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February 02, 2021 5 min read 316 Comments
It was mid-August, 2020 and Lisa Roberts found herself setting up camp in Flagstaff, Arizona, waiting to hear the news. With races being cancelled right and left due to the 2020 pandemic, there was still a chance that this one would be good to go. It was the Flagstaff Extreme Big Pine 54K, and it would be Roberts’ first ultra-distance race.
For several weeks, the Tucson, Arizona native waited as she acclimated to the nearly 7,000 feet of elevation. The wait would pay off, when the race was given an official date of September 5. The payoff would be more than just completing her first ultra-distance race, but winning the race outright in a new course record time of 4 hours 51 minutes and 11 seconds. “The race went pretty smoothly, especially for my first ultra,” she said.
One might look at this as a fluke or beginner’s luck, but Roberts is no beginner to the sport of running.
Roberts has been an athlete most of her life, with running being her first love. In fact, she was a track and cross country athlete at Southern Illinois University, specializing in the 1500 - and 3,000 meters. Several years passed, and she earned a Master’s Degree and began a career as a landscape architect. However, her yearning to compete never left her, and she began to feel the itch to get back out there and train — this time in the world of triathlon.
Her competitive running background proved to be extremely beneficial, as by 2009, she was able to earn the title as professional triathlete. “When I told my colleagues at work that I was going to transition to professional athlete, and do this full-time, they were all so supportive,” she said. “It has been a ride, but a great one!”
After the big win in Flagstaff, Roberts decided to keep the momentum going. Next on the list was the Javelina Jundred 100k, which takes runners 100 kilometers through the McDowell Mountain Regional Park near Fountain Hills, Arizona.
"I probably carried too much with me …"
This race was held the following month, and would nearly double the distance of her previous one. But that didn't stop Roberts from coming in first place female and second place overall. Not only that, but her performance on that October day would be merely eight minutes from a course record, putting her in the record books as the second best performance in Javelina Jundred jistory!
“I brought EVERY piece of running equipment and food I could think of,” Roberts wrote in a social media post. “I probably carried too much with me … I probably should've done many things differently, but that’s the process, right? You aim high, you try, you experience, you screw up, you learn … you get a buckle, you make memories and friends along the way."
"Then, even though you swear you’ll never do it again, you sign up for another!”
And she did. Just six weeks later on December 19, 2020, Roberts ran the Cave Creek Thriller 50K in Cave Creek, Arizona. Once again, she was first overall female, and came in second behind the first place male finisher. Her time of 4 hours 25 minutes, 45 seconds was good enough for a course record by 43 minutes!
In each of her ultra-distance races up until this point, Roberts finished well ahead of other male competitors, and said she knew it was in part due to fewer athletes competing during the pandemic. That being said, she said she looked forward to racing with other females to get the feel of what it was like to battle for position in an ultra distance event. That event would be the Black Canyon 100K that took place on February 13.
“Going into this race, I knew the field was deep,” Roberts said. “There were two Nike Trail Team runners who I knew were competitive, and from the beginning, showed that they were. For the first 40 miles of the race, I was in a back and forth with three other women, and it felt good to race with and see where I stacked up against them.”
And stack against them she did. At the 50K mark, Roberts came in 20 minutes under her fastest stand alone 50K. After catching her foot on a rock at mile 40 and experiencing a fall, she picked herself right back up, and pressed forward toward second place. She was able to hold on to that position through the final and very difficult 10 miles to not only secure her spot on the podium, but earn the coveted ticket to Western States.
There must be a secret to success, if success is a continued result, right? Well, if you would ask Roberts, it comes down to a few simple things: aerobic base, mental toughness, staying smart, plugging away and having fun - and "the force."
“I have a really good aerobic base that I know has carried over, and I’ve learned the importance of mental toughness as an athlete,” she said. “Other than that, it comes down to being smart about your training and race plans, continuing to plug away when things get hard, and making sure to have fun!”
Part of that fun is carrying a plush 'Baby Yoda' on her pack each race. “I was doing a mountain run that was part of an adventure race in the forests in New Zealand,” she recalled. “When I was in the forest, it reminded me of the time in one of the ‘Star Wars’ movies when Luke Skywalker is doing Jedi training in the forest with Yoda on his back. It was then when I thought that I should get a Yoda and put it on my pack. I found a plush Baby Yoda, and carry it on my pack. It makes people smile, is a great conversation starter, and it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of ‘the force’ with you.”
Having secured a spot at Western States in June, Roberts says her training will be mostly geared toward that, with a few other tune up races in the mix to keep her in racing shape.
“Why not shoot for the stars?”
“Why not shoot for the stars?” she said. “Western states is the pinnacle of ultra-running, and I want to be there.”
Kogalla loves the determination and grit that permeates the ultrarunning community, and is excited to be supporting Roberts in her climb to the top.
To keep updated on her future races and achievements, Roberts can be found @run_jedi_run on Instagram.
Article author Arianne Brown is a mom of nine and a lifelong runner competing in anything from 5K to 50-mile races. She loves the written word, and using it to share stories the world needs to hear. For more of he writings, follow A Mother's Write on Facebook, and @ariannebrown on Instagram.
February 24, 2021
way to go!
February 24, 2021
Inspiring!
February 24, 2021
Very good!
February 24, 2021
What an accomplishment!
February 24, 2021
Awesome accomplishment!
February 24, 2021
Congratulations! Wishing you every Success as you lead they way into new ultra racing frontiers!
February 24, 2021
Cool to read her back story. Thanks!
February 24, 2021
What an amazing story! You can’t go wrong with an Aravaipa race. Good luck at Western States!
February 24, 2021
Amazing young lady!!! Determined and an inspiration. Good luck Lisa!!!
February 23, 2021
Awesome. I’m a recreational runner and I love road racing, and love reading stories like this! Congrats and good luck, Lisa!
February 23, 2021
I was actually watching the great drone coverage online for the Black Canyon race. It was great watching Lisa do so well. Congratulations to her on all of her recent accomplishments!
February 23, 2021
well well well
February 23, 2021
Super inspiring!!! Still recovering from an embarrassing face plant in the snow & feeling like I don’t know when I’ll run again. Good to have such legends to inspire,& give other runners hope!
February 23, 2021
Its amazing what she is able to do.
February 23, 2021
Such a great article! You get the runners high reading it. Being a triathlete transitioning to ultras myself, it is great to be inspired and motivated by Lisa and her racing. So awesome that she got that coveted GOLDEN ticket! Congrats to you Lisa, I look forward to watching your WST race.
February 23, 2021
You can “hear” in the article how very much she loves to run and it shows in her success! Pushing the distance with each race and loving the journey. Excited for her to get to compete at Western States :)
February 23, 2021
Thank you for the major motivation, Lisa. You are my inspiration to get out of this pandemic funk! You rock!
February 23, 2021
You Go Girl!!! Who Run The World? GIRLS (In My Beyoncé Voice)
February 23, 2021
You are such an inspiration to others. I am so happy you won! I will continue to follow your career, since I know this is much more than a hobby. Keep me posted on your next race. I get a kick out of living vicariously through you. If you have a newsletter please subscribe me. (jozywails@gmail.com)
February 23, 2021
Very cool!
February 23, 2021
I love..“you screw up , you learn…you get a buckle.” What a great way to keep perspective!
February 23, 2021
Great article, even a professional athlete learns new tricks when they moved from their sport to Ultra running. carrying to much on race day. Always on my own mind. We train carrying everything we will need for that day, on race day we have water stops every 5-10 mile and we middle of teh pack people still carry to much when we watch videos of the elites running unencumbered with bulging packs. Well done on the golden ticket Lisa. Having run the course 2021 myself and how tough that course is I know you are a gifted athlete. congrats again
February 23, 2021
Wow, congratulations…great job!
February 23, 2021
Great to see consistency and hard work pay off!
February 23, 2021
Nice work!!! Congrats on your golden ticket!! Will be cheering you on in June. Fingers crossed race happens.
February 23, 2021
Lisa is the real deal. Don’t be fooled by her newness to ultra running.
February 23, 2021
Such amazing effort and drive!
February 23, 2021
Great article about an athlete discovering ultras!
February 23, 2021
Another elite athlete finds their way to the world of Ultra Running and kicks butt – outstanding. I can’t wait to see Lisa at Western States.
February 23, 2021
Congratulations. I can’t even imagine attempting such things, let alone succeeding.
February 23, 2021
Such an inspiration with wonderful motivation.
February 23, 2021
Congratulations! I think we can all use a little of “the force” in our running. ;-)
February 23, 2021
what an inspiration!
February 23, 2021
Wonderful story! Good luck with your races! Nice to read something positive during these times and see some folks having a great time! Thank you Kogalla for presenting this to us!
February 23, 2021
congrats
February 23, 2021
Congratulations on your impressive entrance to the ultra running scene! I look forward to following your race at WS100 & future events!
February 23, 2021
It is amazing what a lot of hard work will do.
February 23, 2021
Amazing 🤩
February 23, 2021
Can’t wait to see what Western States holds?!?!?
February 23, 2021
I am admire what Lisa is doing though I find it an unusual career choice.
February 23, 2021
Congrats on your entry into WS100. Inspirational story, plus "
baby yoda" adds cuteness to strength. :-)
February 23, 2021
Wow! You are an awesome inspiration to never give up! I love that you took Baby Yoda with you! My grandson age 12 loves him. I try to teach him not to give up – his father died when he was 8 and he is in a very negative family situation. Best of luck to you in all your runs!
February 23, 2021
Wow! Great job Lisa! I hope to get in Western States myself one of these years!
February 23, 2021
What an amazing accomplishment! Talk about GOALS!
February 23, 2021
Outstanding achievement! I was in Cozzie with you! Congratulations!!
February 23, 2021
Just amazing and inspiring to see… good luck at Western States, you’ve got a ton of new fans cheering for you!
February 23, 2021
Congrats!!! Such an awesome and inspiring story!
February 23, 2021
It’s so inspiring to see that she can stay focused and yet still have fun. She is definitely a force.
February 23, 2021
I love the passion. This was the story I needed to read now!
February 23, 2021
Congratulations and best wishes!
February 23, 2021
Can’t wait too see Baby Yoda on the track in Auburn for the first time!
February 21, 2021
Such an inspiring story and looking forward to following the WS100 event!
February 20, 2021
Congrats! So exciting!
February 20, 2021
What an inspiration! You keep up the wonderful progress :D
February 20, 2021
Impressive!
February 20, 2021
Tremendous 1st results. Congratulations
February 20, 2021
Absolutely amazing. That is an accomplishment I would love to have.
February 20, 2021
Good Go Girl! My legs are cramping just reading this article. Can’t imagine how all the factors of finishing much less winning such tribulations. Joy, relief, cramps, heart pounding, lungs trying to drop back to normal patterns, “I think I can. I think I can. God Damn! I did it!”
February 19, 2021
So inspiring! I can’t wait to see what she does next.
February 19, 2021
Great job!!! keep going and thanks for the inspiration!!
February 19, 2021
This is so inspirational, keeps the flame in me burning till I’m ready to run the miles again. Hats off to her !
February 19, 2021
Great to read your story. I’m not a runner but am married to one. We are familiar with Arizona and watched on streaming your race. Amazing. You are an inspiration in many areas not just running. Keep going and above it all, Have Fun.
February 19, 2021
The Force runs deep in this one.
February 19, 2021
I’m more tortoise than hare when it comes to races but watching people like Lisa succeed is what keeps me excited about the sport! It’s fun to even be near such epicness!
February 19, 2021
Inspirational to say the least, your an amazing athlete.
February 19, 2021
Run Lisa Run!
February 19, 2021
I love reading these stories when I’m working towards longer miles again:) So inspiring.
February 19, 2021
I streamed the race and was absolutely blown away by your performance! Stay safe and injury free so you can kill Western States!
February 19, 2021
You are inspiring! Enjoy Western States, you will crush it!
February 19, 2021
Really great times and accomplishments and looking forward to hearing about the success in finishing the Western States.
February 19, 2021
Congratulations to Lisa! How inspiring.
February 19, 2021
Congrats Lisa! You’re amazing!
February 19, 2021
Transitioning from a full-time career to a pro athlete was probably a scary journey. I am glad to see that it is working out for you. Congratulations on the success!
February 19, 2021
Awesome! Such amazing achievements!
February 19, 2021
A true inspiration, way to go!
February 19, 2021
Huge win!Congratulations
February 19, 2021
Way to go!
February 19, 2021
Congratulations!
February 19, 2021
Congratulations! You are very inspiring! And I love how you carried baby Yoda with you. Shows that you do have a fun side to you 💜
February 19, 2021
So inspiring! May the force always be with you!
February 19, 2021
American badass!
February 18, 2021
Congratulations Lisa! I love being a part of a community that’s so driven and inspirational
February 18, 2021
inspiring and amazing endurance! congrats!
February 18, 2021
My granddaughter follows her journey thus I was aware of her accomplishments awhile back. The only thing I will add is that if I were young once again and had the will to run as she does….I would want to be like her….fast, dedicated and never lacking will power
February 18, 2021
What an inspiring athlete!
February 18, 2021
Congratulations!
February 18, 2021
Dedicated and driven
February 18, 2021
Wow, this is so great – solid performance and attitude! Thanks for setting a positive example… congrats!!
February 18, 2021
Congrats Lisa!!
February 18, 2021
Saw that baby Yoda at black canyon… soon cool and way to keep the right mindset!
February 18, 2021
Congratulations!! What an accomplishment!! You are an inspiration to many!
February 18, 2021
You rock!
February 18, 2021
God goes before!
February 18, 2021
Way to grab a hold of the edge and inspire all of us!
February 18, 2021
Impressive
February 18, 2021
Congrats Lisa!!
February 18, 2021
What an amazing & inspiring journey! Such a wonderful story. Thanks so much!
February 18, 2021
Inspiring – I need to set some goals and get more aerobic exercise.
February 18, 2021
What a great story Lisa has had so far, and congratulations are definitely in order! A wonderful source of inspiration (for those newer to the ultra running distances as well)…those are always needed and much appreciated.
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Tina
February 24, 2021
Motivational!