The uniquely gritty, determined and self-disciplined spirit required of an ultramarathoner is hard to come by, but Northern Michigan University student Mia Rucoba exhibited these characteristics while competing in the Superior Fall 100 ultramarathon—100 miles, not kilometers—in early September.
Rucoba earned second place among women in the 18-29 age group, 15th among women, and 78th overall with an elapsed time of 33 hours and 4 minutes.
“Running makes me feel at home,” Rucoba expressed, “I love the sound of my breath and footsteps; it gives me clarity of mind. I have such an appreciation for running and all the places it takes me.”
Rucoba indicated that she trained relentlessly over the summer, running 80-90 miles a week at times. This commitment necessitated an increase in sleep, miles, calories, and strength training.
“The interesting thing about a hundred-mile ultramarathon is that being fit doesn't ensure an easy race,” Rucoba reflected. “These races are about more than just battling through muscle soreness and fatigue. During this race, I got the chance to really find out more about myself—when I felt completely defeated, I was able to regain control of my mind and focus on every step forward for another thirty miles until I crossed that finish line.”
Originally from Wheaton, Illinois—a suburb about an hour outside of Chicago—Rucoba's love for running was kindled at a summer cross-country camp she attended in middle school. She began running competitively in high school once she joined her school's cross-country team.
“Wheaton is very different from Marquette; lots of quiet forest preserves with limestone paths going through farms and around lakes, which is beautiful,” Rucoba described. “However, I love Marquette and how much it has to offer. I love the rugged trails and snowy winters. This place is paradise.”
Once she started her Applied Workplace Leadership studies at Northern Michigan University, Rucoba's curiosity inspired her to exponentially increase the mileage of her runs. The trails she ran outlined the path to her own self-discovery: her running was an exercise in finding her personal limits.
Rucoba found her place at Northern when she began attending the Wednesday morning Muffin Run Club weekly. Here, she met her best friends, who mirrored her zeal for running. These new friends ran alongside Rucoba in the Marquette Trail 50 miler and showed up to support her through the Superior Fall 100.
“I wouldn't have wanted anyone else next to me during those low points of the race. I have no words for how much I appreciated them throughout the race,” Rucoba affirmed. “My first real ultramarathon experience was the Marquette Trail 50 miler. When I finished, I remember thinking how cool it was to be able to push past physical pain with my mind—which only lead me down a road of curiosity, asking myself how much more I can endure.”
The manifestations of this inquisitive spirit found footing in the Superior Fall 100, which Rucoba trained for with a routine of trial and error; she found out what works for her by testing out various workouts and attempting new training methods. Incorporating a pinch of everything, Rucoba makes sure to include long, slow trail runs in conjunction with fast-paced workouts along the bike path on Lake Superior's coast.
Balancing this intense increase in training volume over the summer posed some difficulties for Rucoba; there were days when the desire to run didn't come to her naturally, but she powered through this conflict with steadfast self-discipline.
Despite her impressive achievements, Rucoba is still searching for that limit: the Superior Fall 100 certainly extended her horizons of possibility, and Rucoba plans to continue racing to surpass previous goals and gain more knowledge about herself.
“If I can control my mind and keep moving forward even when I am hurting so badly, I truly believe that I can accomplish more than I ever thought possible—I cannot wait to see where this running journey takes me,” Rucoba concluded.