“Who goes on Aspire trips?”
It’s a question we hear often. The truth is, the runners who show up for our trips come from diverse backgrounds and bring a wide range of running and mountain experience with them to the trails.
We all relate to mountain spaces in unique and personal ways. We are excited to add some depth to our response to the “Who?” question with a series of Aspire trail runner profiles. We enjoyed hitting the dirt and building friendships with these runners on our trips, and we think you’ll enjoy hearing their stories!
Name: Rebekah Mihm Age: 33 Hometown: Elmhurst, Illinois (Chicago Suburb)
Which Aspire Trip(s) have you participated in?
Wonderland Circumnavigation 2020, North Cascades Traverse 2021
Describe your experience, background, and enthusiasm for running and/or wilderness and backcountry experiences?
I am relatively new to the ultra trail running world. After seven years running road marathons, I was burned out and not enjoying racing. In 2017, I signed up for my first trail 50k and was instantly hooked. I love being in the outdoors and especially enjoy the challenges presented in an ultra distance and while running on trails. Mountain trails are my favorite, perhaps because I grew up in Idaho. There is something very peaceful and nostalgic about returning to run in the mountains.
What questions, concerns, or unknowns did you have going into your trip? How were they resolved?
I was anxious about the Wonderland trail due to my lack of back country experiences and my ability to train for so much elevation. I went on the adventure with my training partner as a way to ensure that I would not get lost or drown in a river. Experiencing the trail with my training partner was an incredible experience and gave me the confidence to go on the trip. I did learn that the sweeper with the Aspire crew is also always available to accompany the last runner, so that is a great option for others who may lack confidence to run the trail alone due to lack of experience.
How did you prepare for your trip? Given your experience would you prepare differently, if so how?
My training included weekly treadmill workouts at 15% incline and every Sunday I went to the local hill and ran up and down to hit my weekly mileage. I felt like I was reasonably prepared, however, next time I would do twice a week treadmill incline workouts as the other runners in the group who lived in the area were substantially better at the climbs. I also bought a book about the Wonderland trail and read it multiple times to prepare for everything I might encounter. I was very happy with my gear selection and found the course packet incredibly useful for packing.
What story or description would you give to represent the group dynamic on your trip?
I fully expected to be intimidated by the group, however, they turned out to be just like me…other runners setting out to accomplish an exciting (and a little scary!) first time goal. I loved the mix of multi-sport athletes, runners who had never done the mileage before, and runners coming back after breaks.
One moment that the group made very special for me was at the end of day two. I had not expected the day to take us so long, so as we arrived at camp after dark to the cheering of our group, it brought tears to my eyes. Our new friends that had been strangers a day ago were genuinely happy to see us and share stories about our shared adventures. The camaraderie created with the people we shared the trail with was very powerful.
What was the most difficult moment and/or a surprising episode from your trip?
The last day I was unexpectedly running alone, and as we had seen four bears on the trip up to that point, I was anxious about being a solo female in the wilderness. It was a foggy morning and I crossed a river after getting through Summerland Camp and for the life of me, I could not find the rock stacks to mark the trail. Nothing looked like a trail. Just rocks and more rocks. I wandered aimlessly crying for 10 minutes before I found the trail. Ten minutes later the Aspire crew caught up to me and I was so happy to see him, more tears came! It was scary in the moment but empowering to overcome the unexpected and finish the adventure.
What advice or thoughts would you offer to someone considering signing up for an Aspire trip?
Don’t hold back! Train hard and have confidence. There is something very special about these trips that is unlike any race you will ever run. The beauty about the Aspire trip is that you have all the options in the world to make the adventure magical for you. Whether you are speedy or come in every night with the sweeper like me, you will have the VIP treatment and support along the way to accomplish your goal. Read reviews and blogs. Check out pictures. You won’t regret it.
We welcome any insights or perspectives that illustrate the diverse people, abilities, and backgrounds that describe our community and how people experience our trips.
Our group had such a wide range of individuals from guys who had run many challenging mountain races and 100 milers, to me, the newbie mountain runner from Chicago who never ran more than a 100K, to an individual in his 60’s who had never run more than 34 miles, but had lots of back country experience. Some runners in our group were winter sports athletes who only ran in the summer. Some had only run 50Ks in the mountains but trained on the Wonderland trail. The group was very diverse in age (33-64) and location (Indiana, Illinois, Washington).
Also, we greatly enjoyed the tent rental option. I love to camp, but my experience is a bit limited, so the assistance from the Aspire team to set up and take down our tents made it great to not worry after a long day about how to prepare for the night.
Facebook: Rebekah Mihm