Kristen Kelly
Sep 2, 2018 · 5 min read

Ultra Girl Ran and Will Run Again

Hello, my name is Kristen Kelly, I was an ultra runner. Not only was I an ultrarunner and but also a graphic designer. I am now also a UX Designer who can code and create visual beauty.

Keep up with my blogs to hear more.

I will start off by saying I am not an accomplished elite athlete. I have known elites and have shared trails with them at races!

But as for me, I started running in 2012 with Team and Training behalf of the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, to raise money for cancer research. I was also a founding member at Orangetheory Fitness, at one of the first that opened in all of South Florida. I threw myself into running and working out to begin to get into the best shape of my life. That was just the beginning.
Muscle Does Have Memory, and So Does Your Brain. But that’s another article.

I was also in my junior year at FAU, studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, and working, looking for the best internships and opportunities to propel my life forward. It took me a few extra years to graduate, as I went to class part-time, and worked.
I worked and worked. I wanted to ensure I would already have a before graduation — or have a job waiting for me before I graduated.

I wanted to be working a job that I would just continue to work after I obtained my BFA degree, or start a new and better job that I had lined up for afterward.
I took it upon myself to look for jobs by searching Google and by using sites like indeed.com.
Anyways — I did it. I got a job before graduation. I had an almost full-time job my senior year as a Graphic Artist/Web Designer at an internet marketing start-up and digital agency called FloorForce.

I was a part of a youthful and lively creative team. It was fun.

I was finishing up my senior year with three courses left and working part time as web designer, commuting back and forth from Boca Raton to Fort Lauderdale.

It was an adult challenge, that I thrived off and kept me going.

I loved and still love work. I enjoyed school, work, and the hustle and bustle of getting things done. I love the fulfilling sense of accomplishment.

For my senior seminar fine arts class, I created the website for my graduating class’ fine arts exhibition. I have alway had a niche for the web. I did it with partnering with some of my fellow classmates to help with the logo and print collateral to market it.

My First Professional Graphic Design Job

This website I created with Adobe Muse. Easy peasy because I did not have to code it. After it went live on the internet, it got the attention of a local company who was looking to hire a graphic designer.

The hiring manager, (also a FAU alumni), reached out to me and brought me in for an interview. I got the job! Soon after graduated, I started my job as a graphic designer for Destination Rewards, which was acquired by Deluxe.

I was happy to have a full-time occupation and be one of the only students to land a job so quickly post-graduation. I am blessed and someone above is watching out for me. I do believe hard work pays off, and that with the right attitude, doors will open for you.

Also that year, I started training for a 50-mile ultra marathon during my first year as a professional graphic designer.

I was apart of a running community at a local store called The Runner’s Edge. They hosted marathon training groups every running season to prepare for races. I had been doing the program for 2–3 years, and this year I was to run an ultra.

How I Got Into Ultra Running, While Working as a Graphic Designer

I had a friend who worked at the store, who was an ultra runner. He had completed several races prior to our meeting. He was apart of the winning Keys 100 Ultramarathon relay team, and with that same group ran across the nation to Michigan (also relay style). So he trained me.

We would run, run often, and run well. We would work out together eat well together and run and inspire others. He inspired me greatly to train for that 50-mile ultra. Not to mention, at this moment in my life, I had never run a 26.2-mile marathon.

Well, that all changed.

I signed up for the Palm Beach Marathon in December 2015 and the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January 2016 (I always ran that with my Dad). Then I was to run my first 50-mile race at the Skydive Ultra Marathon 2016.

How I Felt, How it Changed My Young Adult Self

It was the most amazing accomplishment I had ever done. It was incredible. The feeling that a human can actually run 50 miles in one shot and the fact that I did it helped me realize that anything you really set your mind, body, and soul to do, you can do. I trained hard for that race, I ran 7–10 miles in a row 3–4 times a week. Several weekends my Saturdays were dedicated to running 13–26.2 miles along A1A Delray Beach-Deerfield Beach and back, and my mind was focused on health. I was all about it. I loved it. I loved the runner’s high that perpetually lasted. I loved the outcome of feeling thin, light, and quick on my feet.

I Loved It

I loved how it made my skin clear, my hair silky, and my nails strong with a pretty natural appearance. I loved saying I was always “down to run.” I loved eating healthy. My diet consisted mainly of lentils, spinach, oats, chia seeds, and gallons of water.

I loved the warm and supportive ultrarunning community that brought positive vibes and forms of connection to family and friends. I loved my marathon running community that was always there to run sunrise and sunset miles with, in Boca Raton, FL. I loved hearing other’s stories of winning accomplishments. But most of all, I loved myself for doing it. I loved the breakthrough I was having as I was starting to wake up to manifesting love and empathy.

This happened in 2015–2016.

As so, now 2018, my story does go. Challenges do rise up, 2017 was not my best year. 2018 has been a much better period of growth in my life.

I will continue to write stories of how I learn the beauty of life and empathy (and more). Until next time my friends.

Thank you for reading my medium blog.

Kristen Kelly

Written by

UX/UI Product Designer in SF, discovering and designing a life well lived. Discover more at https://kristen.io/