💥Trail Gangstas of the Month (Oct '22): Brittany Edmiston, Single Mom, Nutritionist, and Quilter💥

Name: Brittany Edmiston

Age: 37

Occupation: Nutritionist 

Current Residence: Arizona

1. You’ve been running for over 20 years. How did you find the sport and how have you evolved as an athlete with regards to training, mentality, etc. over the decades?

I actually self trained for a Marathon when I was 16 and did half my runs in the McDowells! I remember it just feeling so must faster and more exciting and I just never stopped. I started as a slow runner, was only doing it for the joy of it. I had a boost in my competitive nature when I started Ultras and have kind of settled into a sustainable, I can do this till I’m 90 place.

Running is my favorite because you can run your mouth all you want, but if you don’t do the damn thing you don’t get the finish. Mother Ultra especially comes for all of us, to whoop our butts clean off. What I’ve learned and is the most consistent message is, nothing is all that serious and deep sorrow is probably low blood sugar. 

2. As a nutritionist, what new things are you still learning about fueling for ultras? Is there anything that still perplexes you?

The more fussy a meal plan is the closer it is to snake oil. The body asks for what it needs, so listen to it. What I’m learning and still perplexes me is how some runs you can be a garbage disposal and some days you are mentos in a Coke bottle with the same damn food. 

3. One of your hobbies outside of running is sewing quilts, one of which took a year and a half to complete. Are there parallels between a stationary activity like sewing and the movement of trail running?     

Oh man, they are the same damn thing. It’s quiet devotion just because you made a promise with yourself. We all want the buckle, we all want the pretty finished quilt, but the only reason we really want it is proof that we kept our promise.

4. You seem to thrive on the interactions and wisdom gleaned from fellow athletes in your trail running community. Can you name a running role model (or two) and a memorable piece of advice they may have imparted?      

I could talk about this all day! My two role models that I think are absolutely brilliant are Anne Trayson and Courtney Dauwalter. I got to spend a little time with Anne when I lived in California and she would say, "When I get dark thoughts I just take a fly swatter and swat em away! When it’s hot, yea I know it’s hot what of it? It hurts yea I know, so what?" Courtney has that same energy of knowing she’s going into a pain cave and having that big beautiful open mouth smile while she does it! 

5. What advice can you give to other single moms who may be apprehensive about training for their first ultra due to time constraints, life stressors, etc.?  

Still working on this myself, but I would say sign up with a game plan. What will training look like when they are in and out of school? Try to keep the rest of life as simple as possible!

6. What’s one of your favorite trail race experiences to date?                        

So far the Tahoe Rim 55k! I broke my foot at the 2022 Black Canyon 100k in after a few rough months of frequent sprains and it was the first time in so long I felt like I was flying! Every minute of the course was a beautiful view. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning for 90% of it! 

7. Best of luck at Javelina Jundred later this month! Do you have a goal besides finishing? What are your long term running goals?

My goal is to not take one minute for granted. This race has been my dream for as long as I’ve been running. Long term, UTMB, Cocodona 250 and running into my 90’s are where I’m aiming!