229: Adaptive Strength: Heather’s Record‑Setting Donna 110 Story

A good mantra can change a season, and ours hits different: earn it in the winter, win it in the spring. We start with a candid weather check and slide straight into the nuts and bolts of racing life—updated Wine & Dine registration flows, random queue placement, why sellout times barely budged, and how our community rallied with Zoom rooms, phone trees, and charity backups  We map out Princess Weekend long runs, Springtime Surprise magic miles, and the kind of speed work that shakes off a post-Dopey lull and brings your spring fitness back online.

Then everything sharpens into one story. Heather, a push-rim athlete many of you know, takes us inside the Donna 110—eight laps Saturday and a marathon Sunday—finished in historic Florida cold with frozen hydration lines and sheets of ice. She shares how triple-stack long runs, bike guides, a coach pacing a late lap, and a brand-new custom chair made the difference. The result: the first wheelchair finisher in race history, the only woman finisher this year, and a heady mix of grit, humor, and joy that included communion at mile one and counting dogs to stay present. Her perspective on adaptive sport is powerful and refreshingly inclusive: we’re all out here doing hard things, visible or not, and the win is showing up with purpose.

We round things out with Loopy Looper team interest surging, Tom’s strength challenge for accountability and smarter training, and Fluffy Fizzies returning to the Expo with upgraded foot care, themed bath bombs, and easy preorder pickup. The race report delivers a streak of firsts and PRs—from stadium sprints to donut runs and frigid New England grit—that remind us how many ways there are to measure progress. Subscribe, share with a running friend, and drop your spring goal in a review—what are you earning this winter so you can win in the spring?

Rise and Run Links
Rise and Run Podcast Facebook Page
Rise and Run Podcast Instagram
Rise and Run Podcast Website and Shop
Rise and Run Patreon
Runningwithalysha Alysha’s Run Coaching (Mention Rise And Run and get $10 off) 

Send a text

Support the show

Rise and Run Podcast is supported by our audience. When you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Sponsor Links
Magic Bound Travel