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Grow the Good

Squamish 50K: Racing to the Level of Who I Am Today

Aug 20, 2026 · 30 min · 12 segments

A couple of days ago, I finished my first ultra trail running race: the Squamish 50K. This episode is a reflection on what it took to get there, what actually happened out on the course, and what I’m…

A couple of days ago, I finished my first ultra trail running race: the Squamish 50K. This episode is a reflection on what it took to get there, what actually happened out on the course, and what I’m still processing afterward. This wasn’t a fairy-tale race story. I came into it after broken ribs, sickness, a short training window, and a lot of uncertainty about whether my body would hold up. I kept coming back to one idea: race to the level of my durability, not the level of my fitness. That was humbling. I had to go against old instincts from 20 years of mountain bike racing, let people pass me, manage pain, and accept that who I am today is not always the same as who I’ve been in the past. But I finished, my kids ran across the line with me, and I learned a lot about patience, limits, identity, and what it means to show up honestly. This episode is for anyone who has had to meet themselves where they are, not where they wish they were. Key Takeaways \- Race to the level of your durability, not just your fitness \- Who you are today matters more than who you’ve been \- Finishing can be meaningful without being glamorous \- Pain and suffering don’t need to be glorified \- Identity is allowed to shift \-------------- The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

A couple of days ago, I finished my first ultra trail running race: the Squamish 50K. This episode is a reflection on what it took to get there, what actually happened out on the course, and what I’m…

Speakers: Sonya LooneyHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈36k followers

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Top entities: Squamish×7 Achilles tendon×2 Philadelphia×3 Duke City Marathon Crested Butte×2

A Long History with Endurance Sport1:55 – 5:18

S

Sonya LooneyHost

1:55

So I ran my first marathon when I was 18.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:00

I started running probably when I was 17.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:03

I was a tennis player in high school, but I just liked running for fun.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:06

And then kind of out of nowhere, I decided I was going to run a marathon.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:09

And that was the Duke City Marathon in Albuquerque.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:12

And I did a couple 10Ks and then I ran it again the next year, but I ran it injured.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:17

So it was horrible.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:17

And I basically quit running after that.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:20

And I had started mountain biking around that time.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:22

And I had been asked to walk onto the UNM cross country team for running, but I had just found mountain biking and I fell in love with it.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:28

So I pursued mountain biking instead.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:31

But running has always been a side passion of mine.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:34

I've dabbled a bit here and there in some running races.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:39

And a couple years ago, there was a race in Colorado where it still exists.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:43

It's called the Grand Traverse.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:44

It's a 40-mile trail running race.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:47

You run from Crested Butte to Aspen.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:49

And then if you sign up for the two-day category, which is what I did, you race your mountain bike back the other direction from Aspen to Crested Butte.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:58

And so I started training that year.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:00

I didn't really train enough, to be honest, because I did the Breck Epic, which is a seven-day mountain bike race in Breckenridge two weeks before the Grand Traverse.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:10

So I didn't really do very much running in the month before.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:13

So I did the Grand Diverse and it was lots of fun.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:17

It was a really cool adventure.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:18

It was fun to do something new.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:20

But unfortunately, something popped up, which also happened in my training runs and my hip flexors, both of them and my hamstring attachments at the bottom, at the base of my glute on both sides, seized up so I could barely walk.

SquamishCityMunicipality in British Columbia, Canada
97%7 mentions
Achilles tendonEntity
90%2 mentions
PhiladelphiaCityCity in Pennsylvania
83%3 mentions
Duke City MarathonEntity
77%1 mention
Crested ButteLandmarkTown in Colorado
70%2 mentions
PennsylvaniaAdministrative AreaUS state
63%2 mentions
BreckenridgeCityTown in Colorado
57%1 mention
AlbuquerqueCityCity in New Mexico
50%1 mention
University of New MexicoCollege or UniversityPublic university in Albuquerque, New Mexico
43%1 mention
ColoradoAdministrative AreaUS state
37%1 mention
WhistlerCityMunicipality in British Columbia, Canada
30%2 mentions
IcelandCountryCountry in Europe
23%1 mention
KelownaCityCity in British Columbia, Canada
17%1 mention
North AmericaContinentContinent
10%1 mention
10K runEntity
3%1 mention

Endurance SportsSports > Mountain Biking
RacingSports > Mountain Biking > Endurance Sports
TrainingSports > Mountain Biking > Endurance Sports > Racing
Endurance TrainingHealth > Injuries > Physical Fitness
RecoveryHealth > Injuries > Physical Fitness > Endurance Training
MindsetLifestyle > Personal Development > Athletic Journey
ResilienceLifestyle > Personal Development > Athletic Journey > Mindset
Family Involvement in SportsFamily > Parenting > Balancing Family and Sports
Support SystemsFamily > Parenting > Balancing Family and Sports > Family Involvement in Sports
Lifestyle
RunningSports
RacesSports > Running > Trail Running
Athletic JourneyLifestyle > Personal Development
Trail RunningSports > Running
InjuriesHealth
Personal DevelopmentLifestyle
Balancing Family and SportsFamily > Parenting
Mountain BikingSports
Sports
Health
Physical FitnessHealth > Injuries
Family
ParentingFamily
Ultra RunningSports > Running > Trail Running > Races

A Long History with Endurance Sport1:55 – 5:18

S

Sonya LooneyHost

1:55

So I ran my first marathon when I was 18.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:00

I started running probably when I was 17.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:03

I was a tennis player in high school, but I just liked running for fun.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:06

And then kind of out of nowhere, I decided I was going to run a marathon.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:09

And that was the Duke City Marathon in Albuquerque.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:12

And I did a couple 10Ks and then I ran it again the next year, but I ran it injured.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:17

So it was horrible.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:17

And I basically quit running after that.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:20

And I had started mountain biking around that time.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:22

And I had been asked to walk onto the UNM cross country team for running, but I had just found mountain biking and I fell in love with it.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:28

So I pursued mountain biking instead.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:31

But running has always been a side passion of mine.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:34

I've dabbled a bit here and there in some running races.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:39

And a couple years ago, there was a race in Colorado where it still exists.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:43

It's called the Grand Traverse.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:44

It's a 40-mile trail running race.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:47

You run from Crested Butte to Aspen.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:49

And then if you sign up for the two-day category, which is what I did, you race your mountain bike back the other direction from Aspen to Crested Butte.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

2:58

And so I started training that year.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:00

I didn't really train enough, to be honest, because I did the Breck Epic, which is a seven-day mountain bike race in Breckenridge two weeks before the Grand Traverse.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:10

So I didn't really do very much running in the month before.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:13

So I did the Grand Diverse and it was lots of fun.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:17

It was a really cool adventure.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:18

It was fun to do something new.

S

Sonya LooneyHost

3:20

But unfortunately, something popped up, which also happened in my training runs and my hip flexors, both of them and my hamstring attachments at the bottom, at the base of my glute on both sides, seized up so I could barely walk.

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