Jillian Walters - "I am made in the image of a mighty God"

Jillian Walters went from Strongman competitor to trail ultrarunner in under three years — and she just turned 40.

She shares how family 5Ks with her husband and kids turned into 50Ks on the trails, heat-training for her first eight-hour race, running in Luna sandals, the aid-station order that never changes (a cheese quesadilla and a little bit of Coke), faith and worship music in the hard miles, and the mantra that keeps her moving: "I am made in the image of a mighty God."


Jillian Walters - https://www.facebook.com/jmgwalters


Races Mentioned
Cloudland Canyon (Run Bum)
Rocket City Marathon
Cocodona 250

Shout Outs
Speed for Need
Run Bum

Transcript

Intrro Music

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Hi,

Intro

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Run Your Story family. This is Allison Gilliard with Run Your Story, where every story needs to be heard. And making sure that your incredible run stories get heard this month are our friends from Run Tall. We are obsessed with our Run Tall hats. They have some really cool Run Tall tanks. You guys should go to Run Tall right now and use code Run Your Story15 for a discount. That's shopruntall.com. And it's also can be found on the Run Your Story website. We love Charles and the Run Tall gang. It's just absolutely amazing. Run Tall is a running and lifestyle brand built for those who move with purpose, those who stand firm under pressure, no matter what life throws at them. Guys, this isn't just about running, it's about discipline, resilience, growth, and the mindset to keep showing up every single day. So whether you're chasing goals, overcoming setbacks, training for something bigger, or simply becoming a better version of yourself. Run tall represents you. The whole idea came from a movement and a mantra to live by, a community for people who refuse to quit. So every design, product, and method is created to inspire strength through consistency, hard work, and perseverance. And whenever possible, run tall chooses sustainable and recyclable materials because taking care of the places we run is just as important as the miles we log. So, guys, run proud, run strong, run tall. And that is code Runner Story15. I absolutely love these guys, absolutely amazing. Thank you for believing in the runner for our community. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for doing what you do. Run tall. We love you guys. Speaking of showing up for community, you guys are going to be so inspired by Jillian Walters. Her story is just very sweet. It's all about family. And running with people are the best running memories. I love that because anybody that knows me knows that, like, I love running with my people. It is a game changer. I just love how she says, you just share a run, share a conversation with somebody. She found trail running through running, and she absolutely loves the trails. She's absolutely amazing. And go slow. Find your written. You guys are about to be inspired because she's a mom, she's a wife, she's a runner, and she is super humble. So you guys, I cannot wait for you to hear Jillian's story and just who she is authentically. Like she's just an all-around amazing person. So thank you, Jillian, for sharing her story, for making the running community better, and for sharing a run, sharing a conversation with people. It's absolutely beautiful. So, guys, with that being said, lace up those running shoes, get ready, get set, and go run with my friend Jillian and her run story.

Main Interview

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Thanks, Jillian, for being on the podcast. I am so excited because I came across your Instagram and I just love the content that you put out because you are one, fearless, which I absolutely love, and I want to be like you. And the other thing is that you are very raw when it comes to your running. So I am so excited to learn from you. I'm so excited to hear your story because you have some big races coming up. So, how did you start running? Like, what is your run story?

SPEAKER_01 3:35

I would say about two and a half years ago. I've never been a runner. I was never athletic growing up. I actually got really into weightlifting after my son was born. I did some power lifting. I was a strongman competitor for a while. And I did that up until about 2020, when obviously the world shut down. I got pregnant with my daughter in 2021 and then was just really trying to figure out the group to get back after I had her. And my husband started running for Speed for Need. I don't know if you've heard of them. They do wheelchair races. Wow. So he started driving for those for a lot of the local 5Ks. And I went to one of them. It was a holiday lights race. So you run through the Christmas lights, and I thought, wow, this would be something that's really cool to do as a family. My husband is running these 5Ks, my son really loves running, and my daughter can just sit in the stroller and just make my life easier. So we started doing that as a family. And then I somehow found out about trail running. It was like, okay, I'm done with these 5Ks. I'm moving on. I'll see you guys later. So it just started as a way to exercise with my family and then moved into me finding out that I enjoy running and I enjoy trail running.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

So you went from 5Ks to the trails. That's wild because I've been running for 12, 13 years, and I'm still dabbling with trails. Like that is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

We're really big hikers. We love being outside. We go camping all the time. And I've always had the way it loves being on the trail. So it just felt like a natural switch.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

I love that. So, what are some lessons that you've learned from running and especially in trail running? Because that's a whole different world.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

I think some of the biggest things I've learned is like physically, I think a lot of balance and stability. I was the biggest klutz growing up. I wouldn't trip over every single thing that came in my way. So that's been a huge eye-opener for me. Trail running is that I have balance and coordination now as an adult. I didn't think it was possible. Even when I was doing strong band, my coach would always be like, You're uncoordinated when it comes to so many blips. So that's been a really cool lesson I've learned in trail running is how to not fall all the time.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Oh, yeah. That's good. That's fair. That's fair. Yeah. So do you have a favorite race?

SPEAKER_01 6:10

I've done Cloudland Canyon twice now. I did the half marathon there. And then I did the 50K, and I'm going back again in December to do the 50K again. And I love that race. It's in my home state, so it's in Georgia. It's one of my favorite state parks around here. And Run Bomb, who puts on the race, just does an amazing job. So I'll be coming back third year. And I'm super excited about it.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

That's amazing. Do you, on the opposite side of that, do you have a race that you're like, not really my favorite, or that you're like, I want to go back and redo?

SPEAKER_01 6:47

So the race that I'm training for right now, this will be my first year running it, but I'm in their mindset where I'm like, what was I thinking? I'm not totally sure how I'm gonna feel about it. Because it's an eight-hour race and it's a 1.2 mile loop. And it's gravel grass, but it's in the sun. It's in Georgia at the end of July. So I'm feeling a little uncertain about how that's gonna go and whether or not I will enjoy summer racing.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

They'll just say, but you've been trying to acclimate really well. You've been doing some extra stuff.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

For that heat.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Yeah, I've been doing a lot of sweatsuits outside in the heat. And I've been running the course a lot too. So that has been helpful, but I know you're from the southeast too. There's just been this weird Oh, it's ridiculously hot in heat dome or something like that. That has just been sitting over the south, and it's been extra hot this year, I feel like.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

I know I saw one of the workouts that you did, and I was like, is she in a hoodie? Is she really in a hood? I'm like, I would have a heat stroke, but she's out there in a hood. I was like, committed.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Buddy, swept pants, and I had just finished a run inside on the treadmill and then went outside and did the rest of the workout there because I'm like, the heat will not get me.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Yeah, for sure. And and of course, at the end of July, that's one of the hottest parts of our summer. So okay, girly. All right. I cannot wait to see what you do. That's gonna be amazing.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

I actually I had originally signed up for the four hour because I got into this conversation with my friend that she was like, My brother's doing it, and if you do it, I'll do it. So I was like, Yeah, let's do it. And then the people putting on the race like, well, you'll get a special award if you do an ultra distance. So I switched to the eight hour. I don't know why, but like an award sounds fun.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

I was about to say, you know what? It doesn't take much to make us sign up for something extra. You know, it does not take much. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

There's a medal involved, there's an extra sticker you get. I'm like, sign me up, let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

Listen, I'm with you. I am committed to this race in January, and the day before you run a 5k and a 10k, and then the next day you either run a half or a full, and you get a hat at the end is because it's called the hat trick. And I was like, Well, why not? It's a hat. I'll do anything for a hat. I mean, again, it doesn't take much, right?

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Yeah, that sounds fun.

SPEAKER_00 9:21

You should come, it's in December, it's in Puntsville.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

No, what weekend?

SPEAKER_00 9:26

December 12th and 13th, or 11th, 12th, something like that. It's in December.

SPEAKER_01 9:32

I'll end the weekend before that, I think.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

So I'll I'll send you the details.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

I did your two back weekends. Why not?

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Absolutely. You can do anything. You run in this heat, you'll be good to go in the fall. So, Jillian, I gotta know what is your favorite running item.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

My favorite running item, a water bottle. And that's like a most basic or one of those people like I know there's people out there that love to run without water, but I need it every time I go out. I don't care if I'm going for a mile or 5k or 15 mile or if I'm running 50k. Like, I'm a water girl, so it's like my I completely agree.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Yeah. So let me ask you this. What do you like the handheld? Do you like it around your waist? Do you like it backpack? Like, how do you all three?

SPEAKER_01 10:21

So I do, I have a vest, like the bladder that's go to. I do like the soft flasks, and I've been using an ultra spire belt lately. I just found my very first pair of like actual running shorts from a running brand, and they have all the extra pockets. So that has been tried them out for this race that I've coming up, and it's amazing to just be able to stick a soft flask in your shorts.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

Mmm, that's a great idea. Okay. I've heard it before, so maybe I should check into that.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Yeah. Okay. And I thought maybe well, they're probably like, but they have a tie on them.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

That is under where the pockets like the top pockets are, so you don't get that weighted down feeling in the shorts.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Get out of dodge. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Yeah, I was like, oh, now I understand why people buy actual running gear. This is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

That's lyric.

unknown 11:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Fantastic. Let's talk about running shoes. So, what do you like to run the trails in?

SPEAKER_01 11:25

I'm an ultra girl all the way.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

My lone peaks are like my favorite shoes. And I just bought a pair of the Experience Wild for this race that I have coming up because it's not like trail as much as it's gravel, so I needed a little bit more cushion. I love ultras. If I'm going for a really casual run, especially in the summer, to like Luna sandals. I've done a lot of running in those over the summer.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Wait, you said sandals?

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Yes. Yeah, the Luna sandals. They're so comfy. And I love them. And you can just like your feet in the creek and cool off and not have to worry about wet shoes or socks.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

That okay. Uh-huh. How's the cushion with that?

SPEAKER_01 12:09

It depends. They have a few dipper ones. Okay. They have some that are really thin, and then they have others that are a little bit more cushioned and have a little bit more bounce to them. Yeah, when I ran my first trail half, I ran it in the house, which I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 12:25

Really?

SPEAKER_01 12:25

Yeah, I don't know if it's a good idea. It was winter, so I had wool toe socks and these little booties on and the fan.

SPEAKER_00 12:34

Wow. You were so hardcore, my friend. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Yeah, it was my husband ran it with me and afterwards, that was the right shoe. And I'm like, I don't know, but I had run in them all summer, so I was like, well, we're just gonna go for it.

unknown 12:50

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

Test of time. You just gotta try it out.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

Yeah, you're either gonna love it or you're gonna hate it.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

So that's right. So, Gillian, for trail riding, how do you fuel? What do you take with you for this eight hour? What are you how are you fueling for this? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_01 13:10

So I'll definitely bring a few gels with me. I'm not a huge gel person, but they have their benefits. So I will take some of those with me. I love dates. My favorite thing to take with me. A lot of watermelon on this one because it is hot and it's gonna be outside, and that's just gonna be really refreshing. I know there's gonna be popsicles there. There's gonna be a cone ice truck. Yeah, I try and keep it pretty simple. I'll occasionally do candy, but I'm not really big on that. Until it's usually a lot of dates. And then if I'm at a race, uh cheese quesadilla is always my favorite aid station snack is a cheese quesadilla and a little bit of coke. And that will keep you going.

SPEAKER_00 13:56

That sounds so refreshing. I'm here for it.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

Yeah, I remember my first ultra. My husband was working in an aid station, and he handed me a cheese quesadilla fresh off the Blackstone. It was like a gourmet meal. It was the best thing I'd ever tasted in my life. And ever since then, like yes. If I'm running an ultra, I would like a cheese quesadilla, please, and thank you.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

You're like, listen, I'm not requesting a lot, just a cheese quesadilla, flour, tortilla, and cheese.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Yeah, nothing fancy. I don't know what it is. It was the best food that I've ever tasted in my life and never cooked.

SPEAKER_00 14:29

That's amazing. So, what does your pre-race routine look like? Like, how do you prepare for your eight hour? What is that looking like for you?

SPEAKER_01 14:39

So, right now it's looking like a lot of heat training. I'm trying to work on back-to-back long runs for that. So I'm actually in peak week right now. So if I was to break down my week, let's say I'm doing Monday, Wednesday, Friday are usually an easy 15 to 20 minute run, but I'm also doing a push full leg, some weightlifting on those days. Okay. On that Tuesday is a 45 to 60 minute run, and I'll throw in some intervals or some like hill repeats in there. Thursdays, usually an hour-long, easy run. And then my weekends have been progressively building like a Saturday, Sunday, back-to-back. So this weekend I'll do a four-hour and then a two-hour, and that will be it, and then I'll taper starting on Monday.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

I mean, that sounds like a solid game plan. Yes. So after you're done racing, what does a post-race routine look like? Like you've or a training run. Like, how do you recover? What does recovery look like for you?

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Probably not very good at recovery. I somehow ended up in a run streak, so recovery is like a one-mile easy run.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Like on race day though, when I'm finished, like I want a burger and fries and wheelchave as my recovery view.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

That sounds amazing.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

And then I have a 12-year-old and a three-year-old, and I stayed home with them. So there's really no downtime after that. It's just back to mom mode.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Sure. Post-race meal hits a little different, and then family time. I love that.

unknown 16:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:17

Yeah, like this race, actually, there's an event in our church that same evening. So I'm sure we'll be there afterwards.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

You go, mama. Okay, Juliana. I gotta know, do you have a favorite running memory? Whether it's when you think about running, you think about you just start smiling, or if there's like a really funny running memory that you're like, this is what running is about. Do you have one of those?

SPEAKER_01 16:41

I don't think I have a specific one. I just think all the times that I've been able to run with people, those are always my best memories. I do a lot of my running alone. So I think anytime I'm out there with somebody, to me, those are always the greatest memories. Anytime you can share a run with somebody and share conversation, and you just really get to know people when you're running together.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

I love that, and I completely agree with that. The moment that you're there for others is a great feeling.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Yeah. I think that's one of the things that I love about racing too, is just the opportunity to be around other runners and encourage one to know their Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

Absolutely. And the running community, especially the trail running community, is so good about that.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Oh yeah, they're amazing. I love the trail running community.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

So, Jillian, do you listen to music when you run?

SPEAKER_01 17:39

I do.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

So, what does it look like?

SPEAKER_01 17:42

I listen to actually a lot of worship music. My playlist is all worship music and then forest sprinkle and then just like Queen.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

Yes. Oh, I love that. Oh, that is so good. I love it whenever I hear something on the radio, and I'm like, that'd be such a great song, especially in the moment, because I say it all the time that faith and running, they just go hand in hand. You just you cannot think about running. Like when you're running, you cannot not think about faith. You just you're immersed by it, especially in the trails, and you're like, man, God created this. And again, like you said, the trail running community is so special, and you just you're around all these people. And so when I hear different songs, I'm like, oh, I've got to add that to my Spotify playlist because for sure. It just takes you there. It takes you to that moment, and you're just like, or when you hear that song that that plays, and you're like, my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

Yeah, there's times where you're like out and run and uh someone will just come through the playlist and you're like, Oh, I needed this exactly at this moment. And it just feels like a little note from the Lord that you're like in the right place.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

Oh, absolutely. Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

I played that race last year, and man, I was like struggling through this race. It was a 10-mile thing, it's local trails to me, and I was the last person, and I was just struggling through this race, and a song came on my playlist, and I was just like, I started crying because I was just like, wow, I'm out here doing this, and I never thought this was possible. And I'm so thankful that the Lord gave me this drive and gave me this body that I can do this with. And it was just a moment out there, even though I was having a really hard time and I was the absolute last person coming through the finish line of this race. It's just like a little, hey, you're okay, I've got you. Keep pushing through and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

I love that. Oh, I oh, I love that. Do you ever find, let me ask you this: do you ever find like when you've had those moments and that song out on the trail, and then when you hear it again on the radio, you're like, Oh, that's my song. That it just takes you to that memory.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, there's one song that the chorus is like, it's your breath in our lungs. Yeah, like and it's over and over again. And there's been times where I'm out there, and I be like running's hard. There's times where you're like, I can't breathe. And then that song will come on, and I'm like, Oh yeah, like I've been actually like given the breath of life. This is like an amazing thing, and so it reminds me of that. And then I'll hear that song at church or something or on the radio, and I'll remember, oh yeah, I remember I was going through that hard time out there, and I actually felt like I couldn't breathe. And then I was reminded that there is the breath of God in me.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

Oh, that is beautiful. I love that, and that is such a great song. I completely agree. Let's switch to recovery a little bit. Do you have a favorite recovery tool?

SPEAKER_01 20:38

I have a massage gun that I really like. Okay, that's probably like my go-to. I'm not like an ice bath person at all. It actually terrifies me. I just bought my husband one for Father's Day, and I'm like, I'm not getting in it. There's no way.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Oh, you gotta give it a try. It is a game changer.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

I like the sauna. I love sauna and I love the massage gun. And I feel like a good shower hot bath is a really good go-to.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

I love that for you. It's that okay, but I will tell you, you gotta give the ice splunge a bath. You just gotta give it a try.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Yeah, I'll give it a try. He hasn't set it up yet, so I'm like, when he does, I will. Sometimes when we go camping, sometimes we'll jump in the river in the middle of winter. Like everyone does it just real quick. But I don't know if I could sit in it for very long.

SPEAKER_00 21:33

I love you know, that might be one of your new favorite things.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

It might be, but I don't know. I lived in Miami for 14 years and I've been in Georgia for 10 years now, so I'm adapted to the heat.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Okay, gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

So, Julian, what advice would you give to somebody who wants to start running? They're listening to you or they come up and they talk to you. What is something you would tell them? And then what is something you would tell them about trails?

SPEAKER_01 21:59

So my I think I always tell everyone, because I don't have that many people in my life that run, and they're always like, I don't even know how to get started. And I always tell them, go slow. I think that's my biggest piece of advice. For me, anytime I had tried previously, I always went so tried to go so fast because I thought that's what you had to do. And so I realized this time around when I started running that I didn't have to worry about like pace or anything. It was just take it slow. Do what your body is capable of handling right now. The faster paces will come, the progress will come. But when you're starting off, you're not trying to win races, or you're not trying to PR every single time. You're just trying to move your body. So my biggest advice is always to slow down. I think a lot of people, and I was like this too. I thought I hated running because every time I would run, I was like puffing air, you know. I was like going way too fast and just felt like I was dying over time. When I slowed down, I found this rhythm that I was like, this is nice. And then I can walk sometimes too. I don't have to run the entire time. I can power hike, I can just enjoy it for what it is, and not every single day has to be a hard day. So my advice is always slow down. And then for people getting into trail running, I just love trail running so much because I loved being in nature. So if somebody was already running and they were getting ready to switch to trail running, my advice there would also be to slow down and enjoy it. You're like naturally gonna be slower on the trail as it is. And just really I think really just paying attention to your surroundings and enjoying the environment you're in and taking in the beauty that is the outside world. And enjoy this because trail running has better snacks than road running.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

Well, girls got that cheese case I did and a coke.

SPEAKER_01 23:57

So Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

You do not get that on a road race.

SPEAKER_01 24:03

No, you don't. They're like, here's a banana. Here's a banana you can hardly get down because it doesn't raise.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

Oh, I love that so much. That is fascinating. I love that. So we know you had this eight-hour race coming up. What are your goals looking like now with running?

SPEAKER_01 24:27

My biggest goals are just like pushing the distance a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

I am in a run streak that I started January 31st. So I didn't set out to start it and I didn't have a time frame that I wanted to go with this, but I think I'm gonna try and get a year's worth. So I'd like to keep it going until January 31st of this coming year. So that's one of my goals. And then just progressively pushing the distance more. I have done two 50Ks. I have this eight-hour race coming up. I have another 50k in December, and then I signed up for my first 50 miler, and that will be in May. So yeah, I'm excited about that. I'm like a little bit nervous about the distance because it's a first time, but it's a race that looks really awesome. There's wild ponies out there, and it just looks like a really great time. And then eventually I'd like to make my way into the hundred-mile distance and maybe some two hundreds one day.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Like I said, you are fearless. That is amazing. Those are some amazing goals. Thank you. So, Jillian, we already talked about like how hot it is and everything and difficult running can be. Do you have a mantra? Is there something you tell yourself to keep going?

SPEAKER_01 25:45

My biggest thing is I always just told myself that I am made in the image of a mighty god that's on repeat in my head with like feeling stuck, right? I was given a body that can handle these things. I was given the ability to move forward and the desire to push myself in ways that like I didn't think possible before. So sometimes going back to that, so what I was talking about, like sometimes I tell myself, like, okay, I have the breath of life being I made in the image of mighty God, and I am capable of doing these things. So that's what plays over and over in my head when I'm getting into those situations. Occasionally it's me texting my husband and telling him that I'm in a tough spot, and he just says, What would Goggins do?

SPEAKER_00 26:33

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

Sometimes I'll be like, Oh, I don't know what I'm thinking. I'm gonna like only do happiness run. And he just says, What would Goggins do? And I'm like, Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

That reminds me of like the saying, like, I can go, what is it, like holy ghost and gangster in one moment, you know?

SPEAKER_01 26:49

Like Yeah, that's totally it. Thank you, Jesus. Gonna carry the boat.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

I love that so much. That's hilarious. That's so funny. I love that. Julian, what is your favorite distance to run? Whether it's a long run, whether it's a training run or it's race day. Do you have a favorite distance?

SPEAKER_01 27:16

Probably around that 15 miles has been a sweet spot for me right now. I'm still being like new. It hasn't even been a year since I ran my first ultra. So this is still like a new thing. So I would say 15 miles feels like a good sweet spot where I don't feel like I'm overdoing it and I can like enjoy it. With races, I definitely like the longer distance, but I do like a mid-distance training run. It's always nice.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

That's amazing. And I love, did you ever think that you would say 15 miles is my favorite distance to run?

SPEAKER_01 27:49

Absolutely not. I didn't even I didn't think I would ever run a 5k. And then when I ran the 5K, I was like, people that do 10ks are crazy. And then it just I feel like it progresses from there. We're like, oh yeah, that's crazy. That sounds crazy. That sounds crazy. And then next thing you know, you're like, yeah, I would love to do Coca-Dona one day.

SPEAKER_00 28:09

I love that. That is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 28:12

Yeah, I feel like as someone who didn't like I didn't play sports growing up, I didn't run. I actually was talking to somebody about it the other day. I tried out for cross country in high school because I thought, okay, the track people run like really fast, and I can't do that. And so I went to one cross-country practice, and they were so fast, and I was just in the woods by myself, just dying, and I was like, I'm good, I'm never coming back.

SPEAKER_00 28:42

And here you are in the woods.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Yeah, 20 something years later, I'm like, I love being out here. This is insane.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Full circle moment for sure.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

When you're not running, what fuels you? What are you passionate about?

SPEAKER_01 28:57

I am a home school mom, so I absolutely love that. Like I said, I have a 12-year-old and a three-year-old. I love spending time with them. I love spending time with my husband. They're a really great community. Spend a lot of time with our home school groups, our church groups, and I'm also really passionate about bread making. Oh, whoa, okay. So that's actually where I got my Instagram handle from. And I was trying to figure out like, okay, I'm gonna make a running page, and I don't know what it should be called. But I do a fresh milled flour, so that was the Miller's trail, was my idea for it.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

And here I thought it was just trail running.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

Yeah.

unknown 29:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

I was a pre-COVID bread maker, and then I switched to fresh mill flour like five, six years ago. So I've been doing that and I absolutely love it.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

So my question is, is there anything that you can't do?

SPEAKER_01 29:52

I don't ride bikes. I couldn't do it. Actually, my husband is an avid mountain biker, and my son rides, and my daughter has a little seat that she rides with him. But I'm always like, I'm not going with you, I will fall off the trail. So they ride together while I run. Okay. Comes back into it, and I'm like, my bike would hit a rock, and I would go end over end, and then I'd be in the hospital and I'd never run again. Yeah, that's where I go.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

Julian, this has been absolutely a blast, and just your heart for running. And again, I encourage people to go and follow you because you're gonna see Jillian in sweats working out all the things. Do you have any final words of wisdom, my friend?

SPEAKER_01 30:42

I'll just say enjoy the journey. I started this almost three years ago, but I just turned 40. You can start at any time of your life, and it doesn't have to be running. Anything that you think, I want to do this, give it a try and just enjoy it. And don't let anyone discourage you from pursuing that either. I think a lot of times, especially in the running space, sometimes our friends don't totally understand it. A lot of times it's like, you're crazy. But don't let any of that deter you. If you think this is something you want to go after, then go after it. And that could be running, it could be starting a business, it could be picking up a different sport, it could be deciding that you're gonna start making your own fresh milk bread at home. Doesn't matter what it is, just give it a try and enjoy the process while you're doing it.

SPEAKER_00 31:29

I love that. Thank you, Jillian. Thank you for giving us all the fun things that you shared. And I cannot wait to follow you on social media to see that eight-hour how that goes.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

Yes, thank you. Hopefully I make it through. It was gonna be you will.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

I will be rooting for you for sure.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

And if anyone's well, this will be there. I was gonna say if anyone's local, don't bring me a pops at all.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

Thank you, Gillian.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 32:09

Thank

Outro

SPEAKER_00 32:10

you, Gillian, so much for sharing your story, for being who you are as a runner, for helping us fall in love with trails. I think that's one of the things that I took away from Jillian is not only the love she has for community, but the love she has for trails. And it just, I told her after, I was like, I cannot wait to hit the trails more. I people like Jillian just give me this urge to be like, I want to be out there with my friends, I want to be out there in the trails, and I just want to enjoy it. Thank you, Jillian. Thank you for what you're doing in making the running community better, and I just truly appreciate you. And at the end, thank you so much for Run Tall. They are making sure that we have swag at Run Your Story. We love Run Tall. Don't forget to use that special discount, Run Your Story 15, for a discount at run at shopruntall.com. And you can also find out more about Run Tall on the Run Your Story website. We absolutely love these guys. We cannot wait to do more with Charles and Run Tall. And again, they made a collab hat. So if you want one, go get one. It's absolutely amazing. And while you're there, shop around, look at some other stuff. We really appreciate Charles and his heart that he has for running community because he is all in and it's absolutely amazing to watch. So thank you, Run Tall, for believing in Runner Story. We believe in you guys. As always, thank you to Gilead Tech Services. Guys, if you have not checked out the free app, you are missing out. We are loving it. It is so much fun. It's free on Apple and Android. It is such a great app, and Greg Gileard from Gillyard Tech Services did all of that, and we are incredibly grateful for that. We actually are using it for our training programs to mark off. So that's been really fun. It's a blast. And so you can find run clubs that have told us they want to be featured on there. You can find the blog that Dave Writes every Monday, and you can find people that we have collabs with. You can do it all on there. So it's such a great place. You can find Run Your Story Squag, like everything that we wanted, Greg Gileard did. So he has taken the website and made it into an app and has done an outstanding job. So if you need somebody to build you a website, Gileard Tech Services is the place to go. Truly appreciate him, truly appreciate what he brought to life and the vision, and incredibly thankful for that. So seek him out. He will tell your story online and to a broader audience. It's absolutely amazing. So thank you, Gileard Tech Services. To our Patreon Family Members, we love you guys. We hope that you're loving your Run Tall hats. Love them. We are obsessed. They're so comfy. The colors are really fun. And so to our Patreon Family Miverse, we love you. We thank you for all that you're doing, for who you are and believing in Run Your Story. We would not be where we are today without you. And so thank you so much. Thank you for loving us so well, keeping us encouraged, and loving the Runtaw hats. So exciting. As always, thank you again today for blogging and to our guys, Scott and Stefan, who they love scheduling people to share their stories and they do such a great job of that. And so incredibly grateful to have those guys on the team. They are outstanding. And all three guys are Patreon supporters. That's how much they believe in Runner's Story, which is a really cool experience. So I'm very thankful for them. And thank you to everybody who likes, share, comment. Guys, that's how the story gets out there. We love it. If you didn't know, we also have a YouTube channel. So we are on all the platforms. We are also on YouTube, and that is to where if you want to be at home and have it on your TV, you can. It also has closed captioning where you can read it if you want to. So we try to make sure that everybody has a way to access the podcast. And that it's all again because of Gillar Tech Services. So thank you, Greg, for taking care of all of that. But make sure that you like, share, and comment, make sure it gets out there. Stories like millions, they matter. Every story matters and they inspire and it helps us all walk away better and more connected. With that being said, guys, go run your story because every story needs to be heard.