Flagstaff, Arizona. Boulder, Colorado. Mammoth Lakes, California. Have you guessed this article will have something to do with altitude? If so, you’d be right, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. In the winter of 2019, I began researching places at significant altitude to spend the month of July. The expected places would be pricey and, well, expected. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m not one to deliver on “expected.” Then, having caught wind of my hunt, a Club Northwest teammate planted the Albuquerque seed.”I’ll go with you, and we can stay with my family!” Sold. ABQ, here I come!

Joe Gray speaks out against racism.

With everything that’s happening recently, I’ve been doing a fair bit of reflection on my own race and how much of an impact it’s played on my life.

There’s a phenomenon taking place in social interactions around the globe. Just when you think you’re in good company--BOOM!--you find yourself bewildered by a conversation everyone seems to get but you. As if social isolation wasn’t enough, you’re made to feel further ostracized when the only clarity these supposed friends offer you is, “It’s a meme.” 

Some people taper leading up to a goal race, even taking a rest day the day before the big event. Others bike commute to their job as an Orthopedic Surgeon, perform surgery on three total joints, and wake up not once, not twice, but at least three times before the big race to nurse their two-year-old and play with two kids under four. Ok, maybe just Club Northwest athlete Laura Matsen Ko. Following her recent win at USAC Cyclocross Nationals in Fort Steilacoom, WA, Laura, in between parenting, work duties, and “off” season rides, provided a glimpse into her go-go-go life.

Deep fried turkey, brined turkey, roasted turkey, stuffed turkey, tofurky, and, of course, turkey trots! That’s right, we are a mere three days away from all things turkey. Participating in a community run on Thanksgiving has become as much of a tradition on this day of thanks as pumpkin pie. However, we’ve yet to solidify as a Thanksgiving tradition a simple act of gratitude that, too, can become tradition if we embrace it with the same fervor as the turkey trot: land acknowledgment. In the Seattle area, this means “honoring and acknowledging the land on which you work and play” as the traditional land of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes, the first people of Seattle.

People often talk about work/life balance. Less frequently discussed, however, is the balance between a sport, when embraced with the same fervor as a career, and other interests that spark joy and serenity. Given the tenacity with which athletes approach their sport, it’s inevitable that they experience stressors from the training, racing, performing, fueling, competing, injury, etc. Therefore, striking a balance between sport and self-care becomes a necessity in order to maintain the intensity, duration, and frequency required to participate competitively without cracking under pressure. Staying grounded is such a uniquely individual endeavor that not only can we learn from the journeys of others, but we can partake vicariously in their joy through their accounts--Instagram accounts included! The stories below reflect the strength and vulnerability inherent in these athletes as well as their personal quests for balance.

At the retreat, we created a greater sense of unified community with the unspoken intent to be agents of the change we all long to see for future generations of women - physical prowess, vulnerability, resilience, and uninhibited freedom and joy.

For many, their first introduction to Club Northwest happens at the start line of local races. Whether toeing the line alongside a CNW runner or spotting the recognizable orange singlet from afar, people who attend Seattle-area running events regard Club with varying degrees of familiarity but familiarity nonetheless. What many people may not know, however, is that Club Northwest is more than just a hub for a select few pursuing Olympic trials qualifying times.

Living authentically opens doors, and I couldn’t have predicted the winding path that led me to coaching. I had agreed to pace a friend’s high-school aged daughter at a CNW All Comer’s Meet. Together we successfully smashed her PR, and she introduced me to her coach. I was giddy with the joy of mentoring a young runner and was delighted when he emailed me and asked if I’d like to come assistant coach cross-country. Coaching has always been a dream of mine, so I was really thrilled that I was finally in a portion of my life where I could. In my excitement, I started researching the school, only to discover that it was both private and Christian.

It goes without saying that longtime Club Northwest athlete Joseph “Joegezi” Gray is one of the most accomplished mountain runners to date. His daunting list of professional accomplishments includes a number of both national  and world championship titles.

I remember people by a collection of poignant memories, a handful of individual moments that collectively illustrate their whole. The tapestry of memories woven together to form Ashley Nichols includes reimagined Disney tales fireside at the 2017 Northwest Women’s Retreat and strategizing with teammates at the start line of the 2018 Sudden Valley XC meet. The most defining moment, however, took place on the lake trail at Moran State Park. Likely somewhere within her umpteenth mile, Ashley came charging around a bend in the trail, with the fierceness of a warrior charging into battle. It is this fierceness--this outward expression of her fathomless internal grit--that is the Ashley forever etched into my memory.