What follows is a profile and discussion I had with Christy Hall a few weeks ago regarding her new found love for the desert and mountain trails in Southeast Arizona. Christy has an exuberant personality and thoroughly enjoys the outdoor life. She and her husband Dave like to travel and train to participate in triathlons and enjoy the good things that life has to offer.
PROFILE OF RUNNER:
PROFILE OF RUNNER:
Christy Hall, 38, Tucson , AZ
B. Place of birth, where did you grow up, high school, college, military, other?
Born in Charleston , SC , raised in Columbia , SC , College in Fayetteville NC at Methodist University
C. Other than running – hobbies, interests, pets, kids, current employment?
Pets: Yellow Lab and Boston Terrier. No kids and no plan to have kids.
Current Employment: Physician Assistant at Skin Spectrum, Cosmetic dermatology
Hobbies/ Interests: Trail Running and Triathlon training, Traveling with my husband
D. Favorite distance to run or race on trail and on the road?
I am having a hard time answering this because I’m not sure if I have a favorite distance yet, maybe 12-15 miles.
E. Favorite race course or event?
Thus far the 50k Northface Endurance Challenge we did in Madison , WI
F. Favorite Tucson area trail to train, run, hike?
Phoneline trail in Sabino
Coconut water, smoothie, and anything chocolate. Warm bath. Sometimes a lot of wine with friends.
H. Favorite vacation destination?
Everywhere!!!! Top of list Big Sur , Scotland , Napa Valley
I. Pet Peeves?
Working on not having any
J. Current book you are reading or favorite author?
Not necessarily my favorite but for now I’m reading True Blood series book 11 Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris. Don’t really have one favorite author.
K. Favorite quote or saying to live by?
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's learning to dance in the rain.
~ unknown
L. Personal hero or someone you look up to, emulate?
Tonja and Julie- I hope to be as fast as they are on the trails.
Tripped and fell on
N. If you could no longer run or lost the use of your legs what sport or activity would you pursue?
Swim, bike, para-athlete
TA: Hi Christy. Thanks for inviting me to your beautiful home. Let’s get started by talking about your most recent 50K up at Kettle Moraine in Wisconsin
Christy: You’re welcome. The 50K was part of the North Face Endurance Challenge. It was part of a series. The reason we chose Wisconsin is because my husband Dave’s best friend John lives there and he was jealous I had run further than him when I did Pemberton 50K. John is a marathoner.
Christy: Well, my first 50K was Pemberton this last February. I had never run a road marathon before so I was a little uncertain. I had been training with Tonja Chagaris.
TA: Oh, how do you know Tonja?
Christy: She does my hair. I met her two years ago and started running with her just last summer. She has inspired me with my athletics. As far as getting in shape I’ve always worked out throughout my life but never ran more than 3-5 miles. I did do a half marathon once.
TA: What got you interested in trail running?
Christy: My husband and I were driving to Santa Barbara
Christy: Getting trained up for trail running certainly hasn’t been easy. I thought I was going to die during that first Phoneline run.
TA: How did the 50K go for you in Wisconsin
Christy: The 50K was good. It was run in September so training for it here was miserable during the summer. It was hot and humid up there as well. None of us had enough training. Dave had never run over 15 miles. The trail isn’t very technical so we ended up doing a lot of running. Tonja dragged my through a 17-mile training run before we went up there. We started it thinking we were going to drop. If you didn’t stop at mile 11 you entered a long loop and were stuck to the end. So we went for it.
TA: Did you all stay together the whole way?
Christy: We did. John and I could have run faster than we did but had to drag Dave through the last 7 miles. We did have fun. It was really beautiful. The last 10 miles my hip was hurting probably due to lack of training.
TA: Did you learn anything from this race?
Christy: Train! (hahaha) Really, I think I do better if I can relax and not stress out about the run. When I first started to train with Tonja and Julie I would get tense causing my blood pressure to increase. I ended up more tired that way. I think I do better and feel better when I learn to chill. Also, I learned that I don’t have to race to the end to enjoy it. I’m not very competitive either. It’s too stressful for me to try and compete.
TA: I agree that the runs are really meant to be enjoyed. The competitive aspect of the trail involves a tiny niche of people. I see you mentioned in your profile that you would like to get faster. How do you plan on going about this?
Christy: I think consistency is important. Dave and I do triathlons too so cross-training and strength-training is important. I’m faster now than I was a year ago mostly due to cardiovascular improvement. Running more and longer is my plan.
TA: Well there are track workout groups that are geared toward getting faster.
Christy: I don’t know if I want to make time for that. It would work but I can’t find the time. We are training for a half-ironman next May. I’m going to do Pemberton 50K again and then I signed up for Old Pueblo 50-mile. So we have a lot of stuff going on.
TA: So you are signed up for your first 50-mile. That’s awesome! A lot of people have done OP50 as their first 50-mile race.
Christy: I helped Tonja and Pete do an aid station last year. It was really fun. We also marked trail from miles 40-46.
TA: You should check out the training runs that take place the month before the race. They are a great way to see most of the course ahead of time. As far as speed goes, I think what you are doing now is working. You can get faster by building your base up to a point.
Christy: I don’t need to win things. My ego is good with that.
TA: How did you first become a runner?
Christy: I got into running when my first husband was trying to get into the Army. I was 19 years old. I didn’t really enjoy it much. I never enjoyed running until I found trail running.
TA: So you did that for 17 years before you found this out?
Christy: Yeah, I was just running 3-6 miles on roads. I really hate the road. I liked to mountain bike as well. So when I moved out here from North Carolina
TA: It’s following a white line. Tell me about some of your most interesting, beautiful, or scary things you have experienced on trail.
Christy: I have to tell you about the second time I ran to Sabino Basin
A month ago we were running in the dark in the morning leaving the Sabino Canyon Visitor’s Center on the tram road. There was a freshly killed deer in the middle of the road. A mountain lion had apparently just killed it. There was another hiker in the area but I’m sure we had just scared it off.
TA: That’s quite interesting. So you have never heard of Triangalopes?
Christy: Triangalopes?? What is that?
What keyed your interest to run a half-marathon, especially on the road?
Christy: I did it for my friend who was going through a difficult part of her life. It helped give her a goal. It was America ’s Finest City in San Diego
TA: That’s a good race but sometimes hot in August. Do you always run with someone on the trail or do you go out by yourself sometimes?
Christy: 98% of the time I run with Tonja or Julie. Tonja is very pregnant right now so I have kept running with Julie. I missed last Sunday’s run at Agua Caliente because my alarm clock was set wrong so I ran by myself up to Blackett’s Ridge and then an out and back on Phoneline.
TA: That’s a decent lengthy run by yourself.
Christy: It was really beautiful. That’s my first longer run by myself. I had an amazing time.
I’m looking forward to Mount Lemmon Ascent this year but won’t be alone. I think I can improve my time from last year.
TA: Speaking of Mt Lemmon, there might be some snow this year for the TTR run. You may have to plan to bring some extra clothes. So what kind of running gear do you prefer to use?
Christy: I have a couple of the Nathan’s packs; a smaller one and a larger one. I have the woman’s version but it has smaller pockets on the front. On shorter runs I use a waist belt. I don’t like the handhelds because of the sloshing fluid.
TA: How about shoes…trail or road?
Christy: At first I was using road shoes. I really like Asics so I bought the Trabuco and really like them a lot. I don’t prefer one over the other. If there is going to be some road I use the Nike Free.
TA: So you lean toward the minimalist style a little?
Christy: After reading Born to Run, I felt that I should build my foot muscles more. I don’t use them that much. I will run on the treadmill completely barefoot but do experience Achilles tendon tightness.
TA: How far do you go without the shoes?
Christy: A mile or two. Dave ran Sabino in his barefoot shoes and got a stress fracture in his foot coming down the hill.
TA: My wife Trish did the same thing on Saguaro Loop. You really have to build up properly. What about gels and electrolytes…what do you use for calories?
Christy: I try to do real food. I put a half of a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt in my water bag and some in a baggie if I need extra. I don’t like the maltodextrin in gels so I bring peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, grapes, bananas, maybe chips. I bring a gel for emergencies. I make my own protein bars but haven’t brought them with me.
TA: You should bring some out to one of the TTR runs and hand them out. We can all experiment with them. Let’s talk about where you are headed? What kind of goals do you have?
Christy: I’m still feeling that out. As I train more and feel more fit I’m feeling better. I’m signed up for Old Pueblo 50 and then see how I feel. I still have bad memories from my first 50K at Pemberton this year.
TA: Tell me about that race. Did you have any difficulties? It was the first time it was run at night, right?
Christy: I learned a lot from it. I started too fast. Since it was at night I had a hard time figuring out what to eat earlier in the day so I don’t think I had enough fuel. Everyone started out really fast. Around mile six I was bonked. I was nauseated. I had to drag myself to the next aid station. After the first loop I just wanted to quit. I sat down for 10 minutes and had a San Pelegrino drink. Finally I got up and walked for a half mile and started to feel good. I felt amazing all of a sudden and just flew around the second half. This was also the first time I had actually run a trail on my own. I lost the psychological aid I was used to getting from my training partners.
TA: What other accomplishments are you proud of?
Christy: I did a half-ironman in July called Vineman in Northern California .
TA: How long are the sections in a half-ironman?
Christy: It starts with a 1.2 mile swim, then a 56-mile bike ride, and then a half-marathon. The run was the hardest part. I didn’t eat enough on the bike and got quad cramps. I couldn’t find bananas at the aid stations and I really could have used one.
TA: Where do you do your swim training?
Christy: We used to go to LA Fitness but now we have an Endless Pool in the backyard. It works really well.
TA: Don’t you get bored stiff doing that?
Christy: I use SwiMP3 attached to my goggles. The music is conducted through the cheekbone; or I will try and meditate. It can be monotonous.
TA: When is your next triathlon?
Christy: Next May in St. Croix, Virgin Islands . I would like to do a full Ironman in Arizona
TA: Since you began trail running have you noticed any changes in your body or way of thinking?
Christy: My ankle strength has gotten a lot better. I’m way more fit like I was when I was a mountain biker. I’m still not where I want to be.
TA: In your profile you mentioned you enjoy red wine. Do you have any recommendations?
Christy: We both like Cabernet, nothing too fruity. Barnett and O’Shaugnessy are a couple of my favorites. I like the Cuvee mixtures. We’re actually going to the Napa Valley
TA: Nice! Tell me a little more about your job? You have very fair skin. Is that related to your profession?
Christy: We do cosmetic dermatology; Botox fillers, skin rejuvenation, acne.
TA: How do you handle the shiggy scratches from running the trails? You know…wait-a-minute bushes, acacia, and mesquite thorns. You don’t mind getting striped on trail?
TA: Interesting.
Christy: It doesn’t work on true skeptics. You have to believe in it. I’m open to those kinds of things.
TA: Do you use any supplements or vitamins?
Christy: Yes, I take fish oil, Vitamin D3, CO-Q10, and a chloryphyll based tablet.
TA: Well it has been very interesting getting your perspective on trail running. So it is time for the last question. What is the meaning of life?
Christy: Seriously?!! That’s a difficult question for me right now. I’ll tell you what makes me happy; when I’m out in nature in any way; hiking with the dogs. I like to travel in order to experience different aspects of nature. It puts me in a peaceful place. The purpose of life is for us to learn to be at peace and be happy so you can spread that to other people.
TA: That’s cool. Thank you for the hospitality and good luck on the Mt Lemmon Ascent.
Christy: You're welcome.
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