-
Venturing into the Hills
And just like that, it’s 2016! I resumed running after a long hiatus at the end of December which made for a perfect transition into the new year. It turned out I had actually cracked a rib from excessive coughing (pneumonia, the gift that keeps on giving!). Bad news for my rib as it will […]
-
Taking a Hvilepause
Hvilepause: a Danish word meaning “interval for rest”. I’ve been struggling with how to approach this post so I’m just going to say it. I have pneumonia in both lungs and haven’t run in over three weeks. I lost my voice and can’t breathe to full capacity. In the beginning I lost my appetite along […]
-
I Left My Shoes in Berlin
This has been a year of many firsts and my recent trip to Berlin, Germany was no different. I ran my first international marathon, and for the first time, got to start a major marathon up front with the elite runners. As I mentioned in my last post, I was feeling a little uncertain about […]
-
Reflections of a Citizen Runner
In less than a week, I will toe the line at the 2015 Berlin Marathon. As I reflect on my training and how ready I feel for the race, I’m a little uncertain. I blame that partially on what I call the taper crazies, in which I feel like I’m totally out of shape from not running […]
-
Berlin, Here I Come!
I can picture it now… I’m dashing through the streets of Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate is looming in the distance. Sweat is dripping from my brow. My legs are heavy and my lungs are ready to burst. The clock is ticking. The crowds are going wild. Someone hands me a Berliner Pfannkuchen which I promptly […]
-
Great Expectations
2014 was a breakthrough year for my running. I spent the first portion of the year regaining my fitness after a setback from injury, then later in the year I knocked four minutes off my half marathon best and fourteen minutes off my marathon best. My train of thought was, if I can run those […]
-
Race Report: Boulder XC National Champs
My goal going into the USATF Cross Country National Championship was to not finish last. It wasn’t an entirely unreasonable objective- I would be up against some of the toughest runners in the country! I arrived in Boulder two days before the race with my husband Andre. That afternoon, we went for a little hike […]
-
XC, Maui, and Modeling
January has been all about strength building, prepping for a national-caliber cross country meet, and landing my first gig as a runner model! After enjoying some time off during the holidays, I got straight to work at the beginning of the year. I decided to sign up for the USATF National XC Championship taking […]
-
Daring to Dream in 2015
My running goal for 2014 was to make it to the start line of the Boston Marathon on April 21st in one piece. I began the year dealing with an injury, and the future was a fuzzy blur into the unknown. The first few months were spent rehabbing, cross training, and gradually introducing running back into […]
-
Chasing the Sub-3 Dream in Philly
While waiting for the horn to signal the start of the 2014 Philadelphia Marathon, I couldn’t stop shivering. It was frigid outside. Perfect for running, but not perfect for standing around in shorts and a singlet. I had jogged for about ten minutes and had done all of my skips, leg swings, and A-skips in […]
Who is Mercury?
Liz Derstine, trail name “Mercury”, is a distance runner, endurance hiker, writer, and musician residing in Boston, MA. She holds fastest known times for women on the Appalachian Trail (supported, northbound), Long Trail (self-supported), and Pinhoti Trail (self-supported).
Newsletter 💫
Subscribe to Liz’s weekly newsletter full of inspiring stories about running, music, trails and life.
Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
Mercury on the Run 