A new course record at the Speedgoat 50k! We’re talking about Anna Mae Flynn, and celebrating her breakout summer with the July “The Runner Box” Colorado Runner of the Month award. She chats with us about Speedgoat, her rise to the top of the sport, and what’s coming up.
Anna Mae, you’ve had a big summer! We’ll get to that. First though, you’ve only been running trail and ultra races for a few years. What’d you do athletically before you got into trail and ultrarunning, and what got you into this sport?
I ran cross country and track in high school and college. I was second in the state of North Carolina in the 2 mile my senior year and freshman of the year and MVP for two years in college. I was really burnt out midway through college and lost passion. I vowed to never race again, and spent my early 20s biking, surfing, climbing and hiking. I taught high school in Rotoura, New Zealand and bummed around climbing with my boyfriend at the time.
In my mid 20s, I got really into running up peaks when I moved to Lake Tahoe in 2011. I never ran down because I hadn’t quite developed that skill and preferred walking back down enjoying the scenery. I did a few triathlon races for ” fun” in 2014, and ended up getting offered a sponsorship around the same time I ran my first trail race at The North Face (TNF). It was the TNF half and I got second there. A Salomon rep, Connor Curley, met me there, and I ran in these old school Salomon hiking shoes because I was definitely not in the position to purchase shoes that weren’t on sale. I still wear those shoes today (XA pros, I believe they’re called).
That winter in Tahoe was really hot and so the snow never came, and I just got really into running trails. I decided to register for the Way Too Cool 50k and ran maybe a three-week training block to prep for it, and it about killed me. I have a really strong mind, even if I’m not prepped for a race I just try and get it done. I finished fourth in that race to Megan Roche, Steph Howe Violett, and Yiou Wang, and thought I just sucked. I felt defeated, and thought “oh well that was fun.” After the fact, I was told I finished in the top 10 all-time best times, and for my debut ultra did fairly well.
Since then I’ve just been trying to work on my mountain running skill set – technical trails, ups as well as downs, and having a blast in the mountains.
Already this summer then – Quad Rock 50 Mile, two races at the GoPro Mountain Games, two races at the Broken Arrow Skyrace, a Four Pass FKT, and now a big win and new course record at the Speedgoat 50k. You’re running better than ever. Is this just a natural trajectory upward with experience, or are you training at a higher level than before? What does a normal training week look like?
Honestly, I have no idea. I don’t think I’m running better than ever. I don’t feel fit – I felt fit last May, but I’m having a good time running in the Maroon Bells and Ragged Mountains. Hard to explain…but I’m not in any focused groove or training plan. I don’t have any goals when I’m training, just to have fun, and I have a blast picking out new loops and ridgelines with my partner, Paul Hamilton.
An example of one of my favorite days leading up to Speedgoat was a bike-run-bike adventure that involved a mountain bike ride on a Jeep road that climbs 3,o00 feet and drops down to the south side of Capitol Peak, and then we ran up and tagged the peak, and glissaded down the northwest bowl, and back over to the trailhead to grab the mountain bikes and made it back to the house at dusk. That totaled 10,000 feet of vert and lots of hours, but I don’t really pay attention to it. I’m all about the destination and the adventure. You can see in my Strava that umm, well I averaged three runs a week and more like two a week going into Speedgoat. Just wasn’t feeling the training and it was raining a ton and I just had other projects to do. I had a big week three weeks before that with 30k feet of vert and 80ish miles, but that was the most volume I’ve put in since last June. I ran the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop the week before Speedgoat and happened to get the FKT. I’m often told I should be more constant and train more, but I’ll get there. In time.
New Zealand to Truckee to Marble, you’ve moved a few times! What do you outside of running that gets you into such cool towns?
I’m a high school math teacher. I worked at a charter school in Squaw for a few years and then last summer went to a Trail Runner Mag photo shoot for Salomon in Marble, and met Paul at the local BBQ restaurant there. We clicked and now I live in Marble – when you know, you know. I got a job at a public middle school in Basalt last year, and am lucky enough to have a new job in Marble at the local Charter school. I’m really happy.
I checked your UltraSignUp, you have a big race coming up – the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile in Steamboat on September 8. I know you dropped at Western States last year in your 100-mile debut, so how have you approached this training cycle to be better prepared for that 100-mile distance? Peaking at the entrant’s list, it’s a really strong women’s field heading to Run Rabbit Run. Can I assume that much of the draw here for you is a Hardrock qualifer?
I’m just focused on strength, and durability. I haven’t put a solid “training” block in, but I plan to do some big days the next few weeks. For me, my body responds to higher intensity sustained short vert climbs. I prefer that vs. long slogs and back to back long days. I’m feeling a little off these past few weeks because I’ve been racing a lot, and have been losing my momentum. So I’m gonna press the restart button. You can expect to see a 40-50 mile week for the next two weeks, and most all runs at higher heart-rate intensity vert climbs. If that’s all I get in before Run Rabbit Run, then that’s what I get in. My goal is to be healthy and strong, and my mind takes care of the rest.
Honestly, I just want to compete a 100-miler so I know how to race it, and what it feels like. The whole experience. We’ll see after that. The only objective in the back of my mind going into next year is another go at Western States, and so I think it’d be wise to try another 100 and feel good about the whole experience and NOT have any niggles or weaknesses that might take me out.
What’s your favorite thing in the Runner Box?
The runner box was lovely! I must say that the inspirational quote by Meb, “winning does not also mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself,” resonated with me. I race because it’s always an opportunity to be the best I can be on that day, and in ultrarunning and racing, often it’s over coming obstacles that come with each race adventure.
As for items in the box, I’m currently munching on a “Beet ’em,” great consistency, ingredients, and has a very chocolatey taste to it.
Thanks Anna Mae, and good luck at Run Rabbit Run. You can follow Anna Mae on instragram @annamaeflynn and on twitter @amflynnrunner.
“Leave the research to us, and we’ll leave the training to you,” says Runner Box. The Runner Box is a subscription-based service that delivers a “box” of runner-friendly goodies to you every other month, items like gels, bars, and other accessories hand-picked to add to your running. Many items are new to the market, and new items are expected with each box. A great service for yourself, the boxes also make great gifts and are often themed around holidays.
Previous “The Runner Box” Colorado Runners of the Month:
May 17 – Timothy Olson
April 17 – Noah Droddy
February 17 – Courtney Dauwalter
January 17 – Becky Wade
December 16 – Zach Miller
November 16 – Sage Canaday
October 16 – Sarah Pizzo
September 16 – Clare Gallagher
July 16 – Addie Bracy
May 16 – Tabor Scholl
April 16 – Amanda Basham
February 16 – Alia Gray
November 15 – Ali Williams
October 15 – Neely Gracey
September 15 – Timmy Parr
August 15 – Andy Wacker
July 15 – Lanie Szuch
June 15 – Joe Gray
May 15 – Brittni Hutton
April 15 – Andy Rinne
March 15 – Justin Ricks
February 15 – Laura Thweatt