Race: 24 The Hard Way (the 24-Hour National Championship) Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Race Director: Chisholm Deupree (kind, well-organized, hospitable, so so so great) Race Summary: I probably won’t finish this race report, to make it reflective of my race. I'm not super upset, though. I have this vision of being 90 and deciding to power walk across America in a cardigan, turtleneck, and wind pants, so I need to remain structurally sound until then. Conceptual foundation for my grief: The Greek word for perseverance is hupomone, which means to “remain under” a yoke, burden, or ..read more

"Few men during their lives come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used." - Richard Byrd Growing up, I was afraid to smile outdoors for fear that my teeth would get sunburned. Every summer, I watched as my skin became darker and my hair grew lighter, so I knew one of two things could happen: My teeth would be bleached, or they would settle into a deep shade of tan. I have never been a gambler. 2nd grade yearbook photo. This haircut had built-in ear muffs. I evangelized my convictions to my second grade classroom, an ..read more

Hi! Thanks so much for all of the love, support, and kind messages you've sent me in the wake of the 24-Hour World Championships. My race report can be found on irunfar.com this time, at this link. Thanks! Sabrina  ..read more

portrait by a professional artist 8th grader One of my students drew a picture of me every day for two weeks, so eventually, I started brushing my hair more nicely and making sure my outfits matched. I entered the school building today to the tune of a 7th grade boy telling his friends he beat me during warm-up laps in our morning workout. His back was turned, so as I walked by I added, “Mrs. Little is slower than my grandma,” and darted into the copy room. These days, I am hanging out with a pretty rough crowd. They all wear neatly pressed uniforms, say things like "yes, ma'am," read in L ..read more

Event: Bandera 100K: USATF National Championships Race Results: 3rd Place, auto-bid to Western States Weather: Perfect! (misty, humid, 66 degrees at the start) Never cold, never uncomfortable. Race summary: There comes a time in every girl's life when she is hungrier for more cereal than the capacity of her stomach will feasibly allow. Today is my day for that. Mountain racing is exhausting.  There is a metal bird on my mantlepiece--the perfect signifier of ultramarathoning? and...metal craft.  On Tuesday, I told David there was a race in Bandera--not to ask if I could run it--mor ..read more

Today we ran a marathon together because David is the best, and dreams come true. It felt like when you are five, and you’ve built a fort out of chairs and blankets. You want to show your mom what you’ve made. To your delight, she doesn’t just sit outside of it but crawls in to enjoy it with you, from the inside. That’s what David did. He came inside my fort of distance running and delighted in it with me. It was wonderful, and he was outstanding. We ran the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, which goes from downtown Dallas, through Highland Park, around White Rock Lake, and back. The race began at ..read more

Race: UltraCentric 24-Hour (Texas 24-Hour State Championship) Race Results: First place overall, male and female. Approx. 135-136 miles (67.75 laps). Race Summary: Sometimes, when farmers domesticate goats, they grind down their facial horns because goats are intractable, so the goats are left with raised stumps on their foreheads. I have one now, but it’s a bruise from my headlamp pressing against my cranium while I ran because life is complicated. Course: Unlike other 24-hour road events, this course is distinctively not flat. It is sinusoidal, like a soup bowl. The road is also cracked a ..read more

I am wobbly and swollen today but also blithe and jaunty. If you saw me, you might think, "Wow, she doesn't look too great." But it's like that oft repeated adage:  Never judge a girl by the swollenness of her legs.  She might be blithe and jaunty.  Results: 1st Place, 135.3 miles Race Status: The worst one of my life. Weather: Rain. When it eventually cleared up, I was already demoralized and soggy. The glass is half full: I might have gotten all sweaty, but there'd be no way of knowing since I was drenched. Ultramarathoning has allowed me to experience a lot of the world ..read more

I'll add more pictures as I get them. Results: 147.9 miles/24 hours. National Champion. American Record. Personal Record by 10.8 miles. Hair—messy but manageable. Race summary: My face got a little sunburned while I was running outside, and I ate the refried beans out of 9 burritos after nightfall. Race report: I love ultramarathons, and the 24-hour is my favorite event. It almost makes me drool: a Pavlovian response. I wanted to give North Coast my undivided attention, but school has been crazy. So I lost a lot of sleep, and I tightened my transition times within my run-library-run-librar ..read more

Both of my legs lost a very good friend today: my favorite red pants. Two days ago, I was leaving the house for a long run, and my Utah Roommate told me I looked like a pirate. That is a creative way for a kind person to tell you that your pants are shredded at the bottom. You need new pants. There was nothing else in my appearance that would lend itself to piracy, so I read between the lines. For months now, my family has been trying to take these pants away from me, but there is no closer bond than that between a girl and a pair of pants that are weighted with nostalgia. They’re my m ..read more