished with identical times after Sara came back from a foot arthritis flare and COVID.

Support this show

Transcript

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

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones with Ally Brettnacher. Incredible stories and tales of triumphs with everyday people achieving their goals and fitness. This podcast brought to you by Athlete Bouquets. Celebrate finish lines and milestones of the people that you love by visiting athletebouquets.com. Hello and welcome to episode 34. This is Ally Brettnacher and I recorded this. Wednesday before Thanksgiving. So by the time you hear this on Friday you will hopefully have celebrated and had a lovely holiday and hopefully you are continuing to celebrate. Speaking of if you are in need of any holiday gifts, as the intro mentioned athletebouquets.com Selfishly my business if you listen to last week my Etsy shop got shut down so a little bit of a struggle.

And would appreciate your support. Got a ton of custom gifts there, so thank you for supporting Small this holiday season. Kind of silver lining I suppose. Lindsay Hine reached out and asked if she could support me during this tough time and had me on her podcast. I'll have another with Lindsay Hine, and I have been a listener of that podcast for years since the beginning. And was so honored. So that is now out as you listen to this as well. So go over there and listen to that. Hopefully it's not horrible. And thank you Lindsay again for having me on. Not that you'll hear this, but appreciate you none the less.

We talk in that episode about several other women owned businesses to support during this holiday season. I am also fresh off of my last half marathon of the year, the Zionsville Half Marathon. Special thanks to fellow Rachel Michelle running athlete Chris Jones for running that with me. It was the first time we'd run a race together and my friend Ashley Schwab and I start. We started with Chris ran the first few miles and then Ashley took off, but then Chris and I caught up to her at the end and we were able to finish almost together. She had her two littles jump in and finish with her as well and we finished in just over.

One hour and 45 minutes, which is blazing fast for me. My third fastest, I think half marathon, just behind my recent PR and my previous PR. So we actually, Ashley and I won second and third place in our age groups, which is really fun and it was a great day for a race and I'm happy that the season is over. And now, looking forward to next season. Actually just signed up for my very first Ragnar. Which if you listen to this podcast, you've heard me talk about wanting to do so Alyssa, my best friend and I signed up for the Michigan Road race. It's September 20th and 21st up in Northern Michigan and I'm hoping to have previous guest Tara join us as well as some other indie folks.

And if anybody else is listening and is interested in being a part of our van, probably going to do women only team, but let me know. Reach out and would love to have you. So without further ado, I'm so excited to finally have met this week's guest, my friend Sarah, who is who I actually don't know how to pronounce her last name, so we'll leave it at that. She is Runner girl Fargo on Instagram and on the Peloton leaderboard and that's how we met. We met actually after I ran the race in Fargo, not in person but virtually. So we've been connected ever since and.

She was kind enough to come on the podcast and the first story she told me. What you'll hear is that about how she declined her valedictorian speech in high school, which I found funny. And we talked about one of her three miniature dachshunds who was sitting on her lap. We talked about how she got into running. We, of course talk about Fargo, the Fargo Marathon, How would that was her first race? We talked a little bit about the tragic death of Mark Knutson, who was their executive director, and they are celebrating 20 years next year. And so that'll be a big, big race for that community.

If you're looking for a spring race, it's in May. And then we talk about parenting being the greatest endurance sport of all time. We talk about how she ran for the sake of running for the first seven years that she ran. Actually, it's interesting how she got into it in the 1st place. It leads back to that previous comment about parenting. And then she ran the Chicago Marathon this year after. Years of dealing with injuries. She had a recent bout of arthritis, COVID, and then a Black Flag race in Twin Cities which we talked about. We discussed how her friend Molly is clearly the best gift giver of all time.

Couple gifts that Molly got for her around Chicago are so sweet and thoughtful. We talked about Peloton in the community and I committed to trying a classical themed run on Peloton, so I will be reporting back on that. But it was really a joy getting to know Sarah a little bit better. And I think you're really going to enjoy this conversation. OK. Hey, Sarah. Hi. Happy Monday morning. Monday is Monday, yes. Yeah. But here we are. But here we are. Thank you so much for being here. Well, thank you for having me. I'm flattered and kind of flabbergasted that you wanted to talk to me.

So thank you. You're so sweet. I promise this will be easier than running a marathon. Well, maybe. I don't know. I, you know, interested me enough. I so I was valid returning to my high school class and I, you know, traditionally give the valedictorian gives the you know speech our graduation and all those things. So I I refused and I passed it off. There was two people that were sharing salutatorian and I gave it to them. So this is way outside of my comfort zone, but. Well, you are not alone, Sarah. I It's kind of funny that I do this mostly because it's not in front of anybody, really.

It's like. You know, not in a room full of people necessarily. But I if I have to do any sort of public speaking, I have to take Benadryl. Before that. I don't literally. I will break out in hives. So yeah, I'm with you. I don't like. I get nervous, but at least this isn't something super serious. We get to talk about something that you love, so it won't be as bad. That's so funny that you handed off the speech. Yeah. And at our twenty year reunion, they're like, oh, you should speak well, no, I I defined 20 years ago. I'm not doing just to do it again.

Yeah. So, well, it's amazing that 20 years ago you learned how to say no, because that's something that I'm still working on. Yeah. Well, yes, Me too. And. And finding the right yeses, right. I mean, that is a, it's a, it's a skill. For sure. So people can't see the video like we said at the beginning. So which dog is this that you are holding? Oh, this is Cora. Hi, Cora, baby. Yeah, well thank you. She so it's short for Corazon because she has a heart on her head. I was going to say I noticed that. Actually, I should have picked up on that. Yeah, so she she was kind of a spontaneous purchase, if you will.

I got injured last year before Grandma's marathon, 2 weeks before race day. I was attached by a dog while I was out running and I pivoted weird. And it I think because of my training load and just you know my history, I fractured the top of my tibia. So I had to drop out of Grandma's and this dog, I wanted her, but I was like no timing, you know, it's just not going to be great and then you know, come full circle it. We ended up flying down to South Dakota to get her right before the 4th of July, so. Wow. Attacked by a dog while running?

That is terrific. And it was a little dog, but you know, it was one of those extending leashes. And I announced myself coming up behind. I mean, I literally, I've been, I mean how many miles have I run outside? And I've never ever experienced that. But the woman's dog, I mean she didn't have control of the. There's no, I mean, I don't know what do those go to like 20 or 4? I mean, it's ridiculous. So this little dog bit me and then the leash got tangled around me. So it's like trying to get out of it. And the woman was freaking out. Like, I mean, it went from bad to worse really fast.

And I mean, it did break skin, but I just, I kept, I got myself untangled and I kept running. Yeah, like, I just want to get here. I was like, I don't even know if that dog has vaccinations. So it will be this whole thing trying to find the owner of the dog. So, you know, my doctor was like, well, you're going to have to get the rabies shots if you don't know. Oh my gosh, what a nightmare. Oh my goodness, yeah. Well, so you already mentioned flying down to South Dakota, which would indicate you are north of South Dakota. So Sarah for everybody. Who does not know is from North Dakota Are you at?

You're in. You're in Fargo, right? You're in Fargo? Yeah. And I don't think that I sound like I have a Midwest accent until I say Fargo. Oh, there it is. There it is. Yeah. Yeah. Then I'm hyper aware of it, but. You know, it's so funny. Yeah. So I feel like I found Sarah via Instagram because this year I ran the Fargo half for the first time and it was. So North Dakota was my last state not to run in but to visit. And so I must have just somehow connected with you after the race seeing you know that you were in Fargo. And now that I have a new found love of Fargo, it was such a wonderful race and experience and the city was awesome.

I didn't really know what to expect. And so yeah, it was just, it was just great. So are you from there Originally? So I born in Minneapolis and then we lived in Michigan for a short period of time. My dad is an artist and teaches cleaning it. Fine. So he was a professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead for 35 years. So I actually grew up on the Minnesota side of the river in Morehead, which I don't think you ran through it all on the the half route, just sometimes the full Marathon route, Gibson to Minnesota. OK, I didn't realize that. Yeah, so I grew up in Morehead and I've.

I've laughed a few times but I just keep coming back. Nice. I can appreciate that I am in Indiana, and I swore I wouldn't live in Indiana my whole life. And I didn't. I went to Ohio for undergrad and then I came back. So yeah. And now we have both sets of grandparents are here and we have kids. And so probably not leaving ever. Yeah, Well, and that's for us to, you know, both Dan and I have family here. My son will actually be 17 next week, which is crazy looking at colleges and you know when he was born, the day he was born, seems like yesterday and a million years ago all the same time.

It's kind of wild. But yeah, we have talked about, you know, where where will we end up. Dionne is actually executive vice president for a company based out of Boston. Sorry, Bill actually is their Home Office. So for a lot of reasons, the East Coast would be more practical, but but we're pretty mobile, so yeah. Yeah, well, I noticed that because on your Instagram or just when we were chatting about when you went to Chicago, you have a pilot and I was like, oh, well, yeah, that would make you pretty mobile. So that would certainly help with work too, I'm sure. Does he have to travel every week out there?

Yeah, the the running joke is that he has, we have we own 2 aircraft and the running joke is that one of them is strapped to his backside 8 days a week. So never a dull moment. Neither one of us fly. So we have pilots that we contract out. But yeah, going to Chicago this year was the first time I've actually ridden in the copilot seat because I was by myself. Uh huh. The unfollowed after I flew down, just so it was pilot Steve and I, and that was that was a whole another experience. I mean, it was just the start to a really magical weekend.

Flying through the clouds and just seeing it from the vantage point of the cockpit was truly incredible. So. That is so, so cool. So just to back up, how did you start running Sarah? What got you into the sport in the first place? Oh gosh. Well, you know, I was an athlete growing up, not a very good one. I grew really fast, so I was all arms and legs and I'm I am 5 foot 10 and I think I hit that pretty young. So it was very uncoordinated and definitely was not an All Star athlete. I did not peak in high school, but, you know, so I always kind of saw running as punishment near soccer and volleyball and softball.

And so it was not, you know, soccer was a little bit different, but still, I mean, it was like you didn't really think about it as running when you're out on the field. And definitely in the other sports I played outside of hockey, running was, you know, punishment if somebody was sleep, practice or just Fast forward. To go back to my son when he was young, he loved being outside and the wind in his hair. So you know just kind of playfully you know it would push him in the stroller and not a runny not, you know proper like jogging stroller or anything. I did have to upgrade because you know, I just he would laugh you know that that belly laugh belly laugh.

I can still hear it. And so I, you know, one block turned into two blocks turned into half a mile, turned into a mile and one day I and getting really lost in a new neighborhood and and we did over 6 miles, I was like, oh, I think I kind of like this. So wow. History, I guess. Yeah, that's so wild. So what was the first race that you signed up for? My first race official was actually the Fargo 10K in 2010. I actually have the race poster hanging down next to the tread in my gym. I have it framed. So that's really cool, yeah.

Oh, so, and the 10K was part of the marathon weekend then? So the 10K that was part of that weekend? OK, yeah, yeah. So you know, historically the the 5K is always run on Friday evening and then you know marathon day is the 10K half marathon, marathon and marathon relay. You ran this year, right? I did. I did the half with, yeah, with my friend Brooke, who lives in Winnipeg. She drove down. It was her first race coming back after having her second child last year. So it was so fun to run alongside her and just witness her strength as you know, a mom, a a very, you know, new mom for the second time.

But she, she ran so strong and I my timing shift didn't work, so I couldn't even tell you what we ran. But I just, I didn't. I didn't care. I mean it was such a freeing experience. It was a beautiful day, you know, you were here. It was beautiful. The crowds were great. The full goes through my current neighborhood, but the the all of the races less than 10K go past my old house. So through my old neighborhood. It was so fun. Just, you know, I think Brooke was like, I think you're a celebrity. It's like, well, Fargo's just really small and I've been out here for a long time, so it was just so fun.

It was a great day. My family was out there and my niece, who's 10, always loves to to watch me run. We had done the youth race together on Thursday night and that was. Her first race, so yeah, yeah. How fun. Yeah, this last weekend on Saturday I ran 1/2 with one of my friends who is coming back from her 4th kid, which I'm just like that's mind blowing to me in and of itself, let alone. But yeah, I got to run with her. For parts of it, she actually left me in the dust at the beginning. I stayed with her for a little bit.

She left me and then I caught back up to her and was able to finish. Not alongside her, 'cause she had two kids that then jumped in with her to finish. So I finished a little bit ahead of her. But it's really cool to be alongside your friend as they kind of re regain that strength and really regain themselves kind of after becoming a a mom of. Two or four or any any level is impressive for sure. That's really cool. It was so rewarding for me and just, you know, incredible to see that grit and determination, which you know, of course they got to witness again in Chicago with Molly.

But, but yeah, I've, I've said, you know, recently to friends that are, you know, becoming new parents for, you know, the first time or, you know, second time, whatever that I think parenting, you know, whether you're a mom or a dad, is the greatest endurance event of all time. I mean, it is, it is a marathon. It is not a friend. And anything and everything can happen over the course of of life with children, a child or children, much like a marathon, You know, It's one step at a time and one stage at a time, we guess. Yeah, isn't that the truth, man? So I did want to ask you about a little bit more about the Fargo running community because I know obviously the I'm sure the community is still reeling from the death of the executive director Mark, which was so shocking after the race.

I couldn't believe that I really didn't meet him much other than saying like hello. Thank you for a great, great race, but. Yeah, he was tragically killed in a accident. He got hit by a truck. Is that right? While he was bike riding. Not while he was running, yeah, no, he was, he was riding his bike and I I don't know the the details of everything that happened, but so, so, so tragic. I really think that he could take credit for building the community not only in Fargo, but you know, extending outward to the entire state of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota. I mean, I think he was just really inspiring to a lot of race directors all over the country.

So yeah, there is just a lot of really close connections because Fargo is. Yeah. And you know, it's so sad that this, this upcoming year will be the 20th. Anniversary so I have a couple of friends that were and I'm I'm gapping out on because it's Monday on the correct terminology but that have run the marathon every year since its inception which is pretty incredible. I want to see founders of that. Yeah, like the streaker. I don't know what they if the Streak Streakers is the right. It depends on what I guess, what race, what they call them, but. That's a pretty impressive streak. 19 Now twenty in a row, honey.

Yeah, yeah. My, my personal trainer is one of them. And yeah he's every, every year. And you know we had even talked about it in the gym leading up to this year that, you know, crazy that next year is going to be 20 and you know just how big of a party it was going to be. And so exciting. I mean party would make a running 20, but but yeah it's I I think that it will be a pretty remarkable event. So if anyone's looking for half to do next year, it's flat. The crowd is free, you know so many different events to choose from.

It's a week long thing. So yeah. It really was an excellent race. I loved it. I don't know, I was. I have talked about this before. I don't know if I I would go back. Only because now I have so many other races that I want to do. However, I am getting to the point where I'm interested in Boston qualifier, so that I mean talk about like a flat and fast course. I mean Indiana our our race in November is pretty, pretty flat as well. But Fargo is so nice and flat and just the city. I was impressed by like great places to eat. I stayed in the cutest hotel.

Easy, you know, easy to get around. Yeah. And for Boston qualifiers, I mean, I I can't speak to some of the other smaller race events, but, you know, logistically, I mean, I think Brooke and I left my house, I don't know, 30 minutes. I live very close to the farm. But you know, starting inside and ending inside, you know, I mean it's like you don't have to worry about throw away clothes. I think the weather can be a little bit unpredictable. I think I ran the half the year before too as part of a training run leading up to grandma's and it's kind of 1/2 marathon sandwich around 3 1/2 or four mile warm up run to and from the start.

But that morning was, I think about 30° when I left my house, So I mean it can be pretty variable. So having that nice like indoor, real bathrooms, right? I know. That was that. I kind of forgot about that part. I mean, that was, yeah, talk about so nice. I don't think I waited in line to go use the bathroom before either, 'cause you're in a literally like a stadium and so there's plenty of options. It's so great. Yeah. Yeah, it was. It was wonderful. So will you are you signed up for one of the events next year already? Or do you just kind of wait till it gets closer?

OK, I am, yeah. So I'll do I'm gonna do the 5K the night before I just did the shake out. I've never raced that one and then I'll do the half with a bunch of so. Yeah. Oh, fun. So now. OK, so your first race is in 2010, so it's 13 years of of running. How many halves and fulls have you? Have you run to date? That's a really good question. I don't know. Like, I have no idea. I feel like if when I ask that question, you either know or you're exactly or you're like, I don't have no idea. Yeah. I mean, in fact, when we just cleaned out a bunch of boxes, you know, since moving in and I found a bunch of, you know, race medals and oh, I forgot I did that.

And you know, I'd write. I used to write on the bib like who I ran with, what my time was, what my place was. And you know, I mean when I started running, I didn't even have a watch, so I didn't even know. I mean when I was PC I was just running for the sake of running. So I I mean I would say until 2017 I think is when I got like my first actual Garmin where I, you know, I think I'm still learning how to use. Yeah, right. I know, not my first one still, but but yeah, I I'm, I'm not one who's ever really kept track of.

I could not offhand tell you any of my PRS or how many events I've done. Wow. That's I mean that in and of itself shows how many, how many races you've done though. So. And this year you did Chicago. Was that your first Chicago or have you done Chicago before? This is my first Chicago. Yeah. And I got in via the lottery, so I was super excited. And then, you know, the the marathon for the last three years for me has been a bit elusive. I've kind of written grandmas off, but they've gotten injured three times. You've gotten inside. Oh my gosh. Yeah, yeah. I thought the third time was the charm, but the jog attack situation took me last year.

So yeah, it's kind of written grandma's off though I am signed up for the half, but I figure half is, you know a little less work. But yeah, so the the marathon has been a bit elusive for me for several years, and I leading into this build to Chicago, I felt really strong in the beginning. I was I was going for a pretty strong goal and I felt really confident in my training. And then I had a flare up of arthritis in my foot of all things, which doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was debilitating. I mean, I could barely walk. I thought for sure I had broken something and, you know, visited my PT and my doctor and then, you know, an ortho and then a podiatrist and, you know, resolved it to be arthritis.

How are you? Old enough to have arthritis? Get out of here. No. Well, you know, I'll be 44 in January, so but you know, I am high arches. So I mean he structurally speaking, from speaking to the podiatrist, he said. For people with my foot structure, it's not uncommon, especially. Interesting. Also, he suggested I get into triathlons and then quickly added not Ironman. You're like, I'm sorry, but what else is there? I know. I think it's like, you know me or something. Really. Yeah. So, but anyway, yeah, so this is my first Chicago and I about a month out, I said to my husband, I think I I don't think I need to do it.

I just don't feel like I knew that my my goal was gone. What was your goal, 315? OK. So and that's that's where my training was indicating and I was feeling really strong. So I took I mean almost two months I think off of running completely. I was on the bike. But it's just not the same you know biomechanically thinking it's it's movement but it's not the same endurance wise. They felt really strong and my poor bum did not appreciate being a saddle for 2 1/2 three hours. You know, I was trying to do with the equivalent of my long runs on the bike, but then I just kind of recited the fact I don't think I was going to do it.

But then enter my sweet friend Molly and I had made a commitment to her to show up and, you know, to be there for her first marathon. And I was like, well, I'll, I'll do it. I'm going to do it. But then about two weeks, a week and 1/2 before the race, we got COVID. So that was fun. And I the only reason I I knew and I tested because I I got on the bike and I was doing a ride and I couldn't. I couldn't make it through a 45 minute ride. I was like, this isn't something's off and it was not like one of those like waiting for it, you know, Is it positive?

Is it positive? It was like, you're positive. So you know. Then I said again, I'm like, I can't do it. I'm not now I really can't. And then I was super bummed. But the with the Twin Cities 10 mile coming up, I decided that I was like, well, I talked to my doctor, I talked to my PTI, got clearance. You know from a physical standpoint that yes you can go out and try this, but you have to stop if anything feels off at any point. So I that commitment to all my medical professionals and to myself and, you know, made the chart down to Minneapolis and I guess probably almost everybody in the running community knows that it was a Black Flag event and it was actually canceled.

We were actually on our way to the start line. And when the e-mail came through because the evening before we're out on Lake Minnetonka with some friends and she was like, all right, we'll see you in the morning. We had, you know, picked a spot to meet and it was, I'm literally on the way to pick them all up to bring everybody downtown to the start. And I was like, OK, well, we're all up, so we might as well do a shot. So we, yeah. So we met at a different location and I got to run with my friend Kelly Holland, another Peloton person. She, she came to Boston and I was spectating with her in New York last year.

So we met and we did our own 10 mile, you know, and she's like, how are you feeling, 5 miles? And I was like, I'm going to do the marathon. Only you, Sarah, would 5 miles into a 10 mile run decide that you're going to run a marathon in seven days. And yeah, so that was, you know, I, I and I was paying close attention to you know my respiratory. You know, if I felt any distrust monitoring my heart rate, it's and everything was pretty, you know, I wasn't running my intended race pace, but I had let that go, you know a month. So before anyway so.

Well, arthritis COVID and then Black Flag weather conditions. It's like good Lauren. I mean, it's incredible you did anything at all. Like it's how wild. How did you plan a route of a 10 mile run? I mean, I guess you know the city. Well, I do. I have running routes in the city. My dad lives in the Twin Cities so so we're down there quite often but I the friends that I was meeting up with so we ran in Plymouth and and they had a trail which I mean we so we started at about 6:00 AM and it was still dark out. So I, you know we're running up down this wooded line trail.

I mean you couldn't see they had headlamps and I was just hoping that because I kind of drifted out and I was I was depending on them to to light the way. But yeah we just did an out and back. I I honestly couldn't even tell you the name of the trail. Somebody can insert it somewhere sure. But, but yeah, I and interestingly enough I met there was another women running with us that was planning to run Chicago to her name is Ali and we were chatting the last few miles we ran together and we were staying at the same hotel. So that was fun.

We both had the VI in Chicago. We both had the VIP tents and so it's like oh gosh, you know probably see you in Chicago. So we here exchanged numbers and we kept in touch and you know staying in the same hotel. We're at the Palmer house, which is a pretty big hotel. A lot of people were staying there. And when, you know, I had gotten there a day early, so checked in and when she checked in the day after, she said where, you know, what room are you in, Literally, I walked out my door and her hotel room door was immediately to the right.

Like I could stick my arm out of my door and knock on her door. So I mean just such a small, small world. And we had never met aside from the weekend before. That's just wild. That's pretty cool, you know, you're like, OK, the race was cancelled. Had the race not been cancelled, would you have met her? I I would have met her yet, 'cause she was one of them we were going to scoop up, but I. Don't know, ended up running together or you know, I mean even if we did run together, you know, Twin Cities 10 mile is a big event. So you can't necessarily conversate with somebody.

Right. Yeah. You know, as we did just running on our own, but yeah, on our own 10 mile route there was a lot of people that had their bibs on, you know? Right. I was gonna ask you if you ran into other people, 'cause I imagine I saw a lot on social media of people being like, well, we just, we were awake and ready to run, and So what do you do? That's tough. That was a tough one. It was a tough one and I I know there's a lot of people that question the decision and you know when we went out and ran, honestly it was worse when we started compared to when we finished.

I I do think, you know, they could have done the 10 mile, but I think they would have run into the marathon. Ear runners wanted to show up to do something and you know, maybe it wouldn't have been an issue for, you know, people looking to run, you know, a three, 3 1/2 hour marathon or somewhere under, you know, the league. But it was a tough, tough day and I just think, I I really think that they need the right call. Yeah, I think people just have to trust that like now that I am I I'm on a on the board for our the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and so.

I've now kind of gotten an inside look into what goes on behind the scenes and all those things. I think people just have to know that those, I mean people, they were meeting with anybody they could to figure out what to do. And that decision was not made lightly. I mean, I just could only imagine how stressful that was for them. You know, you're putting on a world class event and now this happens. I mean, it just sucks for everybody. So have you ever done Twin Cities? No, I need to. I need to do that. You should. Yeah. The marathon chorus is not the easiest, but it is beautiful.

The 10 mile, the Twin Cities 10 mile is probably my favorite running event. I mean, 10 miles is just a great distance. It's fun to It's fun to race. And you know, 'cause it still falls in the endurance, a 5K freaks me out. A 10K freaks me. Out. Agreed. Agreed. Yeah, A 10 mile I think still falls, you know, into the, you know, where the endurance categories, but it is, it's a beautiful course. And yeah, coming up over the hill and running down towards the Capitol is so pretty. Yeah, I would love to do 10 miles. Seems like a fun distance. I've never done a 10 mile race, but it seems like it would be kind of that.

A little bit of a sweet spot. I love the half marathon is is my favorite distance. Just cause like you said earlier, it doesn't take quite as much to train for it and it's not like the five K 10K where you feel like you have to go so fast. I feel like those are harder for me because I don't. I'm not used to pushing myself in that in that speed I I like the distance better, yeah. Yeah, so. So you ran with your friend Molly in Chicago. Did you run together the entire way? I saw you finish together, which was so incredibly special, that video.

Yeah, I know. Which, yeah, I mean that was we we started together, we finished together. We actually our finished times are identical. That's impressive. Yeah. And Even. So we went to tracksmith the day after that Monday together. And, you know, they had, I don't know, like four or five people that were stamping posters. And we were side by side and told them the time and the people stamping kind of looked at each other like seriously, I took the same time. Yeah, we actually do. So 41434, yeah. So we ran together the whole time, not knowing Molly had a really solid training block. I was so proud of her.

It's her first marathon and so I made her commit before I even said that I would run alongside her, that she would run her own race, and if then I would stay with her as long as I could. I was committed to her hip. But that if she felt like she needed to go and I wasn't for whatever reason. COVID Foot. Yeah. I mean, and I hadn't run more than 10 miles in three months. So I mean there just was, yeah, I I never got above 14 miles in my training. That was my longest long term in this in this build. So definitely not conventional and I I wouldn't recommend it.

But anyway, so I I made her promise that if she needed to go, she would. And I I think I smiled the whole time. I mean, even my husband was there. And he said, I've never seen you so happy when you're running. It just it was, I could cry. It it was everything happened to me that it was supposed to. It was not ideal. It was not chasing the PR that I had set out to accomplish. But it it really is. It's a beautiful thing to witness somebody breaking through and and discovering new things about themselves. And I got to do that alongside Molly. It's really, really special.

You know, once we got past 20 miles, she'd never run more than 20 miles. So one step past the 20 mile marker, I was like, all right, everything from here on out is brand new. Like, that's so cool, you know, I mean, how many times at my age now do you get to do things for the first time and go to witness somebody else? At that point was really especially, I won't ever forget it, you know? And I know I was not pacing her. If anything, she was pacing me. Yeah, it's I I that that experience was such a gift. Yeah. Yeah, and Speaking of gifts, she got you the coolest gift.

Oh yeah, infinite objects. So it's an acrylic. That has our finish video just. On you. It's so freaking cool. Do you have to charge it? So cool, there is a charging thing for it, so it and when you put it in the box, I think it charges in the box and then when you open it up, then you open it up and you take it out and it just starts. I mean, I open it and I cried. I'm sure I would have cried like a baby. That's so special. Yeah, yeah, I I mean definitely very unexpected. I had planned to get our finish Line images put you know into poster size and framed because that was that was really special.

There was a very, very tan beer chested man in our finish line video. So I did have have a professional edit out the random. Oh, that's great around us, but otherwise it's just the raw. That is so funny. I wonder who that guy was and what his story is. It's hilarious. You're like very tan and bare chested and now you're in all my photos. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you should put, put, have put the picture. I don't know if you've ever seen these Facebook groups where somebody will put a picture like, hey, can somebody help me and, like, do this to my picture? And then somebody probably would have like, made him like, every one of the runners behind you, like, 'cause they always, some people will be nice and like, just do what you ask.

And then funny ones are so fun to go. Look at what people will do. They'll do that. Just see. Just see what comes up. Yeah, yeah. I'm very happy for the bare chested tan man. I just did not want to look at him for the rest. Of Yeah. On your wall forever. No, thanks. Yeah. That's so great when you, like, finally get a good race photo. And there's. I don't. I remember my dad and I ran the Marine Corps years ago together. And there's like this amazing backdrop of like the Capitol and we're like, smiling. And then there's just this dude he, like, cut across.

To get his picture taken. And so he'd photo bombed like the middle of our photo and I was like dude, and there was no photoshopping him out. It was like he was the photo. So thankfully there's more than one race photo that you get taken, but it was kind of like it was kind of a bummer. But anyway, so we've got to talk about, we've got to talk about Peloton because that's another thing that you and I share. And that's probably why I end up following you too, because I saw that you loved Peloton and. Not only do you love peloton, but I looked, I creeped on your profile before this and you have almost 12,000 workouts on peloton which is nuts.

4000 strength over 4000 strength, almost 2500 runs, almost 2400 rides. That's nuts. So since 2018 you said you got the bike in 2019 was the tread. Yep, that's correct. Yeah. How did you find Peloton? So I had been going to a cycling studio. It's kind of cross training and it it just was so far part of small but it was it was a waste from my house and you know by the time you, you know you sign up for an hour long class but then you have drive time and I like to have conversations. So I mean, you know, 45 or 50 minute class whatever it was turned into a two to three hour time commitment.

And it's just so I was talking to a friend, it was up for a walk in in our old neighborhood with a friend of mine and they had just recently gotten a peloton. She's like you should get it. So I used her, you know, little sign up credit thing and and yeah, so we got the bike and from that point I guess they never, I looked back. I think the only regret that we had was not having done it sooner. You know the tread launch, they actually had just gotten a brand new commercial grade Creek or Dan got the e-mail for the Peloton Tread. He's like, well, we're probably getting a new treadmill now again.

So, yeah, so we got the tread class delivery was kind of a pain. This is a third party situation here. But once we got it in in the middle of winter, it was terrible. But I mean, that was pretty amazing. And that was back in the beginning. I mean, live classes had, you know, sometimes only 10 people. Yeah, it's it's crazy to think about that now with. Yeah. With the tread in particular, Yeah, yeah. When did you get yours? So I got, we got the bike in 2019 and we got the tread before COVID. So I think we got the treadmill the same year like later it was like OK clearly and the treadmill I had before was my grandmother's and it was like one of those fold up Norda track.

It was just it was amazing. It still worked frankly. So, yeah, so yeah, but I remember there not being that many people on the live runs and yeah, and compared to now, great. Well, and yeah, so I feel like that's how you know, I got more connected in the in the Peloton community because if you run with the same people. Right. They're on the same schedule as you are. And yeah, yeah, I mean, so in fact, another fun part about Chicago this year was I got to meet in person, finally, my very first peloton friend, Joanna. She lives in Florida. I teach 600 and we bonded over she of three minutes or dachshunds and she has two.

So I she had posted, I think Selena Samuela had re, you know, reposted one of her something that she had been taken and one of her one or two of her dogs was in it. And I was like, OK, I need to be friends with that person and I recognize her leaderboard name. So yeah. So we I ran part of the New York City Virtual Marathon with her. I must have been 2019 outside in the snow in Fargo while she was running in Sunny. Florida. Yeah, but. But oddly enough, on her run she encountered somebody that was wearing a Fargo marathon shirt twice, so it's not really random.

Anyway, so wild. But I finally got to meet her. So. Oh, that's so special. Yeah, yeah. And you've been so that you get to crew is a big like peloton sub community. So for people who aren't familiar with Peloton, you know, obviously there's a bunch of different instructors and some of the instructors have groups that are like dedicated to them. Do you get to crew? Is that just for just Sims? It's just. Sims. OK, that's what I thought. I just want to make sure I wasn't mistaken there. But yeah, no, no aircraft. Yeah. Yeah. So that's a pretty big one and I think that started, I don't know what year that started in, but Coco Loco is Nicole is is in charge of that group and I got to meet her in New York City Marathon weekend last year.

But then we also had a Midwest yet to crew meet up this summer in the Twin Cities area and it was so incredible just to connect Brooke and I went together and yeah, I mean I met, I've met some of them before, but you know, some I had had never met before. So and you know, just, I mean people that you're in and around on the leaderboard all the time and I mean you do get to, you know, quote UN quote, know these people through social media and conversations. And I think, you know, COVID brought people even closer because that was our point for connection.

I mean that was our social contact. I mean even more so than our families outside of, you know, the immediate family in our home that was just looking back, it just was such a strange time. But you know, we had Zoom Groups and just really, really fun. Yeah, I, during COVID started a like. It wasn't a technically a non profit, but it was like a pseudo non profit where we did a ride every month where we'd just get together, we'd get on a zoom and we'd all be on video, like we'd chat a few minutes before, chat a few minutes after and we'd like do the ride together.

This was before they had tags, 'cause now it's kind of nice 'cause you can actually like, you know, towards the end of it. When we were doing it, you could kind of have like a subclass, almost like within a class using tags, and that was really fun. But it was, yeah, that was like our one of our, the ways that we. I hung out with people during during that time and so yeah and so I was gonna oh I I've also noticed that you've had a few shout outs too on peloton which is again for people not familiar is a big deal especially now that it's gotten you know it's so much bigger.

But I listened to before this. I listened to the shout out that Bex gave you, which I loved so much. Bex Gentry on the tread, yeah. Yeah, I the one in her New York City recap run really took me by surprise. You know as as a runner you know there's phases where it's like gosh am I really a runner. You know if I, especially with with several you know DNS situations around the marathon and I was like, I don't think I am a runner anymore And I mean what's something's wrong with me. And so that particular shout out really Circuit Court. I got to meet her in New York last year over marathon weekend and I can talk pretty freely in in one-on-one situations.

But I for whatever reason I could not connect my words when I had the opportunity tripping over my own tongue. I couldn't couldn't even get my phone to work to take a photo. Thankfully I had a friend Nikki Minneapol Mama on the leaderboard that stepped in. She's like how about if I do that for you Sarah. Like thank you. Thank. You I can't. Nothing working. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, I mean I I think the the shout outs are are great and I I think I appreciate the shout outs that I hear from my friends more so than my own which is to be celebrated and to you know feel seen is is really remarkable.

And I think you know especially here since we've been through this great period of isolation, you know I mean that was really, really strong point and they're they're just so good at reading into situations. I mean, just Sims, for example, my brother has been through some really difficult things and she, she offered a lot of support in class through shout outs for several years in a row on the anniversary of a a major event in his life. And I got to meet her in New York as well And she, I mean, she asked me how's your brother, how's how's Camden, my son? I mean it just was, I don't know.

I mean, you really feel? Incredibly special, Yeah. Yeah. And. I'm bummed that I did the New York City Marathon really before Peloton was big enough to like, have a presence there. And I'm like, man, like, I would have loved the opportunity to see and meet some of them. And yeah, 2025, I'm gonna next year. No marathons for me, 'cause it's my son's senior in high school, so I'm all I'm doing, all shorter format that I've got commitments. Though I did have somebody tempt me with the Wobegon Trail Marathon, which is earlier in the year. I don't think I'm gonna. Yeah, but but 20 to 25 I either wanted to run for because of Lindsay Holt.

Yeah, Love her. Love her. She is incredible. Team for kids or team Fox. My step Dad has Parkinson's. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Both incredible organizations to support. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So Molly and I, I think, have. Well, I might be roping her into that. Well, it sounds like, you know, you were with her and now it's like, OK, Molly, now I'm going to now you're coming with me again. We're going to do this again. And I don't think that would be an all about race event because that's when they want to experience and just, you know, I mean, Chicago was so magical for me because I did.

I did get to it all in. I didn't music at all. I didn't. And that's what I want for New York. And having been there to watch, I mean the energy is just amazing, so. Yeah, well you kind of already answered one of my end of the podcast questions, which is yeah, what's your next? Finish line or milestone, which is good because you told me you had a time crunch. So I want to make sure I'm respectful of of your time. Yeah. So OK. So New York 2025, that'd be so cool. So are you. So yeah, if you run for team for kids or team fox, hopefully you're just able to register right versus waiting on a lottery situation or or what have you And then do you have.

So you mentioned music. Too which is another good segue. So I like to ask people for their favorite song and or favorite mantra when it comes to to running. Well I'll do an and so a song. I mean, I I really love to run to classical music, so the classes that Bex does that are all classical I love. I've never taken one because I'm like, I don't know if I could do that. You should try. You should try. Just just do 20. There's 20 minutes classical runs and they're so good for me. It's very calming and very drowning. Part of it, I think, is that my dad always listened to classical music in his art studio in our home, so it's kind of nostalgic for me too.

I'm classically trained in piano, so, So I identify with it myself. But but yeah, so anything along those lines. But I also really let the song rise by Katy Perry. It's so good. Yeah, coming out over the hill at the Twin Sees 10 mile, that's the song that I heard as I was running down then towards the Capitol. And it's just every time. So every time I hear it, I just get those like finish line feels. So I really like that one. And then my mantra is I am here. I'm a pretty high, I don't know, my husband would probably say I'm high strung. And I I tend to get, you know, worried about things that happen or I I'm looking too far forward and I'm missing at the moment.

And you know, there's also points in, you know, any run, you know, probably in the inside the first mile of an easy run that, you know, it's always a liar, right. Or, you know, in, you know, the midst of some difficult intervals and, you know, it's easy to get like, oh gosh, like, I don't know if I can do this. So it's just very simple. I am here so. And Molly actually had. I don't have it on, but Little Birds project. Molly gifted me a bracelet at the Expo in Chicago when I, you know, first met her. Oh, exactly. Yeah. Tears. I'm sorry. I just did a hand motion of like, that's so sweet.

Yeah, in the middle of the Xbox. You're like, Dang it, you couldn't have given this to me in private. I could. Somewhere else. Oh my gosh, that's so nice. That's so special. Well, I saw it reminds me of the the song. I don't know if it's if the pink song is called I Am Here is it? Well, 'cause I saw you went to her concert this summer and I just recently got to go. And so now when you said when I saw like I am here, I'm like, yeah, you gotta love that song too. I do love that song, too. I know. See. And that's right up there, too.

In my 'cause I love, I love. And I got to take my niece, who's 10. It was her first concert. Oh man. First concert. What? How spoiled. My yeah, my kids gonna be spoiled because I'm taking her to Taylor Swift next year and Oh yeah. Talk about, you know, first concert. But yeah, Pink would be an incredible first concert experience. You gotta be like, honey, not all concerts are this good. Yeah, I mean, a lot of them are really good, but she was just incredible. So how cool? Yeah. Yeah. And that was at the the Fargo Dome where the race starts. So yeah, we we really enjoyed that experience.

We were just talking about it this weekend. We did a cookie decorating class together. So that's one of my other things to do is the royal icing cookies. So that gets me to slow down a little bit, Yeah. There you go. There you go. Oh man. Well, Sarah, I hope I get a chance to meet you in person at some point. Surely at some time you got to. Have you ever raced in Indiana? No, I haven't. I after you mentioned you were on the board, I'm thinking I need to. Come on down for the monumental November 9th next year. Save the date, people. So thankfully, not when Taylor Swift is in town 'cause we would have been scrambling to figure out what to do about that.

So the following weekend, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. No, I'd love to. And that's, I think, you know, next year I kind of want to stack up some half marathons and you know, I got two on the calendar so far for next year. But I'd like to do several more just because that's. Easier to run on the body, that's for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And just training schedule wise, you know? Absolutely. Oh, man. Well, thank you for doing this, Sarah. It was such a pleasure to finally get to meet you. And now, hopefully, yeah, in real life someday, but I really appreciate you. So thank you and.

We will and thank you to everybody who has listened and have a great weekend and happy running.

Ally Brettnacher