Some context:
In 2016 while I was studying abroad in New Zealand, a mutual friend and skiing teammate Rachel introduced me to Penelope, whom she’d grown up with in the mountains of Anchorage, AK. We also met up with another former nordic skier from Middlebury named Britta. The four of us spent a semester literally running across New Zealand together, and in short, I was introduced to the world of ultra running!
My first trail race (2017): New Zealand Northburn half marathon with Britta (left), and Penelope’s (right) first Ultra (50K) 
Penelope, Rachel, Britta, and I at the most famous viewpoint in Wanaka, New Zealalnd (2017) – out on a long adventure run.
Since then, Penelope and I have become close friends fueled by a shared addiction to mountain running; “adventure junkies”, as she calls it. Penelope is a few strides ahead of me (literally, she has twice as long of legs and is wildly fast) in the running world as she is and has been training for an *ultra running career of sorts for years (*ultra race, loosely defined as distance longer than a marathon and all on trails or in the mountains). So when her last race of the season this year was in Scotland and she invited me to join, I said yes before I’d even looked it up.
Scotland, September 2019:
Leaving JFK at midnight, in first class thanks to the standby gods and Dad’s flying career! 
Flying into Glasgow
First impressions- I LOVE Scotland!
Last impressions- I still love Scotland!
Current impressions- Scotland >>> Ireland (more to come later)
Penelope and I spent a few days in Scotland before the race to sample small sections of the course, reset the jet lag, and enjoy the area. The race itself was incredibly exciting and at times difficult and at other times purely amazing.
Picking up my bib, timing chip, and GPS tracker the night before the race, a few hours after mom and dad arrived in Kinlochleven
Race day highlights-
- At the start jumping around with everyone as the sun started to rise
- The first few miles of the race while everyone was still packed together and running out into the sunrise over the hills and valleys; 8-14 hours of unknown ahead.
- Of the 4 massive climbs, mom and dad were waiting in 3 of the valleys below. Climbing up each one and down the other side I thought of getting to see them sooner the faster I went.
- Reaching Aonach Eagach ridge: this was atop the final climb, and was the most impressive ridge line I’ve ever seen. My most emotional moment of the race was running this ridge, looking into the valley where I’d last been and seen my parents, seeing the last steep mountain I’d just climbed up for the past 1.5 hours, and eating my dark chocolate Milky Way.
Lining up for the start! 
Penelope and I a couple miles into the race
Very thankful for such a spectacular, challenging, and stunning first ultra experience. I learned a lot and am excited to see what’s next! Especially thankful for my parents for coming to watch and cheering me on for the entire 10 hours.
ELLIE 2019 