@meg_runs_happy

SWAP HATS ARE IN THE WILD!!!! We’ve already reached what feels like peak Nesquik drinking, trail romping silliness in these hats and we are still waiting on the crop tops (and other gear) to arrive. My life vibe in this season of life (and really every season of life) is why wear my hair down when I can wear a backwards hat that says “Woohoo!”? So I’m selfishly excited on this delivery, but even more excited to spread the woohooo love to our team and pod crew ❤️

Sometimes I miss contact sports (or semi-contact sports…whatever you call field hockey and soccer), but then I remember that I still do contact sports, just with piles of rocks. After this happened, I convinced the referee in my head that the rock totally stuck out an unfair elbow. There is something oddly life affirming about 6 AM trail face plants (or at least the ones like these where you stand up and are like…I’m good, I’m soooo good, now it’s time to throw some redemption elbows). Leo is also in a face planting phase of life and I am glad he agrees!

I’ve gathered enough inspiration from the UTMB races to power an uphill tempo and to last until we move to Chamonix (JK, kinda). This place is magical from the mountains to the people to the breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner baguettes. It’s been a gift to get to experience it all alongside our athletes! We made the most out of a 4 hour babysitter today and had a date romping along trails and collecting vert coins. Also, random, but sunscreen here is 20 Euro and the sun hasn’t been strong aside from today. I don’t really know how to put on makeup but I have this face cream bronzer thing I pull out when I feel like a zombie. It has SPF 30, so I slathered that good, good stuff all over my body. Bronzed biceps > burned biceps 😂

We try to tell athletes before races that they already have everything they could ever need, and the event is just about expressing themselves with love and belief. As coaches, our role is to stand on the sidelines and try to give them a little emotional tailwind in that direction. This year at the UTMB races, we tried to get to random (but pivotal) parts of the course to express to athletes how much we care about them. It has been the most life-affirming trip! SWAP had 7 athletes in the top-12 of OCC, CCC, and UTMB, with some lifelong breakthroughs from some of our best friends. We also had some tough days and stomach implosions. Sports are beautiful and beautifully brutal. Most of all, we are carrying away so much inspiration. Every athlete out there on that course took thousands of risks to wind up in that position. Race results are dust in the wind, but that courage? That’s what it’s all about. We are extremely sleep-deprived, but more full of life than we have ever been before. Thank you to this whole community, from Jim and Courtney to someone out there trying out their first ever run. We don’t control much on this journey, but as we yelled at Drew as he flew away toward La Fouly in CCC, there is one thing we can all strive to do… BELIEVE!!!!!! 🙌🧡

Happy Anniversary, @mountainroche ! Cheers to 9 years of marriage and 12 years of wild adventures, questionable jokes, and sexy science. Our anniversary was actually 10 days ago, but I was sick, and so our plans to visit our mountain wedding meadow for a picnic got changed to eating at a Taco Bell in Leadville on our way back home. It was one of my favorite dates though and I smiled the rest of the drive home thinking that love is enjoying the heck out of a spontaneous Crunch Wrap Supreme, the mountains, and each other’s company (and coughs and jokes) on the side of a highway ❤️😂🔥 We head to Chamonix today to coach at UTMB and to keep celebrating in the mountains!! Come hang with us if you are there!

Mitochondria Girl Summer! I’m in the process of clawing, scrapping, mountain legging, steep biking, and protein shaking my way back to fitness in the high mountains. And the process is so much fun 🙏 I’ve reached a level of peace with wherever this journey goes—if I reach my old performance levels, great…if not, I’m here to enjoy the ride. But today, on day one of a high mountain training camp, I ran my second fastest uphill time on Aspen Mountain. (I’ve done the uphill run, root beer at the summit, gondola down many times…it’s a more fun version of an uphill treadmill.) I’m lower mileage, higher cross training than I’ve ever been, and it was a fun reminder that there are many different paths to fitness (and mitochondria) and many different journeys to explore ahead ❤️

We are putting in the work in the Col de Jamestown for the U26 (months) white jersey….watch out Pogacar! Leo’s hard earned Strava segments might get flagged though until his feet can reach the pedals and he can dismantle his Mama Bear bike motor. 8 months old (+28 days) is a joy! Leo is putting out watts to move in every direction (most often in the general direction of nearly smashing his face in the ground) and it’s a blast to keep up ❤️

WE COMIN’ BACK! Yesterday, was such a fun day at the Aspen Power of Four 25K 🥇 I’m starting to dream big again, and in that process I want to keep putting myself in all kinds of race situations (with ample post race hot dogs, swipe 😂) where I can learn and grow. Postpartum running is truly a wild journey that I don’t think is talked about in enough granularity. Yesterday was a big confidence builder, but at 8 months postpartum (plus some extra caution to recover from heart issues), I still feel like my body is adapting and recovering in many ways. Especially my various cracks! I have learned to love the rocky process… with a little hot dog crusher by my side. I’m trying to build back my body, but my self-acceptance has never been stronger (no matter what happens in training and racing). Big kudos to @mountainroche for a 25K 🥇with that leg speed and slow twitch muscle fiber, @shesallgood21 for a smoking fast 50K 🥇, @km_luther for the Leo wrangling, and @aspensnowmass for putting on a gorgeous race and snagging this pic.

Summer in the high country lights my soul on fire (and my lats from tossing this 20-pound, smiling dumbbell and my quads from trying to hold @mountainroche ‘s sexy wheel at 12,000 feet). Recently, life in the high country has been a combo of being silly with my creatures and putting my head down and grinding up mountains (and in more and more flow state moments, I’m able to channel a combination of both). SILLY SLAYER is my new mantra. Leo is catching on too, because hill strides (swipe) are at the heart and soul of silly slaying.

I will remember this year’s Western States magic forever 😭🔥 The women made history! Courtney and Katie ran under course record and in the process gave an inspirational tailwind to the whole field. The stories from some of our SWAP athletes are just a microcosm of everyone who stood on the start line. Last year, @kt_asmuth (F4) finished 9th with a broken navicular, which was pinned in surgery a few weeks later. From scooters to crutches to bonkers elliptical workouts to the illness ratio of a mom with two young kids, she clawed back to this start line and to the finish, running one of the fastest times in history. This was @prissyforgie ‘s (F8) first 100 mile finish. Western States wasn’t on her racing schedule until a late Golden Ticket at Canyons 100K. She raced a smart, gritty, blazing fast race, running with joy and paced spontaneously by her partner Dan, who is going to be so, so sore today. Everyone who came through the women’s top 10 asked us about @leah_yingling (F9). Her fatigue resistance is legendary and no one wants to be chased by Leah. Leah’s time is as incredible as the impact she leaves on sport by uplifting the community in everything she and partner @shitinthewoods do. At 25, @gomegmo (F10) was the 2nd youngest competitor in the field, taking on her first 100. In classic Meg fashion, she went to work as a deeply intelligent, hilarious, spreadsheet-loving athlete, while mixing in lots of belief. Meg, I can’t wait for you to come back and spread your magic at this race. My favorite quote of the night goes to @adventuresofjenthar (F11). When the top 10 get invited back to race, 11th can be the hardest finish. But Jenny looked at us and said, “I might be the happiest 11th finisher ever”… (and she’s definitely the fastest). What an incredible race! Finally, to @rye.outside (14) who has the skillset to podium, but struggled with GI issues early on—we are so proud of you. They way someone handles puke says a lot about character, and Riley, you are a masterclass of a human. We love you all ❤️ PC: 3,6,7,8,9 @shitinthewoods PC: 2,4 @irunfar

We did it! Officially finished that PhDizzle and got to carry Baby Leo across the stage for the diploma (which I held upside down for photos…carrying a baby is the best hall pass for all of life’s minor blunders). This one means a lot. I am proud of myself for taking the trail less traveled by skipping residency and carving a path in female athlete health and performance within the field of epidemiology. It was scary (and still is at times) to do something more untraditional, but I’ve learned to trust my joy compass. At the start of medical school, I was skeptical about sports medicine and research—I was worried that since I loved competing so much, I would need more balance in life outside of sports. In time though I realized that my passion for sports is exactly the reason I should follow this trail, and I’m so grateful I made that leap—my joy for all of athletics has only magnified 18x in this process. This degree is shared with so many people. Big thank you to everyone who contributed, shared their love, and helped me officially check ALL the boxes to get Leo this silly hat to chew on. So much love ❤️

A little bit of life recently: 1. I’m getting back in touch with my inner mountain goat on trails! I even went an entire long run without rolling my ankles, which brings us to: Megan 1, Floppy postpartum ankles 48. 2. I assembled a BOB running stroller myself…maybe someday I will actually touch my gravel bike with a tool. 3. My mom thought we were running too fast with the running stroller and sent us a helmet for Leo 😂 (We love you, Nana!) 4. Our car got stolen in downtown Denver. On the bright side, it’s a shocking upset I didn’t get it towed. 5. Hot take: Target is more fun with a baby and a backpack 6. Not hot take: @mountainroche is the best ❤️