Liz Derstine

The Spaces We Fill

When we have a blank canvas in front of us, the tendency is to fill it up with colors, lines, textures… anything to make the space feel beautiful, meaningful, or well, just to put something there. For the first time in a long time, my future is suddenly a wide open space. It’s as if forContinue reading “The Spaces We Fill”

I Would Do Anything for Love

How do you know when it’s time to pull the plug? What is it that you’re holding onto when you make the choice to keep going? What exactly are you fighting for? Why does it matter to you? These are the questions I was grappling with while running the Kettle Moraine 100 this past weekend, but theContinue reading “I Would Do Anything for Love”

Playing Support: Bryce Canyon 100 Recap

Last weekend I had my first experience crewing a friend in a 100 mile race. The thought of taking on a supporting role in an endeavor like this has always been daunting to me because of the responsibility involved. It would mean being exactly in the right place well ahead of time, remembering which suppliesContinue reading “Playing Support: Bryce Canyon 100 Recap”

Running Out of Time: SCAR FKT Recap

THE APPROACH “I feel foolish for trying.”“I think you’d be foolish not to try.” “I don’t want to let you or anyone down.”“You won’t be letting me or anyone else down. I know you will give it your all.” “I’m wondering if I’m playing with fire here.”“Are you playing with fire? I have to sayContinue reading “Running Out of Time: SCAR FKT Recap”

Three Days in the Smokies

Greetings from the Appalachian Folk School in Mountain City, Tennessee, where I’ll be posted up until next week when I attempt to run a women’s supported fastest known time of the 71 mile traverse of the Great Smoky Mountains, AKA the Smokies Challenge Adventure Run (SCAR)! I spent this past Thursday through Saturday doing reconContinue reading “Three Days in the Smokies”

Promise Land 50K Recap

Photo by Jay Proffitt You know that feeling when you find yourself out in the middle of the woods, leg muscles burning, slogging along at a snail’s pace, feeling queasy like you might puke at any moment, thinking, “This isn’t fun anymore!” and “What am I even doing out here?” I was in the midstContinue reading “Promise Land 50K Recap”

Promise Land 50K Tomorrow!

Greetings from the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia, where in a day’s time I’ll be joining over 300 runners in racing the Promise Land 50K. Yesterday I ran from Sunset Field on the Blue Ridge Parkway down to Apple Orchard Falls and back, which many consider the most beautiful and challenging part of the course.Continue reading “Promise Land 50K Tomorrow!”

The Open Road

“What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks disappearing? —It’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy adventure beneath the skies.” -Jack Kerouac Two days ago I kissed my husband André goodbye, gaveContinue reading “The Open Road”

Don’t Think, Just Run

This morning as I woke, the line between dream and reality was a bit blurry as I came to. I didn’t even remember falling asleep the night before. I felt around and under my pillow in the dark until my hand enclosed around the silicone case of my phone. I tapped the screen to checkContinue reading “Don’t Think, Just Run”

Looking Within

As I tend to do, I’ve been dreaming up possibilities for the future. I feel physically recovered from the Appalachian Trail, though the emotional aftermath still comes and goes like aftershocks following an earthquake. I’ve run 60ish miles per week for the past 14 weeks with more vertical feet than I’ve ever covered outside of the AT.Continue reading “Looking Within”