Hi friends!
I’m Beth. I’m quite new to trail running but not new to FUA — I’ve been doing the program off and on since it started, and really love the progress I’ve seen with this training. I joined not long after my second cancer diagnosis. My first was lymphoma fifteen years ago, and then in 2020 I had thyroid cancer. I didn’t get COVID but I did get cancer. 😛 Fortunately they were able to remove it all with a relatively minor surgery, but it was still a kick in the pants and it inspired me to get over my fears that “I can’t run” and learn trail running.
I live in Portland (hello fellow PNW athletes!). I’ve been working for a while on a goal of being able to run Portland’s Wildwood Trail in a day. It’s 31 miles in beautiful Forest Park. My next milestone is to do a “trail run trial run” in November of this year.
Like many of you, my schedule has made consistent training a challenge. Between work, family, and other commitments, it can be hard to get the needed volume, and the Uphill Athlete programs have been the only way I’ve seen consistent progress. I recently left a pretty intense job at a tech startup and started a new job that has a lot more flexibility and a lot less stress, so I’m really looking forward to stepping up the training again.
I’m helping out as a mentor for this training round. My lack of prior mountain training may have been a weird advantage for me because I didn’t have existing habits to overwrite, and I’ve been gobsmacked by how effective this training program has been even for a relative newcomer. It’s also been awesome to see the improvements the team has made with each new FUA cohort. I’m excited to train and grow with all of you this season!
Beth