Welcome!

Who am I?

My name is Heather and I have never been classified as a runner. As a child and teenager, I hated running and was often teased during team sports for how slow I ran. Many years and races later, I am indeed a runner. I love the saying, "If you run, you are a runner". The wonderful thing about running is that anyone can do it. Some of us may be faster than others or run longer distances, but if you put on a pair of shoes and move, you are runner.

I started running after I signed up for a 5k. Being from Chicago, I am a huge Blackhawks fan and the team used to hold a 5k every year on the day of training camp. A runner could get free entry into the practice if he or she ran the race. I figured this would be something my husband and I could do together. Like most, I searched for 5k plans on the internet and came across the Couch to 5k training plan. I spent the summer walking, then walk-running, then run-walking, then running according to the plan wearing the one Under Armour sports bra and C9 pair of shorts that I owned. I am pretty sure my shoes were some old pair of Nike's I had laying around. By September, I ran my first 5k and was forever hooked on running. My time was not fast, but I didn't finish last which was my worry, and I was proud of myself for pushing out of my comfort zone.

My first 5k

After finishing many 5ks, I naturally wondered if I could take on a half marathon. After many half marathons, I finally bit the bullet and signed up for my first marathon in 2015. I figured I could run one in my lifetime and if I never wanted to run another one again, at least I would have the accomplishment to reflect on for a lifetime. Needless to say, I ran that marathon and while it was not the time I had hoped for, it was a positive experience that naturally left me wanting to do better. After realizing what I was capable of, I have moved on into the world of ultramarathons.

My first marathon, Grand Rapids 2015

During my years of running, I have never felt as happy as when I am running outdoors on the trails. I have found a deep connection to nature and as much as I love running in general, I love it even more when I can enjoy the scenery along the way. I am not a treadmill runner. I run outside all year long, even in the bitter cold and snow that is a Chicago winter and the heat and humidity that is it's summer. I love watching the seasons change along my favorite trails, and I always see something new on every run. I have learned over time to enter races that focus on nature and trails, rather than flat road races. I always make a promise to myself to stop and enjoy what is around me. Even if I am in the middle of a tempo run, I will stop to watch a deer run across a field or a hawk fly across the sky. I run my best when my heart is happy, and in nature is where I am happiest.


Other than running, I am a wife and rescue dog mom living in the Chicago suburbs. I love music, craft beer, hockey, and sharing my viewpoints on a healthy plant-based lifestyle.

My little family