50 × 50 | 50 Miles. 50 States. Before 50.

04 / WHY I'M DOING THIS

THE THING
I NEVER LOVED.

I've been active most of my life. Running was different. It was the thing I wasn't naturally good at — and that's exactly why I kept coming back to it.

I started running with friends I met at a gym. We'd meet up for a 5K, five miles, or whatever sounded like a good idea that day. I started small, then started wanting to go farther. Eventually, I signed up for my first half marathon.

The feeling was somewhere between love and hate. Mostly, it was a mental game. Running forced me to get uncomfortable, push my limits and accomplish something I couldn't just rely on natural ability to do.

Then I learned there were races longer than a marathon. A good friend told me her husband was going to run a 100-mile race. My immediate thought was: I think I could do that.

So I did. I went straight from a 13.1-mile half marathon to the Keys 100 — running the entire Florida Keys in less than 32 hours. I went on to run that race a few more times and kept my training going.

But now I'm craving something more. I need a new goal that demands straight grit. The itch needs scratched.

So I thought: what if I could run a 50-mile race in every single state and get it done before I turn 50?

Well, let's get after it.

05 / THE JOURNAL

STATE #01 — FLORIDA

THE PERFECT
PLACE TO START.

Wildcat Ultras202450 Miles10:49Women’s 4th Place

Wildcat Ultras kept coming up in conversations with friends. It was close to home, I knew several people running it, and eventually I thought — why not? What I didn’t realize was just how perfect it would be as the beginning of my 50-state journey.

The race was held at the equestrian center in Pensacola, Florida, on a repeating 2.5-mile loop. Fifty miles meant seeing that same loop over and over again. But being so close to home came with one huge advantage: my people showed up.

I had an incredible cheering section of family and friends. Some even jumped in and ran a loop or two with me. A great friend set up a camper at the race so I could stay there and wake up ready to go on race morning. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start this journey than surrounded by so many of the people who mean the most to me.

The funny part? This was actually a pretty last-minute decision. I already had a 100-mile race in Nebraska scheduled just a few weeks later, so in my mind Wildcat was going to be a nice little warm-up.

Because apparently 50 miles is a warm-up now.

The uneven terrain took more out of my body than I expected, and I definitely felt the effects when it came time to fight through those 100 miles in Nebraska a few weeks later. Still, I went into Wildcat knowing I didn’t need to empty the tank. I wanted the miles, the training and the experience for what was coming next.

That’s probably why seeing 10:49 beside my name — and realizing I’d finished 4th woman — was such a surprise. I couldn’t help thinking: if I’d actually raced this thing, how much faster could I have gone?

More than anything, this race reminded me how far I’ve come. Running used to be the thing I wasn’t good at. The thing I didn’t enjoy. The thing that didn’t come naturally. And somehow, there I was — finishing 50 miles, surrounded by people I love, with my son even running with me into the finish, kicking off an absolutely ridiculous goal to run this distance in every state.

FLORIDA: 1 DOWN. 49 TO GO.

05 / THE JOURNAL

STATE #02 — NEVADA

I CAME FOR 50 MILES.
NEVADA BROUGHT A MOUNTAIN.

Bootleg Boogie202550 Miles12:37Women’s 1st Place

Once this 50-state idea became real, picking races turned into its own adventure. I started searching for 50-milers that could fit into my schedule, and when I found Bootleg Boogie, the timing worked. Then I saw the terrain. That was enough for me. I booked it and went for it.

The race was about an hour outside Las Vegas, which made it an easy airport to get to — and, obviously, not a bad place to turn into a long weekend. Nevada was a lot cooler than the Florida temperatures I’m used to, but being a girl from Montana, cold wasn’t exactly going to scare me off.

Using hiking poles during Bootleg Boogie

What I did underestimate was the course. Just a little. Okay — maybe a lot. There were stretches where “running” felt suspiciously like rock climbing. With around 10,000 feet of elevation gain, plus canyons and mountain-bike trails, Nevada made me work for every mile.

At some point, this stopped feeling like a run and started feeling like I was climbing a mountain.

By the last long loop, my legs were shot, and I was very glad I had brought my hiking poles. But the views were unreal. Every climb seemed to open up another piece of the desert, and somehow I kept my spirits high the entire day. I felt good. I was having an amazing time. Hard didn’t mean bad — hard was exactly what I had come for.

Then came the final seven miles. Instead of fading, I took off. I was moving so fast in the dark that my friends could only see my light coming down the trail in the distance. They actually thought it was a drone. Then the light kept getting closer... and they realized it was me.

That finish was already going to be one I remembered. Finding out I had finished first overall female made it even better. After the climbing, the rocks, the elevation and everything that course threw at me, that win felt earned.

NEVADA: 2 DOWN. 48 TO GO.

07 / THE JOURNAL

STATE #03 — MISSISSIPPI

50 MILES THROUGH THE PINES.
AND A PACER WHO JUST KEPT GOING.

Mississippi Trail 50202650 Miles10:42Women’s 3rd Place

Running the Mississippi Trail 50 with my pacer

This was another one of those races that started with me looking at my calendar, seeing what weekend I could make work, and then figuring out what 50-miler was available. This time, Mississippi won. Even better, it was only a few hours away by car — which is always a plus when this challenge can send me just about anywhere.

Signing up for random races in places I don’t know is part of what makes this whole thing fun. You don’t always know how organized it will be, what the environment will feel like, or exactly what you’re getting yourself into. Nevada had already taught me that lesson — and also taught me not to underestimate what I might be capable of once I get there.

This trip was different for another reason: my boyfriend came with me, and this was the first race he got to experience with me.

Running through the pine forest at Mississippi Trail 50

Running with my boyfriend during Mississippi Trail 50

The course ran through DeSoto National Forest, and the best way I can describe it is a really, really, really long hike through the woods. The race itself was incredibly welcoming. The people running the aid stations were on top of everything, supportive and encouraging, and they made a long day on the trail feel so much easier.

Pacers were allowed after halfway, and my boyfriend jumped right in. Having someone willing to share those miles is huge, because after hours alone on a trail, the mental side can start taking as much out of you as the physical side.

He was supposed to run some of it with me. Instead, he ran the entire second half.

Twenty-five miles. The farthest he had ever run at one time. So while Mississippi became another huge accomplishment for me, it became one for him too. Getting to watch him experience that world from inside the race — not just from the finish line — made this one even more memorable.

During the last ten miles or so, I knew I might be somewhere near the top three women, but it was hard to tell. I just kept pushing as hard as I could. Those last few miles were not easy, and I had no idea exactly where I stood until I crossed the finish line.

Then I found out: 3rd woman. I was genuinely surprised. When I looked at the results afterward, the top women were all within minutes of one another. Every bit of that late push mattered.

Holding my award after Mississippi Trail 50

Sharing Mississippi Trail 50 miles with my boyfriend

I loved this race — the forest, the people, the competition, and especially getting to share half of those 50 miles with someone I love. This challenge is about seeing what I can do, but Mississippi reminded me that some of the best memories are going to come from the people who step into the miles with me.

MISSISSIPPI: 3 DOWN. 47 TO GO.

50 MILES.
50 STATES.
BEFORE 50.

THE GOAL IS SIMPLE.
THE MILES AREN'T.

NEXT UP:
THE DESERT.

50 STATES.
TRACKED.

THE THING
I NEVER LOVED.

THE PERFECT
PLACE TO START.

I CAME FOR 50 MILES.
NEVADA BROUGHT A MOUNTAIN.

50 MILES THROUGH THE PINES.
AND A PACER WHO JUST KEPT GOING.

HELP ME
GET TO 50.

50 MILES.50 STATES.BEFORE 50.

THE GOAL IS SIMPLE.THE MILES AREN'T.

NEXT UP:THE DESERT.

50 STATES.TRACKED.

THE THINGI NEVER LOVED.

THE PERFECTPLACE TO START.

I CAME FOR 50 MILES.NEVADA BROUGHT A MOUNTAIN.

50 MILES THROUGH THE PINES.AND A PACER WHO JUST KEPT GOING.

HELP MEGET TO 50.

CHEER FROMTHE SIDELINES.

50 MILES.
50 STATES.
BEFORE 50.

THE GOAL IS SIMPLE.
THE MILES AREN'T.

NEXT UP:
THE DESERT.

50 STATES.
TRACKED.

THE THING
I NEVER LOVED.

THE PERFECT
PLACE TO START.

I CAME FOR 50 MILES.
NEVADA BROUGHT A MOUNTAIN.

50 MILES THROUGH THE PINES.
AND A PACER WHO JUST KEPT GOING.

HELP ME
GET TO 50.

CHEER FROM
THE SIDELINES.