Rachel Blinn is no stranger to long miles on the trails . . . in fact, she always seems to be finding ways to go farther than she has before! Finisher of multiple 100 mile races and even longer FKT attempts, Rachel is always up for adventures that test her limits, but she also enjoys a good snuggle on the couch with her cat, Corndog.- How long have you been running? I started running when I was about five years old, ran off and on until 7th grade where I ran steadily through high school until the end of senior year. I took a break for a few years due to some unforeseen life circumstances and then started running steadily again in 2019. So approximately 13ish years total give or take.
- Road or trail? Trail, but I am forced to run roads every other week (which in reality is a good thing because it keeps me faster than I would be if I only ran trails).
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Favorite running "highlight"? Running the Foothills Trail (155 miles) on my birthday. A group of my friends helped crew/pace me and I was able to set the FKT in 63 hours. Absolutely beautiful trail.
- Favorite hobby (besides running)? Reading and hanging out with Corndog
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Favorite running foods? During "shorter" runs - Maurten gels, Spring (Awesome Sauce, Canaberry, Power Rush), Clif Bloks. During long races - quesadillas, pasta, pizza, pierogies, hummus avocado wraps, smoothies.
- Favorite shoes? Salomon Ultra Glide 2
- Favorite running gear? Any Smartwool base layer top, old race t-shirts, and Salomon apparel (Agile tees/tanks and the 7" Cross Multi shorts are my favorites); Swiftwick socks
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Favorite place(s) to run? Duncan Ridge Trail in GA, the White Mountains in NH, and the Art Loeb Trail in NC
- Advice for beginning runners? Take easy days easy. Start off small and don’t compare yourself to other runners. Celebrate your accomplishments and give yourself credit for being out there! Be sure to listen to your body. Workouts are important but so are adventure runs.
Rachel's next big adventure is the Uwharrie 100 Miler outside of Albemarle, NC later in October. Stop by our Black Mountain location to pick her brain about all things trail and ultra running!