Chasing the Triple Crown of 200s with Aimee Warnke

Aimee Warnke's ultrarunning resume, this year alone, is impressive: First place at the HURT100 and first place two-peat at the Prickly Pear 50K.

That does not account for all of her accomplishments in 2025, including a finish at the Leadville 100.

The 2025 Prickly Pear was the event that put Aimee on my radar, not long before Strides dropped its first episode. Aimee's commitment to the sport is infectious, and it shows in the work she puts in.

In this conversation, we discuss Aimee's appreciation for trail running in Hawaii, what the San Antonio running culture means to her, and how she plans to seek adventure in her pursuit of the Triple Crown of 200s. 

Also, it feels appropriate to say this, but Strides is written, produced, and edited 100% free of AI. We care about human-focused projects here. 

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Got a topic idea? Feel free to leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

not the fastest runner out there, but I put in a lot of training and work because I just absolutely love it and really love the I love the adventure of it. Like I loved getting out there and then just testing myself to see what I'm capable of just mentally and physically. But I also like to compete. I I definitely enjoy competition and competing. And I yeah I think haven't ever done a 200 but I think it might be a a sweet spot for me to go after because I what's going on everybody Mason here.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Welcome back to Strides. Uh today's interview is with Amy Warnkey this is coming two weeks after she finished uh first overall female in the Prickly Pair 50K at McAllister Park here in San Antonio Texas uh I believe fourth overall in the race. It's a hometown race. It's a race uh that actually really put her on on my radar when I did uh the 15k last year in the conversation we talk about uh preparing for the race uh we recorded this before the uh prickly pair um her finish at the Hurt 100 in Hawaii and and kind of a special kind of special connection to to Ultra Running and and the running community in Hawaii uh for her and then also we touch on her kind of really big aspirations for the triple crown of 200s taking that on later this year it's a really awesome conversation I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this and I hope you guys do as well I'll see you all next time peace awesome well I'm glad that we're finally able to uh to sit down for this thank you for uh working with the the schedule a little bit um I like to start all of these uh kind of long form interviews making sure I'm recording um with the same first couple questions for everybody it kind of generates similar responses um vastly different responses in everybody which is always nice um and the first one of those is how did you find running I have been a runner for a long time uh so started running uh did a like a run club when I was probably in fourth or fifth grade and uh really enjoyed it and then got into started doing cross country in seventh or eighth grade I think at that point and then I got into triathlons after that um shortly after that like in eighth grade and just kind of never stopped running but I didn't really get into ultras my first ultra was in November 2023 so it took me a while to get into that.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Which ultra was that uh that was um uh trying to think of the name it was in Lake at the Ozarks Missouri Dogwood Canyons uh 50k okay nice yeah nice that's a great spot for an ultra it sounds like though oh absolutely yeah it was gorgeous um when you kind of think of uh some of the roads uh some of the trails specifically that um you've run in since you've kind of started um when you kind of think of maybe uh the places that have kind of made you so to speak maybe a a a route that's taught you a lesson in a good way um or uh kind of hit you in the face you know um what do you think kind of comes to mind that that uh from that perspective uh for routes that have kind of defined you as a runner actually the the really cool thing about hurt 100 that I just did is I actually started trail running back in Hawaii um when I was stationed in Hawaii and so I first ran on the Tannalist trail system in Hawaii where the HERT 100 takes place and I was so bad at trail running at that point I I was falling like every single run and but it was gorgeous and the community there is amazing and I just kept on coming back and so that was that was the place for me where really got into trail running and just wanted to try to keep at it and keep doing more and keep exploring.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Is that on Oahu? It is nice yeah we'll talk about we'll talk about her um here in a little bit uh because there's certainly uh um just from what I saw on Instagram it looked looked really interesting but there's also uh he he plays very well in that race so we'll we'll talk about it um I uh when you kind of think of uh San so you mentioned a station I assume you are or have been in the military yes I'm in the in the army right now okay specifically kind of in the context of San Antonio how how long have you been in San Antonio I got here in like June of 2023. Where are you from originally? Uh originally from Missouri Okay okay nice in the context specifically of of San Antonio in the time that you've been here in the time that you've done races here trained here what kind of is something that you um love about the San Antonio running scene um and what do you feel is something that is underrated of it I have fallen in love with the San Antonio running scene.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

I was not expecting that coming here because I moved from Hawaii to San Antonio and I had just gotten into troll running was absolutely loving it and and I was just like well gonna need to try to find some trails in San Antonio when I when I got here and I was thinking Texas I wasn't really thinking that there would be a lot of trails and wasn't really sure of the community that was going to be here and it has been absolutely amazing.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

I feel like the I've unfortunately with my schedule with the work I'm not able to go to as many of the group events during the weeks as that as I would like to but the shoot the Maverick running community I've been working with Brian Miller as my coach and the countdown uh community and just so many amazing people in San Antonio that have made me fall in love with this area and I think the people have made it even more than the trells but I was very pleasantly surprised that there are a lot of really good trells and there's a lot of a really amazing runners in San Antonio that it has been just a really cool place to be and to really kind of take off my own running journey with ultras uh just because there's so many great people and to experience it with um question on took my time I forgot it in any case um dang it um it'll it might it might come back uh kind of in the context is specifically in San Antonio you mentioned uh we do you know for being in South Texas um there's certainly uh unless you're kind of in the hill country there's there's not really any you know um crazy kind of within reason crazy kind of elevation spots outside of kind of our go-tos like Friedrich uh the Babcock and Blanco power lines as now we're kind of the go-to spots for for um trail running and San Antonio I I feel like um I feel like the power lines especially if you're out there you're bound to kind of run into somebody who's who's training for something in in some capacity if it's Babcock you know that's where I first met people with trail running is is the power lines. Yeah and I think each one kind of brings its own flair so to speak uh blanco's a little bit more flatter you can go a little faster um Babcock you're hitting a little bit more I think a little bit more elevation potentially probably hiking some of the uphills um got some crazy downhills um and it's it's rolling you know um and it's uh really strong spots and and yeah it's it's a it's a great spot to to meet meet folks I I've the I feel like every time I've been out at Babcock um at least last year every single time um kind of on the back half when you turn around and and are coming back I think it's three or four miles or so um I've I've ran into the same guy every single time with uh lucky poles running up and down one of the one of the hills every single time and I recognize him just by his he's got a a pair of uh Adidas terraxes on every time and it's you know it's uh but that that's where people go that's that's what we have and that's what um you gotta make what make do with what you got um specifically kind of going back to 2025 um uh you came on my radar this was pre-strides pre before I even started the podcast um at the prickly pair 50k um last year uh which is in March early March I believe so coming up here pretty soon yep um we're doing recording this on the 25th of February um and uh I believe you're I believe Ryan uh Ryan Miller your coach placed you placed first in with in the female category and he placed I believe first in the in the male category for the 50k as well yeah um that's right between us yes yes yeah um uh you've got prickly you've got the prickly pair I believe you uh correct me if I'm wrong there was a a uh appearance at the Bandera 100k that was a uh first first place in yes yeah um there's a Leadville finish in there silver rush 50 um I'm probably forgetting some other races as well but would you say and kind of looking back specifically at 25 would you say that you've maybe done some of your best running last year I think the best is yet to come I um I took 2025 to really just go after a whole bunch of bucket list experiences.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Um I didn't really think I was going to be able to run in 2025 uh from 2024 and I was able to still run and so I decided to just sign up for everything that I wanted to do and to try to go out to a big mountain race that I hadn't experienced before go up to altitude which kicked my butt but it was great and I did Havelena hundred as well which was a party in the desert and I had did a lot of fun local races but just just made it just a fun year of exploring and doing hard things but fun things you look at kind of some of the races outside of Texas Texas has um some of you know kind of wonderful races as well Bandera is certainly one of them up there um uh I'm probably forgetting a ton of other there's the Rocky raccoon a couple weeks ago up in near near Huntsville I did Diamond Valley hundred the November prior uh November 2024 east east texas has some stuff West Texas Sky Island and the big band ultra um kind of perfect examples of of uh races at the ultra and sub ultra distance but when you look outside of Texas um in the United States obviously there's western states kind of up there at the top you mentioned 100 black canyon uh in Arizona also a couple weeks ago and then Ludville and Colorado what kind of when you signed up for Ludville and Havelena were those you mentioned kind of bucketlet races what what kind of draw drew you specifically to to to sign up for those two and maybe specifically Leadville career uh Ludville actually I had always always been interested in the story behind Leadville and kind of just the the history behind Leadville itself and knew it was up in the mountains started ab above 10,000 feet and it was just kind of an iconic troll race to do but I actually got the opportunity to race because of uh Ben Lacey uh he raced in 2024 and he volunteered while he was at the race itself and he had um when I found out I was a meeting surgeon was able to still race in 2025 he donated his volunteer hours to me so that I could get into Leadville. His his caveat was he was just like I get to come out there and pace you so he I bonus I got a pacer for the last 38 miles of the race because he came out for that and so was able to go out there because of him. Nice pretty tranquil and then Havelena Havelena's a race that I talked about with uh Ryan about doing just kind of going more towards my strengths as a runner and then it just again looked like a party out there I'd heard about javelina and it looked like just a super fun experience and so wanted to wanted to go out there and experience it. Transitioning out to 2026 um we you so you mentioned hurt 100 off the top um first place finish uh correct yes yes um talk about kind of what it was like coming back to Hawaii to some extent kind of it sounds like where it started um and describe the race for a little a little bit uh you know Hawaii people know where Hawaii is at in the middle of the ocean um but you know talk about the environment talk about the experience you know what what what what drew you to that race also yeah I uh I've always wanted to go back to do Hert 100 I volunteered for the race that was actually the first exposure that I had to any kind of trail racing is when I first moved to Hawaii less than a month later I had a friend that I used to knew from Trahlons and she was just like hey do you want to come volunteer at this event with me and I went to HERT 100 and was a parking lot attendant at the at the race but then went up there and I'm like man this is crazy people actually run a hundred miles and it's and it's the jungle it's a it's a really hard course and I um was just kind of fascinated by it during COVID ended up starting to get more on trills but I was a part of an obstacle course uh they have the Hawaii Sport in Ohana and I was a part of that community there in Hawaii but they there's a lot of connection over to the HERT community which it's the community in Hawaii is I kind of like San Antonio too it's just really special because it's the it's very close knit everyone's very supportive they have established a series of races to make it accessible to people that live on the islands and they so they have the HERT series and they increase in distance throughout the year. I never made it past 22 miles while I lived on the island um but I had been out several times on a hurt loop and uh just to run a loop there and and I always thought like man I can't believe that people do this five times because it's it's it's brutal it's like over the court it was 27,000 feet of climbing and it's it's in the jungle it's like all roots and rocks and there's only there's probably only two or three stretches in there that you can actually that's like smooth running for a half mile or so and like the rest of it's just like super technical um hard trails and it's it's just an adventure. It's an experience there's it's just it's beautiful out there the everyone supporting everybody and you just can't help but take it in and enjoy it. And so I had um actually Art Hurtada he had put up a post uh it says share that rabbit was doing a giveaway for an entry into Hurt100 and I um had he and then Mel uh had sent me the link for for that giveaway because they um both you had mentioned it previously and I signed up and I and I ended up getting it which was not expecting so that was in October of last year um I think a week or two before Havelena and I was just like all right going to turn around and do kind of turn around and do your hurt 100 and because you can't say no to that. And so getting to go there first of all is just kind of like coming full circle like going back and where it all started and being able to do that race again. And it's been definitely a race I wanted to go back to do but it was just kind of went into that race being like hey I want to just like enjoy every moment soak it all in and just have fun out there. And it was it was so cool being back there. I had knew a lot of people out there um actually have two friends that live on island that ended up pacing me uh the last two loops of the course and a friend who's stationed there right now uh helped crew me with another friend who came out came out with me so that was it was pretty special just to be back there racing.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Nice that was in January?

SPEAKER_01 17:50

It was in January yeah January 17th how was the how was the weather what was that continuous it I'm pretty it was like 70 to 75 the entire race um like pretty humid uh it's I would say like a Texas spring with like you know like you get a lot of you you get a lot of humidity it's all it's almost all in the jungle so there it's all like jungle coverage the entire time um so it it just kind of it encompasses you encompasses you in but um it I used a nice bandana the entire time um like even through the night because I was just like hey I'm just gonna keep cool and and keep on running through it um how kind of if at all would you compare it to obviously it's you know the jungle is different from the forest from the hill country the desert um but how would you kind of compare it lengthwise um uh you know elevation wise to any of the races that you've done in Texas outside of Texas like can can you compare it to to something? It it's definitely its own beast um it definitely harder than Leadville um oh okay they so you basically have three you don't go up to eleven elevation but you essentially have like three big mountain climbs um each loop in for HERT and it's there's one like yeah they're all just kind of different but they're a lot more technical of climbs. Um I'm really excited to go back next year uh so if you place top three you can go back the following year and one definitely want to go back but two I finished and I'm just like I could do that at least a couple hours faster by just getting faster at running downhills because I feel like I left so much time out there um just not being able to run the downhills well. And so that will definitely be something I find the most technical downhills either you know like Babcock go out to Guadalupe Mountains go to go to Big Bend and then just try to just run the downhills as fast as I can I think that'll help. But it's yeah it's hard to compare just because it's the technicality of it is just a lot different.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

You mentioned it's it's kind of a a part of a series uh are are there races other races specifically on Oahu or they do they do races on uh on other parts of the the Hawaiian islands or they were all on Oahu for the series yeah but they they do have on uh the other islands they do have other troll races on the other islands by other uh race coordinators gotcha okay yeah um moving into I had heard somebody on a tr on a trail run this was probably in either like December or early January mention um oh Amy's gonna do the uh uh triple crown the 200s triple crown and I was like that's awesome and I it immediately kind of had had was kind of sitting in the back of my hand when I was formatting some of these questions for this interview I was I was like put I put that there was the first thing I put down because I uh I think you're the the first person I've talked to uh for the podcast that um that is uh people have talked have talked about like aspirations to to do it get to it at some point um but what is the triple crowns of 200 for for those that don't know I know what it is but um just do us the this the good service of of describing what it is and then we'll dive in more into it.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

But it's a series of three 200 mile races. So you have Tahoe 200 in June Bigfoot 200 in August and Moab 240 August October. And they their destination trollers put them on. And they are described as not races but adventures of like it's all of them are in really scenic, beautiful locations. And um I've heard nothing but great things. And I am yeah, just super stoked to go out there.

SPEAKER_00 22:26

Yeah. I was watching, there's a YouTuber that I love uh for his kind of race. He he go uh his name's a Westplate. He goes and does um ultras, uh several 200s, and like records the whole the entire time and will just upload kind of like a mass mass video. But he had he did one of this was a couple years ago from um uh Bigfoot, which I believe is in Washington State.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

Washington State, like Northern Casades, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

And it he I think they started near like Mount St. Helens, and I mean it was like insane. The it's a long video. I watched the the the whole thing, but it was um I mean the scenery's crazy. And and then uh obviously Moab, right? Moab's in there? Yeah, Moab's. What did you say was the second one? I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

Uh so the first one is Tahoe. Tahoe, okay in in June.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

Um, yeah, so just uh obviously, you know, the 200 mile distance, uh and there's even uh obviously, you know, 200 nearing the 300 mile distance. Well, even now there is you know, yeah, there's the monster like the Arizona monster, and uh, you know, so the distances just keep getting, you know, it's after that it's it's like transcontinental, I guess. You know, something like you know, jumping up to that that point. But what I guess what kind of drew you to, you know, specifically the church, the the you know, the triple crown, um, and I guess kind of what excites you about the what excites you about, you know, the 200 mile distance?

SPEAKER_01 23:58

I I think my greatest strength as a runner is honestly just like grit and joy. Um I I think that when I I'm definitely not the fastest runner out there, but I put in a lot of training and work because I just absolutely love it and really love the I love the adventure of it. Like I loved getting out there and then just testing myself to see what I'm capable of, just mentally and physically. Um, but I also like to compete. I I definitely enjoy competition and competing. And I, yeah, I think haven't ever done a 200, but I think it might be a a sweet spot for me to go after because I I never have gotten to a point in a hundred. Like I I loved it out there during during her 100. And it took 27 hours. It was a long freaking race, but I I never got to the point where I'm just like, what am I doing? Or, you know, this isn't fun. Like I had fun the entire time. And so I think I'm really looking forward to it. I think it'll be, I think it'll be fun to be out there for, you know, two plus days running and making my way around some beautiful scenery and getting to enjoy it. And I was toying with the idea initially of doing Tahoe 200 and was uh actually talking to Ken. Uh and he he was just like, hey, maybe I'll maybe I'll sign up for Tahoe 200 as well. And then when I was looking into it more, I was like, oh, there's the triple crown. I could I could do all three of these. And then I decided that I was going to, I wanted to do that where my kind of 2026 goal is to get through the to do the triple crown and just just see what that whole experience was about. And I know there's gonna be some big competition out there, but I want to try to go after it and try to compete. I I know they say it's not a race, but definitely gonna be racing it and having fun out there.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

Yeah, yeah. What what's the um so it's the three races? What's the um what's the time frame kind of between I think you may have mentioned it, but but remind me again what the time frame is between between the three?

SPEAKER_01 26:15

Yeah, so it's mid-June for Tahoe 200, the end of August for Bigfoot, or third weekend of August for Bigfoot, and then second weekend of October for Moab 240.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Nice. Are you do you so for for those races for uh for for Hurt, for Ludville, um, are you do you do you have have you gone in with kind of the same group of people that are pacing you for all of these instances or or are these also kind of some of the same people that you're training with here in San Antonio?

SPEAKER_01 26:50

Um you know, honestly, for all of my big races that I've traveled to, it's been different people. Um, and I I will say for local races and Leadville, um uh Ben Lacey and then Del Londos uh have both helped me out quite a bit, which has been super fun. And then, but for the races that I've traveled to, so Silver Rush, my cousin, came out and helped me out there, which was which was awesome. For uh Havelina, my mom actually came to my one of my the first ultrasound she's been at, which was which was super cool to have her out there. And then Shannon, who's local here in San Antonio and Grace Kilrory, they they came out and paced me, um it which just made it that much more fun. Uh, that was the longest distance uh Grace had ever ran before leading up to the the San Antonio uh marathon. So that was cool. And then Hurt was two classmates from PT school who didn't really know anything about ultras when they came out to Crew Me. And then uh and then two friends that were on island that paced me, um, or three friends on island that paced me for that one. So that was I think it's just I when I got into ultras, like the first race I ever did, uh I, you know, just did drop bags and I actually did bandera as well in 2024 and just did drop bags and uh I had no business of running 100k at that point. I was not trained up for it, but it got me hooked to the distance. Um, but just did drop bags there. But then for Dino Valley 100, when I did that in 2024, I had uh Marina, Soli, two friends here uh here that crewed me, and then I had quite a few friends come out to pace and support. And it just made the experience just so much more fun having having people to share it with. And so it's that's been just part of the fun and the adventure for these races. And I think that'll end up being the case for the 200s. I have it have a couple of people for each one so far committed. I still need to put together uh crew and pacers for each of those. Uh, but it's I think it it just makes it even more fun to share the experience with others.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

I uh I I I could kind of go in like all in um on like hydration and nutrition when it comes to to trail running in general, but especially kind of into these ultra um level distances. What are kind of your go-tos, so to speak, when it comes to uh that department? You know, obviously there's a bevy of different, I mean, it's insane how many kind of running products from a carbs perspective and hydration. Um I've seen I've seen you with like precision stuff at times. What kind of are your are your you know, tried and true um uh hydration and nutrition um uh go-tos?

SPEAKER_01 30:13

I really just use precision. Um I started probably the first up until about a month before Dido Valley, I was doing a whole bunch of different things and having a lot of stomach issues, and I get a lot of stomach issues when I run, so I kind of have to be careful about it. Um and then then Ben Melisia had recommended precision and like splitting carbs and electrolytes, and so tried that out and it worked. And so the first hundred that I did, I literally only use gels and uh the I I use their like both the regular gels, their caffeinated gels, and then I'll do the their electrolyte, like basically packets mixed in with my my water, and that's really what I've stuck to just because it works. Um going into the 200s, I am going to be mixing in, like occasionally do you like add in like anything potato related in a race, like mashed potatoes, uh, boiled potatoes, potato chips, like potatoes and I are pretty good friends, so I can do anything potato. Um, but going into the 200s, I know I'm gonna start experiment experimenting with some real food and try that out. I'm gonna do a 36-hour test out on probably Blanco Power Lines mid-May and to just try to figure out, make sure I can take in the real food, see how the I'm hoping I can just run through and not need sleep. But if I need sleep, see if I can just do like a power nap and then continue on. So we'll see what happens.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Yeah, and then well, that's another like interesting aspect too, especially to the to the 200-mile distance. Like I, you know, I don't I say this having never run a hundred mile race, but um, you know, I don't think people are sleeping on these, you know, like most of these races are have 24 hour cutoffs, maybe you know, 25, 26 plus, you know, under 30. Um, but once you kind of step it started to step into this kind of 200 mile distance, now people are considering sleep. Maybe. Um uh I I know the the how the kind of the triple crown kind of got on my radar initially was um Killian Korth uh last year that that ran it. Um and I think there was like a record kind of involved with with his completion of the three and stuff. And um uh yeah I I can't imagine you know running a 200 mile race without a little sleep, but you know, it's uh it's it's one of those many things that you kind of add to the in add into the mix on top of you know your pace if it's if you're if if that's what you're you know, keeping in mind and food and and conditions, you know, and all you know, some of these races, I think I know I think from Moab, like there's certain things that you have to carry on you and you have to have anything. No, kind of all of all of these things to consider. And so it's it's um exciting.

SPEAKER_01 33:16

It's definitely gonna be an adventure. It's yeah. It'll be fun.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Outside of the the triple crown, um before maybe after, you know, are there other kind of uh what what what is uh your kind of race calendar for the rest of the year look like?

SPEAKER_01 33:32

Um I'll I'll be doing prickly pear in less than two weeks. I have to go, I I love that race. It's like my favorite local race to do. Um so I'll be back there. And then besides that, I'm definitely planning to do a lot of fun training trips uh to like Davis, Davis Mountains, uh probably I I love Guadalupe Mountains, Big Bend, uh just get around to try to go out someplace each month and then Harpley Hopp and will definitely be hopping on some local races just for training races leading up to it, but don't have anything set in stone for sure for that. But triple crown and hurt in January of next year, but um everything else will just be just be for fun.

SPEAKER_00 34:25

I want to close out with um uh uh I've found um a interview you did with the Ultra Minute, which is a um I think I I don't know if it's Ken Seals, which I believe he's he's based out of Austin. Um uh does I don't I don't think they've it's I haven't seen a post from it's in any case, it's a substack that that kind of covers uh you know ultra running ultra running news uh uh and and and last year had a kind of like a profile. I believe it was August of last year, maybe I had it pulled up, but um kind of a profile on you uh talking all things running. Um and uh he mentioned in there a uh or there's an editor's note at the top that talked about kind of uh um a lot of your the the you were doing kind of fundraising for a lot of your races for uh Christian Christmas children's uh care. Um and I know that there's kind of a uh in your kind of story at large, kind of a cancer diagnosis. Um what kind of how has kind of raising funds for cancer research, cancer um care uh affected your running and and what has that kind of diagnosis, how has that kind of maybe changed your your perspective on on um this running journey?

SPEAKER_01 35:50

It it definitely plays a big role. I I've always thought running is more than just me. And it like running after I got diagnosed with cancer is probably the probably the one of the biggest things that helped me through it and to help me kind of cope with it, to deal with it, to kind of face terms with it. And I and it's a gift to be able to run. Like it really, really is a gift, and I think I truly embraced that at the time. Um, because when I did my first 200 miler, I thought that was also going to be my last 200 miler because I was supposed to be getting a hemipelvectomy two weeks later. And I when I did my pre-op scans three days after the 100 miler, I found out I didn't need to get it anymore. Like my tuber tumor had remained stable, and my um orthoroncologist had told me he was just like, you know what? I know you love to run, you might as well keep running. Like we can just we can monitor this and we can we can just see what happens. We haven't done this before, but let's just let you keep running. And it really wanted to take advantage of that and also to be able to give back. Um the I know I'm very, very fortunate to have all of my medical care through the military, and really everything that I'm doing is not standard of care um for this type of cancer, and it normally affects children as well. Um, so 70% of patients with sort coma are kids. And so Christas Children's, my orthoroncologist, he also does pro boner work for Christmas Children's. And I had reached out to him to ask him if there was a place that I could do fundraising through with my running, since I wanted to keep running and I felt like it was a gift that I was getting for time for that. And he had he had said he was just like, well, a place near and dear to my heart and had shared information about Christas. And I was like, you know what? I want to do that. And they so they serve underinsured and uninsured children in the South Texas region for the the Krista Children's Cancer Center here in San Antonio. So all funds go directly to that, either for their immediate care or for rehab. And I kind of I chose$35,000 as a fundraiser goal for that overall, like throughout all of my races, just because that's the cost of typically the cost of one child who's uninsured to receive care there. And they won't turn anyone away, but it's all based off of fundraising and donations. And so being able to have that has definitely um, I think the the race that stands out to me the most was well, two different races. One Leadville. I I've been for each of my races, I will um I do the fundraising based off of like either a pledge per mile that I'm racing, or and then I pick some what I feel like is a far-reached goal of trying to get at each race uh to as like a bonus amount if people are able or willing to donate, um if I'm able to get that that reached goal. And so for Ludville, I had it for the big buckle uh time there. And I did Silver Rush as a training race and I found that I'm really bad at altitude, like really bad. So I I knew it was gonna be hard and a challenge to do. But I uh when I got back to Twin Lakes and I picked up Mel and like altitude kicked my ass on Hope Pass, and I was just like, hey, you gotta get me there within this time because I need to get this this fundraiser goal. And um, that definitely gave me that extra push out there for that. And then Havelina, um it was not the race I was wanting to have out there, but it was still amazing. Like it, I just kind of had to change perspectives of like, hey, I get to do this, it's not my day, and and that is okay. But I also ended up getting a hematoma in my hip flexor. Um so it was it was definitely like a supper with joy kind of a race, but it was uh, I'm not gonna stop because I have this goal of I'm gonna finish this race and do this and get through it. And so just kept running. And it was also a I was having my like surveillance scans the following Tuesday after that. That would also determine if I was able to run this year. And so I was just like, hey, I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be able to run. So I I need to finish this. And that also is a reason why I'm just jumping all into the Triple Crown of 200s, is because like it it time is really a gift. Like, you don't know, I can't take it for granted. And I want to do this and keep on adventuring and keep on doing things as long as I can. But I also know that anytime I have a surveillance scan, there is a chance that if my tumor changes at all, I have to go directly into surgery. And so I'm just gonna keep on doing all these crazy goals and all these things that I want to do. And I think it gives me that kind of freedom of not. I think otherwise it's very easy to have that apprehension of signing up or saying yes. And it has really opened the door to just like I think Hurt was a perfect example of that of just racing for the joy of it, like just enjoying the experience, being there every in every moment, and then not saying no to these cool opportunities that we get to do.

SPEAKER_00 41:54

Awesome. I really appreciate that perspective. Thank you for sharing that. And uh yeah, thank you for your time. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 42:01

Thank you, thank you so much. It was uh definitely an honor to come on here and and talk with you, so thanks.

SPEAKER_00 42:07

Yeah, thank you. Stick around with me just for a second.