Episode 35: Monique White - My Quest to Run the World

Episodes

Dec 1

Monique White has run races in 50 countries on six continents, and it all started with watching sprinters at the Olympics the summer after college.

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About this episode

Monique White is an American runner who has lived in the Netherlands for about 25 years, and she's my very first international guest. She grew up in Los Angeles, saw snow for the first time at Notre Dame, and started running after watching the Olympics. When we talked she had run 9 marathons, including Berlin and Chicago in 2023, and 69 half marathons in 50 countries across six continents.

We talk about her goal of 50 countries by 50 and how the pandemic delayed it, a midnight race in Bangkok, running near the pyramids in Egypt, Jerusalem, Morocco and the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, and her advice for anyone planning a first race abroad. She also tells me about getting COVID after Dopey and spending 10 days in an Orlando airport hotel, her plans for Antarctica, and her favorite Christmas markets.

In this episode, we discuss

Why she has lived in the Netherlands for about 25 years
Getting started after watching Olympic sprinters the summer after college
Going from Los Angeles to Notre Dame on a scholarship and seeing snow for the first time
Her first 10K, half and marathon, all in the Netherlands
Setting a goal of 50 countries by her 50th birthday and how the pandemic pushed it back
A near-midnight 10K in Bangkok with 90% humidity and open streets
Writing for Traveling Mom and starting her blog An Unstoppable Journey
Her advice for international races: jet lag, climate, and embracing what's different
Connecting with a group of Black runners at the Berlin Marathon
Running the Jerusalem Marathon and a stranger helping her up the final hill
Races at the pyramids in Egypt, in Morocco, and at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro
Testing positive for COVID after Dopey and staying 10 days in an Orlando airport hotel
Running in New Zealand and Brisbane and planning for Antarctica
Why the Marine Corps Marathon 50K might be her first ultra
Her mantra "Run the mile you're in" and her favorite European Christmas markets

Chapters

Intro
Living in the Netherlands
Inspired by the Olympics
From Los Angeles to Notre Dame
First races and the 50 countries goal
A midnight 10K in Bangkok
Starting her travel and running blog
Advice for international races
Berlin and finding community
Jerusalem, Egypt, Morocco and Tanzania
Rock 'n' Roll races around the world
Dopey redemption after COVID
New Zealand, Australia and Antarctica plans
Ultra dreams and post-race fuel
Run the mile you're in
Christmas markets in Europe

Where to find Monique

Instagram: A Run-Stoppable Journey
Blog: An Unstoppable Journey

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Amsterdam Marathon, Paris-Versailles, Jerusalem Marathon, Nice-Cannes Marathon, Two Oceans Marathon, Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge, Disney Princess Half Marathon, Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas, Rock 'n' Roll Salt Lake City Half Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon 50K, Sunburst Race, Philadelphia Half Marathon, Athens Marathon, Rome Marathon
Organizations and charities: University of Notre Dame, Traveling Mom
Other: I'll Have Another podcast, Eminem's "Lose Yourself", "Now or Never" from High School Musical 3, Krampus Run in Munich

Previous guests mentioned

Lindsey Hein (Episode 100)

Related episodes

Frequently asked

Who is Monique White?

Monique White is an American runner living in the Netherlands who has run races in 50 countries on six continents and writes the travel and running blog An Unstoppable Journey.

How did Monique White start running?

Monique White started running the summer after graduating from Notre Dame, inspired by watching sprinters at the Olympics.

What advice does Monique White give for running a race in another country?

Monique White recommends arriving a few days early to adjust to the time zone, saving sightseeing for after the race, thinking about the climate, and being open to doing things differently than at US races.

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Transcript

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

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones with Ali 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 35. This is Ali Bretnacher and you can kind of hear it in my voice probably. I have been battling a cold this week after the Thanksgiving holiday. Hope you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. I since we last talked was on a podcast myself Lindsay Hines. I'll have another podcast with Lindsay Hine Episode 500. I have been a fan of Lindsay forever since she started her podcast, since she lived in Indianapolis and was so honored to be a guest on her podcast.

So go search for all of another anywhere you listen to this and you'll find me there and then. This episode is the first time I've really had technical difficulties, so the audio isn't great, but it is listenable. So bear with me because you're going to want to hear Monique White's story. Monique and I met via Instagram as many of my previous guests and I have done. She is a run stoppable journey on Instagram and she has a travel and run blog called an Unstoppable journey.com. So be sure to check her out in both of those places because you can dive even deeper into her journey and journeys around the globe.

Literally. So Monique has run 9 marathons. She just did Berlin and Chicago this year in the US She has run 69 half marathons and this has been in 50 countries and six continents. It's almost sounds made-up, doesn't it? So we talk about where she lives now, which is in the Netherlands. Why she, why she lives there, how she got into running, which is actually watching the Olympics, which I found fascinating. She went to undergrad actually in Indiana, as many of you I know are are from. So she went to Notre Dame up in South Bend. We talked about how she set the goal of wanting to run in 50 countries before she turned 50.

We talked about a ton of these adventures. It was hard to cover anything, really, in an hour's time, so there was a night race in Thailand. We talked about how she got her blog started. She gives some advice about international races. We talked about Berlin. We talk about races in Africa, Morocco, Tanzania, I mean, you name it, she's been there. It's crazy. She is training for Dopey. She wants redemption from her last Dopey, which she ended up with COVID and stuck in a airport hotel for 10 days. Crazy. She's running New Zealand. She plans to run in Antarctica. She's been in Greece. We talk about some of her dream races and how she kind of wants to do an ultra marathon.

And we also talk about how there are race bananas no matter where you race, no matter what country you're in, which is funny. And we end with some holiday talk about Christmas markets. Since I am living vicariously through Monique this holiday season, I again apologize for the sound I kick myself. We spent some time trying to fix it at the beginning, but you know when you've got somebody overseas that you are and you have a limited amount of time with you, just roll with what you've got. So I really hope you all enjoy this conversation with Monique White. OK. I would like to welcome my very first international guest.

Monique, welcome. Thank you. Oh, sounds so exciting. International. That's not even the half of it. 50 countries you've run in. I am just fifty countries and six continents. Yeah, got to get that 7th done and hopefully, yeah, I can't wait to hear more about that and what that might entail. But first I I want to give everybody who's listening a chance to get to know you a little bit better. So if you wouldn't mind providing an introduction to yourself, where it is that you live these days and anything else you'd like to share initially, and then we'll go from there. OK. My name is Monique.

I am the runner behind a run, stoppable journey on Instagram, which is part of the blog and unstoppable journey that I've had for a few years. I am an American, but I live in the Netherlands, where I've lived for like 25 years. Now I have two grownest children. Two daughters. Probably the most exciting thing about me How old are your daughters? 22 and 19 Oh my 22 year old is about to graduate from college so that's why I say Wellness. So and then my 19 year old is has just finished her first year at university in Australia. So wow. And is your older daughter, Is she in the United States for college?

Yes. So yeah. So we're all over the place. Yeah. Literally all over the world. Wow. Exactly. Wow. Well, I have two daughters myself, but they are quite a bit younger. I have a six year old and a 2 1/2 year old girl. So, and So what initially what initially brought you to the Netherlands? And ex. My ex husband's job got a job opportunity, so we need to here, OK? And you just didn't leave. And I'm the girls were raised here. It's really where I have, I've been all my adult life. Like I said, they were born here and bought home here. I live here. So and I really, really like the the lifestyle in Europe.

I like. Not a hectic pace, it's it's been a better, it's been a really good quality of life, the ability to travel. Done good here. Yeah, I I love Europe. I got a chance to study abroad and I've also been a couple of times with my family. We're Catholic families. We've been to Italy a couple times and lucky enough to do that I've been to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. What part of the country do you live in? I live in the haze so. About 40 miles South of Amsterdam. OK. And you mentioned to me in one of our emails back and forth that growing up you weren't necessarily into sports or athletic necessarily.

So how in the world does somebody go from not really being athletic throughout your youth to running in as many countries in a in a on as many continents as you have? So it started the summer after college. I was watching the Olympics. I was watching, I was watching the sprinters, I was watching this, I was looking up the sprinters bodies. In fact, it's like, Oh my, I don't want to get into tape like that. And literally that is what got me out there. Not realizing that you know. The printing and what they're doing is going to have a different result than the little slow plotting I was doing around around my block a couple times.

But that's what got me started and all these years later I'm still doing it. That's just it's wild. How cool is that? I think people should take away from this like you, you just saw something and you're like, look at them. I want to be like that. And then you just started doing it. That's that's really inspiring, Monique. That's incredible. Where did you go to call it or no? This is one thing we have in common. I already know the answer to this. You went to Notre Dame? I did, yes. That's so funny. I saw that on Instagram. All of a sudden I was like, wait a minute, that's a Notre Dame logo.

My my dad went to Notre Dame. I often say that I didn't try hard enough in high school to even have a remote shot at going to Notre Dame. But growing up we went to football games up in South Bend IN and man, what a magical place that is. So that's so funny. And you just got to see them play. In what city was that? Paris they were. Yeah, the the women's basketball team, they were in Paris earlier this month. So yeah, it was very, very fun. It was very cool. We met up with a couple of my classmates and yeah, we got to see that.

So that's so neat. Did What brought you to to Indiana for undergrad? Yeah, but the high school that I went to offered scholarships for some students at my school. There was a there was a local businessman who was a benefactor. He wasn't even on. He wasn't even a Notre Dame alum, but he had a scholarship for kids from my high school for Notre Dame. So I applied. Got in and got the scholarship. Wow. And where did you, where did you grow up in the states? Los Angeles. That's what I thought. You were a California girl, so going to the winters in Indiana had to be a little tricky.

It's a little tricky. First time I ever saw snow. Yeah. And yeah, I've never gotten used to the cold. I'm here. I'm here now and I'm still like. Yeah. Oh man. And that's so funny. The first time you saw snow in college. I can't even. well-being a Hoosier, I can't even really imagine that, right? It's like, how interesting. So, so Indiana. So then after college, you started, ended up starting to run. Do you remember like your first race, like what you signed up for initially to kind of start the racing that you've been doing? Yeah, I didn't. The racing didn't start until many, many years later.

Is racing didn't start till, so I moved here. So I was in the Netherlands and my first 10K was enlightened. My first half marathon was Amsterdam and my first marathon was Amsterdam. So yeah, the races didn't start until here. And at what point, after you started racing did you decide I could run in 50 countries because you set that? Up in the wild later it happened OK. I was the initial goal was to see more of the Netherlands and run different places in the Netherlands. And I did that. And I probably not all, obviously not all the places, but I did that. And one year my favorite place in Gorilla Paris, I was there and I did a run there.

Paris to Versailles. So we kind of like started at the base of the Eiffel Tower and then you run to Versailles. And that time I started it and then I did a raise the news and then a couple other places. And at some point I'd heard about the 50 state thing that was happening. And I was like, oh, I don't know if I could do that, but I could maybe run fifty countries. And at that point I'd probably run in 20 places, so. And I was just like, OK, that's going to be what I do. That's what I'm going to go after. And then I started pursuing it and before the pandemic, at that point I was probably doing, I could probably do 6 graces a year.

And I was, I was 1/4 to finish and then that pandemic. So I got pissed back for four years. So I didn't. I didn't get mine. My goal, my goal was 50 countries by my 50th birthday. And then, and I didn't, I didn't make it, but I have done 50 countries. Yeah, you and you would have. Let's just let the record show that, Yeah, I mean, who could have imagined that you'd have a global pandemic sandwiched in there? How many countries are in Europe? Like that's your question. Yeah, I don't know. I'm gonna Google it. Oh, 44. More than I haven't done all. I haven't run.

I haven't run all of them, right. Well, certainly with six continents you've been been elsewhere. So, gosh, I have so many questions, Monique, about this experience because it's just hard for me to fathom to like wrap my head around that many places. Did you have a stipulation of the distance that you would run in those countries, or was it just a race in a in one of those countries? When I started doing it seriously half and full, it's mostly it's been mostly half. And there was one country in Thailand was a 10K. So, oh, Thailand. Where in Thailand was that? Bangkok a night race and it was about.

I don't know if you've ever been to ever been to Bank House. It was about, it was was it midnight or close to midnight, 90% humidity. I mean we just something wet and we're running. There's no, the streets aren't closed off for runners. So we're just kind of running along the shoulder. And yeah, yeah, there was one point I remember. And like, they were like, trying to stop the car so that we could get by. And he was like, oh. I hope you're not trying to get a time. Jeez, it. Was it was an experience. I have actually been to Bangkok, Thailand. I went. It's been over a decade since I've been there with my dad and one of my sisters.

And they're like, if for anybody who hasn't been, they have these little, like they're called tuk tuks, Those little cart like they're like almost like golf carts I guess you could say. I can't imagine running around there. And also the smell of that city coming from cornfields in Indiana, right? It's that had to be so intense all around. It's. Sensory overload, right? Yeah. Wow. And how? What is your current tally of races like? Fulls. Halves. How many have you done? I just finished the 9th marathon with Chicago and I've done 69 half marathon. And consider it. It was literally, I was like 01 and done.

And here we go. Yeah, One and done. Oh my gosh. OK. So have you done all the world majors? I forget. No, I've only done two. I saw I did Berlin and Chicago this year, OK And I'm I'm not on. I'm waiting for waiting to try for New York for next year, OK? On tap right now. OK. Well, it seems like you're positioned well to then at least get to the other world majors that are, you know, I feel like being in Europe a little easier maybe. I guess we have three of them here, so maybe not. Yeah, yeah, it's two there. So I've done one here and then you know London at some point hopefully, yeah.

I think that you're an expert though, in terms of running in other countries. I've never had the opportunity to do that and it is on my bucket list. And I'm sure after our conversation today, I'm going to be like, I'm just going to go where Monique is going so that she can just be. Because holy cow. And you also have you mentioned at the start of this travel and running blog too, where you not only you know, talk about all your races, but there's a ton of amazing travel information on there as well. How did that piece of it all begin? Same thing I was, I was doing it.

I was traveling quite a bit and when my daughters were young and that's kind of what it was like traveling with the family when they were young, I did a lot of writing for a website that's not that's no longer going, but it's called traveling mom. I also worked for them. So just kind of sharing my experience and. Yeah, it's just to share my experience. And then the running happened. It's like, oh, I'm doing that too. So I'm excited about that too. So it just kind of, it kind of works, yeah. And what would you what is the initial advice you give? Perhaps as somebody like me who has never done an international race before, what would you recommend?

Which particular range? Well, I guess just in general maybe how to how to choose the right race, how to go about planning the trip. I just it seems so overwhelming to me to try to run in another country. I have a hard enough time with my routines and things that I have just even when I run a local race. Keep in mind the the time zone. Give yourself enough time to get sort of vaccinated. You don't want to, you know, you don't want jet like to to totally mess up your mess up your race. So keep yourself a couple of days and ahead of it.

So get yourself kind of used to it. Save the sightseeing or afterwards. You don't want to tire your legs out that way. Find a place that you love, think about just like you would in the US. Also think about the climate there, Think about the time of the year. Don't be afraid. If there's a different language, because most places there's enough English that you'll be fine. But also be be open to these differences. For example, I noticed in Berlin there were a lot of complaints because things were different. It's a different country. Oh, well, it's all the water is only on one side and it's got.

It cups instead of right and they didn't have this and they didn't have that and it's like well it's just different they do things differently. You know they're they've got a different idea in terms of sustainability. So they're using these kind of cups and you got, I mean you know it's not the US, it's a different thing and the the Expo might have been different since because definitely Expos in the US are if we do things we go in the US. You know, it's like, oh, just to hear what I took it. So it's it's going to be different and just like when you're travelling and doing, be ready to embrace what's different and experience something different.

That's really good advice. I did hear about the plastic cups because people were like, Oh my gosh, how do I drink out of it? I can't pinch it. Like what do I do? But yeah, I didn't. Yeah. Those are things I probably wouldn't have thought of either. So, but being able to just adapt to that and not care about it and just embrace the the differences, that's really, really good. So yeah, Berlin was your first world major, though? And did you travel? Do you tend to travel with anybody or are you? Do you prefer being a solo traveler? I am a solo traveler, mostly just the way it goes and but then Berlin was really.

Special and kind of emotional for me because there were there being a world major, there were, there were a lot of black runners, African American runners, and we found each other. There's like a there's like a group of black runners who were travelling and we got together and we, you know, we took pictures together and we hung out together. And that camaraderie is something that I'm not used to because I do fund by myself most of the time. And it was such. Like an emotional feeling that, yeah, that made Berlin exercise. So not just being a world major, but that experience as well for me.

Wow. Yeah, that's really cool. Did any of that happen on social media leading up to the race where you like met people that were heading there? Yes, there was a, there was Facebook group. So we kind of we've been in touch for a while so. We, yeah, we made plans ahead of time to get together and do some things, things and everything. So you you got to love social media though, right? Yeah, It just really brings people together. Yeah, especially. I mean, especially the running community because for the most part, people are so supportive, so kind, and it just makes it so much fun to be able to, to meet people from around the world.

I'm like, having trouble asking you questions because I would, I could talk to you the rest of the time just about Berlin or just about Chicago. But what people don't realize is you've run in Egypt, you've mentioned Paris, you've run in Jerusalem, where Jesus has walked like that. I saw that on your blog and I was like, oh, my goodness, like, so could you maybe. I know this is going to be so hard and such a loaded question, Monique, but maybe some of the highlights, like your favorite races or memories around some of these experiences that you've had, Because obviously we can't. We'd be here for three days talking about all your races.

Jerusalem. Was Cecil as Christian as, Yeah, like you said, you kind of all these places that people that you read about in the Bible has gone on and everything and it's so funny. Jerusalem was a press sponsor thing. They came to me and I just. It was my third marathon, so my my one and done was supposed to have been in Amsterdam. And then a little while later, a year or so later, I did niece the Cannes because I love that part of France. And then and it's like, OK, I'm done. Literally couple weeks, couple weeks after that I got contacted about Jerusalem, which was like two or three months later, it's like, oh, OK.

But yeah, it was really silly. There's any, you know, Jerusalem, like Seven hills. It was healing and yeah, but it was, it was a wonderful experience because it was very especially in light of what's going on now. It it was about sports. It was about, and that was the that was their their mission, the value statement that they wanted to be about sport, about brotherhood and sport. You know, kind of like the Olympics, kind of like nothing else matters. And and you felt that because there were Palestinians, there were Israelis, there was everybody and different people from different countries. So it was really, it was really an emotional experience.

The funny thing about that place, I remember the last hundred 200 meters was a hill and I and I was done. I literally, I stopped. I was like. Ready to cry. I'm like, oh, no, no, I don't have a thin meat. And then a runner came up beside me and like, put his arm in mind and he's like, come on, come on. And it's like, and it's things like that that also the camaraderie of the running community, you know, getting each other through, getting each other through those last steps, those last few 100 meters. So yeah, Jerusalem was a good one. Obviously the pyramid because I mean.

If for no other reason, I mean for pyramids. We live around the pyramid complex. I mean the pictures I'm just like. Really special, yeah. Yeah, that was a great experience. So glad I did it. When I did it, it was right before the pandemic, but also it was at the time it was in February and since they've done it for the last couple of years. But now they do it in December, so it's right before Christmas. So the timing just is really hard. So you might not have been able to do it. So the timing then worked. I'm not so much now. Have you done other races in Africa?

Yes, my first was Morocco, and Morocco is really stressful because because it was my first race in Africa and because it was just so, so different. Like you know, the scenery, the mosque, the scenery was everything to me. It was just so different than what I would use to steering. And I really, really, yeah. And I I definitely recommend it. I want to do it again plan on doing it again at some point and and yeah and would tell anybody to do it and I've also done in Tanzania, Mount Mount Kilimanjaro, so the base of the mountain. You could literally see it right there. Yeah.

Oh my gosh. So I've and I've got a that was that's a love, hate relationship because the terrain, it was kind of like muddy, soft, muddy and if it if it rain and it's real and I didn't realize it till several hours later, I hurt myself. I injured myself and injured my and I couldn't run for several months. Because after that race, 'cause I didn't, yeah, the terrain was not something that I was used to and not prepared for. So yeah, that would be really hard. Did. You pick her normal running shoes. Yeah, I had them normal wearing. But like I said, she had trail running shoes.

It it it make a difference? Yeah. I wouldn't discourage anybody from doing it. Just just a warning. Just be prepared. Just what I've learned. Yeah. Wow. And then Paris, you've done, it sounds like multiple races in that region because of your love for France. Yeah, I've run in Nice a few times. I've run the race the Paris did for Thai race and then I've done a 20 kilometers in Paris before and one day I'm going to be to Paris. Now that would be so cool. Have you run in Luxembourg? Yes. There's a night, a night race in the summer and I've done that. OK, That's where I studied abroad.

I was in Luxembourg, so I thought, I thought about doing, I've seen, you know, the Luxembourg marathon. I'm like, that would be cool to go back to Luxembourg and do a race there, just because I was there for a semester and that would be really, really neat to go back. I used to run. I ran all the time when I was out there, so it'd be kind of kind of cool go back and do that. OK. Did you study a language there? So they gave us the choice of French or German. So I of course picked French cause German is much more difficult. So I studied French, but I only did for a semester and then mostly studied Spanish throughout my life.

So but yeah a little bit of French. What languages do you speak? English. Considering how long, even though I've lived here forever, a very, very small, small bit of Dutch. Yeah, I was going to say I Dutch seems like it would be a really, really hard language to learn. And there's so much English there, right? So and. I think that's the biggest thing. I mean, just because there's so everybody speaking English, and then especially here where I live, there's a large X tech community. And it just makes it hard to do. It makes it hard to be motivated. I think in an environment where you couldn't get away with it, you know, it wouldn't be any harder than any other one that did it.

Yep. Yeah, I I mean, I wish that I would have studied somewhere, maybe a Spanish speaking country like Spain or something like that, so that I would have been. I mean, even there you probably wouldn't be forced to speak it. Even my host family didn't speak a lot of English. The woman that my host mom did, she spoke her English, was pretty good and our host dad didn't speak like any English at all. So if they both wouldn't have spoken English, it would have been, you know, obviously then motivating to figure out how to communicate. But when they do, you're just kind of, it's easier for both of you probably.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. But they've got it. They've got that at night race which is 1/2 and a full and then they've got like a wine one in the fall around the vineyard. There's there's a couple of guys points to choose from if you decided to go to last season. Yeah, the night race. That's so interesting. You mentioned doing one in Thailand as well. I've done Vegas here and I'm signed up for next February to do Vegas again. The half rock'n'roll, the night rate. It was hard for me. It was really hard. You talk about time zone, Not just time zone, but then having it be a different time of day entirely than you're used to.

Running like what time What am I going to eat? Yeah, I got yeah, but I did that. That's a that's a fun. Yeah, it was really fun. Did you do it when they had the full or did you do the half? I did. The half I did, it was 2020 feet. I was there too. That's the year I did it, man. We were out there together. Who would have thought, that's so fun. Yeah, I I need redemption for that race because I just. I really struggled. It was not, it wasn't even really that the race itself wasn't really as enjoyable as it could have been because I was just.

I just didn't feel good the whole time. I think it was maybe fueling. I don't know. But rock'n'roll races? I've done a lot of those. In my plus to run the run the world, but I've done they had it once an inaugural race. Their inaugural race in Lisbon, Madrid. So they have an A carnival one in the in France, Mexico City, Dublin and oh Chile. Santiago, Chile. I had no idea they had international races. Yeah, they they don't. They haven't. It doesn't seem like they well. The Madrid ones back again, but they haven't gotten all the rest of them up and going again. In Dublin.

They don't do anymore. They did that several years, but they don't do that one anymore. And I just saw recently that Mexico City is back on their schedule, but it doesn't have a date. But other than 2024, OK, I need to keep my eye on that. Then I didn't realize that they did international. I don't know why I didn't realize that. Yeah. Interesting. Yeah. I was going to ask you about South America. So you've done Chile, Mexico. What? What else in South America? Colombia. Colombia. Yeah, only three. OK. OK. So no Brazil yet. Brazil I've been to for. I went for work and just love that country.

Brazil, Argentina, Oh yeah, Argentina and Uruguay. We're supposed to be that. We're supposed to be like. Oh, and just, yeah, I haven't gotten back around to, gosh, COVID, right. And so now you are going to run all 50 states. Is that Craig? Is that something you set out there for yourself? That's kind of out there. Detroit till Michigan was made 9. I did that this year. I've made, yeah, that was the night when I just did this one. So yeah, it's, it's out there. Yeah, that's, I mean, I don't know how many, but maybe I've done like 10, maybe not even states. Yeah, more than and just really has.

I'm looking for. Yeah. Yeah I feel the same Full marathon is just is a is a lot and you just did two this year so are you are you still gonna do fulls? I mean you have to do 10 do you have one you you mentioned New York. I guess so. Well, I wanted, I want to be the major, so I still have four more to do. And oh, in January I'm doing. Next month I'm doing dopey. I'm going back to Disney World to be dopey. Of course you are. Oh my gosh. Is this your first dopey? That's. My second, of course. OK, yeah. Wow.

I think I'm just so in awe of you. I just. It's like, how is this real life? Well, it was supposed to be a redemption, but the way my training is going right about now, it might not be. So I did it in dopey in 2022, so it was fine. It was good. I was the last race, so the marathon on that last day I was, I was good until about mile 15. And it was like, oh, that's really early to hit a wall. And but it was like, and yeah, so I'm struggling. And find the find the Pacer. And I kind of, you know, walk around with them still struggling and probably about mild twining.

The balloon ladies are maybe not even in you at that point. But they're looming. You could hear the pattern. They're like, oh, they're not that far. They're not that far. Eventually they were really close. Eventually, in fact, I finished. I got. They have to finish the sign right before they did. Like those, like literally the last few miles is a good time. OK, keep up, stay ahead of them. Stay ahead of them. So I finished right there. It's like, OK, it's fine. So the next day I'm supposed to be coming home. So I'm still, I'm checking myself in at the airport and you have to be tested for COVID.

This was still testing for COVID at this point. Test the COVID before you go home. If you tested positive, it would make any cause like after the race. I mean, I'm running, I run a marathon. No matter how slow I run a marathon. I I didn't have an appetite, you know, And I just my throat was kind of scratchy, but I didn't feel terrible. But yeah, I tested positive for COVID and ended up staying in the. Orlando Airport hotel for the next 10 days. And so I expected negative and could go home. Oh goodness gracious. 10 days, 10 days? Oh, in the Orlando airport hotel.

That can't be fun, man. Yeah. So this next year, this will be better. Yeah. So you mentioned balloon ladies. So are they like the official sweepers? Oh yeah, they're the sweepers. OK, Yeah, no, that's OK. I just am. I have not done a Disney race yet. I hope to at some point. I'm so intrigued by the culture of Disney races compared to, you know, your traditional Rd. races. Just and I've run for fun some somewhat. I've done a few races for fun and it's not like I'm going out to win anything, but I'm just always competing with myself. And so the idea of doing Disney and just having it be completely about the experience and enjoying it and being in the park?

Yeah, someday. Yeah, many years ago I ran. My first one was the Princess half me at a time. When I was. I mentioned earlier that I wrote for a broad traveling mom. And it was. Like a lot of There were several moms who ran, and we have to do that. And that's when I first heard about them. Well, at the time there wasn't a joke. It was there was just a goofy. It's like awful. I got to do that Sunday, and those races are at the beginning of the year and it never works with my daughter's skin, like my time go back to school. I can't do this now.

So literally, when they were done, just about, I was like, oh, I found out. Then I went Does Disney? They have had international races, yes or no. Yes, they need to have them at at the one in at at the one in Paris. They haven't started them again and they have them with the one in Hong Kong, OK? They've got a couple of bit, nothing as big. I think they've got like a 10K there or something, but I've but I've never did the the one in in Paris and that would be cool. That would be a cool one, yeah. Especially to go like, enjoy an experience instead of trying.

So like, for me, it's just hard. You know, beat myself up, Try to get a time right. Especially when you're in a different time zone, different country. That'd be fun. It'd be fun to do something like that. Do costume and yeah. Do care to stop, you know. Yeah. And you can still, if you know the speedy running, you can still go fast. Yeah, the fast holes. I hear that they are called, which makes me laugh. The what? The fast holes. Like, asshole. But fast holes. That's what somebody So there you go. There's a new There's a new Yeah. Do you have your costumes figured out?

Uh huh. Funny. Used to Miss America, literally. The other day I got out a sheet of paper and it's like, OK, what do you have? What do you need? I start pulling out my my skirts and it's like, OK, this is what I want to be. So what do I need to do this, that and other. So yes, I I I pretty much know what I want to do and now I need to piece the rest of the of them together. OK oh, that's so fun. I've never run in a costume before, so. I mean my compared to a lot of people, simple, just like a skirt and you know the ears or head or whatever the match I'm not like.

So there was 1 runner, I remember he was Ursula literally had the legs and everything. I'm like, yeah, no, no, well, I'm sure just all the places that you've done internationally, you've probably seen some crate like some interesting. Yeah, I've seen people just as the Mona Lisa, and yeah, you see things like that. Someone big been talking. Oh yeah. Yeah. Wow. So OK, I'm going to ask about your girls. Do they run with you? Have they done any races with you before when they were middle? They're still used to. They do like have kids races with the with the local race here, OK? And they would do that, you know, like a mile or whatever.

And at one point, my younger daughter did track and field, but she stopped. And then she. Her high school years were field hockey OK, but my older daughter doesn't run. OK, well, it took me until after college to start running, 'cause my dad tried to get me to run with him for many years like in high school, and I it's kind of like I have no interest. And then now I do. But it took me a while, so maybe, who knows, maybe they'll, yeah, that's what I think too, about my I was like, yeah, I started late too, so maybe they'll pick it up later.

Yeah. Did you do, Did you run in Australia when your younger daughter was in school there or no, because she just started. OK, I did. When I ran Australia, it was before it was several years. Before, but she started in February and I took her and went, and we went to New Zealand for the weekend and I ran there. Oh, so I did that. That was earlier this year. Oh my goodness. I I've been to Australia but not New Zealand and I want to go, yeah, I mean literally it was for the weekend, for that race and I I need to go and spend some time there because I really, I really did spend a lot of time there.

But I'm like, I'm kind of, I'm this close, there's a race going on going. To get it done. Well, I feel like with all the rate the all the countries you've been to, there had to be others like that where you're just kind of like, OK, I'm in and out. Like that's how you see the, you know, see where you're visiting is by running through it, especially with especially in Europe with when you can take weekend trips and the things are so close to any of that. So, yeah, that has been the experience with a lot of places in Europe in particular. And did you run in where in Australia did you run?

Did you run Sydney, Brisbane. OK, so I went to Australia and Australia, that was just the thing. I was going off. So I wasn't necessarily going to run. But since I'm going to be there, I look to see what was going on and there was a race in Brisbane during that time and I literally 24 hours. I went to the city, I got my ribs. I went to the hotel, got up and ran, showered, checked out and left. Big progress. And I while I go back, when I go back at some point while my daughter's still there, I need to go back to Dick and see it because I really, other than running.

And then what I saw was really pretty and I was like, yeah, I need to maybe go spend some time. Is that that's S like southeast, it's north. Oh gosh, I have my jar northeast, so Melbourne, Sydney and then brisk into a little bit further north. OK, I had it like upside down in my head. My geography is not great. I mean this is I'm like Googling like where is Tanzania? Like I I don't know. Like, you know, it's makes me feel. Like I've never been anywhere. When I'm like, oh, where? I have no idea where that is. What are some outside of the World Majors?

What are some other dream locations for you? Antarctica and see and I and I don't even. Is that even a dream? It's just like I. Have to do it. And I always used to say, but you know, no, I for a long time I was like, I don't even care about running the seven continent. I said that until I think Continent Five, it's like, OK, did you wrap your mind around it? If you're at high, you're going to do it at some point. Yeah, literally until about, I think it was Columbia, I think that was my fifth continent. I think that was and I was like, yeah, I kind of have to do it at some point.

Yeah, so that. One, do you have a plan for that yet? Like do you have? Have you earmarked like, OK in 2025, 'cause there can't be that many races there? Yeah, they only have a few. That's the only third time of the year. So yeah, I was supposed to go a couple years ago and then things still weren't right after COVID. And I'm kind of on a I'm on a wait, so it'll it'll be likely to be 2025. OK, wow. So it's just like, I think about the date, 'cause it's like March, April, and then there's London and all those other races online. You have to choose because that's a whole lot of money.

Yeah, I gotta, you know it can see what when. But yeah. Yeah, well, I think about Antarctica and I recently saw that they landed a big plane there finally, which is good because it's like, oh, wouldn't it be nice to take like a normal sized plane because the idea of either being on a boat or like a tiny ass plane. It makes me very nervous. So like just travelling to get there. At least now there seems like there's more options than there used to be. I don't know. Yeah, well, the there's the option. A lot of people who run there do the camping and they sound like I'm not doing that or they do the boat and they and they're on the boat until it's time to run Sounds like I I'm going to be the boat.

I'm not. Those are your two options. You either are on a boat or you camp, I guess. What else is there? It's not like a big fancy hotel. So, OK, well, I have a friend who was on this podcast earlier on. She is going, she's wants to run on all 7 continents as well. So yeah, that I'm just like, can't. Even as somebody who hasn't even run a race outside of the United States, I'm like, OK. 7 continents? You've already had six. That's just so cool. I will be cheering for you. OK, so OK, So what else have you done? Grease. Yes. I did the half marathon and happened.

Oh, that had to be a part of me. Thinks that I should do the full at one point, but I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know how I feel about that. I think I'm more I'm more excited about. I'd be more inclined to be full in Rome than I would to go back and do real Athens. I think the Rome one is a little bit more intriguing for me for some reason. Yeah, I was accidentally there when that was happening once. Or it was it was either that or it was a different race. But there was a race happening in Rome and my husband and I were there for our one year wedding anniversary.

So I probably couldn't have gotten away with doing it when it was happening. Oh, hey, honey, happy anniversary. I'm going to go run a run a marathon. Probably not, but you know. It would have been nice. To like, sneak that in there, but it was really cool. I'd never even seen a race in another country, so that would be that would be a really cool place to run, especially if it wasn't super hot, because I feel like every time I've ever been there, it's really, really warm. Oh, and then that. And I also ran South Africa. In Africa, I forgot to mention that. Oh, was that Cape Town is or Johannesburg?

It wasn't the Cape Town, it was in Cape Town. It was it was the half marathon portion of the Two Oceans Marathon, which is actually fifty. Well, it ends up being 36 miles. So what is that 56 kilometers? The full. So the the two oceans and then they have 1/2 marathon and you don't get to see either either ocean during the half maritime. OK, so it's either like 2 oceans or no oceans. Exactly. Yeah, like, that's Dumber, but yeah. Do you have an itch to do an ultra at all? Sort of. OK. That's how I feel. Let me explain. Let me explain this. Oh, OK And it goes with my my race that I want to run.

I want to run the Marine 4 Maritime because years and years and years ago I was a runner, but I it was even before I moved here. It was before I was seriously thinking about running or anything. A woman I know ran a marathon and several people, several of her friends, ran a portion with her. That's how long ago it was that you could do that kind of thing. So I can date myself that I'm not going to be there. And that Ray kind of puts the seed in my head that I would run a marathon someday and it would be many, many, many, many years later before I did one.

But I still want to do that. And I recently found out that they've got an Ultra, there's a 50K. And I said I could see myself doing a 50K. Yeah, that's just this. Yeah, what is that? Not quite 5 miles more than a marathon, right? Just. A little longer I could maybe possibly do that, so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's how I feel. I'm like maybe, you know, it's, yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat. Like we've got one here locally that's on, we have a rail trail that is a paved path that goes like all the way, like downtown Indianapolis, all the way up through the suburbs where I am.

And so they do an ultra on that. And I've spent many, many miles on that trail training for marathons. And so it'd be kind of a cool way to kind of tie it all together and do do an ultra, like run the whole thing. But I also like the idea of like a true trail ultra is interesting to me. I don't know. I don't know. There's so many things I want to do. I don't have any interest in that and I think that's another reason why that Marine Corps Marathon one stuck out for me because it's not a trail. Have you done a race in Indiana?

Did you do one in South Bend at all? No, I wanted to do the. I think it's called the sunburn. Yeah, yeah. And it's usually, it's in June and it's usually around reunion weekend and up until last year they finished in the stadium, but they changed it or they don't finish in the stadium anymore. And I was like, Oh yeah, they're they said they wanted, they were like people don't have enough time. It's like they get their medal and then they rush them out, but when they finish now they're finished downtown, you know, so they their families can meet them when they have more time than linger or whatever.

So I was like, well that was that would have been the whole point for that rate, so. I wonder what feedback they got. Like I wonder if people would be like I would rather be rushed out of there. Like I don't care how much time I have, that's where I want to finish. Or like have them finish, get them out and then have like there's so many parking lots there, like have the post race celebration somewhere else. Like, anyway, that's that's interesting. And I don't know that my, I don't know if that's a problem because it's reunion weekend and there's already so much going on.

Yeah. Well, you'll have to keep me posted on that if you come. Back to the Midwest, Indiana, I put my name in for Chicago next year. So we'll see about. I don't know, I don't know. I've done Chicago a few times. And so, you know, especially talking to people like you who've done just all these different kinds of races, it makes me like never want to do the same race twice because I just there's so many I want to go do. But we shall see. I have another random question for you before we get into the end of the podcast stuff, because I was thinking about.

What else I would want to know from somebody who's travelled to all these places and I have a weird kind of question, like what is the most random like post race things that you've gotten? You're in all these different countries, like do you have like soft pretzels or like in Thailand, do they give you like weird food at the end when you finish the race? Like I'm just thinking about all the different countries, all the different food. Like, is there weird stuff that when you finish, no, you go, but you they always giving you the bananas and a sport drink, you know, No, nothing unusual.

OK, that surprises me. The only unusual thing to me. And it's like, I remember, like one of my earlier races in France and them giving you warm Coke. Oh, I'm like, Oh my God, it's like it's a burst. It's a burst of sugar, yeah. Works just as well As for self strength. Yeah, yeah. Interesting. Yeah, I would have thought maybe there'd be like some really weird stuff. No. And I and I still see that sometimes in in races in Europe. So, yeah, so. Yeah, the Coke. The warm Coke. Yeah, I've gotten, like, at the Philadelphia Half Marathon, like a cup of warm chicken broth. That was amazing.

OK, like, but weird like. I don't know. I guess maybe you know, depending on the time of year too for stuff, but see, the pickle juice is weird to me. Oh, pickle juice. Yeah, that's weird. And that is that. And that is that has been the thing I've run. I've done several races in the US if you and every it's like it's Pickles. These guys are y'all for real. Yeah, I've done. I've tried the Maple syrup they have now, like in the packets, like almost like a goo, but it's just straight syrup. And that's where did I try that? Where was I? That was just this year?

Maybe it was Pittsburgh. I don't know. It was just like, Oh yeah, that's that's different. Right. And then they're trying to get us to fuel with ketchup, which is hilarious. And they finally were like, no, no, this is not, not a good idea. Don't do that. Oh my God. Gross. Oh man, cool. I could talk to you like all night. Your night. It's. Like 7:00 PM there or something. So I I will ask you a couple of more questions. What is your favorite running mantra or song? Mantra is run the mile you're in. Yes, because I can be in the next mile. It's like, OK, you're a mile 18, OK, When you get 20, you know I'm six.

You know, when you get 20, it's just a 10 pack. And you know, it's like, no, yeah, let's do this. So literally, that is a monster that I have to that I have to run the mile you're in, calm down and you're going to laugh about my running song. And I got to even have a story about it. My running song is, well, I like lose yourself Eminem, that's one thing. But now or never from High School Musical 3 it like Biko one love that song. And so in August I ran the Salt Lake City, the rock'n'roll Salt Lake City half nine, South East Side is the school is there.

And we passed it and outside they had like the big cardboard face of all the characters and they were blasting the High School Musical music. So I pull out my phone and I and I recorded in my legacy to my daughter and they're like, so cool. I was like I was. So I was just a little bit too hyped about that. But yeah. Oh man, Oh well, I'm. Going to have to listen to it. I'm sure I've heard it, I'm sure I've heard it, and I I like just the title of it is good. And now I also know what I'm going to send you.

I just made temporary tattoos for my shop that say run the mile you're in, so I'll send you some of those. And I have stickers and mugs with Run the mile you're In 'cause that's one of my favorite mantras as well. It's such a good reminder, too, just with life. Life is seasonal. Like, focus on, like, literally. Like, what are you gonna do just today? Like I get overwhelmed and I just have to remind myself, run the mile you're in. So and was telling my daughter that he's graduating soon earlier this, you know few months ago. She's like, oh, and it's gonna be over and I enjoy.

Now stop worrying about that. Yeah, that's gonna be good before you know it, right? Yeah, Football game and everything else until. Yeah, for sure. And then do you have what's your next finish line or milestone? What else? Do you have Anything else this year? Nothing else this year. Yeah, just getting ready for my daughter's graduation and then Dopey's in January. I couldn't help but notice too you've you mentioned on your travel blog about Christmas markets. I mentioned this in my e-mail 'cause I got to go to Europe last year for the Christmas markets. Have you ever done a race like during Christmas time like in Europe?

Do they have any? No. Well, actually I did like a little Fanta race in kind of in my area. But like they don't have like but there's nothing big like. That OK, that'd be so cool. That would be fun, yeah. I think it it's it's there like there's too much going on now. Yeah, there's no way they'd be like no, no, based on my experience too, just being there during that time, it's there's a lot of people there, so trying to get all those. People, when we were, we got to go to Munich for the Christmas markets and they had Have you ever been to the Krampus Run like the parade?

They have no, I haven't even. Wild. But yeah, even just getting people to move for a parade to happen was a whole thing. But. Anyway, it was it was crazy. Where is your favorite place to go in Europe during the holidays? Like for a Christmas market, almost any place. Well, Germany, Germany is good. Alsace is really nice if you've ever been to Strasburg and Colmar in France on that on the border of Germany. So it's got, it's a good melding of the two cultures. And Austria, the Vienna and Salsa are two very pretty ones. And Spa probably. It's like it's always like a fairy tale anyway.

And the women, when it's all done up for the holidays, Yeah. And I I just went to Manchester a couple weeks ago for their Christmas market. That might be it for the season. I've literally been going back and forth the last couple of days like I'm not going to. There are a few I can kind of drive through, but it's just like I so much kind of needs to be done before I go to the safe to handle some other stuff which is just really wouldn't be responsible to go. So I'll let you know which battle wins that. In my backyard we have, we have one of the nicest Christmas markets in the country.

And so that's kind of fun. They do a good job. It looks they make it look like it's you know little European Christmas market. It's amazing. So I will use that to get my fix. My European fix not the same but they do have the glue vine which I. Do enjoy. How far are you from Chicago? We're about 3 hours South of Chicago. Pretty close. They've got one, don't they? Yeah, I haven't been for years. I haven't been to Chicago since before the pandemic, which is really sad in general since I'm so close. But, you know, young kids will do that to you. I don't feel like I don't get to go anywhere.

This has been so inspiring to me. I need. Yeah. Run the mile I'm in. I know. That's. See. Perfect reminder. Perfect reminder. Oh, my gosh. Monique, thank you so much for doing this. I, like I've said a couple times, just in awe. Like, I can't believe how incredible your running journey has been. And it's and still is. So good luck with the rest of your dopey training and enjoy that experience. And then I'll continue to cheer you on virtually. And then hopefully you never know, someday maybe we'll be in the same place. That would be really nice. Well give. Me the same time. Where? What's next to you?

What's the next gonna come? What is next? Vegas. Vegas will be my next one. It's at the end of February, so the half which I'm excited about, I get to do that with my dad, so that's special. Oh, fun. Well, happy training for you guys. Thank you. Thank you so much. All right. Well, thank you to everybody who has listened and have a great weekend and happy running.

Ally Brettnacher