Miriam in her own words:
“I am also an ordinary ultra runner. I have finished eight 50 mile ultras, three 100 mile ultras, six 24-hour, 1 48-hour ultra, and one 60 hour ultra. I also ran several virtual ultras and marathons during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I began running ultras after watching Leslie Stahl interview elite world-class ulta runners Dean Karnazes and Pam Reed on 60 Minutes in 2004.
I have been running ultras since 2005. Prior to running ultras, I completed nine marathons, eight half-marathons, one 10 miler, and five 5Ks. I have been running competitively since 1989.
I am a published author, freelance writer, interviewer, and book reviewer. You can read my publications in the Writing Life tab. In my blog you'll find interviews with ultrarunners, such as Jacob Moss, Kevin Hoegler, Dean Karnazes, Camille Herron, Bart Yasso, Charlie Engle, Pamela Chapman Markle, Catra Corbett, Gene Dykes, and Peter Morgan.I write book reviews, and articles about gardening, the national parks, spirituality, cancer caregiving, and more.
I am a cancer caregiver. I have been running virtual ultra running events during the Covid-19 pandemic to raise money for a GoFundMe campaign I established - Ultra Care for Cancer Caregivers."
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Show notes
Who is Miriam
Born and raised in Connecticut
Starting to get into running after a break-up
2005 - running her first 50 mile Ultra Marathon
Getting hooked on ultra running
Why she loves running
Plotting her next ultra
Turning 63 years young
Being a writer and a blogger in 2017
Writing for the Huffington Post and working on her memoir
Being her husbands cancer care giver
Learning more about her childhood and early years
Not being athletic as a child
Being the tallest girl in the class
Using running to reduce stress
Running 9 marathons but finding that there were too many people
Placing 3rd in her first 24hr race
Running a 3 mile loop around a lake in Massachusetts
Dealing with some health challenges
Having a hysterectomy in 2012
Dealing with complications post surgery
Allowing her body time to heal
Going back to her first ultra
Running an ultra of gratitude
Mental resilience while running
Using running to heal her body
Feeling blessed to be running
Why she knows she is never running alone
Feeling god’s presence
Running with purpose
Coming in dead last in her 2nd ultra and why it was joyful
Focusing on track ultras
Making running work for her and John
Celebrating her 60th birthday by running 60 miles on a 1 mile loop
Dedicating a run to John and his surgeons
Running for others and wanting to raise funds for Cancer Care Givers
Ultra Care for Cancer Care Givers
Training for her 30th ultra track race
99 laps to go!
Pacing while running on a track
Running speed to reach 100 miles
How her running speed has changed over the years
Starting off fast on track races
What can happened during track ultra races
Dealing with variables that you can’t control
Not wanting to risk any injury
Fuelling and nutrition while running ultra races
Having a vanilla milkshake at 50 miles
The power of ginger and how it helps with feelings of nausea
Dealing with sleep deprivation at mile 60/70
Starting to do strength training and going indoor climbing
Not doing anything differently for rest and recovery
Sleep is overrated!!!!
Waking up automatically at 7am
Going to bed at 1am/2am
Her love of reading and writing book reviews for her website blog
Having over 1,300 books in her home
How you can connect with Miriam
How she got the name UltraMiriam
Final words of advice to get you into ultra running
Why you should work your way up and build up endurance
Why you shouldn’t compare yourself to other runners
Social Media
Website: www.miriamdiazgilbert.com
Facebook: @ultramiriam
Twitter: @ultramiriam
Instagram: @ultramiriam
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