Go By What You Feel
Laura Farrell, Founder, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports
Make sure you listen until the end of this one - Laura Farrell drops some serious wisdom bombs. Here’s one of my favorites: “As you get older, focus on the things you CAN do, and don’t worry about the things you can’t do.”
That’s fire in and of itself, but what makes it probably 10,000x more awesome is that Laura Farrell continues to KILL IT in her mid-60s. There’s still basically nothing she can’t do.
This is a woman who both runs and horseback-rides ultra distance events - 'ultra' meaning further than a marathon (26.2 miles) - and in Laura’s case, we’re talking 50- and 100-milers. When she first started running 100s, there were no headlamps or Clif Blox or ultralite gear or crew support - she literally carried a flashlight, along with all of the Coke and Snickers she’d need to refuel during her 20+ hours on the trail. And she’d stop for the occasional hamburger. Bonkers.
Laura’s still an avid hiker, she mountain bikes, she’s competed in eco-challenges, triathlons; she’s an avid skier.... For crying out loud, she had two kids 13 months apart, that’s enough to win you a platinum-plus life medal in my book!
Laura has also built an amazing legacy in all that spare time she's had while training for 100-milers... She founded Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports in 1987, which was one of the first adaptive ski programs in the northeast, and remains one of the best in the country. She was also the founder and first race director for the Vermont 100 ultra trail run, which joined the Vermont 100 endurance horse ride to become the "Vermont 100 Endurance Race" in 1989.
Let’s all do our part to carry Laura’s dreams forward - you can find out how to get involved and support Vermont Adaptive.
And if you’ve been using all your COVID at-home time to train like a crazy person, you will definitely want to check out the Vermont 100 races - along with the 100 mile run and horseback ride, the race weekend includes a 100-kilometer run option.
Finally, a few more links to take us to the finish line:
Evans Notch Lodge, proud sponsor of the GGW!