In 2005 on a dare from a gym teacher, I set the first World Record for non stop hula hooping while running the Bolder Boulder 10k in Colorado. This was an exciting challenge for me as I always remember the time in 1992 when I was kicked out of a step aerobics class for lack of rhythm and endangering others. I used to run in my 20’s in Colorado but had just moved back from living in NY. I moved there a few weeks after 9/11 to teach my Hoop Warrior program to kids and adults as a form of PTSD recovery. I was very out of shape and not used to high altitude. 

I didn’t even own running shoes! I had a beat up pair of Teva sandals to train in. I went out on one of the bike paths with my hoop and became skilled in ‘penguin walking’. This is where the lower body waddles from side to side and the upper body and neck make weird and quick extensions and contractions. I sucked! I still got blisters and bruises on my hip. So I dialed in my gear and my body mechanics. Fleet Feet gave me an amazing pair of red sneakers. I made a smaller hoop so that it could spin faster to match the faster speed I was developing. I practiced my Belly Pump Method, which to this day, helps runners, golfers, skiers and new moms, lose belly weight and develop insane core strength and awareness in sports performance.  

My rules for all three 10ks and one half marathon were; no touching the hoop, dropping or stopping the hoop. And.. having an incredible journey with my teammates. The Bolder Boulder is the third largest road race in America, with about 36,000 racers. I knew that I’d be passing racers but also, that most would be passing me. I developed a strategy for protecting them from knocking into my hoop. 

Team Hoop consisted of 6 people. A back runner, front runner, 2 side runners, a videographer to film proof for the Guinness Book and sometimes we had an extra who would take pictures while running and blocking. Some blockers were nervous that they’d knock the hoop over since they posed the most threat as they were the closest to my hoop. Some had never even ran. I made sure to set a focused and fun tone for each of my 5 races. We all had a personal journey that was supported. It was not just about me setting another World Record. The intention was to move as one organism in mind, body and heart!

For 4 years, I broke my speed record in the Bolder Boulder 10k, proving that this was not just luck. My first year I finished at 1hr 43min. My last and best time I finished was 1hr 14min. In 2012 I broke my distance record in the Hollywood Half Marathon, finishing in 3hr 3min. I could have cut that time by about 20min but I paced myself too slowly. It was much easier to run at low altitude than the 10ks is 5,430 feet high.

Some of the most exciting and challenging moments were at the water stations. Dixie cups from sugary gatorade were always stuck to the pavement and spilled water created a slippery surface. Sometimes my feet got stuck from all the half dried gatorade, making it a bit harder to cruise through. It was here that racers would take breaks and meander across the course, cutting right in front of us. Every race there was at least one unassuming runner who would somehow get stuck in our circle. That was so interesting to witness. My teammates were amazing at respectfully explaining what was going on to them and within seconds, moving them out of the bubble. It was like watching a fly trying to get unstuck from a sticky fly strip. No one expects to see someone running with a hula hoop, along with a team of runners shouting out commands to each other. “LEFT! GO LEFT”,  “PICK UP THE PACE”, “HOLD BACK” I knew that my finish times would have been much shorter if there weren’t racers to wait to pass but that was part of the fun. 

Getting to the finish line was also most challenging. In both the Bolder Boulder and The Hollywood Half, the ‘runners high’ kicked in. Everyone gets intensely focused on the gates and whatever marked that finish line. Like a horse with blinders, we kind of all ran toward it. This slowed us down as we did not want to get in anyone’s way, ever. Although, there were 2 years where my front runner was able to kindly break the crowd up and guide us to sprint through CU Stadium, quickly to the finish. 

Each year I worked doubles so that I could pay the entrance fee for my teammates and also fundraise for a different organization. I had no idea that I’d be doing all the marketing to bring awareness to the organization as none of them wanted to cross promote. We raised thousands of dollars over the years. Each blocker had a fanny pack and handed out business cards while helping to protect my hoop and while running and through all the on course communication. To this day I think that my videographer and photographer, Dennis Shaver and Peter Steele, had a way harder job than me. 

Since my first Guinness Book World Record, there have been a few others who have broken my records in Hoop Running. I’m not sure if their rules were the same. One of my certified teachers, Skye, actually started a Hoop Walking group in Denver, CO. They have been Hoop Walking for over 10 years! I am honored to set not only World Records, but to instill  the belief that anything is possible.