stefanieannflippin

How I thought the rest of 2023 would go ➡️ how it actually went 🥴

After JJ, I repeatedly said “at least I’m healthy.” Nothing matters more & I was grateful to come out unscathed. I was feeling strong in my recovery from COVID & excited to put the fitness to good use for the final months of the year. Then the pain started.

I quickly shut things down, ordered imaging, & got a solid team on board within a week (thank you to all of these humans 🙏🏽). The initial diagnosis was, to put it frankly, devastating & bewildering. The next step was a bunch of rare blood work, & I owe a huge thank you to my manager at who immediately put together everything I needed, even making calls to the analyzing lab for me. 🥹

Fortunately, the progression of my clinical symptoms didn’t follow my initial diagnosis, so I did what I do for my own patients & went to work fighting for answers. I reached out to colleagues for additional opinions & in putting all the pieces together, my prognosis & recovery timeline took a really good turn for the better. I am extremely grateful for the access, resources & knowledge in how to navigate an often infuriating healthcare system. I know how much of a privilege this is.

So…yes, there were some real low points these past six weeks & throughout this year. After an entire lifetime in athletics without any serious or even minor injuries, the past year has taken a mental toll. I’ve had some of my worst fitness on display in trying to fight my way to start lines, forcing me to set aside my ego & continuously look long term.

But there were also many bright spots, including clawing my way back to some of my strongest fitness, gaining confidence in running far again, & leaning into the opportunity to be a holistic athlete. Maybe the biggest win was never desperately asking myself “why is this happening to me?” & instead, knowing this is all happening for me.✨

I’m excited to be back running real soon & in the meantime, will share more of what has compromised these 15 hour training weeks instead: a questionable affinity for the arm bike, padded shorts, snowy hikes, & a new take on double threshold known as jazzercise elliptical 😏

As runners and friends, and I have shared both triumphs and disappointments together. Through it all, we’ve experienced the power of taking on audacious goals while relentlessly being in each other’s corners. This is the foundation of our co-coaching and the reason we keep coming back to leading a group of women to the sub-3 hour barrier, together.

Twenty weeks ago, seven women embarked on a journey centered around running faster than they ever have at California International Marathon. This group includes full-time working professionals, mothers, masters athletes, and most of all: wonderful human beings. They weathered the highs and lows that come with training for a marathon, together. They worked hard to trust the process and to believe that they could accomplish this goal, together.

Tomorrow is not about getting this group of women to a marathon time that starts with a two. It’s about celebrating the power of strong, empowered women going after their dreams, together. It’s about setting the example that running is a team sport and never a zero sum game — and that female athletes are WORTH being invested in. It’s the understanding that when we uplift each other, everyone flies. When this is our focus, the times on the clock are the icing on the cake.

We are so appreciative of this year’s group of women who trusted us with their training and leaned into the process we laid out for them. It is always our privilege to get to learn from our athletes. Ladies: all that’s left to do now is fly, together ❤️ We cannot wait to welcome you and ALL of our incredible athletes in to the finish line tomorrow!

A very special thank you to for her enormous support in this endeavor, in addition to her guidance as our athletes’ strength coach, as our team proudly represents out on course. We also want to thank for the invaluable nutrition guidance of our athletes. Additionally, we’d like to thank our generous sponsors:momentous




📷:

Blinked and October flew by 🍂 Did a lot of running but an equal amount of rest and relaxation too (swipe for a sneaked photo from the very best device-free spa 🏔️) 💆🏽‍♀️

Highlights from the past month were so perfectly timed. Intentional stepping away from my phone and being present in the moment led to a solid block of training and feeling happy + healthy. A week spent in Whistler with the team was everything and more 🥹 Pep talks, miles, coaching, and so much love and laughs with all my favorite humans. Witnessing the attention, passion, and expertise firsthand continues to make me want to level up and give my best in every moment.

And the run I’d been waiting for all year. Running up a mountain with with the most incredible fall foliage coming into view, chatting about our families and mantras that we use to connect to the earth and disconnect from the discomfort. Running back down the mountain and getting picked up by on the bike, throwing down some glorious fast sea level miles and remembering why I love this sport and this life so much 🫶🏽

And finally, quiet miles on all my favorite routes with and the pups. Busting lungs at 10,000ft with pronghorn sheep zooming beside us. Dreaming big about what’s to come, with curiosity and the power of knowing that the journey really is the destination.

This was always what it was about. So grateful to be here. Thank you 💛

Milestone alert 🙃 I raced the longest I have gone in a year over the weekend at 50 miler, gratefully grabbing the win & 2nd overall 🙌🏽 It was a full value day where I worked through a few puke & rallies for the first time & had the opportunity to ask myself the hard questions. In a weird way, I really missed that (the hard questions, not the puking 😅).

It’s been a real soul-searching journey over the last year as I built back from injuries & a broken heart. I loosely knew what the trajectory would look like, but I didn’t realize how it would feel & evolve as I went. It feels really wonderful to be able to trust my body again & know that it is strong, healthy, & able to structurally handle what I ask of it. I had also forgotten how much I was using these big days to feel. To feel grief, pain, triumph, pride…all of it. This was a low stakes race environment for me to work through it all & I’m very grateful my body & mind gave me the chance to do so.

It’s never a solo effort though & I feel so indebted to my team for being there for me this past week & all the weeks, months, & years prior. To for flawlessly crewing me & quietly giving me the space to work through everything I needed to on my own — for this race & every day of our relationship. You know me better than I know myself. To for bringing me back to the sport I love with confidence, trust, belief, & JOY 🫶🏽 To for keeping my body together but knowing it was always about wiping off the mirror. To for equipping me with the tools to define myself in a way that makes me proud, to speak kindly to myself, & to know that there is nothing so insurmountable that I can’t take on. To & for the genuine love & support. To for finding & staying with me when I really needed it. The amount of butterflies on course was no coincidence 🦋

So yeah, this was a no big deal race in which I missed a few outcome goals, but nailed the more important process ones. In the context of my journey, it really means quite a lot to me. Swipe to the end for the best part about racing close to home 🥹

Recovery: I’ve skated by in the past by not totally prioritizing or maximizing it 👎🏽 A big goal of mine for 2023 was to stop doing that. No amount of fitness can pull you through long term when you aren’t taking recovery seriously.

I started using this past winter while I was healing a bone stress injury, with the hope of supporting peripheral blood flow. I continued to use it as I eased back into a regular training regimen and have been extremely pleased with its effects on increased recovery and performance. The research that is emerging on polyphenol anthocyanins, a strong antioxidant within black currants, and its recovery + cardiovascular benefits for endurance athletes, is very promising and a driving factor in my usage of CurraNZ.

I don’t lean on a ton of supplements, but CurraNZ is a staple in my routine to support my training load. I officially joined the high power CurraNZ team this summer! I am really excited to grow with this company and continue supporting my athletic career with science-backed and safe for sport supplements. Thank you for the support, ! 💜

Recovery: I’ve skated by in the past by not totally prioritizing or maximizing it 👎🏽 A big goal of mine for 2023 was to stop doing that. No amount of fitness can pull you through long term when you aren’t taking recovery seriously.

I started using this past winter while I was healing a bone stress injury, with the hope of supporting peripheral blood flow. I continued to use it as I eased back into a regular training regimen and have been extremely pleased with its effects on increased recovery and performance. The research that is emerging on polyphenol anthocyanins, a strong antioxidant within black currants, and its recovery + cardiovascular benefits for endurance athletes, is very promising and a driving factor in my usage of CurraNZ.

I don’t lean on a ton of supplements but CurraNZ is a staple in my routine to support my training load. I officially joined the high power CurraNZ team this summer! I am excited to grow with this company and continue supporting my athletic career with science-backed and safe for sport supplements. Thank you for the support, .newzealand! 💜

Just over here with my best girl, celebrating health, fitness, and feeling my strongest in a year’s time 🥹

2023 has demanded a lot of patience, playing the long game, and taking care of myself in a magnitude that matches my goals (eating a ton, sleeping a ton, *not* working 7 days/week, proactive bodywork, blinders up, a non-negotiable warmup routine, saying no). I’ve had my dad’s words in my ears all year: embrace what running gives you every day, no matter what. I have ❤️

I don’t know how the story ends (a constant struggle coming from someone who skips to the last page of the book then goes back 🙈) but I do know it’s just beginning, and that’s exciting.

Finally getting to light some matches on the work I’ve been putting in soon! 🥳🏃🏽‍♀️🙌🏽

I am angry. TW: sexual assault.

I am angry because there is a sexual predator last seen in the trail system I live and train in who has attacked SEVEN times since APRIL - and the community is just now hearing about. The posts about the predator only recently became shareable due to my friend flagging this. Why has this been kept quiet from us, ? Why have there been no updates? Why are we just waiting for this individual to become bolder and bolder, as he has? Is the line of constant cars streaming into Evergreen, raking in tourism dollars at play?

I am angry because the solution is NOT for “lone female hikers” to stay home as advised. I am angry that last weekend, I chose to tack on mileage in a remote but public trail and a man in a hateful political shirt aggressively blocked me from passing. I am angry because in the moment, I had to react exactly as I’ve practiced: laughing, because I refuse to give intimidation and aggression the satisfaction of witnessing my fear.

I am angry that I have to review the moves my BJJ black belt friend taught me to get out of holds — but his words, “you’re best bet though is to run” echo in my mind. I am angry that I’ve always felt confident in that approach, but this predator is described as young and athletic.

I am angry that I have close friends who have been assaulted on the trail and empathize all too much with this. I am angry that my training partner and I have to carry mace and a taser. I am angry that despite moving here five years ago, the word “home” won’t ever carry the connotation of safety.

I am angry that it’s 2023 and going outside for a run STILL isn’t safe for everyone.

Grateful for another trip around the sun! ☀️ Hard to believe another year has come and gone, but all the more motivation to make every day count with intention and purpose. I’m thrilled to be healthy (🙏🏽 a process, but one that I needed to go through), gaining fitness, and forever learning. I’m thankful for all the doors that life opened *and* closed for me in year 33.

I’ve been sort of terrible at responding to non-work related texts and messages for the last idk, year 🙈 but I just want to say that I really felt the love yesterday and it means the world to me. Thanks for being here in my corner. I’m really excited to write this next chapter and I couldn’t do it alone ❤️‍🔥

[We went on an adventure yesterday, as tradition goes, and the base of the mountain hit 90F 🔥 keeping me cool in:

Top: Relaxed-Fit Trail Running T-shirt 👚 (much needed for my crispy shoulders 🥴)

Shorts: Hotty Hot High-Rise Lined Short 2.5” 🩳

Socks: Women’s Macropillow Crew 🧦]

Grateful for another trip around the sun! ☀️ Hard to believe it’s been 34 of them but so happy to be here and very excited about where I’m going. I’m healthier than ever (🙏🏽), gaining fitness, always learning, and thankful for all the doors that opened *and* closed on me this year.

I really felt the love yesterday and it means the world to me — thank you for being here and in my corner 🥹 Let’s write a great chapter ahead ❤️‍🔥

keeping me comfortable and cool on the mountain where it hit 90F at the base ☀️🔥
Top: Relaxed-Fit Trail Running T-shirt (my crispy shoulders really needed this 🥴)
Shorts: Hotty Hot High-Rise Lined Short 2.5”
Socks: Women’s Macropillow Crew Sock

The 3 hour marathon time barrier is hard. We, and , know because it took us each several attempts to break it alone years ago. We are so excited to be leading our 3rd consecutive sub-3 team to break this barrier TOGETHER, building on the momentum and strength in women's distance running! 🏃🏾‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️🔥 Yes it's about the shared pursuit of a specific time goal (2:59:59 & beyond) but it's really about so much more than that. It's about being on a TEAM - connecting from afar while training simultaneously for the same goal & lining up at the same race to shoot your shot together. The power of the pack is real. Along the way lifelong friendships are made & at its core, our individual running journeys are so enriched through connection with others. It's been our pleasure to refine a holistic program where every athlete need is met to best set up each individual & the team as a whole for success. We love this program, which is now in it's 4th year, & we can't wait to get rolling soon!

Here's an overview:
-20 weeks of coaching/training written by the two of us together.
-Sponsorship/gear support (including team race top - crop or tank).
-Slack community connecting all teammates together.
-2x per week strength training.
-Dietician support from Meghann Featherstun.
-CIM pre-race special accommodations.

Our Breaking 3 program begins on July 17th training for CIM on December 3rd. Applications are open until June 26th at our link in bios and invitations will be sent on July 5th.

Link is in our bio to apply to join us! Let's break barriers TOGETHER! 🚀

I will not be lining up at Western States next week. This was a sad decision, but not a difficult one. I sustained a major bone stress injury to my femur over the winter & always knew I was on a tight timeline to return to professional level competition. I went all in on a patient return with a team of the world’s best, dreaming as big as I could. Coming back demands doing so. I embarked on the journey knowing nothing was guaranteed & that no matter how things panned out, it would not define me or my career.

I knew how I needed to feel at training camp in order to confirm that I was confidently & safely putting myself on this start line. Unfortunately, it became very obvious that while I am getting closer to my pre-injury self, I have run out of time to put all the pieces together for States.

The decision is bittersweet because I am so proud of how far I’ve come physically & mentally. I was on a flat Lever system still in March. Running my longest distance (50k) & volume (one 90-100 mile week) in seven months was huge. These were very regular staples in my pre-injury training.

But I’m also vividly aware of how I should feel during & after those efforts ahead of racing 100 miles on biomechanically demanding terrain. In that regard, the decision was simple & transactional because I have never allowed a race of any kind to cloud reality, my judgment, or the risks to my health & future seasons.

& got me so much stronger than I could have imagined in a very short period of time. I am so grateful to them & for their relentless empathy, support, & belief.

My only request is to please not say how sorry you are for me. Because I’m not. I am looking ahead with excitement for what’s to come, knowing I’m doing everything I can to halt a pattern of injury & to care for all facets of future Stef.

I am still traveling out to speak on the panel, support my amazing teammates, & coach my two incredible athletes racing, Jonathon & Jesse. I am looking forward to hugs, inspiration, & so much fuel to stoke my fire for the next start line that’s meant for me. Mark my words, I will be back. Always 🫶🏽

When I first started running consistently, it was purely for me. To run away from demons, to have a distraction, to feel free. Each year that passes, I realize that running is less about me specifically and more about who and what I represent, how I can bring the sport to others in positive and empowering ways, and why I continue to show up for the highs, lows, and everything in between. I love how running has evolved in tandem with myself over the years. And I really, really love sharing in it all with those I love most. So appreciative of every single facet that’s brought me where I am today. Running is life. 🫶🏽🏃🏽‍♀️🌎

📷: stealth mode *tinthewoods 🥷🏼

It’s not a coincidence that six months ago I said goodbye to one of the most important people in my life and simultaneously made enormous changes in nearly every facet of my life. When you’re staring down how short life really is, you realize what truly matters. At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple. For me, it was about living in alignment with who I am and what I stand for — and not compromising on any of it. When a brand is not only willing but encouraging you to lead your athletic career in this way, bringing along your community, your athletes, and all the people you love most because you wouldn’t be where you are without them — this is where everyone thrives. Mentally, emotionally, intellectually, athletically, all of it.

Just because things have been a certain way, doesn’t mean it has to be accepted. Change can be scary but it’s worth it. Stand tall in who you are and what you stand for. The opportunities that are meant for you will always unfold as they may in exactly the right way.

This shoot came at a really pivotal time in my life, coming off loss, injury and a lot of change. So grateful for these images by the indomitable and the incredible support of ❤️

Six months ago I took a call with . The conversation led with “we want to support you as a human and all of your career paths and endeavors that make you you.” It’s not an exaggeration when I say that this is a dream partnership. I’m so incredibly grateful to be working with the very best in the industry to accomplish everything that makes my heart sing: pushing for equity and change in athletics, ultrarunning, and sport science. The holistic support I’ve been provided is finally allowing me to focus on my career as a professional athlete, from mental performance and sports psych support to dialing in every aspect of my physical health. The team is everything.

I’m incredibly excited to be embarking on an epic journey with the brand and my teammates into next year and beyond to see how far women can go. I’ve had the time of my life thus far and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead! It feels good to be home 🖤

Twelve years ago I took the most important oath of my life. It was more than “do no harm.” To me, it was a promise to fight for equity, accessibility & answers, to rectify all that I could within a system that has let so many down, to build patient trust upon a base of meaningful relationships. It’s cheesy, but I kept flashing back to all these reasons today as I made my way through my final day in my clinic.

This is one of the hardest, most emotionally conflicting decisions I’ve ever had to make, largely because it has been my identity for so long. Medicine has single-handedly morphed me into the human, athlete, coach, partner, friend, & communicator I am today. For the last three years, I’ve gotten so caught up in the grind that I often forgot just how precious it is to have other humans put their steadfast faith in me & my hands. It’s a feeling I will cherish my entire life.

I have known for a while now that I needed to take a step back. The amount of weekly hours I justified as manageable or healthy is simply neither of the two. I feel so incredibly grateful to be given the belief in my athletic career & the financial opportunity/partnership to actually go all in on a dream that I never really thought I could turn into a reality.

I have so much gratitude for everyone who helped me get here. You know who you are. It took a village to make this decision. I don’t know if it’s permanent, but I do know I need significant time away - to see the world, to live, to train & recover, to be more present in my relationships, & to finally take an actual vacation. Healthcare doesn’t like breaks, but I strongly believe that fostering a culture of burn-out yields much worse potential outcomes. I look forward to continue filling a niche via virtual consultations for the running/athletic community.

I’ll end with a statement that left me in tears today from someone very special to me, one of my first patients as an attending, & someone who I’ve proudly cared for through so much over the last 5 years: “You are more than my doctor. You became a part of my family. It’s time for you to put as much care into your health & happiness as you have into mine.” ❤️

I was recently asked in a PR call what running means to me and why I do it. My answer to that question has a few common threads over the course of my life, but it has largely evolved over the past few years - months even.

At the start of 2023, and I decided to go all in on a passion project: creating a podcast for conversation around being BIPOC, women runners and the nuances that come with our perspectives. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work has been “trending” now since 2020 and while it’s incredible to see, we also aimed to create a space that normalizes human conversation about these experiences…because once the next hot topic arrives, BIPOC (and any marginalized group) athletes will still be BIPOC athletes. We wanted to create a safe space for connection, learning, and bridging the divide that has existed for too long. We believe this starts with sharing experiences and building community, together — something Carolyn has been doing for years now with .

It was beyond our wildest dreams to go from casually recording in our living rooms to hosting a live show at Newbury St., ahead of the Boston Marathon, for our 3rd episode. We are so incredibly grateful for our close friend, , joining us as our esteemed guest. The conversation we had was rich in emotion, culture, and community — and I will never forget it.

I used to run just for me. Not anymore. I run for all of you. I run for us. I hope to continue to give back to the sport and the community who have given so much to me. I love the sport so deeply that I will always strive to make it the very best it can be, even when that means risking a bit of comfort.

Thank you so much, Boston and especially the Boston-based ( 🥹) and global teams for your relentless, soul-filling support. I have never felt so seen in my entire life and I hope to forever reciprocate that right back to all of you 🫶🏽

Thank you for the wonderful photos! 📷

How fortunate am I to be boarding a plane to one of my favorite cities to go after a passion and a dream with one of my very best friends 🥹 This has been years in the making and Carolyn, I’m so proud of us 💙💛

and I are SO EXCITED to host our first live show this weekend in Boston! Please join us this Saturday evening at 4pm at lululemon 208 Newbury St. for a conversation with our wonderful friend on diversity and representation in the running world. Link to RSVP to the event in stories!

Exciting news! 🥳🤗✍🏽

Writing has always been a part of who I am, but I let it fall by the wayside while I focused on my medical career. I did a ton of charting but I can’t exactly say that filled my creative cup 😂 Last year, I decided to get back to it. I was rusty and needed mentorship (read: I am so dang fortunate to have the industry’s best editing and guiding). I also simply needed the encouragement to keep penning down my thoughts. To those in my corner who encouraged and saw something in me: you are everything. ❤️

I’m really excited and grateful to join the amazing humans at as a monthly columnist! Like many of us, I’ve spent years combing through ’s trail and ultra training articles and it’s my honor to join the team as a female coach/voice in sport. My first piece, How I Found Gratitude in Injury, published today. You can find this piece and future pieces on trailrunnermag.com under “Training” or by popping my name into the search engine 🤗

Thank you for being here! 🫶🏽

This photo is from a few months ago, snapped as a video as I came barreling out of the surgery center. I smiled finding it again today, as it brought me back to my time in residency. The years where I felt the impact and difference of being a female surgeon in a male dominant field every single second of the day. The years that had extreme ups and downs yet molded me to be more resilient and assertive, with less shake in my voice as time passed. I smile looking back because despite the bu****it, every morning it felt like my co-resident (best friend and sister) and I were going to war to fight the patriarchy. We certainly weren’t always smiling while we were in it and it took constant sharpness to get through those times, but I learned who I am and who I always want to be.

I took those lessons and opened up a private practice, growing it from the ground up alongside my amazing partner. I learned how to run multiple businesses, manage employees, file taxes, keep it afloat during a worldwide pandemic - all of it. I remember shaking hands with my loan officer, meeting each others’ eyes and getting emotional because it was only a year before I was born (1988) that the Women’s Business Ownership Act was passed, allowing women to obtain business loans without a male co-signer.

My passion for representation and equity in athletics and female coaching will always stem from those years in residency of finding my voice, alongside another strong as f**k woman.

Every day is International Women’s Day.

I stand
on the sacrifices
of a million women before me
thinking
what can I do
to make this mountain taller
so the women after me
can see farther
- legacy by

I started writing this many times. But as life would have it, working through my grief & major life changes proved to be…a lot. I’m grateful my therapist reminded me that no one HAS to share every facet of life in real time. This one took some time to process & I appreciate the patience as I kept it off social media.

I went on my first run of 2023 this month after recovering & healing my brain, heart, & an unfortunate femoral stress reaction (lesser trochanter into medial neck; no fracture line). I was puzzled over the glute weakness that forced me to pull from Javelina. Alarm bells rang in my head as my gut screamed at me to listen. But when I spent the next two weeks without any pain, I questioned my mental fortitude.

When I got the call to come home & say goodbye, the emotional stress pushed me over the edge. In a matter of days, my glute weakness quickly turned to focal pain that I would never run through. The somber words from my doctor: “You saved yourself & your athletic career,” continue to echo in my mind. I always respected the concept stress is stress, but this was a wake-up call. I’ve never had a BSI, never restricted, never missed a period. I spent the last decade helping patients prevent things like BSIs. There was quite a bit of shame to shed.

Working myself to the bone with the practice, coaching, training culminated a bit too literally for me. But I respect my body for hitting the panic button, forcing me to make immediate changes. As dark as some of my days were, I am grateful for every lesson & opportunity to grow. For once, I leaned into the stillness. I’m not the athlete who immediately went crazy cross training. To be honest, the physical pain finally matched my heartache. My body was begging for rest & while my bone began rebuilding itself, I went to work on my mental & emotional fitness.

Thank you to those in my corner who carried me through the last few months. I am coming out with perspective & love for myself & the sport. It was a bummer to scrap my race plans for this month (see you in the future, Mesa & Black Canyon!) but as always, I trust the timing of my journey & this comeback. So happy to be back! 😊🙌🏽🏃🏽‍♀️