megan kimmel

July and August had been off months for me with a lot of transition and not much grounding. I had started questioning many things in my life including my relationship with running. For the first time in my racing life I was really struggling with motivation to run. Most of […]

9/18/17: ‘One Month Home’ GlenCoe Skyline SkyExtreme, Scotland

27 Sep, 2017 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

Some people battle with injuries, I have mental breakdowns. Or maybe more like mental blocks as they are not to the point of zero function but to the point in which it does limit my ability to function to my normal capacity. And to simplify,I usually go hard in life, […]

8/5/17: ‘Tromso’-Tromso Skyrace Extreme Series, Norway

24 Aug, 2017 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

Over the winter of 2016-2017 I noticed my first gray hairs. I had just captured my first Sky Series title in the 2016 racing season and I was deciding what to do for the next season. I had all intentions on moving towards longer distances and leaving the Sky distance […]

7/30/17: ‘Gray Hair’-Comapedrosa Skyrace, Andorra

31 Jul, 2017 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

Some times the story is not about the race at all. This is one of those. If you have ever gotten bed bugs you will know you care not to think about that experience again. If you haven’t then nothing I can say will illustrate how uncomfortable they are. Yes, […]

7/9/17: ‘Bed Bugs’-High Trail Vaniose Skyrunning, Val d’ isere, France

11 Jul, 2017 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

It started fast and ended slow. The details: Ida Nilsson was there…..meaning the first several miles of the flat start WAS fast 🙂 Then came the first climb into a misty mountaintop that continued to present a false summit on beautiful single-track. It was a repetition that became my favorite […]

6/25/17: ‘Fast to Slow’-Mont Blanc Marathon, Chamonix

30 Jun, 2017 in Other Races by megan kimmel

Zegama again! After last years frozen in place experience I was thawed out and ready for this year. Though I knew I was not in peak fitness, I thought I had plenty to have a good race here. The day after I arrived I went for a great 10 mile […]

5/25/17: ‘Disjointed’- Zegama Skyrace, Basque Country

30 May, 2017 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

Of all of the places I have run of recent, this one is the most culturally interesting. And this was reason enough for me to come back after last year. My favorite thing about this area where these saddled motorcycles which to me represented the freedom and happiness amazingly still […]

5/3/17: ‘Freedom and Happiness’-Yading Skyrace, Riwa, China

5 May, 2017 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

Preface (to this 3 race post): 2016 proved to be a great year for me. I had run well, I decided to sell my house and did with an offer on the first day it was on the market and that same weekend, I signed a contract to buy a different ‘dwelling’ […]

10/1-12/12/16: ‘Blue Collar’: Limone SkySeries Finale; Moab Marathon; TNFEC 50 ...

10 Dec, 2016 in Other Races / Skyrunning / Ultras by megan kimmel

I was ‘not again’ going to feel how I did at this race in 2015. Megan Kimmel 5.23.15, second Michaela Mertova 5.46.21, third Celia Chiron 5.51.36 and Oihana Kortazar is 4th 5.55.57.

8/21/16:’Not again’-Matterhorn Ultraks 48k, Zermatt

29 Aug, 2016 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

The 4th of 4 races in 3 weeks……I was almost done racing for a month! The soreness from WMRC in my quads and gluts had given way to calf soreness and hamstring strain from the 3 fast flat sections of Beat the Sun 4 days prior. On top of that […]

6/26/16:’The Home Stretch’- Livigno Skyrace

29 Jun, 2016 in Other Races by megan kimmel

2016 USA Long Distance World Championship Team I was not prepared for this race but whether Antonella Confortola Wyatt was or not she looked it. At the age of 40 she was the boss out there and running with her at this race was my prize. While my legs […]

6/19/16: ‘A Queen’-World Long Distance Running Champs, Slovenia

19 Jun, 2016 in Other Races / World Mountain Running Championship by megan kimmel

Zegama, Basque Region of Spain. My last experience here in 2010 was an off-the-couch-Skyrace…..oops. That was a super painful experience, with it 15,000ft total vertical and 42 distance, my back was seizing not even half way through the race, to think I could even finish this race […]

5/23/16-‘Survival’-Zegama SkyRace, Spain

30 May, 2016 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

When I was 18 years old, I already had the travel bug. And I already knew that if I wanted to travel in my life I was going to need to find a way to make money while traveling. For a very short time I entertained all the various things you could import […]

4/30/16:’CHINA’-Yading Skyrace, Sichuan, China

22 May, 2016 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

I first found out about this race on the The North Face website in 2010. And ever since that day I had wanted to win this race. Summers grew increasingly difficult to race in through the years owning the Mobius Cafe. I did more observing than racing. In 2010 and 2011, […]

12/9/15:’White Horses’-TNFEC 50 San Fran, CA

15 Dec, 2015 in Other Races by megan kimmel

Limone sul Garda, Italy I had made it to the SkySeries Championships and I was a major contender for the overall title with 3 of 3 wins going into the final. But that did not actually mean much, I had to get 2nd or better to win the series […]

10/21/15: ‘So close, yet so far’, SkySeries Finale, Italy

21 Oct, 2015 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

Yes, I had spent the summer ‘traveling’/racing in Europe but that is not what this ‘trip’ is about. I WAS at the very end of my summer being away from home in which I had surprised myself with top finishes in a couple of the biggest races in Europe. Saying “I surprised myself” […]

8/23/15: ‘Checked Out’ Matterhorn Ultraks, Zermatt SZ

24 Sep, 2015 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

It looks simple enough, especially coming from the complexity of the Alps. I was back in the USA briefly for America’s SkyRace in Big Sky Montana. If there was one race I really wanted to win it was this one, it had a technical ridge and descent but most of […]

9/10/15: ‘America’, The Rut SkyRace, Montana

17 Sep, 2015 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

Ever since I started trail running, Sierre-Zinal has been the race of all races. It had become almost mythical to me after 5 years of saying no to the opportunity because it overlapped with the busiest season in my line of work. Friends went to the race […]

8/15/15: ‘The Crown Jewel’ Sierre-Zinal, Switzerland

15 Aug, 2015 in Other Races by megan kimmel

Somehow, I had made it 4 weeks in Europe, Chamonix mostly, in the middle of the summer without rain. Which was actually a huge factor because I had been living in a tent. I was on a ‘shoestring’ budget and I figured I could camp and eat for as much […]

7/21/15: ‘Sandbaggin’, Dolomites Skyrace, Canazai, Italy

21 Jul, 2015 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

After selling Cafe Mobius Jan. 1, 2014, I figured I’d need one year of recovery, one year of training and then there would be a year of performance. 2014, was definitely a recovery year. That makes this year my year of training.

1/1/15: At a glance

1 Jan, 2015 in Yearly Summaries by megan kimmel

Way too much to describe (though some are highlighted in individual entries) in 29 races over 6 years. To sum my experience up was that I was burning the candle at both ends during all of these years and this series was my sole reason for getting out of town […]

2009-2014: ‘Trail Running Roots’: LaSportiva Mountain Cups, USA

29 Nov, 2014 in LaSportiva Mountain Cup by megan kimmel

? ASICS Running | Outrun The Sun – Part Four – YouTube. This is the clip of the last segment of the Outrun the Sun 2014 Challenge. Both teams were trying to circumnavigate Mont Blanc on a 153k course of the Alps finest single-track. The challenge was to complete the […]

? Outrun The Sun – Part Four

21 Jun, 2014 in ASICS Solstice Day Running Challenges by megan kimmel

(This is one of my favorite races ever! So much fun!) I couldn’t figure out why this trail race started in waves as there were not thousands of people doing it. And because I was a late entry (unprepared as usual) I had to put a great deal of effort […]

5/31/14: ‘Hell yea’, 7 Sisters Trail Race, Amherst, MA

31 May, 2014 in LaSportiva Mountain Cup by megan kimmel

I had sold the coffee shop (my business/my livelyhood/my entire reality) and I was ready to go as far away as possible. By chance, I already had a ticket booked/a trip planned to run and explore in Nepal. We had done the Langtang Valley out of Katmandu, and we were […]

4/15/14: ‘Home’-Spring Training in Nepal

15 Apr, 2014 in Adventure Runs by megan kimmel

As fast as life changes, is a fast as life can change again.

1/1/14: At a glance

1 Jan, 2014 in Yearly Summaries by megan kimmel

Silverton, CO Winter is here! But we are not quite ready for it. Time to hit the road……. Canyonlands, Utah Zion, Utah The Grand Canyon, AZ Thank you so much EMICH Volkswagon for 3 years of $30,000 miles and still running strong!!!!

10/1/13:’Getting Out Of Dodge’-Utah Road Trip

1 Oct, 2013 in Adventure Runs by megan kimmel

I had a cold. But I also had the Pikes Peak Ascent in two days. I figured the cold would be gone by then. Its difficult to treat a cold and run in an elite race (WADA tested in this case) at the same time because cold medicines can have […]

8/15/13: ‘What was I thinking?’ Pikes Peak Ascent, CO

16 Aug, 2013 in Other Races by megan kimmel

4/13/13: ‘Spring Training’-Arizona Road Trip

13 Apr, 2013 in Adventure Runs by megan kimmel

Rain. I believe they called it a/the Pineapple Express, the low pressure system that hit Northern California days before this race and lasted days afterwards. Somehow, the weather broke just enough at just the right time, to run the race. Within all the rain and wind, the temperatures stayed around […]

12/10/12: ‘The Pineapple Express’ TNF50, San Francisco, CA

10 Dec, 2012 in Ultras by megan kimmel

I was in Interlaken, Switzerland to run a marathon I had been training for in my spare time all summer. The course seemed a great challenge to me. The first half of it is flat road running (part pavement, part dirt) and the second half of it is an uphill […]

9/15/11: ‘This one is different’, Jungfrau Marathon, Switzerland

16 Sep, 2011 in Other Races by megan kimmel

Barr Mountian Trail Run is a great training run for the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon and also just a great race on its own. Manitou Springs has always been a fun place to visit. I always look forward to my pre-race Italian meal and post-race crepes at the European […]

7/10/11: ‘Bailed’, Barr Mtn Trail Run, Manitou Springs, CO

10 Jul, 2011 in LaSportiva Mountain Cup / Other Races by megan kimmel

As usual I was rolling into town last minute for the race, unprepared, picking up my number and looking for dinner before figuring out where I was going to sleep the night. I went to the pasta place and order a simple pasta dish to go. Bada bang bada boom. […]

6/6/11: ‘Electric Pasta’, Teva/Vail Mtn Games, Vail,CO

11 Jun, 2011 in Other Races by megan kimmel

I enter this year, now knowing my limits. Racing is secondary to owning/operating my small business which means I realistically cannot expect as much from racing.

1/1/11: At a glance

1 Jan, 2011 in Yearly Summaries by megan kimmel

I woke up this morning, took a breath through my nose and my whole nasal cavity full of liquid, crusty snot dropped into my mouth. That is probably the most disgusting thing that has ever happened to me. I am pretty sure that it was from the countless hours spent […]

5/31/10: ‘Gnarly’-Jemez Trail Race, Los Alamos, NM

31 May, 2010 in LaSportiva Mountain Cup by megan kimmel

I was riding the high from Russia as I landed in Madrid, it had only been 6 days since I left the states and in 4 four I would be headed back to the US. But first I was in Spain for my 2nd Skyrace, Zegama-Aizkorri. As I found the […]

5/14/10: ‘Off The Couch’-Zegama, Spain

14 May, 2010 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

I had always wanted to go to Russia for some unknown reason. So when I saw Mt.Elbrus on the Skyrunning schedule I hopped on the chance. I found out that not only was there a Skyrace happening but that the race was part of a weekend festival which also had […]

5/7/10: ‘Friends’-Mt.Elbrus Festival, Russia

7 May, 2010 in Skyrunning by megan kimmel

In the past 18 months, I have bought a house, become a competitive trail runner, and taken on sole ownership of a small business(coffee shop). I have held 4 jobs in 3 different towns (73 miles apart) getting an average night sleep of 5 hours(with many 24-72 hour stints of […]

1/1/10: At a glance

1 Jan, 2010 in Yearly Summaries by megan kimmel

My strategy was simple. Take it easy on the first lap, and let loose on the second. I executed my plan perfectly. The problem was that upon the second lap I apparently had nothing left in the tank. It was baffling because I felt good and I consciously felt I was […]

9/14/09:’Time for a Break’-World Mountain Championships, Italy

15 Sep, 2009 in World Mountain Running Championship by megan kimmel

Not having a marathon time to get into the Pikes Peak Ascent I had to enter the Triple Crown Race Series. Throw in the US Mountain Team Qualifier race in Colorado Springs and that will be 4 trips to Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs this summer. When I was a kid I […]

8/20 /09: ‘The (Triple Crown) Quest’-Colorado Springs, CO

20 Aug, 2009 in Other Races by megan kimmel

It has been a summer of rainbows, more than I have ever seen in a single season. And for the third weekend in a row I drove to Colorado Springs. This time it was not for the Triple Crown Series, but instead, the USA Mtn Running Team Qualifier. As usual this race […]

7/26/09: ‘Rainbows’ USA Mtn Running Team Qualifier, Colorado Springs, CO

29 Jul, 2009 in USATF Trail Championships by megan kimmel

Wow! What an incredible course. Green! A good uphill on rocky fire road then a tight, overgrown single-track descent so fast you have to hold onto and swing around small trees and branches. An Exilarating 10k! And the real prize, the the wild rhododendron were in full bloom. What a […]

5/30/09: ‘Fun’, Rock2Rock, Asheville, NC

30 May, 2009 in LaSportiva Mountain Cup by megan kimmel

What an experience, I was in Europe!!! Not knowing if this would be my only trip here I spent 5 days in Chamonix, France prior to arriving in Crans-Montanya. The the running and the scenery in Chamonix were amazing…..when it is the clouds actually lifted. When I arrived into Switzerland, the weather […]

‘There Is Something Else To This’-WMRC, Crans-Montanya, SZ

17 Sep, 2008 in World Mountain Running Championship by megan kimmel

And there I was in the one running outfit I owned, light blue running shorts and a featherweight long sleeve half zip ‘polypro’. This was the Berry Picker Race in Vail, CO, which was being used for the USA Mountain Running Qualifier. The top 4 finishers qualified for the World […]

7/20/08:’I Got It’-WMRC Qualifier, Vail, CO

20 Jul, 2008 in USATF Trail Championships by megan kimmel

1st-Laura Haefeli,2nd-Megan Kimmel,3rd-Brandy Erholtz,4-Rachel Cueller It had been an incredible winter in Silverton. So good, that there was no reason to leave the small town that was chock-full of powder skiing and then long spring corn tours broken up with running and biking which was a nice break from wearing […]

6/29/08:’The Beginning’-USATF Trail Championships, Steamboat Springs, CO

30 Jun, 2008 in USATF Trail Championships by megan kimmel