dailymiler of the week, Lynn G

Lynn Gibson isn’t afraid to tell you her age. She’s 42-years-old, thank you very much. She’s been running for most of those years. Her dad was, in her estimation, an avid marathoner and ultra runner. These days he would be known as a Marathon Maniac. She remembers going to long distance races all over the country. She thought the participants, including her dad, were nuts. What else would a kid conclude after watching her dad throw up in someone’s hotel room after a marathon bonk? Still a flame was
ignited in Lynn’s heart in those formative years. She grew up to be her father’s daughter.

Over the past few years, Lynn has been running marathons and 50K races of her own. Her emphasis has been on long, slow runs. “This has been terribly fun,” she says, “but as my kids get older I am finding I have less time to work out.” Tired out by the long hours required on the road and trail, Lynn has changed gears a bit. She is now focused on becoming leaner and faster. “I am by no means a fastie,” she humbly confesses. Still, she has dropped about ten pounds and made some nice gains in speed.

Since Gibson runs early in the morning most days, getting in her workout before her family or even the sun is up. She doesn’t often train with a partner, so she’s grateful for the dailymile community. She loves meeting the amazing everyday people there, receiving tips from them, sharing her experience with others. She often thinks of other dailymilers during her runs to motivate herself. “It’s like they are there with me,” she says.

The site also feeds Lynn’s passion for reading race recaps. “I just love hearing about races,” she admits. “You get to witness people overcome struggles so common to all of us. Some of the dailymile race reports are so incredibly written and parallel real life in the most profound ways.” She loves it when someone hangs tough when they feel like there is no way they can finish. She celebrates in her heart when a runner who’s overcome cancer crosses the finish line. She loves the way strangers help each other finish something meaningful. “dailymile is almost always supportive,” she reports.

Looking back at what she’s been able to do in life two events stand out to Gibson. The first of the two was climbing Monkey Face, a large rock with a very intimidating drop and a 150-foot free rappel. She and her buddies in college took it on. “I had never climbed anything so nutty and it took tremendous faith and courage for me to reach around the rock and make a blind step with a huge drop below.” The other event she cherishes is running in last year’s San Diego Rock ‘n Roll marathon with her sister. It was her sister’s first endurance event, making it extra special.

What’s next for the 42-year-old? “I’d like to run a sub-1:35 at the Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon on the Fourth of July,” she states. She’d also like to see just how fast she can run a 10K, aiming boldly for 44 minutes or less.