Name: Dakota Umbel
Age: 24
Hometown: The Plains, Virginia
Miles Run Per Week: 45-50
Currently Training For: The Rut 50k & The Chimera 100k
Favorite Song: Goodbye Earl – The Dixie Chicks
Favorite Thing To Eat/Drink After A Run: Chocolate Malt Ovaltine and Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I don’t say no to biscuits and gravy, either.
Run Solo Or With A Group? With the ladies and/or my dog.
Why Did You Start Running? I don’t remember ever deciding to run, but it was probably because I couldn’t sit still and lived in the middle of nowhere. As a kid, I really liked to run around and chase our farm animals. I obviously wasn’t hard to entertain! I still like to run and play outside, but I’ve graduated to chasing humans and am starting to have a bit more focus.
What Keeps You Motivated? I am very competitive, so having goals and races to work toward is a must. But, the real reason I get out of bed and put my running shoes on is the girls I run with. I’ll take sufferfests up Sentinel with the crew over sitting alone on the couch any day. Also, food. I am highly food motivated.
Words of Wisdom: Don’t be afraid to humble yourself. Try new things. Fail. Be terrible. Be great. In the words of my brave and beautifully blunt mother, “It’s probably not going to kill you, so buck up.”
Anything Else You’d Like to Add: Big thanks to Kristina who has been an amazing friend and mentor this year, and to all of the girls that get me off the couch and up the mountain!
