I do and therefore, I am (and can)

Ultra-runners! My people. The community that I grew up in, from my early twenties, to now, where I occasionally hear my name and “seasoned veteran” used in the same sentence. That is crazy! But that is love, and if I know one thing for sure, it is that I love the people in this weird and wonderful sport.

I was running with a well-recognized and talented writer a few weeks ago. They mentioned they were sick of people writing long and inspirational Instagram captions and calling themselves writers because the posts performed well. That did not sit with me. I respectively call some stinking bullshit.

While I went to school (in part) for creative writing and have been a regular columnist and editor for both print and online publications, I am probably best known as a writer in my Instagram captions. While amid a long (I mean years long) creative drought, Instagram captions let me flex my expression and reminded me that I love words.

I donʻt think I am alone in this. Who has time to sit down and write if itsnʻt your job? Maybe you do find five minutes, and then perhaps the baby cries or the parents call with untimely news, or you remember that you havenʻt washed your sheets in too long to admit.

Writing is just like running: if you run at all, then you ARE a runner; if you write long-ass Instagram captions and love that form of expression, YOU ARE A WRITER!

I am a writer. And I love words. Thank you for encouraging me to write and to share when a blank page seemed too intimidating to fill. And for appreciating the raw self, I tend to share.

I want to continue to share my stories, and my life, and I am interested in hearing and sharing about the lives of the people I admire. So surprise! I am starting a podcast, and therefore, I am a MF podcaster. Just another form of expression that I can’t wait to share with you. And probably the most intimidating, scary thing I have ever done.

Scarier than lining up to the Western States with the intent of crossing the finish line first. Scarier than thru-hiking solo at 19 years old or finishing UTMB in 2018 with a torn esophagus. Scarier than breaking up or forging a new relationship with the family that I havenʻt talked to in a decade. Even scarier than facing my chronically under washed sheets.

But scary sure is exciting.

I will do my best to keep it professional regarding high sound quality and engaging content. But I hope these conversations reflect the realities of life, which is always messy, unpredictable, and hardly edited. I want to deliver real conversations, and content little talked about. I hope itʻs a little different than any other podcast you listen to.

So far, I have recorded with some pretty incredible guests, with more to follow and to be released very, very soon. I will also be recording some solo episodes with some hopefully engaging monologues and an episode a month with Carson, my soon-husband, and forever +1 because we have an interesting life and we both love to share.

I hope you like to listen.

So these are the juicy deets that were promised, and this is just the beginning! The blog will be semi-regular, hopefully weekly, covering everything from the classic ultra running trials and triumphs, some nerdy science behind it, life stuff such as soliciting wedding-planning advice, and how I mistakenly got waxed the day after the Javelina 100k. If nothing else, it will be somewhat unique.

The BeRad podcast will be on a bi-weekly cadence, probably every other Wednesday. It will be as unfiltered as my agent can allow, and I plan on having a lot of fun doing it.

Tune in and let me know your thoughts! What do you want to hear? Who should I chat with or write about? And most importantly, how am I doing? Because I really, really want to do a good job.

Thanks for signing up to get this first little taste! And if you havenʻt, subscribe to my newsletter to get blog, podcast, and life updates. I love you, and THANK YOU!

Special thanks to Alexis at pxld Creative, Tyler at Surveyor Sports Management, and (get ready for some cheese) Carson for putting up with my shit, supporting, and literally helping to produce this dream. These are the people who helped to make this happen, and I couldn’t have done any of it without their help.

See you on the other side!