One week from today.

I will be in Cape Town, South Africa. A place I have always wanted to go, and now get the opportunity.

While Steve is loving and supportive enough to encourage me to spend 10 days (plus travel days) in this super cool city, there is no way around it, I am going to embark on potentially (and quite likely) the most difficult race/challenge of my life so far.

I have been asked a lot, why 100k? Why one of the hardest 100ks there is?

And while I wish I could give one answer to cover both, as with everything, it's more complicated than that....and in part, it's due to negligence. I will explain in a moment.

First:

Why 100k?

When I had a very intensive surgery on my Achilles in April 2024, I knew I was doing it because I wanted to see what I was capable of in some new chapter of running. But I had absolutely ZERO desire to do that in the marathon, or on the roads at all, for that matter.

While I do believe I could run a PR/PB in the marathon if I really committed to it (and wore super shoes this time ;) ) and I do enjoy running them, the commitment required to shave 30 minutes off the time I ran last Sunday in the TCS New York City Marathon (I ran a 3:02), no thanks.

Ultras though. Being immersed in nature on the trails, now that is interesting, that makes me want to do the work to see what I can do.

Why this 100k?

Well, in part because I didn't do my research well enough. My best friend, Ryan, suggested UTCT 100k as my return-to- racing 100k debut. At first I shrugged it off. No. Too far away, too over the top.

I kept thinking about it though; I had always wanted to go there, and I was looking to be immersed in nature with stunning views; this was that. It looked absolutely breathtaking. Besides, when one of the best ultra runners in the US, who happens to know you better than almost anyone, tells you to do a race, it has a way of sinking in.

I watched the video on their website again (go give it a watch), and my mind was made up. This was it.

A few weeks later (I was so scared that signing up would immediately pile pressure on, so I hesitated), I registered.

Done. This is what I am building for.

All was good until:

A few months ago, I decided to watch some video logs of other runners who had run this race to see what I needed to work on. I saw titles like, "THE HARDEST 100K IN THE WORLD," and watched another video where the runner went from confident to absolute despair.

Suddenly I panicked. What have I done?! What did I sign up for?!

I shared this revelation with Steve, who had already processed through my choice. He couldn't really understand why I had selected one of the hardest 100ks, but as always with Steve, he supports me wholeheartedly, even if he doesn't feel the same.

In that moment, I decided I had to give it my best.

After all, this was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something to stretch my limits, to find my edge, and while any 100k would do that, this one would put me among other elite ultra runners to really see where I fall. This one would give me nature as my sidekick while I was out there, doing something so important to me. This race would give me a true insight into what ultra running is at a high level. And it would prove that my Achilles is healthy and healed.

To be my best though, I would have to give it all I had (while staying true to the other parts of my life that hold value, like my family and my work).

And commit I have.

In many ways, more than ever. But there is a difference this time. It is not from a place of fear. Not for the opinions or approval of others, instead for myself, because I want to.

Don't get me wrong; this return to running, rehab, and training has, at times, been miserable, been demoralizing, and while I have not once regretted getting the surgery, I have wondered if I can do this, if I should resign myself to being someone who runs a few miles a few times a week.

Instead, here I am. Ten days out from running my first 100k, and during my many hours of training over the past month, I have had plenty of time to think about what would happen if something were to go wrong. If I didn't make it to the start line.

In the past, at this point during race build up, I wouldn't even allow myself to think that way. I would feel like even considering it was jinxing myself and would bring about unbelievable levels of shame for how I would handle failure when eyes were on me.

This time though, while I am so excited to see what I can do, and of course I am curious as to what race day will involve, it's really not even about the race at all.

I have proven to myself that I can run 70-mile weeks again. I have built fitness to a level I have never had before, from literal zero.

On August 21, 2024, I ran 0.3 miles twice, and was told the next day that it was too much, too soon; I was not ready to run. I had to wait another three weeks before I even attempted running again.

I have always struggled with the supplemental side of training, and while I will admit I haven't used a foam roller more than a handful of times, I have done pretty much everything else.

I ate well, from a place of love for my healing body, instead of punishment for being injured.

I was so diligent about my strength training, my rehab, and the bajillion calf raises I had to do.

I listened to the experts and let them tell me when to return to activities.

I have practiced my nutrition and hydration (yay, Precision) thoroughly, practiced all the elements of race day, and have even been in the sauna seven times over the past week (and I hate saunas) to prepare for the Cape Town humidity.

So no matter what happens next week, I will forever be proud of myself.

Maybe this race will lead to another high-performing chapter, where I strive for high goals.

Or maybe I decide, nope, this is not for me.

Either way, it doesn't matter. I did the work. I proved to myself I could do it, and do it with joy, with appreciation and gratitude for every run (okay, almost every run, there were a few, including my last long run, where it felt like a forced effort).

I found a way to weave joy into the moment, the journey and my fitness, and that feels pretty damn good.

Wanna run with Racing For Sustainability in 2026? We have bibs coming for alllllll kinds of races, including some Abbott World Marathon Majors, and right now, all we need to know is your interest and what races you want.

I am not sure the tracking situation for UTCT 100k, but Ryan will be sharing updates on my Instagram stories on race day, so that is your best bet.

--

Did you check out the rebrand of the tinamuir.com website? We have worked hard on making it match our direction and the work I do now. I love it! What do you think?

As it has been a few weeks since I wrote an email (oops), I recommend taking a read of two of my Instagram or Facebook posts:

​This one about my race recap for the TCS New York City Marathon​

and

​This one about refilling my HydraPak Tempo Pro FOUR times during the race.​

If you want to shed some tears today, this one I put up last night, of putting medals around NYRR Team For Climate runners' necks is a tear jerker. THAT is why we push ourselves beyond our comfort zone.

“Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.”

– Winnie The Pooh

Thanks to our partner, AG1

Oh AG1, my safety blanket, my insurance policy in winter, my no-matter-what-food-enjoy-the-rest-of-the-day-I-got-this start to my day. I have been enjoying it for coming up on six years, and can't imagine my life without it. In a few days I will be relying on the antioxidants, probiotics, and functional mushrooms that support immune resilience as I travel through the airport and across the world.

And then there is AGZ. I was fortunate to be one of the first to try this sleepy-time drink, and it has easily slotted into my winding-down routine. It prepares my mind and body for a restful sleep. I fall asleep easily, even during stressful moments, and wake up feeling refreshed. You better believe I will be enjoying it every single night between now and race day (yes, including the night before). Oh, and I just remembered something:

At dinner in New York, the AG1 team told me it tastes even better warmed up, like a nighttime hot cocoa, so I will be doing that tonight! Yum!

Order some AGZ while you are at it, so yummy. For those wondering, no, there is no melatonin in it :)

--

Be kind to one another, yourself, and this beautiful planet of ours.

Enjoying these? Why not forward to a friend who may enjoy. Encourage them to sign up and get these emails too. And if you missed an email, or would like to reread one, you can find past newsletters here.