The hardest part about hiking the entire Appalachian Trail wasn’t hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. It was the “before” and “after”. After doing things more or less the same for most of my adult life, and being content in doing so, I preemptively put the AT on my calendar for the summer of 2020 aboutContinue reading “Growing Pains”
Author Archives: Liz Derstine
A Run Up Saltzman
Training in Portland this winter has me feeling a bit like a caged lion. With Forest Park practically in my backyard, I’ve gotten to know its trails like the palm of my hand. Each day sort of melts into another, most runs feel more or less the same, and any sort of forward motion orContinue reading “A Run Up Saltzman”
Look at the Bigger Picture
On my 38th day on the Appalachian Trail after setting off at 4:00am with aching, blistered feet, I walked through the lush forest of the Green Mountains in Vermont as the sun rose. I tried to wrap my head around the gigantic task that lay ahead in completing nearly 50 miles before midnight, and per my unintendedContinue reading “Look at the Bigger Picture”
You Can Take the Runner off the Track, But…
I’m a creature of habit. I like everything from my daily routine to my calendar year to be “just so”. Since 2012 or so I’ve done my hair the same way, latched onto a style that my friend Lauren calls my “personal color palette” which has remained largely unchanged, I’ve eaten the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyContinue reading “You Can Take the Runner off the Track, But…”
The Winds of Winter
Get to know me well enough, and you’ll learn before long that I’m a wee bit obsessed with George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire. In this fictional world, seasons last for years and end unpredictably. Once, winter lasted an entire generation. It was a period known as theContinue reading “The Winds of Winter”
A Long Way to Go
Maybe I’m tempting fate. Or is it simply a calculated risk? Should I listen to the alarm bells going off in my head, permeating through my body in shivers and shakes? What if? What if? What if? As an athlete, I’m continually seeking to expand my limits when it comes to my physical and mentalContinue reading “A Long Way to Go”
A Time to Heal
It’s possible, and okay, to feel more than one thing. I tried to remind myself of that as I spent my last waking moments of 2020 sniffling in bed being comforted by my husband Andre, my thoughts ricocheting in my head like a pinball on all the times I let down or disappointed people thisContinue reading “A Time to Heal”
A Choice to Be
I don’t know how the day got away from me. After spending the afternoon responding to a slew of emails and checking off to-dos, I eyed the clock and realized I had exactly thirty minutes to make it across town, during rush hour, to drop off a batch of apparel at the screen printers beforeContinue reading “A Choice to Be”
A Quiet December
This December has been a quiet one, filled with a lot of reminiscing about this summer and processing all of it. I knew as soon as I finished the Appalachian Trail, the next thing I wanted to do was to write a book about it. I think it’s important to have an account of whatContinue reading “A Quiet December”
A Happy Beginning for “THE TOE”
Greetings from Paducah, Kentucky! It’s been just over two weeks since I completed the Appalachian Trail on August 27th. I’ve begun several new long journeys since, including physically recovering, mentally unpacking my time on the AT (or at least trying to), and a solo road trip back home to Oregon. You’ve likely heard by nowContinue reading “A Happy Beginning for “THE TOE””
Mercury on the Run 