A note from Freetrail: You know Ellie Pell from the Freetrail Fam Pod, but did you know she has an insatiable need to get to know you, and I mean REALLY get to know you? Like, what’s your favorite kind of cheese? “You Made it Weird” is Ellie’s brainchild because while she loves that these athletes are mega-talented she also wants to know what ELSE IS THERE?! Look for You Made it Weird every Friday .
You Made it Weird With Genevieve Harrison
Remember that race in Mexico in 2022 that had a rocky go and was put on by a huge race organization we all love to hate 😉 ? Genevieve WON that 100 miler. The lady knows how to outrun snakes and panthers and run for over 30 hours in a maze of ancient jungle traps. She is essentially an Aztec god at this point. Genevieve is such an underrated talent in our sport and is making big changes for moms in trail running. She trains incredibly hard, kids in tow, while somehow excelling at bread baking and homesteading in Eagle, CO. I am so lucky to call her a teammate, and look forward to watching her continue to thrive in her race season this summer and fall.
Find Genevieve on Instagram, Strava, and Ultrasignup
Who are you and what do you do?
I am Genevieve Harrison. I am a mom of two kids, Ocean and Coco. I take care of my kids a whole bunch, cook a lot, coach a bunch of inspiring athletes and run for the On Trail Team. I enjoy gardening, animals and being outside.
Do any of your group chats have names? If so, what are you willing to share? How did they get that name? What is a major topic of discussion in them?
My family group chat is called The Weld. My mom passed away in 2018 and my siblings, dad and I wanted to make sure we had a place to rebuild, connect, and grow without her.
If you could change one thing about your favorite social media platform, what would it be?
Everyone should have a theme song that starts playing when you navigate to their page/account, like in the old MySpace days. I can see it now: “Hmm, who is this Genevieve? *click* “I LIKE BIG BUTTS AND I CANNOT LIE…”
What is a book of fiction that you really enjoyed, for no other reason than you liked it?
I loved Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. I also love reading any books written by Peter Heller.
What is one song you’ve been listening to on repeat recently?
Billie Eilish, What Was I Made For and anything Tallest Man on Earth.
What is one trend that started in 2020 that you love?
I used to feel like I would get sick everytime I traveled on planes, but now there’s always those 5 or 10 people wearing masks on every flight. Never felt healthier.
What is one trend that started in 2020 that you hate?
Clean and Used pens containers… we’re still doing this?
What are the last three emojis you used?
😂💩🤍
What is the last thing you bought online?
U-turn Orbit turntable. Color Red Hip, right?
What is your most controversial food opinion?
Putting nuts in cookies is gross.
What three videos are at the top of your YouTube recommended homepage?
Oh my gosh! All videos of random people singing on Americas Got Talent or some other international equivalent.
“Never Enough” Singer Loren Allred: Then and Now! | Got Talent Global
Which Allie is your favorite?
ummm…Allie Mac? She is pretty cool and I like watching her run.
What argument in mass media do you not understand or think is a worthless issue?
May not hit mass media but I really don’t understand the commentary on whether or not the UTMB world series is positive or negative for ultrarunning. As long as people are gathering together and trying their best at something, it feels like we are all winning.
When you go home for the holidays, what is the food or tradition that it wouldn’t be the holidays without?
I love this question and I love tradition. My favorite holiday is Christmas and it wouldn’t be Christmas without having my siblings at my Dad’s house in Leadville for a few days of family time. We always watch the Chevy Chase Christmas Vacation, hike at the Fish Hatchery and make pizza.
When I say in-seam you say…?
Out-seam? I think of jeans. Haha
When has your ego caused you to do something you sort of regret but also would describe as wild and worth it?
I went full Karen at a Costco employee. I usually let things go, but I was proud of myself for standing up for a mother getting grief in the checkout line.
What was your worst running fuel decision? What was the surprising best?
Worst – hotdog
Best – quesadilla with cheese
What is your death row meal?
100% homemade pasta with a side of fresh mozzarella and greens, a nice Sangiovese, and fat piece of bread.
Out and back or looped course? Why?
Out and back. The second half is always easier than I think it will be and by then I have familiar landmarks to check off.
Barkley or 24H track race? Why?
24-hour, it sounds way harder to get lost in than it would be at Barkley. I do not like being lost.
When I say PTRA you say?
How many shares of PTRA are in your portfolio?
What is one thing that absolutely scares you? Why?
Getting stuck out too long in the cold and rain! I get terrible Reynauds in my fingers and get so nervous when my fingers stop working and I can’t hold zippers, open gels or tie my shoes!
What is a time you felt you didn’t measure up? How did you get through that?
I felt like I didn’t measure up when I wasn’t selected as one of the ten women to appear on the Elite Panel before the 2021 Leadville 100. To get through it, I stayed true to myself, I ran within myself and chose to believe in myself passing all but one of those women between miles 45 and 90 ultimately finishing in 2nd place.
Who is another runner that flies under the radar that we should all get to know?
I’m not sure how under-the-radar you can be when you hold the record at the Pikes Peak Ascent, but Kim Dobson is a woman worth knowing. She was on the top of the American mountain running scene in a time before social media and sponsorships were as prevalent as today, otherwise I think she’d be more well-known. On top of the running, she is also one of the most amazing friends I have and gives so much love and energy to women and mother-runners within our community.