Tia Pettygrue’s Extraordinary Journey: 51 Miles, Resilience, and Giving Back

In this heartfelt episode of Extraordinary Strides, we sit down with Tia Pettygrue—a coach, pacer, marathoner, and an inspiring force in the running community. Tia’s story is one of resilience, determination, and using her passion for running to make a difference.

Tia shares her ambitious goal of completing the Selma to Montgomery 51-Mile Relay, running the entire historic route alongside her husband, Johnnie. But this journey goes beyond personal achievement—Tia is championing a deeply personal cause: raising funds for her brother Marc and his wife Ellyn, who lost their home in the Eaton Fire.

🔑 In This Episode, We Explore:

• How Tia is preparing for the grueling 51-mile Selma to Montgomery Relay, both mentally and physically
• The powerful connection between running and civil rights history along this symbolic route
• Tia’s fundraising efforts for Marc and Ellyn and the incredible outpouring of support from the running community
• Reflections on Tia’s extraordinary running journey and what she is listening to on her long runs: she has some great recs! 
• The advice Tia gives new runners and what motivates her to keep striving

🌟 Whether you’re looking for running inspiration, ways to give back, or insights into balancing ambitious goals with meaningful causes, Tia’s story will leave you feeling empowered.

💡 Support Marc and Ellyn:
Join the running community in helping Tia’s brother and sister-in-law rebuild after the Eaton Fire. Every donation makes a difference. Click here to donate.

Chapters

• 0:01 Coach Tia Pettigrew's Extraordinary Running Journey
• 4:54 A Journey Toward a Historic Ultra
• 12:58 Finding Strength Through Adversity
• 24:33 Mystery, Suspense, and Ultra Running
• 31:47 Powerful Fundraiser for Running Community

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome back, friends, to Extraordinary Strides, a podcast where we celebrate ordinary people achieving extraordinary feats through movement and running, and today's guest is someone who truly embodies what it means to be extraordinary. Coach Tia Pettigrew is, as I said, a run coach, a pacer, a marathoner, and she's going to add something else to her title here, but we're going to hear all of that in just a minute. Most of all, she's a true shining light in the running community and she comes to join us once again and kind of give us a little bit of an update. She has an incredible story that started with a 15K comeback in 2009 and has blossomed over to get ready for this. Friends, 175 half marathons, 13 full marathons, a triathlon, and she even dipped her toe into figure competitive bodybuilding.

Speaker 1: 0:46

Now today's Tia is training for the Selma to Montgomery 51-mile relay. However, she's tackling the distance with her husband, johnny, and it may not be as much of a relay. We're going to learn all about it. Alongside this inspiring endeavor, she's also championing a deeply personal cause fundraising for her brother Mark and his wife Ellen, who lost their home in the Eden fire in Altadena, california. So Tia is here to share her journey, her drive to give back and how running continues to shape her life. So let's go ahead and welcome her on. Coach Tia, welcome back.

Speaker 2: 1:19

Thanks so much for having me, Christine. I always love being here with you.

Speaker 1: 1:23

I love chatting with you. You truly are just a shining light. You exude so much warmth and you really have brought so much into this running community. So I can't wait to catch up, because last we spoke was a while ago and you were prepping for Boston and a lot has happened since then. So for those who aren't as familiar with your story, do you want to catch us up a little bit as to how you got started and what you've been up to since your Boston training?

Speaker 2: 1:50

Oh gosh, how I got started running, or how I got started going to Boston.

Speaker 1: 1:54

Let's start with how you got started running. For the folks that aren't familiar with your story, Okay.

Speaker 2: 2:00

So way back in 2008, I had just been really sedentary for quite a while I hadn't run in about 13 years or so Ran into somebody on a cruise that I hadn't seen in a few years and said she didn't recognize me because I gained so much weight, and that was kind of my. That propelled me to do something about it. So I started back running. After that did the Gasparilla 15k and one year from that date ran my first marathon and I realized I love running, so I absolutely loved it. And then my husband actually ran Gasparilla with me as well.

Speaker 2: 2:38

He hadn't run a race since 97, his first and only race, the Disney Marathon and so we ran Gasparilla together and kind of got a bug in his ear about training. And that year he qualified for the Boston Marathon in November at Space Coast Marathon, and that made me feel like, well, I want to run Boston too. So I set upon this quest to do it, and my best shot was in 2011 at Disney, when I did a 402. I needed a 345 at the time and but I didn't give up, gave a few more tries, didn't make it and finally made it March 5th 2023, at the age of 54 um, and I qualified for Boston and then I was so excited to run it last year I can't believe I'm saying last year already I know Congratulations.

Speaker 1: 3:31

I love that you hinted at a little bit of competitiveness, that you that drives the really wonderful relationship that you have with your husband, johnny, who's also been on the podcast as well. So I do want to hear a little bit about how was Boston for you, after working so long and hard and diligently toward it? Was it everything you hoped it to be, and more?

Speaker 2: 3:50

It really was, christine. I you know I've been there twice with my husband, but being there, just the fact that it was for me, I could really see that the city just makes you feel like you're a rock star when you're there. And one of the things I always said is I feel like I hope to dispel a lot of the body image about what you're supposed to look like to qualify for the Boston Marathon. You know, I'm not 100 pounds by any means. You know, when my husband and I are together they always say to him oh, you look like a runner. They never say that to me and while we were in Boston, even two separate times somebody we were maybe in an elevator or somewhere, and they looked at my husband and said, oh, are you running? And he's like, no, my wife is. And you know, and I even got the oh, did you raise money for charity? Not that there's anything wrong with that, but just assumed it. You raise money for charity. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but just assumed it like no, I qualified.

Speaker 2: 4:49

So there was that kind of part of it, but overall it was an amazing experience. And when I started the race, a friend of mine, beth, and I, we ran together, we were twinsies for the race and because it was both of our first time we had, you know, taken a she, I think she was 60 and so we just had the best time. And I will say it was warm that day in the hills and I remember thinking, oh my god, this is so hard, why do people want to come back and do this? But it was amazing and then I got a muscle spasm at mile 14.

Speaker 2: 5:24

I had to walk a lot but I enjoyed every cheer of the crowds, every town we went through. It was so amazing. And I set a very loose goal of I said well, if I can just do under five hours I'll be happy. You know I wasn't really going for any specific time, but I walked a lot. And then, you know, as I'm getting in the twenties miles and I looked at my watch and I said, you know, I might be able to still get under five hours, and I finished in four, 55. So I made that little goal but I I allowed myself to enjoy every moment of it and I did. It was, it was so wonderful.

Speaker 1: 6:01

I love to hear that. I love most of all that you are helping to just smell, dispel the stereotypes that we have associated with a Boston qualifier, because, as you've already talked about that, you've busted past the myths of getting faster as we get older, which we hear generally is not something that we associate, but it's definitely true for you and I know you've got it. You feel stronger than ever before and obviously healthier, and obviously we're starting to see so much more so that runners don't come in one size fits all. So I love, love that. Tia, I'm happy to hear you had that experience. I'm surprised to hear you say that Boston was your hardest, though, because you have tackled New York City and I feel like those bridges are a little bit tougher.

Speaker 2: 6:43

No, I haven't run New York City. I've run Chicago, but not New York. I thought you were going to do that for around every women's marathon time, because you also did last year. I didn't get in.

Speaker 1: 6:54

I didn't even get in for the virtual oh okay, it's become incredibly hard to get into all of the world marathon majors and New York City's always been a tough one to get into. So you did this one for the memories and magic. Then you went on to. Obviously you trained tons of individuals for every woman's marathon through Black Girls Run and you ran that as well. Do you want to share a little bit about that race experience for everyone who's listening in?

Speaker 2: 7:20

That was one of the best race weekends I've ever had. I will say I mean for an inaugural race. I thought they did a phenomenal job. They do have some kinks to work out, yes, but they did such a great job. I had over 75 women complete their first full marathon there, which was awesome. I did something I've never done I paced a marathon. I actually paced two of my clients JL, who's the CEO of Black Girls Run, and her cousin Ashley and JL had just run New York two weeks earlier. She fell one minute short of her PR. That was from Chicago the year before, but when you think about Chicago's course and New York's course, that was still a win, yeah absolutely, yes, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 8:06

Yeah, so we had a strategy for every woman's marathon and she PR by about 30 minutes at every woman and that was that was so awesome to be able to do that.

Speaker 1: 8:18

Amazing. She did it, but it was awesome to be there with her.

Speaker 1: 8:21

Yes, no, of course it is. So again, folks, every Woman's Marathon. I know they're going to be opening up registration right around the corner. I would definitely say that it was a stellar event. For the first one out, I actually had lowered my hopes and bar quite low for a first time out and they exceeded them, exceeded most of what I thought would be there that entire weekend. Loved it, would love to go back again. Now this brings us to. We get done with every women's marathon in November. When did you start to think you had something else on the horizon, specifically with tackling this 51 mile race?

Speaker 2: 8:58

So my husband and I were looking for a race to do. Our anniversary is January 26th, so we always kind of like to do something around there. So when we're in town we run the celebration half. So we'll be in town, so we're running that this year.

Speaker 2: 9:14

But then I saw Mesa. You know, it's a fairly you know kind of a downhill course. So I initially went into it to try to qualify again, and then I kind of came to my senses that I didn't want to train that hard. So I was like you know, I'm just going to go in for fun. And Johnny said well, you know, bump me up to the marathon, I'll do it too. But then in September at the Black Girls Run conference I'm talking to my friend Tarsha, and she had run the Selma to Montgomery 51 miler as a ultra and it was her first one and we were talking about it and I told her the biggest reason I hadn't done it I'm not a trail runner, I'm not a run in the woods by myself kind of person and we don't have trails here in Florida.

Speaker 1: 9:58

I mean really, we really don't.

Speaker 2: 10:01

We've got some. We've got some decent races, but it's just not for me. You so we've got some, we've got some decent races, but that is just not for me. You know, every time I've tried to run trail, I typically will fall. So but the biggest thing I love about the races, I love the energy of the people around and the trail is just a different environment for that.

Speaker 2: 10:20

So she was telling me that was one of the biggest reasons is because it's not a trail, You're on the road and it's a fully supported course. So you have most people are running anywhere from five to nine person relay teams. So you know. So you always got people out there with you, and it's all during the day, so you get a 12 hour limit. And so I thought you know, why not have another goal for this year? So I signed up for it and shortly before that, my husband had joined a nine person team and because they talked him into it he's a big history buff, so he joined the team. And so then, when I decided to do the ultra, he said well, I would have done the ultra with you. So what we did? We found out he's going to take the first leg of the team and then he'll have a second chip so he can run the rest with me. So we'll both run the 51 miler. So Mesa Marathon will be a training run towards the Selma to Montgomery 51 miler.

Speaker 1: 11:21

OK, and then you're also going to be at Gasparilla. You're going to be at Celebration as well, or no?

Speaker 2: 11:27

Yeah, we're doing the half at Celebration because it's our anniversary, so we celebrate at Celebration.

Speaker 1: 11:32

Are you guys getting how we got to 175 half marathons and over 13 marathons? By the way, it's like this is every other weekend, or maybe even every weekend, kind of a thing which I love to follow and see all the places you go to. But I do want to bring it back to this 51 miles because it has a lot of historical significance. What does it specifically mean for you to train for this style of race, where it does have so much history and importance?

Speaker 2: 11:59

It does. This will be the 60th anniversary of the march and the way that I look at my long runs like this weekend I'm running 20 miles and I don't have a half marathon I can run it in, I'm just going to be running 20 miles and it's just that time to think and reflect of how hard it was then. You know, this was just. It was just a few years, three years before I was born, when this happened. So it's not that it's that far removed from my lifetime. So, and just thinking, you know my grandmother, who will be 103 in April, you know what she went through, and just knowing what people went through to be able to do that March, it just it makes it really special for you know, for me and for Johnny as well.

Speaker 1: 12:47

So incredibly powerful. I can't wait to hear all about it and support you, and I know that as we get closer to that, I'm sure folks are going to want to learn how they can possibly follow you and cheer you along. But during this training cycle, what's making this one, I think, to me, stand out a little bit more from our conversation yesterday because we just jumped on a phone call yesterday, friends, and I'm like, oh my gosh, we need to, we need to have a conversation for the podcast is that you're also training and staying steady and diligent and faithful on your training, but you're also really being called on different aspects of your life because, personally, there's a lot going on in the world right now and, unfortunately, a lot going on specifically with your family. So do you want to bring us up to speed a little bit and make us aware of what's going on there with your brother?

Speaker 2: 13:33

Yeah, so I will mention my. You know my family has just gone through a lot over the last few months. First, my sister had major damage to her home from Hurricane Helene here in Tampa. My sister had major damage to her home from Hurricane Helene here in Tampa. Her house took on 16 inches of water so she's had an unusable first floor, including kitchen, for four months. So we're hoping she will have that. So we've got that.

Speaker 2: 13:56

And then last Wednesday woke up to seeing the news Last Tuesday. I'm looking at the news and I so I texted my brother wh live in Alta, dina, californ. These fires are they near time? They said well, we'r or the wind seems to be b way. The next morning I'm showing out to Dina on fi running and he calls me a. He had just, they had just left their home. The house across the street was on fire and within three hours their house had burned down. Pretty much their whole street neighborhood had burned down. And it was a few hours before we heard from him. So it was more of are they okay? Are they okay? Are they okay? So everyone was okay.

Speaker 2: 14:45

So my brother, his wife. His wife grew up in Altadena, so her mom lost their childhood home. Two of her sisters lost their home as well. So there was a point where they were all staying in one hotel room 17 people, three dogs and a parrot together. So thankfully someone has donated some rooms for them for this week in a hotel.

Speaker 2: 15:08

But you got to realize, I think 90% of the city burned out to Dina. It's a very middle income area versus Pacific Palisades is a more wealthy area. So these are people just working regular jobs, a lot of retirees there. So you know, so a lot is just gone and you have so many people looking for places to stay. There's so many people looking for places. There's, you know, so few places. So they have to go so far out from their home. So I've set up a GoFundMe for my brother and Ellen to just help them with immediate expenses. They had insurance, thankfully, but anyone that's dealt with that, especially here in Florida, we know how long it takes. So just to help them cover some immediate needs food, shelter. They use my brothers, you know you said I had to go to Costco and buy clothes. He's like I didn't have any clothes, you know, with the Costco to buy food and clothes. So you hear my brother shopping at Costco for clothes. You know, you know that's. You know there was a disaster, okay.

Speaker 1: 16:11

Well, first of all, I'm so glad they're, they're happy, I mean, they're healthy and they're okay physically, and I know that your brother has allowed his sense of humor and his positivity that clearly is a family trait to kind of come into play to help him get through this. But still it is I think I really want to draw attention to. There is no private jet for anyone here to take off and for him to be able to just jet his way over with the entire 17 people in tow to safety. They are having to still, I assume, navigate day-to-day life, trying to do it in a place that has been really just been completely devastated, and I know that it's been really tough too for folks to seek shelters, because there's a lot of price gouging and a lot of things that are personally out of our control. But one thing that's not out of our control is that we can help draw awareness to this fundraiser that you have started to help them with those immediate expenses and donate if it's at all possible.

Speaker 1: 17:07

So, friends, I want to call attention that we have that link directly in episode notes. If you're driving or you're running and you can't do it right here and now, that's a-okay, just take a moment to put a little mental note that when you're done and you're somewhere safe, that if you can, please make a donation and if you cannot, sharing is absolutely a wonderful way to help us get the word out. So we would love to see that happen Now with that. Does it impact your training? Because I'm thinking you go out? There's a lot of time on those 20 milers to do some thinking. How are you balancing the concern and worry you may have for your loved ones with your training and your coaching in your day-to-day life?

Speaker 2: 17:48

You know I will say, prayer is powerful and my faith definitely sustains me through everything being. I'm a Christian. Being Christian doesn't mean bad things don't happen, but for me it means that there is, you have, a God that will help you get through those things. So I am very appreciative of that and that definitely strengthens me. And I consider running like therapy, because when I go running it's kind of, you know, taking the hat of the world off and I listen, put an audio book on or a podcast, and you know just enjoy being outside and just taking, you know taking a moment for a couple hours, and during that time I am reflecting on things, I'm thinking of things. That it is. It is definitely something that is very helpful for me mentally. It is definitely something that is very helpful for me mentally.

Speaker 1: 18:45

Do you feel like you have had to be more protective over this time for yourself? Right now, again, because it is therapeutic for you, is also part of your discipline and your training, but is it something that you find any difficulty in motivating yourself to lace up? Sometimes, when we feel a bit powerless with everything going on around us, it could be a little bit more difficult. Or is it something where you are so ingrained that this is something you look forward to a majority of the time?

Speaker 2: 19:11

I think it's helped me look forward to it. So I have enjoyed it. A couple of weeks ago I had an 18 miler and I couldn't find a half marathon and before I was like, oh my gosh, how am I going to run 18 miles when I don't have a race? And it was such a great run. So I think I've just I've stayed focused on what the goal is and I want to be there for my family. I want to be there for them mentally, emotionally, but I also know I have to be there for me too.

Speaker 1: 19:46

So running gives me that. I love to hear. What I'm going to say is gratitude, and that's what's kind of like allowing you to get out there and moving, because there's the gratitude of having that time, the gratitude of being able to move your body to know that everyone is while they're impacted, that they are safe and healthy. So I I love to hear that, but I want to delve a little bit more into a couple of things that you talked about, which were not in the list of questions, but because I can't help myself.

Speaker 1: 20:11

You said and this is something that I think has changed quite a bit in my own journey, so I want to draw attention to it that back previously there would have been a time where, if you saw 18 miles on your training schedule, you would have attached it to half marathon, which I think is something that I know that I used to. I was, I was really bling motivated If there was not a medal. Um, I wasn't as excited to do those double digit runs, and I know that, as I've grown in my journey, that's no longer the case. But I'm curious do you feel like you're evolving in your running journey from when you first started to now as well?

Speaker 2: 20:41

I would definitely say yes, because this is probably my first marathon cycle in a long time that I haven't run any of my long runs in a race and I've just been running them. And I will say my husband has inspired me. He's been running about 70 miles a week. So he runs about 10 to 12 miles five days a week and then he'll do a longer run one day and take a day off, and so he's definitely inspired me that he just he goes to work. You know he's out of the door in the morning at three 30 in the morning and then three 30 in the afternoon he's running. So he's inspired me because he does not take off, you know, unless absolutely necessary. And it's definitely made it easier. We rarely run together. We might go out of the door together but we're usually running different mileage, so he might go one way, I'll go another, but you know he's. He's definitely been an inspiration for me.

Speaker 1: 21:30

I love to hear that Tia has somebody who inspires her instead, because I feel like Tia, you inspire so many of us on a day to day basis, but, of course, meeting Johnny, we can totally tell why you both are such an incredible inspiration. So I'm going to turn the conversation into a little bit of how do you inspire your new runners and again, congratulations on all of the women that tackled their first marathon together, and I know you have many, many more and what are some of the tips that you tell them when they kind of have to dig in a little deeper to get their training done and life throws them some curveballs?

Speaker 2: 22:06

I think a lot of it is. There's a couple of things Keeping your eyes on the goal, so that's number one. So I'm like right now I'm training a group with Black Girls Run for the Gate River Run in March. So for some of them they never run a 15K 9.3 miles so this is new for them. So always having that goal of the finish line in sight, but also having time management. One thing I will say I am really good at is time management, because someone on the outside looks at me. They're like how do you do everything that you do? Because I'm very protective of my time. It's our most precious commodity. So that's one thing I try to instill in my runners in just making sure that they are protective of their time, because if you are that way when things come up you can manage it better, because you're not feeling like it's one more thing on my plate, type of thing.

Speaker 1: 23:00

So as I go along.

Speaker 2: 23:01

I try to be that inspiration as a coach and you know this, that sometimes you become a therapist a little bit with your runners. So you know I try to, you know, be there and listen, but I also I don't feed in if there's something where it's like okay, we don't need to, we don't need to keep talking about this because that's not productive you know, so let's, let's move it towards what's positive, what's going to get you on your goal and keep you on track.

Speaker 1: 23:26

I think one thing that I'm hearing you say when you talk about time management which it is one of, like, the most beautiful aspects of really how we can get things achieved but also is that it really sets us up for creating boundaries, because I think that's where a lot of women tend to have difficulty is that we want to be able to tackle all of the things that come our way, and there's something to be said about saying no to some of the things that drain our time, so that we can say yes to these things that bring us so much community and life and things that we enjoy, like running and races and all of that. Okay, you touched on a little bit that you are big into your audio books when you're out for these super long runs that maybe don't have a medal at the end, so tell us what have you been listening to lately, and is there something that we should be listening to on our to be read list?

Speaker 2: 24:15

Oh my gosh, I've been listening to so much you can tell us genres.

Speaker 1: 24:19

You can tell us genres if you don't have any specific titles off the top of your head.

Speaker 2: 24:23

So here's one of my favorite podcasts. It's called Mr Ballin, like the word Alan, with a B in front of it. Mr Ballin, here's the tagline. If you're a fan of the strange, dark and mysterious delivered in story format, this is for you. They're all about 30 minutes. They come out twice a week. There are things and they're all true. Ooh, they have a twist to them.

Speaker 1: 24:47

It's clearly mystery and there are things and they're all true, ooh, so it's like we have a twist to them. It's a little so it's clearly mystery, genre and a little bit of suspense.

Speaker 2: 24:57

A lot of suspense. So just a couple of really quick examples. So there'll be things like I'll listen to one. I'm like, oh, I remember this from forensic file or dateline, so there's one some like that.

Speaker 2: 25:09

But then there's these other ones. There's like this whole segment of um stay out, and it's like three 10 minute stories of places you shouldn't go. So, like the guy who created it, mr Ballin, he's a Navy SEAL and so he'll do a lot of these underwater stories where these people went to this place where they shouldn't have gone and they didn't have the right equipment and then they, you know, got stuck and you know. So you're like, oh my gosh, and I mean it's amazing because it really it keeps your attention for sure.

Speaker 1: 25:37

Okay, I'm absolutely going to be adding that to my next TV listen too, because it does sound intriguing. I love me some a little bit of true crime, mystery and suspense, and also, you guys know that you should not be going someplace If a Navy SEAL is telling you not to go there, then that's definitely something that we should stay out of. That sounds like it has a little edge of humor as well.

Speaker 2: 26:00

Yes, there are some of them where, like my sister and I are addicted to it, so we always text each other if there's one and there was one, we were just dying laughing because you just you, really could not believe this one. I mean, it was so funny. I'm gonna send you the link, because if somebody wants to listen, this is like the first one to listen to.

Speaker 1: 26:18

Okay, we got, we are excited about this, so we're listening to Mr Ballin, but it's it's just a couple times a week in 30 minutes. I'm feeling like you're out there for a little bit longer now that we're training for an ultra, anything else that's kind of coming through and you're listening to on your headphones.

Speaker 2: 26:33

Yes, I do. Like James Patterson, the author, I just love mystery suspense thrillers. I'm not a horror or anything like that but.

Speaker 2: 26:41

I love. You know that kind of thing. I listened to a book called Perfect Peace recently and that was really interesting, by I believe it's Dr Michael Black and it was. It was fascinating, you know. Basically, you know the premise of the story is it's a family in the 50s in rural Arkansas. It's a black couple with six boys and the wife always wanted a girl. The husband says I'm not touching you anymore because I don't want any more kids. She made him think he was in menopause and so he touched her and so she's pregnant again. She's really hoping for a girl and at this time the men weren't around. When she had the baby had a midwife. So the midwife is in there, she delivers the baby and it's a boy. She tells the midwife this is a girl and I'm going to raise her as a girl. The story it's a novel but it reads like you think it's a true story.

Speaker 1: 27:34

It was so good. I'm literally like gasping listening to it, like it sounds like oh, wow, okay. So now you have added so much to my list, I am going to suggest, if you like a little bit of mystery suspense. Who I listened to when I was training for my ultra was a lot of Frida McFadden, so if you haven't heard her, I would definitely check her out.

Speaker 1: 27:53

She's like a brain surgeon of some sort and I'm thinking, how you have time must be that time management. You guys must have taken the exact same class. How can you do brain surgery and write like 48 novels? But again, it's all about that time management, about that time management. So bringing it back there. Yeah Right, my friend. So we have kind of just a wee bit. I feel like we're just touching a little bit of where you're going to be. I know that friends that are here in Florida we can go and celebrate Tia and Johnny's anniversary at Celebration and you have a discount code for that, because you still have your discount codes for races group, which is I don't even know how many members you've got in there at this point.

Speaker 2: 28:30

One on 39,000, I think something like that.

Speaker 1: 28:33

Every single time I go to sign up for a race, that is the first place I go just to check and do a quick search, because I follow the rules Always do a search to see if there's somebody who has already listed a specific race with the discount code and then, if not, I always kind of draw a little shout out there for folks. So, friends, if you are into racing quite often and you want to maybe look for some ways to pinch those pennies, I would very much suggest that you head on over to Tia's discount codes for races Facebook group and then, when you save all that extra money, you can go to the fundraiser and, you know, make a donation that way because we're saving so much money. But we're going to find you there and I know that for Celebration you have a code, even though that's coming up very quickly. Friends, if you do want to join us, it's Tia10. And then we're going to be seeing you at Gasparilla because you're going to be pacing.

Speaker 2: 29:29

That's the final weekend before you go off to do your ultra.

Speaker 1: 29:30

Uh, two weekends before, so that will be kind of my last longer run. I did a little over 30 miles that weekend. Where else do we find Tia and Johnny this spring, summer or 2025?

Speaker 2: 29:36

I think the only other thing we're really committed to where we're doing. We always do Detroit every year in October. Obviously, yeah, but we're also, but we're going to check off the state of Oregon in August with the bridge of the gods, so we're excited about that as well.

Speaker 1: 29:52

Ah, that sounds incredible. All right, I'm going to have you finish up with maybe just one piece of advice that you would give to somebody who's considering changing up their goals and leaving from maybe the more traditional road race world into the world of ultras, something maybe you've learned in this specific training cycle.

Speaker 2: 30:17

One thing I am learning. I feel like I haven't even gotten past my longest run yet, so maybe that question should be asked after I do longer than 26 miles.

Speaker 1: 30:28

What are you going up to for your training?

Speaker 2: 30:29

I'll be going over 30 in one day, so I'll be doing a pretty high volume you know of it, but I think the mindset of it it's still.

Speaker 2: 30:38

it's still a little overwhelming for me, a little intimidating to me. Thinking about it On paper. I need to maintain an under 15 minute mile, which on paper that sounds easy, but over the course of you have 12 hours to do it. It's a lot. So you know, it's one of those things where you know I'm just, I'm happy my husband will be there with me doing it. I'll have several friends. I think there's about 30 people doing it as a solo ultra this year, which is the most they've ever had. So it is, it's just. You know, I'm just keeping my mind right with the goal. I just I'm taking it bite by bite instead of just thinking about 51 miles and just thinking about what I have to do.

Speaker 1: 31:19

I think that's the perfect advice. Whether you're tackling a 5k, 10 miler, a half marathon, a marathon or an ultra, friends, it literally does come down to running the step and the mile that you're in, instead of overwhelming with the entire big overarching goal. So that is beautiful advice and, of course, we've got so many wonderful links here and I can't wait to now check out Mr Ballin and perfect peace is going on. My must listen to like right now. Tia, I wanna thank you so much and I want to remind everybody about this fundraiser that again is episode links, because it really really is such a wonderful way to give back to someone who's given to our running community in so many powerful ways. Thank you for joining me.

Speaker 2: 32:02

Thank you so much for having me, christine, and thank you so much for shining a light on my brother, mark and Ellen, and my brother and sister-in-law and sharing the fundraiser. So, like you said, any amount helps and just even just sharing it is so much appreciated. So appreciate that.

Speaker 1: 32:19

Thank you so much. So, friends, let's show her and her family the support that makes the running community so truly extraordinary. And until next time, keep striving, keep striding and keep going the extra mile.