I was an on-again, off-again runner until my mom got sick. I took care of her for most of the last year of her life. After she passed away, my husband (Jeff Beason) encouraged me to get out and start running again. During one of our neighborhood runs we met some fellow runners and the rest is history. I didn’t have the best childhood or the best beginnings of adulthood. My father died at a young age and my mother passed away about seven years ago. I used to think I just got dealt a bad hand in life. Finally, I realized that life is just life. It’s full of ups and downs and sideways slides and it’s up to me to enjoy the journey. I’m no longer afraid of spiders and snakes, or big scary things lurking in the forest. Trail running has given me a place to go when I need some peace in my life. I think my life is better with running in it. I’ve discovered that I can do things that I never dreamed I would be doing, especially at my age. I attempted a 100-Miler last year and made it 50 miles. I plan on finishing my first 100k in April 2021.