#439 - Shayla Manitowabi-Huebner: When Running is About More Than Running

Shayla Manitowabi-Huebner is on the show and she's got a great story to tell. Last month at the Boston Marathon, Shayla ran 26.2 miles in prayer. She only had eight weeks to prepare her body and spirit for this distance after she was selected to run the race to represent Native Women Running. She carried sacred medicine and prayed for healing—for all of her relations. Shayla placed cedar in my shoes and prepared asemaa (a tobacco tie) that she carried on her left shoulder. The prayer and medicine was powerful. Going into the race, she knew it was going to be a lot more than physical. She would bring in mental, emotional, and spiritual directions to create balance in her running. Shayla felt good, ran steady, and kept her spirit and thoughts positive. Shayla ran the entire race without stopping, resulting in a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:25:25. In this episode we discuss Boston but also so much more. Shayla talks about how she grew to fully embrace being Anishinaabe from Wiikwemkoong First Nation after being a child of adoption. We also take a deep dive into her athletic background. Shayla was an All-American middle distance track athlete in college and took the unique path of attempting her first marathon shortly after graduation. You can follow Shayla at www.instagram.com/shaylaraemh. Sponsor: Thank you to Tanri - sunscreen for runners, by runners. Tanri protects you from the sun while staying impervious to sweat. Visit www.tanri.com and use code RAMBLING to save 10% . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices