To Help Her Heal, This Runner Found Peace Sharing Her Journey Running Through Grief

I first started running at the age of 7, my grandmother came from Mexico to spend the summers with my family in Heber, Arizona. She was health-conscious took me to the track to run. That summer is when I fell in love with running and have been running ever since. My parents then inspired me to join track in my junior and high school years. I officially started running races in 2010, and my parents and husband, Ian, became my number one supporters and inspiration. I ran my first Rock ’n’ Roll half marathon in 2011. From 2012 to 2014, I continued to run half and full marathons without any training plan or running apps. And in 2015, I ran the San Francisco Marathon. In 2018, I hired running coach Lisa Pozzoni, ChiRunning/ChiWalking Master instructor from The Running University to start transitioning from road racing to ultramarathons. I ran four, including: the McDowell Frenzy 50K, Coldwater 52K, Black Canyon 60K, and Crown King Scramble 50K, as part of coach Lisa’s 212K Challenge. Coach Lisa incorporated cycling, strength training, and ChiRunning form techniques into my running plans. In 2019, Coach Lisa trained me for my first 100K, which I ran in memory of my father. My father was a Tarahumara from Chihuahua, Mexico. My father asked me one day, “Why do you love to run?” As I was answering his question, he stopped me in the middle and said, “Because I am a Tarahumara–therefore, you are too. It’s in your blood to run long distances.” My husband Ian and I were my parents’ primary caregivers, along with other family members. On March 3, 2019, we lost my dad, Bernardo Mata, unexpectedly while my mom was undergoing chemotherapy and I was training for the 212K challenge. My dad passed away 28 days before the Crown King Scramble 50K, which was the last race in the 212K challenge. I did not have any desire to continue running or finishing that challenge as my grief-driven depression set in. A priest at the funeral home convinced me to run that race in memory of my dad. With my mother’s blessing, I ran that race. [View in Browser]( [Runner's World Logo]( [SHOP]( [RW+ EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [To Help Her Heal, This Runner Found Peace Sharing Her Journey Running Through Grief]( [To Help Her Heal, This Runner Found Peace Sharing Her Journey Running Through Grief]( I first started running at the age of 7, my grandmother came from Mexico to spend the summers with my family in Heber, Arizona. She was health-conscious took me to the track to run. That summer is when I fell in love with running and have been running ever since. My parents then inspired me to join track in my junior and high school years. I officially started running races in 2010, and my parents and husband, Ian, became my number one supporters and inspiration. I ran my first Rock ’n’ Roll half marathon in 2011. From 2012 to 2014, I continued to run half and full marathons without any training plan or running apps. And in 2015, I ran the San Francisco Marathon. In 2018, I hired running coach Lisa Pozzoni, ChiRunning/ChiWalking Master instructor from The Running University to start transitioning from road racing to ultramarathons. I ran four, including: the McDowell Frenzy 50K, Coldwater 52K, Black Canyon 60K, and Crown King Scramble 50K, as part of coach Lisa’s 212K Challenge. Coach Lisa incorporated cycling, strength training, and ChiRunning form techniques into my running plans. In 2019, Coach Lisa trained me for my first 100K, which I ran in memory of my father. My father was a Tarahumara from Chihuahua, Mexico. My father asked me one day, “Why do you love to run?” As I was answering his question, he stopped me in the middle and said, “Because I am a Tarahumara–therefore, you are too. It’s in your blood to run long distances.” My husband Ian and I were my parents’ primary caregivers, along with other family members. On March 3, 2019, we lost my dad, Bernardo Mata, unexpectedly while my mom was undergoing chemotherapy and I was training for the 212K challenge. My dad passed away 28 days before the Crown King Scramble 50K, which was the last race in the 212K challenge. I did not have any desire to continue running or finishing that challenge as my grief-driven depression set in. A priest at the funeral home convinced me to run that race in memory of my dad. With my mother’s blessing, I ran that race. [Read More](   [Montrail Makes a Comeback With the Trinity AG]( [Montrail Makes a Comeback With the Trinity AG]( The rugged trail models from the 2000s have returned lighter and livelier on foot. [Read More](   [How to Keep Running When You Want to Quit]( [How to Keep Running When You Want to Quit]( Wanting to slow or stop is natural. Here’s how to not give up. 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