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Ever wondered who's writing those WeeViews emails or posting social media updates?
Or maybe you've wondered who chooses the monthly WeeViews Gear Giveaway, and gets the shoe from the store to the winner.
π Meet trail runner, adventurer & WeeViews Outreach Coordinator Abby Lock.
In this article, we'll introduce you to Abby and show you...
πββοΈ How she found her way to trail running
πββοΈ The unusual and awesome place she lives and trains
πββοΈ Her favorite trail running shoes
πββοΈ Her bucket-list races, and more...
Abby grew up near the San Juan Mountains (14,321 feet) in Colorado, with miles of trails and mountain peaks in her backyard.
Jump into the Wayback Machine, and that's really where Abby's love for trail running and outdoor adventure started.
"My dad was really into backpacking, hiking and outdoor stuff like that," says Abby.
"I did a lot of multi-day backpacking trips with my dad, and we camped a lot as a family."
She learned how to pack for an overnighter or a day on the trail, carrying everything you'd need to survive.
And she got faster and stronger.
"Eventually, my dad and I started doing longer hikes like 14-ish miles," says Abby.
"I'd run up the trail, wait for him to catch up, and run some more."
Test your limits.
Respect nature.
Wonder.
Just be.
It's the kind of mantra that kept calling Abby back to the mountains, back to the trails.
"At a young age, I found trail running, hiking, and spending time outdoors really intriguing," says Abby.
"That's kind of how my love for running and the mountains started."
That seems like a simple formula. Right?
"I was never very fast as a cross country runner," says Abby.
"But I loved being outdoors and spending time on my feet."
Sometimes she'd run a 5K race with her team, then run a couple extra loops or log extra miles during practice.
"I really fell in love with running at a young age, and I've always liked running in volume."
Today, Abby lives and breathes trail running with world champion Obstacle Course Racing competitor Ja Shua Ried.
Sometimes they're at the Ultra House headquarters in Durango, Colo., training with elite ultrarunners and endurance athletes surrounded by endless miles of trails.
πAnd sometimes they're on the road in a Skoolie (a short bus converted into a mobile living space).
"We live and travel out of the Skoolie," says Abby.
"We park in the Ultra House driveway and pay rent that goes to the team fund."
The Skoolie has all of the basics for mobile living, working & adventuring...
"It's nice to have a place to park, and we have the Ultra House to workout, shower, and do all those life things."
"Both of us work remotely," says Abby.
"I run a coaching business helping endurance athletes with nutrition and training. Ja Shua coaches mountain athletes, and hybrid athletes, and he's on the Spartan pro roster."
It's the brainchild of ultrarunner, endurance athlete and OCR world champion, Anthony Kunkel.
"He opened up his home in Durango to endurance athletes," says Abby.
"It's got crazy access to all sorts of trails. We train out of the Ultra House along with a bunch of other elite OCR athletes and ultrarunners."
π Ultra House perks also include:
"It's a really cool place with a rad community of support that lives and trains together."
When Ja Shua had an OCR race in Atmore, Ala., and some seasonal work lined up, they packed up the Skoolie and headed east.
Eventually they made their way to the East coast to test out the trails.
"I kind of wanted to run some technical stuff on the East coast and see what it was like," says Abby.
Let's just say it was A LOT DIFFERENT than running trails in Colorado and much of the western U.S.
"My first run was in the Catskill Mountains of New York," says Abby.
"I couldn't believe it took me so long to run a mile. There were so many rocks and roots."
"Out west, the primary trail running challenge is usually altitude. Running in the Catskills was a different experience. I really had to slow down, and recognize that's a great way to really build an aerobic base."
When Abby Lock stumbled across a site that offered real reviews on running gear and shoes by real runners, she signed up to be a WeeViews member.
πThat's how it started. She posted full reviews on:
πAnd she started interacting with WeeViews Ambassador Lucie Hanes.
"I love the interaction I had with WeeViews members and the team," says Abby.
"It's a very engaged community with runners from so many different backgrounds encouraging each other. And the reviews can be really helpful for making buying decisions about shoes and gear."
πWhen the Outreach Coordinator position opened up, Abby was among a handful of people to apply and made the final cut.
"She's a perfect fit for our group," says WeeViews co-founder David Moore.
"Aside from her skills in social media, outreach and communications, she's a passionate trail runner, OCR competitor and an NASM-certified nutrition coach."
Longest run
First trail race
My coaching business
Bucket list runs, races & goals
Running heros
Favorite running foods
Favorite running watch
Favorite trail running shoes
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