| 04/23/2022 | Canyons Endurance Runs | |
| 12/10/2016 | USATF XC Club Nationals |
Boise, Idaho | http://gretchenruns.blogspot.com
| Primary Discipline(s) | Road Cycling / Criterium, Mountain Biking, Road Running, Trail Running, Duathlon, Skiing, Climbing |
| Bucket List Race | The Birkie (skate skiing); and a 50mile race- maybe Fall 2023? |
| Favorite Picky Bars product | PB&J granola |
| Off-Day Activity | fly fishing |
The hat I wear most often is that of coach, but I still consider myself a competitor and an athlete. My running career took me all of the way from high school XC to DIII varsity college team and eventually to competing at two Olympic Trial marathons (2008, 2012). After breaking my navicular bone in Houston in 2012, two great things happened: I began following Lauren Fleshman from her writing on a similar injury and I realized that when my competitive days were over I still wanted to be integrally involved in the running community.
In the long road of healing the navicular bone, I dreamed of a competitive team in my new hometown of Boise, Idaho. Working with locals and recruiting many of the new faces to town, I was able to form a team of post-collegiate women ranging in age from 22 to 60 years old. My primary goal for the team was to create a supportive atmosphere where all goals are valued and all paces are welcome- something we continue to achieve as we go into our 9th year.
In the subsequent years since the devastating stress fracture, I am happy to say that I have returned to running and think myself competitive in local and national master's competitions. The formation of the Betties allowed me to displace my intensity and run for more than just my narrow and selfish goals. In so many ways, my story is bigger than my own successes and any bio of me threads the story of The Betties throughout.