Day 39: Runner You Need to Know: Keira Henninger

Keira Henninger is an incredible athlete, mom, ultra-runner, and Be Change supporter. I met her in 2011 when Jimmy Dean Freeman introduced her to me at a race. Having seen her compete many times, I was compelled to cheer for her as I saw that in many ways she is like me...or I am like her. Scary.

Hyper-competitive.
Driven.
ADHD. :)
Loving. Kind. Caring.

Easily bored and yet determined to live life to the foolest, Keira is race director in Southern California. A huge ball of energy with a gigantic passion for life, Keira competes. Her friends love her and she loves them.

Ultra-runners, two quick thoughts.

1) Stay on her good side by living self-less as she does and give your energy to a cause that is bigger than you. As do I, Keira believes that if you are going to run, run for a reason.

2) Register to run in her world. Find the races that she is connected to and frequent them. A few to start with...

Leona Divide
Los Pinos 50K
Leona Valley Trail Races

Keira on Keira: "I am extremely demanding on all involved personally with me...I'm all about my ultra family! Being afraid and discouraged will cause you to miss your destiny...fear keeps you from starting, and discouragement causes you to quit."

Keira, all of us at Be Change have mad love for you and all you do!

Now run,

Jharp









* Keira Henninger (L) and Michelle Barton (R)

Its About To Happen People : Stay Tuned

Running 365: Day 1

I've awaited the arrival of 2011. Twenty-ten was a fabulous year. It began with Michelle and Ashley crewing Ray in his first race of the BAD 135 Cup. I met him in Minnesota and cheered, supported and crewed him to a (-)fifty cold finish.

For me the year was spent in Rehab for my broken tibia. I never dreamed that the year would lead me to multiple 50 milers, a DNF on Rio Del Lago with Kidney Failure and the birthing of our own race in August of 2011...(more on that another day.)

I think of the more than 200 runners we have trained this year to 'resist the common.' I think of the Be Change Running Family that spread to Pennsylvania and now, Texas (DC) and Arizona (JS). I think of the numerous runners here in Sacramento that I call family. From Lodi to Loomis- From San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe...Be Change Runners...embracing pain for purpose. I am thankful.

Even as I blog this, Tracy Neal, a recent first time marathon finisher is texting me. "Rally Harp, "It's 1/1/11. At 11:11AM, I am running for 111 minutes." He is contagious. I probably need to grab my shoes and run with him.

What would this year look like if I ran everyday? Could my body handle it. What if I journaled it. What if I took a blunt look at the mental joust of hating it and loving it-needing it and dreading it. Would anyone read it?

What if I wrote about the pain and purpose that comes with running? What if I spoke to the aches and pains, the nutrition and race scheduling? What if I brain dumped all things running here?

I get to run with Tracy on his run...in the rain.

What if? Day One, done.

*Picture: Jimmy Dean Freeman, Jason Harper, Christina Silvas, Ray Sanchez on the course run of what will be Run for a Reason's IRON EXPRESS ENDURANCE RUN; July, 2010