Team Colorado Welcomes Amy O'Connell

Name: Amy O'Connell

Age: 36

Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Current residence: Denver, Colorado

Sponsors: Runners Roost, Mizuno, Honey Stinger, Accelerate Health

Personal Bests: BESTS: Runnin’ of the Green 7k: 27:03, Snowmand Stampede 10 Miler: 1:05; Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon: 1:26; Colfax Marathon: 3:08; Bear Chase 50K: 4:35; Silver Rush 50M: 8:58; Leadville 100: 26:54
WORSTS: DNF’ing (we're making new words!) two 100 milers in a 5 week span was not my favorite time 

Notable Achievements: 1^st Female, Steamboat Half Marathon 2008; 1^st Female, Steamboat Marathon 2010, 2011; 1^st Female, Bear Chase 50k, 2011; 2^nd Female, Colfax Marathon 2011; 2^nd Female, Run Rabbit Run 100, 2013 (Tortoise division!); 3^rd Female, Leadville Marathon, 2010; 5^th Female Silver Rush 50, 2013

Goals for 2014: Goal #1 – Have this baby!; Goal #2 – Return to my former glory in some form; Goal #3 – Run a sub 1:25 Half Marathon, sub-3 marathon, Sub 25 Leadville 100, gain entry to Hardrock 100 and UTMB, Finish Hardrock 100 and UTMB, Sub 8-hour 50 miler (course TBD). I could go on forever! 

Favorite trails: 4-Pass Loop, Maroon Bells, Aspen; Pawnee Buchanan Pass Loop; Barr Trail (seriously!); Mesa Trail, Boulder; Ptarmigan Peak, Summit County; Much of the; Leadville 100 course; Kepler Track, New Zealand; Routeburn Track, New Zealand

Favorite workout: I LOVE the long 6-8 hour Saturday run where you pay no attention to pace, but just run. The longer the better! This is what I’ve missed the most during pregnancy.

Favorite races: Leadville 100; Silver Rush 50; Bear Chase 50k; Pikes Peak Ascent; Run Rabbit Run 100

Website/Blog: Amy's connecting the world with Fuel Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/FuelSocialMediaLLC and blogging here: http://www.runnersroost.com/community/author/ajs1977/

Favorite beer: Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin but I’ll take a glass of Stranahan’s over anything, any day.

Why Trail/Mountain/Ultra Running?:  While I still love road running, the people/community, the races, the training, are why I fell in love with this “side” of running. There is less pressure, more fun, more beauty and more life in Mountain/Ultra running.

Anything you want to add: As we are expecting our first baby (a boy!) here in a couple months, I can’t wait to introduce him to this world and can only hope he loves it as much as I do. You will probably see me on top of a few mountains with him on my back – Maybe Kim and I will try to set some records for the most 14’ers with a baby on our backs!