Wild Love Film #2: Ultra Trail Runner Krissy Moehl – “Life’s Better Shared”

ByEmily Nuchols
July 30, 2012
4 min read

Wild Love: Krissy Moehl from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

Learn more about Krissy Moehl in the video Fringe Elements: Ultrarunning and Five Tips For Runners Hitting the Trail. See our Running Guide for training tips, gear, more.

Krissy Moehl is an ultra-distance trail runner—meaning the longer the run, the better. But for a woman who runs—and wins—100-mile races through the mountains and elements, her life is about much more than racing. She’s most passionate about the people in her life—connecting and nurturing relationships even while she’s out running. A short film, Wild Love: Krissy Moehl, captures Krissy in her day-to-day life: cooking with roommates, running with friends, and giving a glimpse into why “life’s better shared.”

“[Ultrarunning] is a very individual sport, I have to take every single step to get from the start to the finish,” Krissy says in the film. “But I don’t know that I could or necessarily would want to without the energy that comes from the community that’s involved.”

Krissy is two-thirds of her way through a rigorous 2012 season. She crushed the fastest known time for the Zion Traverse with her Patagonia running teammate, Luke Nelson. She’s also attempting what could be called the “Triple Crown” of ultra-running races: Western States, Hardrock 100, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc.

With 4th place finishes at Western States and Hardrock under her belt, Krissy has just one rugged 20-mile race between her and Mont Blanc on August 31—a race that has taken her to some of her highest and lowest points in the last few years. But, ever inspiring and humble, Krissy said she feels more grounded and connected than ever to her community and to her sport after this year of pushing the limits.

In late June, in a super competitive field, Krissy marked her fastest 100-mile run ever—finishing in 18 hours and 29 minutes—and she points to her crew as the key to her performance.

“They pulled that out of me and pushed me forward,” she said. Justin Angle and Roch Horton, two ultra-running rockstars, paced Krissy through the challenging race. Her partner, Jon Webb, and parents, Dennis and Peggy Moehl rounded out the crew.

Many of us can’t imagine what it takes to run 100 miles. The distance and the challenge—both physically, mentally, and emotionally—would stop most of us in our tracks. But for Krissy and the rest of the ultra-running community, it’s that challenge that keeps them coming back.

“I gain the most strength by seeing myself at the weakest point. The challenge of being out there—the environment on you, the miles on you, and the physical and mental effort it takes to endure all that—that breaks you down to this weak point. That’s what takes you down to that raw real self,” Krissy said.

“But the fact that you can do it and keep going, shows you how strong you are. And then those lessons applied to life, when life takes you down and it’s hard and you feel really weak, you know that you can come back through it and find something to lift you up again—sometimes that’s another person, sometimes that’s something within.”

Wild Love is a short series of films that explores the common threads of love, loss and passion for adventure. Filmmakers, Andy Maser and Jenny Nichols, will be releasing the next two films here on Adventure over the summer.

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