Krissy Moehl and Jodee Adams-Moore will start Saturday’s 2014 Transvulcania Ultramarathon with perhaps polar opposite bases of experiences but almost-equal motivations. In the following interview, Krissy talks about what skills she’s bringing to this race from her now 14 years of ultrarunning and extensive previous world travels while Jodee talks about why she’s so eager to take on this race, her second-ever attempt at running 50-ish miles, just a month after her first race of that distance. And together the two discuss the main attractions of racing in the Canary Islands with runners from around the world.
Be sure to check out our women’s and men’s previews to get up to speed before following the race with iRunFar’s live coverage of Transvulcania this weekend!
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Krissy Moehl and Jodee Adams-Moore Pre-2014 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar here with Jodee Adams-Moore and Krissy Moehl before the 2014 Transvulcania. How are you ladies?
Jodee Adams-Moore and Krissy Moehl: Good.
iRunFar: A long way from the Pacific Northwest, eh?
Adams-Moore: It is.
iRunFar: Both of you are originally from Washington, correct?
Adams-Moore: Correct. Mmmm, I can smell the ocean.
iRunFar: Just like Bellingham or…
Moehl: A little warmer.
iRunFar: A little warmer, yeah.
Adams-Moore: A little more volcano.
All: [laughs]
iRunFar: So Jodee, I’ll start with you. You’re relatively new to the longer-distance trail running stuff. You just did your first 50 miler. What was that like?
Adams-Moore: It was… it was a good first attempt. It got really hard half way through when I was like, “If I was running a 50k, I’d be about done.” But I’m excited to try a second especially here in this place—it’s already such a dream. I feel like I’m going to wake up and be like, That was a crazy dream I just had. But I’m really excited. I feel really well rested from the last race. I’m very thankful I get to be here and try it again on this crazy, crazy island.
iRunFar: What brings you out? You did just try to run your first 50 miler and it’s only a couple weeks later. Why so soon?
Adams-Moore: The goal was to get to do this race. I thought that in between Chuckanut and this race, maybe it would be good to try the distance and use it as a learning experience. I feel that I didn’t overexert myself at Lake Sonoma.
iRunFar: You’re ready to go?
Adams-Moore: This was kind of the goal race for the year.
iRunFar: Really?
Adams-Moore: Yeah, to get to come here and try it out.
iRunFar: Krissy, you’ve been doing these things for 14 years now?
Moehl: I’m on my 14th year.
iRunFar: It’s just past your Chuckanut anniversary.
Moehl: Yes.
iRunFar: What keeps bringing you back to these high-level competitive ultras?
Moehl: Oh, the people, really. When I found trail running, I found the people that… like full circle. I put energy into running and this community keeps bringing it back. Then, the places you get to go and travel. In 14 years, I can’t remember a race that I’ve run where I’ll be surrounded by an ocean the entire time, let alone the Atlantic Ocean. It’s just, yeah, it’s like a dream every time you wake up in a new spot. Where am I? Am I at home?
iRunFar: Some of those dreams are challenging and some are…
Moehl: And some are nightmares.
iRunFar: You just went to India last December for a stage race.
Moehl: And some are nightmares—not to say that India was a nightmare. Some are nightmares.
iRunFar: It was challenging, right?
Moehl: Yeah, the country and the traveling so far, and being in airplanes and cars and vehicles, and the contrast of culture and everything—it was definitely a challenge.
iRunFar: So the 30 hours to get to La Palma was easy in comparison?
Moehl: It was just different. There was nine of us traveling together. Right? There ended up being nine people by the time we tag teamed with everybody in Chicago and Madrid. It just got more and more exciting—the energy build.
iRunFar: You’ve been all over the world trail running and ultrarunning. Obviously there are awesome people from all these different countries that it’s fun to connect with. But is it nice having that little bit of home and familiarity in the process while traveling with all those Americans?
Moehl: Definitely. It’s totally different. I’ve traveled by myself a lot, so that was more of a unique experience and a lot of fun.
iRunFar: It must be fun also seeing people like Jodee coming in here with such fresh perspective.
Adams-Moore: It’s awesome. I feel so lucky getting to hang out with Krissy.
Moehl: Likewise.
Adams-Moore: To get to know her, A, and to be around someone who has been around this for a long time.
iRunFar: You guys sort of have a Chuckanut connection. You’ve run the 50k a couple of times, Jodee, and you are now the race director and was running in it as your first ultra?
Moehl: Yes. Was it your first ultra, Jodee? No.
Adams-Moore: No, but close enough. We probably both have passion for those trails where I’m currently training now. It’s cool.
Moehl: Yeah.
iRunFar: What about those Pacific Northwest trails or Washington trails really… was it the trails that got you going?
Moehl: I think the people and the trails. Meeting Scott Jurek right after he won his first Western States, dragging me out on Cougar Mountain and Tiger, and then convincing me to run my first ultra on a mountain that was 14 miles from where I grew up. That’s where I cut my teeth—the Pacific Northwest. I know how to run on mud. I do not know how to run on snow. That’s been the biggest challenge living in Boulder, Colorado—learning the different terrain and harder, technical trails.
iRunFar: Probably not a lot of experience for both of you on volcanic pumice.
Moehl and Adams-Moore: No. [laughs]
iRunFar: Krissy, you’ve been doing this again for 14 years, any advice for someone who…?
Moehl: No, she’s great. She knows what she’s doing.
iRunFar: You’re no rookie to running or competing. You’ve been doing this for quite awhile. What are you guys most excited about this weekend? Jodee?
Adams-Moore: Seeing this island. Being up high on it and seeing the ocean down below. Experiencing the European flavor of everything. Being around all these different languages and all these runners from different places is very exciting. Seeing how well I can do—it sounds really hard.
Moehl: I think I just keep picturing that view. I’m looking for that 360 view of ocean. It will probably stop me in my tracks.
iRunFar: There will be a few of those. You’re running that ridgeline for so long.
Moehl: Yeah, that just blows my mind. That’s what I’m looking forward to, just being up there. That video from last year was super. I don’t really watch race videos or look at stuff. I should. But I actually watched that video start to finish a couple times because it’s just… the start with all those lights and everybody taking off and then the views… it just looks amazing.
iRunFar: Well, ladies, enjoy this weekend and best of luck.
Adams-Moore: Thank you.
Moehl: Thanks, Bryon.
