Although a fresh face to the Colorado trail and ultra running scene, 27 year old Erika Kooda is more than ready to dive head first into all of the beauty that her new home has to offer.
A 10 day trip to the Centennial State last spring was all it took for her and her partner Stephen to realize a relocation was necessary in their near future, and just 10 months later the duo made the move from Chicago to Broomfield and haven’t looked back.
Keep reading to get to know Colorado’s newest transplant and trail lover in a little Q and A!
Where did you move to Colorado from?
Erika: I moved from Chicago, IL; but grew up in Northern Minnesota.
Why did you move to Colorado?
Erika: I initially fell in love with the trail/ultra scene when I was living in Atlanta. I ran my first 50k in 2019, and got out into the woods to run north of Atlanta as often as I could. I wound up moving back to Chicago in 2020. My partner and I did a 10 day trip to Tennessee in January of 2022, and that trip made it clear how much I missed access to trails for running, the ability to get into the woods for a hike, or even having camping options. Last April, we spent a week in Colorado and within the first 24 hours, I knew I could see us out here – and that certainty grew exponentially as each day of the trip passed. We relocated to Broomfield at the end of February, and are starting to discover all this beautiful state has to offer!
Tell us a little bit about your life & running background?
Erika: I never ran on a team in high school or college; my one and only track meet (for a 6th grade gym class), I was supposed to run the 400m, but only made it halfway before I had an asthma attack. My first “real” 5k, I cried on a hill that was on the back portion of the out-and-back. Nobody expected me to be a runner – least of all, myself.
I started to run/walk a couple of miles every few days my senior year of high school as a way to train for Drum Corps International (DCI), which I planned to audition for ahead of the 2013 season. It was because of the drum corps activity that my view on endurance athletics and my personal capabilities and limitations totally changed. Drum corps is essentially the highest level of marching band that one can achieve – it’s the “professional” level outside of things like the Marine Corps or other government organizations. You rehearse for 12-16 hours a day, seven days a week, for the first four-six weeks of the summer season. Then you travel around the country performing and competing against other groups (there are just over 20 other world class groups in the activity). Anyway – participating in this activity for six years really showed me that my limit (physically, mentally, and emotionally) is so much higher than I ever expected.
After my first season, I started to run more and more because I didn’t want to pay for a gym membership in college, and it was one way to spend a ton of time by Lake Michigan in Chicago. I felt at home during my long lakefront slogs, and couldn’t shake the desire to continue to push my limits. I trained for my first half marathon in six weeks in the spring of 2014 and thankfully, finished with no injuries. Afterwards, I wondered what else I could accomplish. I continued to march drum corps and worked hard to improve my running. In early 2015, I started an internship with the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) that would last almost two years; I started to work for Fleet Feet Chicago in 2016, and continued to be thoroughly engrained in the Chicago running community. I loved training, the runners high, and now I was falling in love with an incredible community of people who loved all these same things as deeply as I did. It was (and still is) incredible!
I have continued to work in/around the running/outdoor industry since then, and my love for the training grind is certainly still there. I ran my first marathon (the Chicago Marathon) in 2017, my first 50k (Yamacraw) in 2019, and I just ran my first 50 miler (Tunnel Hill) this past November. The year I ran Yamacraw was an extremely heavy rain year, so it was rerouted to be closer to the 50k distance and had a little less climbing. Despite that, it was one of the most beautiful races I’ve had the pleasure of running. I ran with my friend Alyssa, and we both had the same goal of simply crossing the finish line and becoming ultramarathoners. The feeling at the start line was absolutely surreal, and as the day progressed, I never had the feeling of hitting a wall or have that pit stomach feeling that I was in over my head. The entire day was an absolute blast, and even though we pretty much power hiked the last few miles, I was instantly hooked on ultras (despite saying many times through the training cycle that this would be a one-and-done). I had dreamed of that day for years, and never imagined I would have it in me to actually complete that distance. Maybe it’s an addiction to “embracing the suck,” but that day certainly changed my life.
The Tunnel Hill 50 was another truly incredible day. This race takes place in southern Illinois, so it’s incredibly flat. You may have heard of it as one of the courses Camille Herron has set some 50-mile world record times – she was due to attempt another WR when I ran it in 2022, but a blanket of snow coated the ground (and we’re talking INCHES here, not just a dusting), so she cheered the 50 and 100-milers on at the start line. My boyfriend (Stephen) joined me for this trip, and we camped the night before with my friend Emily and her brother. The wind was blowing and temps plunged into the upper 20s overnight – it was a cold night for camping! Rolling up to the start line was another surreal moment, just like Yamacraw. I thankfully had a few really great weeks of training in this build cycle, but it certainly wasn’t without some injury scares, weeks of physical therapy, and low volume weeks – I was incredibly proud of myself just to make it to the start line. Tunnel Hill has you start in the middle of the route, so you run about 13 miles one way, then come back to the middle (and see the start line – ugh!), then about 12 miles out the other way and back (that’s where you encounter both the Tunnel…and the Hill). Stephen drove out to meet me at one of the aid stations on the first stretch, and thankfully I was able to see him and Lucy (our dog) twice in the first 26-ish miles. Even with the snow on the ground and cooler-than-expected temps, it felt like perfect weather to be out running & snacking in the woods all day. I hit the 50k mark about 5 minutes off from my 50k PR, and felt a true jolt of energy and excitement at how well I felt I was pacing myself, and how good & strong I still felt 30-ish miles in.
At the big aid station after the Tunnel, I got to see Stephen and Lucy again, slugged down some broth and left with a hot coffee in my hand (Stephen’s brilliant idea) for a couple more miles before returning to the aid station. With less than 10 miles to go, the light of day starting to fade, and the second round of the tunnel behind me, I tripped and fell – HARD – on some rocks. Unfortunately I had broken the golden rule of long-distance running, and was wearing a brand-new pair of tights on race day; so my first thought was I better not have ripped these brand-new tights. Thankfully – no rips – AND my knees felt okay. I ran the next two miles straight down the hill, and felt relieved knowing I had banked a ton of extra time with what was left of the daylight. I had a loose goal of finishing in less than 12 hours, and with just over a mile to go, my watch flipped to 11 hours and I knew this loose goal was about to be crushed. I opened up Spotify and played “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” until I crossed the finish line to meet Stephen and Lucy for the sixth and final time of the day, so thrilled to have not only completed the distance, but so grateful to have had the on-course support from both of them.
I have goals to run a 100k in 2024, and I would love to at least attempt a 100 miler the year I turn 30 (which would be 2025 – uff dah!) I have 9 marathons and 5 ultras under my belt, and cannot wait to get out into the Rockies for more fun adventures.
Do you have any big races or adventures planned in the near future?
Erika: This year is pretty light so far, I have some fun shorter races on the calendar, but I am planning for a 50-ish-k this fall. I want to experience as much as I can this first year in Colorado, without the pressure of having certain distances I need/want to hit each weekend. I am just looking forward to meeting new folks out here in CO and getting out to as many events as I can to see all this beautiful state has to offer. Working on (slowly) getting some Rocky Mountain trail legs underneath me – it’s so awesome to see so many people out running no matter which trail I’m running or hiking on! 🏔️
Welcome to the Aravaipa Colorado family, Erika. We can’t wait to see you out and about on the trails soon!
