From Trails to Roads
Stoked to be running for the 2026 PF&H Team!
I’ve been running on mountain trails for more than 20 years. But in 2026, I am trying something new—I signed up for my first road marathon.
#SquadGoals
As a writer and chef, I’ve earned accolades for my stories and cooking—both solo and in collaborations. And in my youth, I played in a tennis team at my local club. But this is the first time a running team has invited me to join them. As the New Year gets underway, and I begin to ramp up my pre-season training, I am stoked that I’ll be running for the 2026 Precision Fuel & Hydration Team!
I’ve been using PF&H gels (carbohydrates) for the past couple of years, but only recently did I take a sweat test at a local PF&H lab. The result was a revelation—it showed I was a very salty sweater, which explains why I’d sometimes bonk at races.
Armed with this knowledge, and following a science-backed approach, I’ll be drinking more water and taking more sodium and electrolytes than I have in the past—both while training and racing.
I am thrilled to have found a company that makes a vegan product to fuel my plant-powered endeavors. It’s also pretty awesome to have the positive vibes of the PF&H community supporting my running goals for 2026.
2026 Race Calendar
For the past two decades, mountain trails called me: from the coastal singletracks in California, to Lake Tahoe’s sandy paths, to the ancient Inca Trail in Peru, to Leadville’s rocky summits, to Oregon’s speedy parks, to rooted climbs in British Columbia.
But in 2026, as a masters and plant-powered athlete who is approaching 60 years of age, I am trying something new—I signed up for my first road marathon.
My coach was very surprised when I said I wanted to run the California International Marathon (CIM) in December. But it wasn’t a surprise when I said I also wanted to run my 8th Leadville Trail Marathon in June—and go for a PB in Pb (Leadville).
Those two A-races anchor 2026, and after a few iterations my coach and I settled on a race calendar we were happy with:
Apr: Canyons 25K, Auburn, CA
May: Stumptown Half-Marathon, Portland, OR
Jun: Whistler Half-Marathon, Whistler, BC
Jun: Leadville Trail Marathon, Leadville, CO
Sep: Transrockies Race Series, Golden, BC
Oct: Toronto Half-Marathon, Toronto, ON
Dec: California International Marathon, Sacramento, CA
With four trail races, one stage race, one road half-marathon, and my first road marathon, from trails to roads I am ready to find out where my body will take me.