LEAD PHOTO by Cole Peyton

This is the forty-seventh edition of The Duluth Runner Interview Series, where I get in touch with (mainly) local runners and athletes to share a bit of their story while inspiring others to pursue an active lifestyle.

Intro

“I grew up and still live in the Northwest metro. I work at a title company as a real estate and mortgage closer. Running was not something I was into until my mid 30’s, in fact I hated running growing up. About 12 years ago I broke my wrist and reluctantly got on a treadmill at the gym because it was something I could still do with a cast on my arm.

I had a few friends that had picked up running around that same time so we all trained for our 1st half marathon together. I went on to do a couple more half marathons then several full marathons before transitioning to trails and ultras in 2016.”

Today’s guest is…Laurel Sipe!! 

Interview

Why is running important to you?

As cliche as it sounds, running is my therapy. My job can be pretty stressful, especially this past year, so most days running is my alone time to decompress after work. On the weekends running is my group therapy with my best running friends. The friendships I’ve made through running have been life changing, when I started getting involved in the trail running community I found my people. I also just love being outside exploring and taking pictures so running is a great way to cover a lot of ground and see so much.

What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?

Unfortunately I have had my share of injuries but I feel they have made me smarter in my training. I make it a priority to stay consistent with strength training and try to incorporate cross training into my weekly schedule. If something feels off I’ve learned it’s usually better to take an extra rest day than to push through. I also get regular deep tissue massage/bodywork.

What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?

Luckily I love being active and rarely have trouble staying motivated, but on those off days mostly just knowing that I will feel better after getting my workout in is enough to get me out the door.

Who is in your running support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?

My boyfriend Matt is my biggest supporter. He is great at pushing me when I doubt myself and best at setting me straight when I worry out about things. We are super fortunate to be a part of the amazing TRECs running community (Trail Runners of Elm Creek) so we have so many supportive people to turn to for advice.

Pre-Covid we had big group runs nearly every weekend throughout the year so there was always the option of having company on long runs. This past year we have all kind of broken off into pairs or really small groups but it’s still fun to run into each other out on the trail and say hi in passing.

Erika Lohn is my closest running friend and who I run with the most as we are pretty comparably paced and are training for many of the same races. We had planned on doing the Gnarly Bandit Race Series together in 2020 so it was a huge bummer not getting to do that but we still managed to support each other for some other crazy running stuff last year.

My dog Jazmine aka Jaz the Spaz loves to run trails with me when I can get her out the door. She doesn’t enjoy riding in vehicles so sometimes it’s a challenge to get her to go with but once she’s out there she doesn’t want to stop.

When/what is your next race?

I have the Chippewa 50K coming up in April and then Kettle 100 in June if it can happen.

Do you prefer roads or trails and why?

Definitely trails, they are so much more interesting and enjoyable to me. I love exploring new trails and just getting lost in the woods. I also like the challenge and variety of different terrain and I think it’s a lot less repetitive strain on the body.

What do you think about while you run?

Anything and everything and sometimes nothing at all. If I’m doing a “workout” run I usually focus on the intervals so I don’t have time to think about anything else. If I’ve driven somewhere to run I usually have the last song I heard on the radio stuck in my head for the first mile or two which can be annoying! Near the end of a long run I usually start thinking about food and what I’m going to eat when I get done!

What is your most memorable race or running achievement?

If I had to choose just one, so far it would be finishing Fall Superior in 2019 as my first 100 miler. I fell in love with that race while crewing and pacing for Erika the prior year and decided I must attempt it for myself. It was the hardest, most rewarding thing I’ve done and I can’t wait for the opportunity to attempt it again.

Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).

So far I have not had a horrible race experience, that’s not to say that there hasn’t been struggle or suffering! The one running experience I would like to forget would probably be the final climb out of the Grand Canyon doing R2R2R. My dad met our group at Indian Garden to finish the last 5 or so miles with us.

We were tired and hungry and it was getting later than we had expected so we weren’t sure if we were going to make it out in time to get a meal. My dad was hopping around on fresh legs full of energy and giving me a hard time. I said some not so nice things to him but I blame it on being hangry. It wasn’t my proudest moment, but we were able to get some pizza when we finished so it all worked out.

What is something non-running related you would like to share with readers?

I have a senior dog named Phebe who loves going for Jeep rides and hanging out at breweries with us.

Last year when she turned 15 we decided to take her everywhere possible and call it her “senior tour”. She’s almost 16 now and her tour is still going strong. It’s almost topless Jeep season so I’m looking forward to watching her ears flop in the wind again!

Closing

Many thanks to Laurel for agreeing to stop by Duluth Runner and share some of her knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!