This week I had the pleasure to speak to Kelsey Long. She is a Navajo runner living on the Choctaw Reservation in Oklahoma. She recently completed the Boston Marathon for Rising Hearts. She is also part of the Renew Earth Running Run Team and helped create a Dirtbags Run, a Dirtbag Runners Program, that consists of 21 BIPOC trail runners.

Talking with Kelsey was so much fun. She has done quite a lot in the short time that she has been running. She talks about hating running and only getting into it several years ago because of her energetic dog.

She talks about finding her group and starting to attend races and how she had caught the running bug. We talk about her journey and finding a running coach to help improve and then looking for another coach when that didn't work out.

Kelsey talks about seeing other native runners using their voice and running to advocate for things she also believes in and wanting to do the same thing. We talk about running Boston to fundraise for Rising Hearts. She also talks about the Boston Marathon experience.

We also talk about the forming of Dirtbags Run, their goal, and being visible. I didn't realize this was something she was involved in and I'm really impressed and excited about the group.

As Kelsey herself says, she's high achieving, and I'm excited to see what she does in the running space with her advocacy going forward.

It's getting warm out there (finally). I am hoping the whiplash of cold and warm weather is finally over, but that means it's time to run early and hydrate well. We also have state track meets going on. I hope you are enjoying where you are in your training and running. So get your shoes tied, get a buddy, and keep running, New Mexico.

The photo was providing by John Knepper (@john_knepper) / Mile 90 Photography (@mile90photo) from the Dark and Dirty Miles race by Outlaw Trail Series (@theoutlaw100)