This summer’s featured trail runner is Sharon Mosley. Sharon is a retired pharmacy tech, but she says she works as hard now as she did when she was “working.” Sharon and her husband are currently remodeling their home and yard, and she serves as the general contractor and 8-to-5 laborer. She has a full load of 100-mile races this year, already running Badger Mountain 100 and Salt Flats 100 with Oregon Cascades 100, Pine to Palm 100, Mountain Lakes 100, and Javelina Jundred 100 on the rest of her 2022 racing calendar.

What other leisure activities do you do outside of trail running?

I love gardening and yard design, hanging out with our two rescue terriers, biking, sailboat racing, and skiing (alpine and Nordic). My husband and I met as ski patrollers more than 20 years ago.

How did you get into trail running?

I went from ski racing in high school to running road races and then triathlons – including three full Ironmans – and then to the trails. I felt burned out on some of my previous sports, but trail running got me closer to nature and was easier on my body. It was something new when I started trail racing in the early 2000s, and every race still seems new.

 

Sharon finishes the Salt Flats Endurance Runs 100-mile race last May.

 

What is your favorite trail to run?

I love the Mirror Lake/Tom, Dick, and Harry loop to Mt. Hood Ski Bowl. My family had a cabin in the Welches area for over 100 years, and I spent most of my life pursuing extreme recreation in that area. We used to see how many of the Tom, Dick, and Harry loops we could complete in one day!

What is your favorite trail race?

It has to be Pine to Palm. It has beautiful, mostly runnable (and challenging) trails, first-class volunteers and aid stations, and a fantastic race director. It was also one of our “home” races for the seven years that my husband and I lived in Ashland.

What are your weekly average running miles and ascent?

About 55 to 60 miles per week, depending on whether I have a race coming up. I do try to increase my mileage a bit when life cooperates! I don’t keep track of elevation, but when we lived in Ashland, everything was either up or down (no flats). I still get plenty of elevation in Eugene, but steeps aren’t the only option.

 

Sharon at Mountain Lakes 100 in 2019.

 

What is a typical weekday run?

I wander in whatever direction my feet take me – often through some nearby neighborhoods, over Mt. Baldy, across part of the Ridgeline Trail, and back home through a different neighborhood. Mileage is usually six to eight miles.

What is a typical weekend run?

I don’t have a formal training plan other than to carve out some time each weekend day and go as far as that amount of time will allow. Mt. Pisgah is always a good option if we want to get away from our standard south Eugene runs.

What shoes do you wear?

Altra Timps are my favorites, although I also wear Lone Peaks and Olympus. The fit is fantastic on the Timps, and all of the Altras have a wide fit for my duck feet, smooth heel cups that don’t interfere with bone spurs, and fun colors to keep my feet happy!

 

Sharon competing at the Javelina Jundred just outside of Scottsdale, AZ.

 

What is your favorite trail running apparel?

Patagonia. I love the comfort, style, durability, and the company’s commitment to the environment. My husband and I often have a friendly competition around how many articles of Patagonia we’re wearing!

What watch do you wear?

I wear a Ronstan sailing watch. It’s huge and draws lots of comments, but it works for me. I got the watch for sailboat racing (the repeat countdown timer is a must!) before I had cataract surgery because it’s easy to see. It’s still easy to see, and it’s also waterproof, comfortable, and has lasted 15-plus years!

What nutrition do you like to use on runs and races?

I carry Spring gels because they’re easy to consume and not too sweet – and they agree with my often-finicky stomach. During races, I eat whatever aid station foods are most likely to be helpful to me at a given time – usually shifting from sweet (energy drinks) to salty (broth and soups) over the course of a race.

 

 

What do you like most about the trail running community?

The people are what really cemented our love of trail running. Trail runners are just cool – easy-going, accepting, healthy, and always in search of a good time.

Sharon doesn’t use social media but keeps up with other people through her husband’s Facebook page. (You can find her impressive race finishes on UltraSignup.)

 

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