UPDATES

5.2.2012 - It is hard to believe that the relay is less than 6 weeks away! I spent a couple weeks last month running in the deserts, canyons, and mountains of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado and came back feeling SO strong. Now my focus is on my back to back long runs on the weekends. It is definitely tiring but I know logging those tough miles now will help a lot come the Ragnar Relay. I was in a minor car accident back in February which aggravated some old injuries and set me back in terms of my running, but I am so happy to be running pain free and feel like I will be prepared come June 8^th. My supportive teammates, friends and family have helped a lot! 

Through logging these miles, fundraising, and getting the word out about the event and Shining Stars, I have found that I find inspiration in different places all the time. Some weeks it’s a song that resonates (like ‘Shake it Out’ by Florence and the Machine), or a note of encouragement from an unlikely source (thank you Carlos Daniels Sr.) The last couple weeks it is from the movie ‘Ride the Divide.’ I will undoubtedly be listening to this movie during my final leg of Ragnar and be thinking of people like Matthew Lee and Mary Metcalf-Collier as I push through obstacles I’ve never encountered. Endurance athletes are an odd breed, and am grateful to at times be being grouped with the likes of such tenacious, limitless people.

Thanks everyone for your donations, sponsorships, and encouragement! We are embracing every part of our preparation for the big event!



2.7.12 - Hello everyone! Training is well underway for the relay and I am loving it so far.  I thrive on details, so coordinating sleep, food, logistics, and mileage has been great.  Tonight I’m running between 15 and 17 and am SO ready to get started.  I will be on the treadmill at the gym which some people think is crazy, but I love not having to bundle up, worry about ice, and I don’t have to carry anything which is a definite plus.  My iPod is full of new music (mostly O.A.R.), I boiled my little red potatoes last night and have my sea salt to add to them later, chicken broth ready to be heated up, and my favorite orange Cliff Shot Blocks.  A perfect running dinner!

Thanks so much to those of you that have donated to the Shining Stars Foundation already!  We love getting the updates as to who has donated and it makes us even more eager to run well and fundraise more.  It’s very motivating to think of all the kids we are helping!  So special THANK YOUs go out to Jill Jensen, Daniel Hanrahan, Dave Mari, Stef Beckwith, Matt Solomon, Curt Peerenboom, Sam Huntington, and Corina Owan.  We greatly appreciate it!    

ABOUT TRACEY

For the last 20 years of my life, there has been a significant constant in my life, and that is running. From the time I was in middle school cross country I was hooked. I loved the physical challenge, the fresh air of all four seasons, and the personal way you interact with nature. As I grew in my running I began to race beyond 5 and 10Ks to half marathons, 5 full marathons, and my first ultramarathon last September. These races have taken me around the country from the city streets to oceans to mountains. Running has provided me with an outlet to truly be myself and be connected with my body, but what I find even more significant is the way running can bring people together and make a truly substantial impact. Many of the races I have run were fundraisers for charities, and with the Ragnar Relay in June 2012, I am excited for my team to take on a personal fundraising effort to benefit the Shining Stars Foundation.

Outside of running I enjoy coaching cross country and track at Edgewood High School in Madison, Wisconsin, hiking, snowboarding and spending time with friends and family.