Portland, OR

My name is Heidi Skildum and I believe in running. I believe in alarm clocks going off before the sun rises, choosing trail shoes over stilettos as the sun sets, and using lunch breaks for recess. I believe that every mile of single track, sit-up, tempo, hill repeat, and race is an act of gratitude for being able and alive. I believe that I am not awake until I run and I mean awake in as many definitions that one can imagine. That being said, I also believe in not taking running (or life) too seriously. I believe that if we can’t laugh at ourselves, we grow old. But if we don’t run, we grow static. And grouchy. Old, static, grouchy people miss the taste of powdered sports drink, freezing cold starting lines, and long runs in 90 degree humidity. They also miss out on breathing in dust from Montana gravels, sniffing running shorts to see if you can squeeze (sniff) one more run before washing them, and spending more time figuring out mile splits than calling their mothers. So before I get to the point of hanging up my shoes and growing old, static, and crabby, I want to laugh with you about runners and life.

I grew up in St. Paul, MN where lakes and rivers carve out endless running adventures. I spent the first 18 years of my life as a hockey player and only turned to running in college. Luckily, the camaraderie of D3 athletics and miles logged set the foundation for what I hope to be a lifetime of running. After spending over a decade in the Driftless Region area of Northeast Iowa, I relocated to Portland, OR with my manfriend and pup, Luz, in 2018. I feel super lucky to have both Forest Park only three minutes away from my apartment as well as a home-cooked meal waiting for me at the end of a run.