Running adventures and ultramarathons are my passion. They’re all about exploring nature in places very few people see. They’re great with friends, or as a solo meditative journey. The community of ultrarunners is like a big family, and the nutrition and physiology required appeal to my scientist side. Not to mention the shared jokes about bodily functions always get a laugh from my inner kid self.

But I didn’t start as someone who loved ultra running, or even “regular” running for that matter. It was a scary medical diagnosis that drove me to find a healthier path.

I was diagnosed with prehypertension in my early thirties in the first physical exam I’d had since college. In 2011, two close relatives had died from strokes, and others pass from cardiovascular disease — all hypertension-related conditions. When I received my diagnosis and considered my options, I realized that I didn’t want to be on medications for the rest of my life. I decided instead to try a diet and exercise approach to managing my pre-hypertension.

My first step was to sign up for the Boston Athletic Association 10k. To train, I started running a few miles a couple of times a week. After completing the 10k, a half marathon didn’t seem out of reach. It didn’t take me long to realize that I liked running, and that it also provided great stress relief. When I discovered trail running, this effect multiplied exponentially.

By 2013, I’d found a great community of runners who enjoyed running ultramarathons through nature, so after my first road marathon I started training for my first 50k (approx 31 miles). I love running while communing with the wilderness, and since then I’ve done 50ks, 50 milers, and 100ks. Running is truly a passion of mine, with mountain races being my favorite.

But my job is rarely, if ever, conducive to training.

I am an informatics pharmacist. I use my clinical knowledge and background to build medication records and decision support in the electronic health record at OHSU. I build and maintain a very specific and rigorous system that can inform healthcare decisions for all people, regardless of health conditions, while ensuring safety with checkpoints along the way for the hospital staff treating them. I also build medication alerts to help prevent drug interactions, duplicate therapies, and over-medication.

Needless to say, this type of work is very deskbound and sedentary. My job requires intense focus and application of technical knowledge. Earlier this year, I started working from home, which then included meetings via video conferences, which lead to even more sitting. I was no longer walking from meeting to meeting in a standard work environment.

In order to really maintain my physical health, I invested in a Fully workstation so as not to become inflexible and unable to pursue my passion for running.

Sitting all day makes you sleepy; having physical things to do helps me stay focused on the task at hand. It’s nice to have a large table top at standing height when prepping for meetings or packing for a race. I typically only sit two hours a day, but I like having that option to sit, especially if I’m tapering for a big race—or sore after one.

When my work group was preparing to work from home, I did the research and made an investment in my office space as well as my physical health. I picked the Jarvis not only for it’s modern look and sustainable materials, but also the rapid ability to change from sitting to standing positions.

I wanted the Topo Mat so I could stretch and maintain flexibility; all its angles looked good for stretching and improving tendon and ligament stability. I also have a lot of “time on legs” (running, climbing, walking) with my training schedule, so this was an important piece of the puzzle. I like the Capisco chair because it allows me to open up my hips, in addition to having a variety of sitting position options.

In 2018, I decided to take my ultra running journey international and run Mont Blanc.

For the trip, I turned to Territory Run CO, an independent trail running apparel brand created to empower the wild-hearted to chase down their dreams. Through Territory, I met former military personnel, professional moms, educators, interior designers, and cosmetic tattooists who share my love of ultrarunning; I wouldn't have met these kindred spirits otherwise.

Territory Run organized the trip along Tour Mont Blanc (TMB), an existing trail that circumnavigates the Mont Blanc Massif mountain range in the Alps across Italy, Switzerland, and France. The TMB trip was organized by Run the Alps, a trail running tour company that helps provide for the best trail running and logistics in the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps. Run the Alps provides both guided and self-guided trips.

With approximately 109 miles of trail and 30k feet of ascent and descent, Tour Mont Blanc is a top bucket list thing among trail runners. It’s one of the big, amazing runs with spectacular scenery that you do if you can. I decided about 6 months ahead of the trip that I was going, and started researching.

As soon as I’d paid them, I started training. I planned weekly trips out to mountainous trails of Mt Hood National Forest here in Oregon, and the limited number of trails open in the Columbia River Gorge after the 2017 Eagle Creek fire. To get additional steep climbing, I used our incline trainer at 20-30% incline grade for 60 to 90 minutes at a time (this was mentally challenging, but helped a lot).

I ran the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in the Grand Canyon in April with other members of Territory Run, including several who planned to run Mont Blanc. It was a big training event, with approximately 44 miles and 12k feet of ascent and descent. My training for this run was difficult in its own right, and really kept me on schedule for training for the Alps.

Integrating training into my work was key to success. I do my best to be mindful of mostly standing during the day and integrating balance and stability exercises both while working on tasks and during conference calls. I do concentric and eccentric calf raises and stretches to strengthen the achilles tendon and help improve stabilizer muscle strength. With the number of hills I run, the arches of my feet get very tight.

To help prevent and stave off recurring plantar fasciitis, I used a combination of Topo Mat foot and ankle stretching, and myofascial release using a lacrosse ball on top of the mat. Here are some of the exercises I developed using Topo and my Fully workspace:

My next ultramarathon is the Mountain Lakes 100, my first 100 miler. It’s located south of Mt Hood, starting at Olallie Lake and ends at the Clackamas Ranger station. The course travels past more than 25 mountain lakes, features Oregon’s technical rocky sections, mountain peak views in every direction, and 60 miles of the lush Pacific Crest Trail. Three of my four crew members are part of Territory Run CO/Runners of the Wild from my Grand Canyon and Alps trips.

My big learning: my training was key both for physical assurance of completing the trip, and also my peace of mind — knowing I was in good enough shape to complete the route with ease allowed me to enjoy the whole experience that much more.

Having a Fully workspace allowed for daily conditioning of the body with time on feet and legs, and passively strengthening muscles tendons and ligaments. Overall, it helps stave off afternoon sleepiness, and makes it easier to get out the door at the end of the day to exercise. Because I haven’t been sedentary, I do not get as stiff and my hamstrings don’t tighten up, nor do I get a sore lower back from sitting.

I feel my work performance has also improved because physical movement and changes in posture help with mental stimulation, and reduce the temptation to zone out during monotonous and/or repetitive tasks and database work.