Anna Mae Flynn | Sonoma Strategy and Future Plans
Anna Mae Flynn had an incredible performance at Lake Sonoma on Saturday, finishing it off by overtaking race leader YiOu Wang in the final 1/4 mile of the race.
At the finish line she was offered a Golden Ticket to Western States Endurance Run and she told RD Craig Thornley that she’d need a few days to think about it. Well here we are…
In this interview–Anna Mae’s first on URP–we talk about how she grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, found her passions in ballet dancing and running, and what made her choose running. We talk about her move to snowy Colorado, her incredible training grounds, and what she does in the off season. Anna Mae also shares her ‘aerobically deficient’ diagnosis last year and how she adapted and fought back to a healthy balance of fitness and strength.

For her Lake Sonoma report, she tells us about her strategy going into the race and how she and Addie Bracy ran together, helping one another, throughout the second half. We hear firsthand what was going through her mind in the final miles as she broke away from Addie and chased down YiOu on the final climb.
What’s next for Anna Mae? Will she take the Golden Ticket and give Western States another go after her DNF in 2016?
As we talk about her future plans (living in Tahoe for a month, traveling to Portugal during the school year, etc), I ask how she plans on doing all this with her teaching schedule…and…well…Anna Mae’s got some big plans that will open up her schedule and allow her to share her MUT knowledge with the rest of the world.
Episode Sponsor: The North Face Endurance Challenge – Massachusetts

Anna Mae Flynn Episode Notes
—–>Here’s Anna Mae’s brand spanking new coaching site.
Here are some more pics from Lake Sonoma.
Here’s more on Swim Run events and here’s a race series in the US.
Connect with Anna Mae Flynn
Ben’s Gear Corner
After Anna Mae and I finish up our convo, I have URP Gear Editor Ben on to talk about some of the gear he’s checking out—and to catch up on his recent foray into fatherhood! Below are the products he mentioned. Some are affiliate links that will drop a few pesos into the URP coffers should you choose to keep the gear. Thank You!
Packs
- Ultimate Direction Halo Ultra Running Vest. Here’s the women’s version.
- Salomon Advanced Skin Set 5 v2 (2019)
- Nathan Vapor Krar 2.0 12L Race Vest
Shoes
Music
Intro by David Rosales | Outro music by Matt Flaherty


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