This is the sixty-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
“Boozhoo,
Zhimaaginishikwe nindizhinikaaz. Naagchiwaanong niindoonjiba. Name nindoodem.
Hello,
My name is Nichole Diver. I am a member of the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet, MN. My clan is the Sturgeon.
I am thirty-five years old. My husband; Keith and I have been together for twenty years this summer. Together we have four children; three sons; Keith (12), Kason (10), Krue (1), and one daughter, Porter Jude (4). I also have the privilege of having my husbands oldest daughter, Kalaya as my bonus daughter.
I am an peanut butter lover and my guilty pleasure is reality TV.
Movie nights with my husband and kids is my perfect Friday night.
Popcorn is my favorite food and I love a good cup of coffee.
My running story didn’t begin until my second oldest son was nine months old. My husband was always very athletic and encouraged me to find something I enjoyed doing too. He laughs and says “I never envisioned that thing to be running 50 mile races, but, hey let’s do this!”
Interview
Why is running important to you?
I began running about nine years ago. Over the years running has really evolved for me. I suppose it’s a reflection of me and my life. After the birth of my second son I experienced pretty severe post-partum depression. Running allowed me to process through the emotions I was experiencing. Postpartum Depression stole over a year of my and running was giving it back. It was then that I realized how much of an impact running was having on my life. Not just my physical health but my emotional and mental health too.
Now, a few more years and a few more kids things have evolved. I’ve had the great privilege to run alongside my two older sons and run throughout my entire pregnancies with my younger two. They have all become my running partners is some form.
Running has taught me how to embrace struggle with beauty. It’s given me tools to teach my children how to persist and persevere and even if none of them are runners I know that these are lifelong lessons.
Running also allows me to be me. It give me the ability to carve out time that is just for me. It allows me to remember that I was someone before I had kids and that person still matters too.
What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?
Top two for sure are strength training and dare I say….rest. lol. I LOVE strength training. I found a love for it after my daughter was born. It really helped me become a stronger runner and become more in tune with my body.
I say rest, but honestly this is something that I am still learning. It’s not always easy as a wife, mom and full time employee to find a lot of time to rest. But I know that it is important to prevent injury and burn out.
I have dealt with some tendinitis and plantar fasciitis in the past and still today it’ll flare up – a good sign that I’m overdoing it.
What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?
Discipline, determination and sometimes it’s just to hang out with my friends!
Motivation always wears off. It’s not always fun waking up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday. But these are the days that show up on the race course. These are the days that give you a little more mental strength.
I really pride myself in my determination and tenacity. Because I know that when I’m not motivated I can always fall back on these two things.
Who is in your workout support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?
First and foremost my husband is my biggest support. He’s my best friend. He’ll come find me during long runs to see how I’m doing, he’ll help me prep for races, he runs with me sometimes, he holds the fort down when I’m running for hours. He’s my rock. He was the first person I told when I ran my very first mile straight through and he is always the first person I want to talk to about my runs.
I also a core group of friends who are very supportive of my running and goals and I have two very good friends; Sophie and Aurora that I train and run races with. They are so badass and so supportive.
My sister and my friend Amelia and also two of my biggest supporters. My sister reminds me of what I am capable of and Amelia shows up, every time without a doubt. She has helped to plant many seeds and ideas of what may be possible and she ALWAYS has my PB M&Ms waiting after a race!
When/what is your next race?
Kettle Moraine – 100 MILER (insert anxious sweating here).
This is my first attempt at this distance. I am so excited and nervous aaaaaand aaaaaah!! But I cannot wait!
Do you prefer roads or trails and why?
This question! Lol. I can never decide. I really think that I like them equally although I run mostly trail races.
To me you can’t compare the two. Road running allows me to push myself differently than trails. I feel like I am stronger and confident on the road. I love me a good road run on a summer evening while my kids bike beside me. It is absolutely one of my favorite things to do.
I love trails because it is such a different energy and connection when I’m running. Trail running is almost an out of body experience for me. It’s so challenging, but it’s so beautiful.
What do you think about while you run?
Mostly I think about my family. I think about how grateful I am to be able to run, what a good life it’s given me. How much it changed my life.
I also think about my dad a lot. He passed away when I was 15 years old and when I run I feel very connected to him.
What is your most memorable race or running achievement?
Move memorable I’d say I have a few:
- Finishing Grandma’s ½ marathon in 2017 9-months pregnant with my daughter
- My first ever 1st place (female) finish in the Fire Tire 50k (September 2021)
- Finishing Wild Duluth 100k (October 2021)
These are probably my top three. They are things I didn’t think I would ever be able to do and I surprised the hell out of myself!
Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).
Honestly, I don’t know if there are any. Every experience has taught me more and has helped me become a stronger runner.
…….although the 2015 Grandma’s Full sucked pretty bad. Lol. The course was black flagged. It was so hot! I think it was over 90 degrees that day and so humid, add in the black pavement and well..oooft! It was my first road marathon and I started out way too fast.
What is something non-endurance activity related you would like to share with readers?
I often say that running is medicine, and it is. I try to imagine a life without running. I can’t. I think back to the day that my friend, Chally invited me to run and I said no. She kept asking until I eventually said yes. What if I would have resisted? Out of fear, out of discomfort. I would’ve missed out on so much. I might have never seen the sun rise over Lake Superior from the SHT, I might’ve never witnessed my sons run through trails. I might’ve never shown myself my capabilities.
In life, there will always be discomfort and fear but if we let those things stop us we may never find the joy that is waiting on the other side.
Closing
Many thanks to Nichole for stopping by Duluth Runner to share some of her knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!