I recently sat down with Tonja and talked with her about being a new mom and what her future holds as far as motherhood and trail running. I found Tonja to be completely enamored with her new life as a mother and also discovered that she is focused on attaining some challening goals. What follows is her profile and then her interview.
PROFILE OF RUNNER:
A. Name, age, city
and state, how long lived there?
Tonja Marie
Chagaris
39 years old
Tucson, AZ 21 years
B. Place of birth,
where did you grow up, high school, college, military, other?
PHX AZ, grew up in
Bagdad, AZ and Grants New Mexico.
I went to high school in Grants New
Mexico. I then went to Cosmetology school in Tucson to become a hair
stylist
C. Other than
running – hobbies, interests, pets, kids, current employment?
Gabriel my seven
month old son, health and the human body, we have two dogs (Cade and Layla). I
currently own a hair salon.
D. Favorite
distance to run or race on trail and on the road?
On the trail I like
50 Milers and on the road I like the half marathon distance.
E. Favorite race
course or event?
Avalon 50 miler on Catalina Island
F. Favorite Tucson
area trail to train, run, hike?
Sabino Canyon trails to run and
Mt Wrightson to Train
G. Favorite
vacation destination?
Anywhere there is
mountains and water.
H. Favorite
post-race/run food, drink and activity, ie. hot tub, ice cold river soak, etc?
Sleep and then eat
cold food.
I. Pet Peeves?
Not having my chapstick
or gum while running
J. Current book you
are reading or favorite author?
Favorite Author at
the moment is James Patterson and I'm reading one of those books that you’re
not supposed to tell anyone…..by EL James.
K. Favorite quote
or saying to live by?
Always looking
forward to the next adventure
L. Person you look
up to, emulate, hero?
My husband for his
patience and his ability to think things through. Julie for her relentless
drive and stamina and my mother.
M. What has been
your worst running injury?
A bulged disc in my back
N. If you could no
longer run or lost the use of your legs what sport or activity would you
pursue?
Arm cycling
Interview
TA: Well, we both have the day off from work so
it’s nice to come over in the middle of the afternoon to talk about your trail
experience.
Tonja: Yes, thanks, it should be fun.
TA: Let’s get started. How did you first get
involved in trail running?
Tonja: Actually, through Alli and Trish, your wife.
I met them through the Hash House Harriers. I did a few half-marathons and
marathons and then Crown King 50K. I hadn’t really run that much on the trail
before I went out and did Crown King.
TA: So that was also your first ultra as well?
Were you athletic as a child and into your early twenties?
Tonja: Yeah, I kind of just jumped into Crown King
and fell in love with the sport. I never did sports as a kid. I just ran. I was
grounded a lot so I was only allowed to run. I picked up running from my
mother. She made me run because I was chubby.
TA: So you had someone in your life that said,
“You know, you might want to take up running.”
Tonja: She ran and made me go with her. When I was
living in New Mexico
it was really because I was getting in trouble and would continually get
grounded. We lived right next to the middle school where she could watch me run
around the track. When I could finally run further away from the house I
figured out that when I wanted to go drink and smoke I could get there faster
if I ran faster. I was destined to become a good Hasher.
TA: HaHaHa, that’s funny!
Tonja: Eventually I got my older sister to drop me
off in the desert and I would run home. That gave me more time to hangout. No
one ever put two and two together.
TA: You never participated in Track or Cross
Country; how about as a young adult, did you continue to run?
Tonja: Yes, I always ran for physical fitness, 3-4
miles.
TA: You were mindful of the health benefits?
Tonja: Also the stress release. I had a
friend/client, Reesa, while I was doing her hair asked me if I wanted to try a
half-marathon. The half-marathon was my first event. I went to San Diego with her and her boyfriend and did
the San Dieguito
Half.
TA: You skipped the 5K and everything and went
straight to the half?
Tonja: I ran the half and then did the Rock N’ Roll
Marathon in San Diego
three months later.
TA: What year was that?
Tonja: ’98 or ’99.
TA: The first RN’R Marathon was in 1998 in San Diego. Trish, Alli,
and I did it as well.
Tonja: It wasn’t the first one so it was 1999. It
was before Pete so I did it by myself with no support. A friend dropped me off
at the start and picked me up at the end. I did a few more marathons before I
finally discovered running in the mountains. I grew up in the mountains so I
felt at home.
TA: You had been living in Tucson since 1991. Did you know about all the
trails in the ranges surrounding Tucson?
Tonja: I did Phoneline once with a friend but it
wasn’t until meeting up with TTR that I really discovered them.
TA: Your connection to TTR was Alli and Trish? Do
you remember what your first trail was?
Tonja: Mount
Wrightson...not exactly
easy.
TA: You jumped right up to Crown King. What was
the appeal to do the longer distance?
Tonja: My inner drive. I remember when I finished I
called my mom and said, “That was cool, now I’m going to do a 50-mile.”
TA: It was kind of a natural progression. You
didn’t mind being out there 5, 6, or even 10 hours?
Tonja: No, not at all, I thought it was wonderful.
TA: You already have two 100-mile finishes;
Western States and Cascade Crest. What was your impression after finishing your
first 100?
Tonja: The first time you have no idea what you’ve
gotten yourself into. I had done a 100K in training so once I hit that mark I
realized…Wow! I’m going past my furthest point. It was hard. I was really sick
at mile 70; too much Ultra-Fuel. If it wasn’t for Julie I couldn’t have done
it. She picked me up at 60 and I didn’t want to disappoint her after she
traveled up for the race and took the time to help me.
I was supposed to run Western in 2008 but
it got cancelled due to the fire. I was relieved because I had been diagnosed
with a bulged disc at the time.
TA: So you got through it and finished? Any
sleeping issues?
Tonja: Yeah, as the sun came up is where I had the
hardest time staying awake; the transition from dark to light. Once the sun is
up I’m fine. We were heading into mile 83 and I needed to sleep. I remember
walking by other people that were sleeping. I asked Julie if I could have 10
minutes and I was already running tight on the cutoffs. She was frustrated with
me and gave me 5 minutes. I only lasted 3 minutes while she tapped her feet so
I really just put my head in my hands and never fell asleep.
Other than that I just couldn’t eat or
drink later in the race. I put crackers in my cheek for the last 30 miles. At
mile 93 I was really tight on time and she wanted me to run up the hill and I
couldn’t. I knew once we hit the top it was downhill and then I flew. I made it
to the last aid station with a minute to spare. I ran all the way to the last
hill before climbing up to the pavement. I finished in 29:35.
TA: How about the feeling coming around the track?
Tonja: Oh, it was such a great feeling. Pete was
there as well as my sister and her kids, my mom. I participated in the heart
studies after the race so they took my blood and found my blood pressure to be
92/50 and wanted to know if I was ok. I just wanted to go to sleep. I
experienced an instant diet. I came home 10 pounds lighter.
TA: How about the week after, how did you do with
your recovery?
Tonja: I took about three weeks off and started
training again to help Julie by pacing her at Wasatch. I was struggling and
struggling and after about six weeks I discovered I had lost all of the iron in
my body.
TA: Did you continue to lose weight for a couple
of days after the race?
Tonja: Yes, that particular race I did.
TA: Cascade Crest was a year later? How did that
go comparatively? Did you apply the things you had learned?
Tonja: I was in much better physical shape. I had
cross-trained. The course was much harder than Western. I wanted to run 27
hours and ended up running 27:19. I still had problems staying awake with the
sun coming up. Julie paced me again.
TA: I see you are signed up for Bear 100?
Tonja: Actually I was signed up for Bighorn 100 in
June. It was too early. My body wasn’t ready. I kept struggling with little
injuries. Also I had just closed my business. It was all too much at one time.
I had to let something go.
TA: How are you doing now?
Tonja: Well, I have an appointment with the foot
doctor to see if I have a stress fracture in my heel or not. It’s from coming
back too soon combined with a lot of standing doing my job as a hairdresser.
TA: How do you handle the standing day after day
and week after a week? Do you build a tolerance to it?
Tonja: I do have a tolerance for it. My legs do get
fatigued. I couldn’t go running after work. My long distance running is better
because of it especially when you’re used to standing for 10 straight hours
without sitting. I wear a lot of compression hose.
TA: Do you use the calf sleeves during training
and races.
Tonja: I have but I also have had issues where my
calves start to swell and they get too tight. I love to wear them after the run
for recovery. They make a difference.
TA: You’re about three months out from Bear. How
are you feeling about this? Do you have a plan especially with the heel issue?
Tonja: I need to get that taken care of. What’s
happening is I will run and then take two days before I can bear to stand on my
heel. It’s tolerable when I walk but it is painful when I start running. It’s
right at the back of the heel.
TA: Are you going in for an MRI?
Tonja: I’m being referred to a specialist and
probably get a bone scan.
TA: Luckily some of these races will give you
some or all of your money back if you know far enough ahead of time that you
can’t make it?
Tonja: Yes, that happened with Bighorn too. I’m
going to attempt more cross-training and see if that helps.
TA: What kind of activity did you do during the
early part of your pregnancy?
Tonja: I ran pretty much all the way through, just
not as far. I could still run 13-15 miles at a time up until about 6 months. I
biked and swam and even did a Triathlon. I lifted weights, upper and lower
body, four days a week. I was in pretty good shape until the baby came.
TA: How about after the baby was born? How much
time did you take off completely?
Tonja: I started running after two weeks in little
bits. Up to 6 weeks post-partum I tried to up my mileage. I did Pemberton 50K
11 weeks after the baby was born. I injured myself there and have been
struggling since then.
TA: Aside from the problems you developed you did
pretty well at Pemberton but I suppose it wasn’t worth it because of the injury.
Tonja: No, it wasn’t worth it to push that hard. I
finally got a 50-mile finish two weeks ago at Squaw Peak.
TA: That’s a tough 50-miler. How did it go?
Tonja: This was my second time. I didn’t expect to
finish because of my foot. I really expected to drop at mile 26 but using Advil,
the pain subsided. This was third 50-mile attempt this year and first finish.
It took me a long time but I needed the finish. I used to regularly make the
top 10 females but this time I asked Pete, “Am I at the end again?” And he’s
like, “Yeahhh…” That’s the biggest difference since having Gabriel.
A funny thing happened during the race. I
was starting to get sick in the same place as the last time I ran the race
around 35 miles, due to the elevation. I was able to text Pete as we started to
climb the peak and tell him that I was really sick. There were about 10 of us
near each other and we would take ten steps and take a break…take ten more
steps and stop. The aid station at mile 40 was at the top. My issue was mainly
with the stomach, everyone else was having breathing difficulty. The other
thing was that every time I sat down I would start to fall asleep. I kept
telling myself to get up and get going. Then I started having an allergy
problem with something in the bushes. The last time I did the course there was
a lot of snow so we could climb faster. This year we went through all the
shrubs.
So I’m telling Pete all of this on text
and he’s responding back to me to just stop at 40 miles and have somebody bring
you down. Talking about being remote, I started laughing and said, “These
people walked up her to 40! I have to walk myself down.” So he left the baby
with Julie and Van and came running up the other side to meet me. I kind of
knew it because he stopped texting me. I had a good laugh though thinking that
someone would carry me down the hill.
TA: You certainly need to be self-sufficient on
the trail. How does your foot feel when you are walking up hills?
Tonja: Going uphill isn’t as bad but it still hurts.
The downhill is when it really hurts and there is a lot of downhill on the
Squaw Peak course.
TA: The reason I ask is because if you’re dead
set on doing Bear in the fall you could train by fast hiking. Three years ago I
incurred a catastrophic injury to my hamstring. Post-injury after some rehab I
signed up for Bear and did a large part of my training by hiking up Mt.
Wrightson and Mica Mountain. It worked out pretty well.
Tonja: Hiking would be better and actually that’s a
good idea. I’m really slow right now anyway. I remember Jane saying that you
get faster after you have the baby. No you don’t. She did, I didn’t. Everybody’s
different.
TA: After Gabriel was born what was the hardest
thing physically that you dealt with related to your training?
Tonja: My gait is different and my fatigue level.
I’m tired a lot. My foot placement has changed because of the structural change
in my hips. They are supposed to go back to normal but not always. I’m still
wearing the same type of shoes but my toes are rubbing through in different
spots. Also, the wear pattern is different. I think that’s where some of my
injuries are coming from as well as the weight gain.
TA: How have you dealt with the weight? Mostly
diet, increased exercise…?
Tonja: I’ve lost most of it. I haven’t been
cross-training as much. I’m still nursing so that keeps your weight up. I
really miss the physical conditioning but I know it will come back with time. I
want my body back.
TA: So are you and Pete going to try again?
Tonja: Yes. We would like to have another baby and
will try soon. I’m getting older and don’t have a lot more time before I am
into my forties.
TA: Cool. How does that fit in with your running
related goals in the future?
Tonja: I really want to try for one sub-24 hour 100.
I need to do it in the next few years.
TA: Interesting. So you need to search out some
of the more runnable trail courses like Rocky Raccoon, Javalina, or Arkansas
Traveler?
Tonja: Yes, definitely. I would also like to take
about 30 minutes off of my 50-mile time. I typically place 6-7th
among women and think that the extra time should help break into the top five.
The last time I ran Avalon 50-mile in 2010 I placed 4th. I missed 3rd
place by just a minute or so. I was in 3rd near the end but the next
girl just barely beat me to the top of the last climb and I couldn’t catch her
on the steep downhill finish.
TA: Those are good goals. It’s amazing what some
of the women are doing right now especially as they get past 40. What running
related accomplishments are you most proud of?
Tonja: The completion of the 100’s. Doing a
double-crossing of the Grand Canyon. The Canyon is my favorite place to run.
I’ve done three double-crossings. We just did it in April and took Christy Hall
along. She wanted to kill us but it was good experience for her.
TA: I’ve never done a double-crossing in one day
and it has been years since Trish and I did a single. Speaking of experience,
if you could give one piece of advice to a newer trail runner, what would it
be?
Tonja: Figure out what you need to eat and drink and
then keep on top of it. Also, you’re going to feel bad at some point, keep
moving, it will turnaround. If you take a road runner and put them on a trail
they need to learn to eat and drink fluids, take salt and keep their internal balance.
TA: On the flipside, what memorable advice have
you received from a veteran trail runner?
Tonja: To try and eat real food. I can’t rely on the
gels alone. I like to use mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese
sandwiches, fruit – watermelon, cantaloupe, and grapes. Bob Bachani turned me
on to Ultra Fuel but I had a bad experience once where it turned my stomach and
I couldn’t use it anymore.
TA: What kind of pre-race rituals do you have?
Tonja: The night before I usually eat fish,
potatoes, and a salad. In the morning I try to eat a well-rounded breakfast and
stay relaxed. Ritually, I need to have my gum and Chapstick. I also carry my
black bean on my wrist.
TA: Oh, what is that?
Tonja: We call Gabriel, “The Bean.” Pete bought me
this bracelet so now I can carry “The Bean” with me.
TA: It doesn’t sound like you are very
superstitious. I’ve known you for awhile and remember that you tried new things
with diet and supplements over the years. Can you talk about a couple of things
that you really found to be the real deal?
Tonja: Vitamin D
is huge. A few years ago I had some issues with tendon soreness and recovery
problems. A lot of it had to do with low levels of Vitamin D. I take 10,000 IUs
a day. When we run we deplete our Vitamin D level even though we are out in the
sun. Once I got my levels back to normal the aches and pains began to subside.
Athlete
Octane is also amazing stuff. It’s in liquid form and is high in anti-oxidants.
You can use it as part of your diet but also half an hour before training. It
helps your recovery and helps oxygenate the blood quicker. Remember when we
gave you Athlete Octane when you were lying on the ground after the 50-mile
race in Texas – Grasslands?
TA: I don’t actually remember taking it but now
that you mention I do recall something that I was given that helped me out.
That was a brutal humid day.
Well here we are at the last question.
What is the meaning of life?
Tonja: Family…love…my meaning of life has changed.
Having Gabriel has totally changed my view of things. Being an ‘A’ type
personality, I was stopped in my tracks and forced to slow down and actually
enjoy everything.
TA: Very nice. Thank you for taking the time to
talk.
Tonja: You’re welcome, I enjoyed it.
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