LEAD PHOTO BY: Dan LaPlante
This is the sixty-ninth 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, my name is Sophie Tibbetts.
I am a 35-year-old Native American woman from the Fond du Lac Reservation. I am a single mom of 2 boys, an 11-year-old and a 20-month-old.
I like to paint, read true crime, listen to true crime, watch true crime, work out and run. I grew up in/around Cloquet/Fond-du-Lac Reservation, MN with my 4 sisters. I am the very middle sister. I am not a runner by nature. I was what you would call a “troubled youth” Sports were not my forte, at all. I could often be found at the local skatepark, trying to skateboard, riding my bike, or aimlessly walking around town, looking for friends to hang out with and trouble to get into.
The most running I did was away from the cops. But I grew up and I became a runner. Even now with countless races and thousands of days of running, it seems weird to call myself a runner. But I am one. I feel that it’s become ingrained in me, like a part of my DNA. I am even what people would call an “Ultra Runner” Which is wild to even think about.
I started running 7 years ago approximately. The first time I ran, I only did it to hang out with my friend. She got into running and I wanted to catch up and visit with her. She asked if I wanted to go running. I said “Sure” and threw on some cotton shorts and a cotton t-shirt and away I went. Chaffing ensued due to that cotton, but from then on, we ran together.”
Interview
Why is running important to you?
This is a question I could go on forever about. Running is one of the few main things that I do that can be strictly for me. It helps keep me grounded. It helps with my mental health. It helps me to process my life, events, feelings. It helps me to stay active, to keep up with my kids. It helps me to escape when I want to get away from every day life. It helps me connect with my friends. It gives me goals to achieve and things to strive for. Running challenges me.
It’s important to me also that my children see me being active and healthy. I want them to see their mom doing great things and I want them to be proud of me. As a single mom of two boys, I want them to see how strong women are, particularly indigenous women and I want them to always remember that.
What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?
I drink a lot of water all the time. I believe this is one of the most important things you can do as a runner, is to stay hydrated!
I also make sure my shoes are in good condition and that they are fitting my feet properly. Having the wrong shoes can really mess you up, especially during a long race.
I have not been “susceptible” to any particular injuries. I have had things come up, but nothing has really stayed around. I severely sprained my ankle once during a trail run, but it healed well and I occasionally feel twinges of pain in that ankle, but it doesn’t last.
What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?
My kids mostly. I’m also slightly obsessive so I feel like I NEED to stick with my routines and I NEED to do certain things every day. Also, the fact that I have races I need to be prepared for. And my friends. My friends that I run with help get me motivated. We try to plan runs together when we maybe aren’t feeling the best about running. It helps to have someone to visit with along the way.
Who is in your workout support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?
I have a group of probably 6-7 friends that are also runners. These are the people I run with, weight train with, talk about races with, they wonderful friends.
But there are more people who are also part of my support. My sisters and my parents. My parents especially. They support me a lot of ways with my running. They encourage me and they also watch my kids for me so I can get out and run. I used to run with my dad a lot. He was one of the first people that I remember who ran around our reservation. We ran Grandma’s together. So he understands my running on a runner level.
When/what is your next race?
Right now, I have a biggie planned for the fall 2022…Usually I don’t put my plans out there in case they fall through, but this is one I have been gradually working up to. I am pretty psyched. But I haven’t signed up for anything in the meantime. I am thinking I will do the Minnesota Voyager 50 miler.
I usually do the Afton trail run in July so probably that one too. Every August my reservation has a run called the “Spirit Run” and we run the lengths of our reservation boundaries and it’s about 46 miles. I try to run a 50k during that.
Do you prefer roads or trails and why?
Trails 100% I love being out in the woods and trails are just a completely different atmosphere than the roads. I love feeling connected to the earth when I am out there. Roads are nice for when I am in a hurry and I just need to get miles in. But if I have the time to be out on the trails for hours, that’s where I will be.
What do you think about while you run?
What don’t I think about is the real question. Haha. Seriously though, I think about a lot. My life, my sons especially. They have helped get me through some real dark moments during some races. I think about where I am physically, the trail I am on. Try to take in the scenery. I think about my relationships with people, past and present. I think about certain events that have occurred and try to process them in a healthy way.
I think about why I signed up for whatever race I am doing and I wonder what I was thinking when I decided to do this. Haha. Overall, I try to keep my thoughts positive and be thankful that I am where I am and that my body allows me to keep running.
One thought that sticks with me forever is something my son had said to me one year about one of my races. He was asking if I would “win” the race and “what place” would I get. I gave him some random number like “Oh probably “152nd place out of like 312” or something and he goes “Well, I’d rather be a loser than a quitter.” So every time I am out running and things get tough I always think of him saying that. It doesn’t matter if I get last place, as long as I don’t let myself quit.
What is your most memorable race or running achievement?
Finishing my 50 miler and then finishing my 100k. Those were big moments. I was in awe of myself and my body.
Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).
During the Superior Spring Trail race one year, a fellow runner collapsed on the trail and I saw numerous people trying to provide him aid and it was harrowing. Its hard to even express how it felt. I was so deeply saddened by this event. And I remember it vividly. It’s not something I would like to forget per se, but it’s something I wish had not happened. I wish the outcome would have been better. I have ran many races on that trail since that year and I think of him every time. I try to put out a little tobacco and say a prayer for him and his family.
What is something non-endurance activity related you would like to share with readers?
I cross-train with weights 5 days a week for at least a half hour. I also do core work during those 5 days. Each of the 5 days are focused on a different part of the body so it mixes things up. I do various Beach Body Programs. This was incredibly hard for me to find time to do, but I have managed to squeeze it in around 10:30pm after I get my kids to bed and get my house in order. It is not ideal, but I know I need to be doing it for myself and to be a better runner.
Closing
Many thanks to Sophie 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!