BEYOND MYSELF

My first memory of watching a movie in a movie theater was Star Wars Return of the Jedi. My favorite movie is Bladerunner.

I’m into sci-fi movies, so I loved Princess Leia and Sigourney Weaver’s character in Alien. I also was a big Wonder Woman fan.

Not gonna lie, I loved the bag guy from Terminator 2 (I think we called him the Liquidator, but I have no idea if that was his name)-- who can change form from liquid into metal, and the scene where he runs after Eddie Furlong. That was terrifying.

I am continuously inspired by New York City, having lived here almost 24 years now. It is always changing. I am also very drawn to Mexico City and Berlin–two places that have a very vibrant art scene, music, food and running.

For years I only ran at night, especially because I ran with nightlife people–no one was up early enough to run in the morning. Running in our groups was a part of night life –and we would follow up runs with food or drinks or showing up to gallery openings or other events. Or we were the event for the evening. There was a time where every night of the week was a different run, sometimes with the same group or different groups of people. I was part of a monthly party years ago called Out to Cruise where we would host a 5k run and then three of us would DJ a party in the basement of a bar in Brooklyn. Now when I’m training for ultra distances I prefer morning running. I can get more miles in if I start early and also I feel safer.  But still if I run with groups– like my collective Girls Run NYC, we run in the evenings. 

I need coffee before AND after the run! 

I love Chinatown, and always have. So many other neighborhoods have changed so much, but in a lot of places it has remained the same. I also love Prospect Park, and it’s one of my happiest places.

I love the Manhattan Bridge. I recently wrote a poem about it. I think I've ran, biked or walked across that bridge thousands of times over the past twenty-plus years. It’s kind of plain and I think that’s why I love it.

I prefer to take friends on a good run or walk over one of the bridges, or out to eat somewhere tasty, but most likely one of my favorite coffee shops.

I am re-reading Born to Run. It was the first book that really inspired me to take up ultra running when I read it around 2011. Now reading it all these years later, with all of the experiences I’ve had as a runner deeper into the sport, it hits different and I’m inspired all over again.

I admire a lot of people, and usually they are people who are in my life and I watch them every day just be super humans. They are usually people who go beyond themselves to take care of others, contribute to the community, or have an impact on making the world better.

It’s hard to pick a favorite song, but I often listen to the Rich Roll podcast on long runs and long rides.

If you looked at my Spotify Wrapped– I tend to listen to a lot of music from the 70s– but I am truly all over the place musically. I do love an album you can listen to all the way through front to back, which can be rare.  Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd is an album like that for me, and also something I shared with my dad when he was alive.

I don’t listen to music at races, I prefer to be present with my thoughts and what’s going on around me. In particular in ultra marathons I am connecting with nature and I like to talk to other people around me.

I’m a sunrise girlie now. I have a tattoo of a sunrise on my right bicep that matches with my adventure buddy Arthaya, who has the same. It’s our “Dawn Patrol” tat, because when she lived in BK, we would meet up at 4am on bikes and ride to Rockaway Beach to watch the sunrise over the ocean, then go have coffee and ride back and start the day.

My boss yells at me that every vacation I take is to run an ultra marathon.

I have been lucky to run in a lot of beautiful places. Currently Patagonia is on my mind. 

I have both in my life. I need routine because I grew up in what felt like total chaos and it was at times stressful and unpredictable. Routine helps me stay focused on getting the things I don’t really want to do so that I can go do the slightly chaotic things that I love.

Both. I trust my gut, especially with time and experience. And I also love to plan things and execute them. The bigger the projects or adventures– the more preparation and planning needs to happen to make them happen. And I believe my experience with running marathons and ultramarathons helped me learn how to plan and execute big things.

I love running with friends and at the same time, there is something special about loving running alone as well. The majority of my miles spent training lately are alone, while I still have at least one to two runs a week with friends. I also try to get people to join me for races, and we have a crew of girls who run ultras together.

Allegedly.

Besides my phone, my headphones for music. 

Optimization Culture and all the wellness things that cost a lot, but don’t necessarily do more for us than sleeping enough and drinking enough water.

Drinking enough water to actually stay hydrated consistently. 

I feel free when I’m running on trails. I also feel free running on the track. I guess I just feel free when I’m running.

It’s hard to pinpoint just one person, but I would say reading books in general helps me to have a broader perspective.  I think reading books also opened up the world to me at a young age, as did magazines. I’m grateful for long form writing, and I hope we never lose it. 

I am easily obsessed as a person. If I like something I can go all the way in on it. I’m currently obsessed with training for a 100 mile race, Javelina Jundred. I’ve been working on this goal for the past four years and I’m not going to let it go until I complete this race, which will hopefully be this year.

Tacos!

Rattlesnakes or mountain lions on the trail.

I have always felt driven to help others. This has taken many shapes and forms over my life. It will always be a core value.

A lot of people only see what is on social media and they often assume I don’t have a job, or they have no idea what I do and that I only run.  When I started using social media, I was working as a therapist and I didn’t want my social feed to be connected to my professional life, so I used my childhood nickname Jessie Zapo, and I chose to only focus on and talk about running there. It’s like a kind of open diary for me about my love of running and running life. Over the years I’ve shared more about my personal life there– but I’m still relatively private about my life outside of running. 

New York taught me how to hustle. I’ve never had less than three or four jobs or side hustles or projects at any given time. It keeps me on my toes and also always trying to improve, be creative and learn new skills.

For whatever reason I’m in a Disco era right now. 

I am motivated by older adults who I see living active adventurous lives late in life. I didn’t have healthy adults like that in my (family) life to look up to– people in my life suffered from a lot of chronic illness that was related to lifestyle choices.  So I want to be different, and I want to be that person that my siblings and nieces and nephews can look to as seeing that there is another way to live. Now I think some of my friends and people who follow me need to see that, too. 

I am always on the go– I like to say I am a “busy body” as a joke, but seriously I love being outside, I love people and I love doing things.