BADASS Jodee Mason Thomas – You don’t have to be perfect. Take risks, make mistakes. Learn and grow. Spend more time alone and in nature.

This badass conversation started on March 29th, 2024. Kinda bouncing and floating, that sounds pretty fun.

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How old are you on this day? 

52.

Could you please reflect back on what it was like turning 50?

It was kind of, a little bit of a deal, but not a huge deal. I remember thinking that I should run 50 miles or do something big like that but I didn’t. I spent the day/night hanging out at a 24-hour race pacing and crewing with friends. Which is one of my favorite things to do. 

I remember thinking I can’t believe that I’m 50, I don’t feel 50. But what does 50 feel like? 

View from the trail. Photography by Jodee Mason Thomas

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What are your thoughts on aging in a youth obsessed society? 

I definitely struggle with this. I feel young, I act young. But I don’t look young anymore. This sometimes bothers me, I don’t always recognize the reflection in the mirror. 

But I think of where I am in my life. The experiences I have had, the relationships, adventures, all of the growth and all that I can still do. I’m happy with that. 

I do think that who and what you surround yourself with will play a part in that however. You see aging celebrities getting work done to the point that they’re unrecognizable. I see aging ultra runners still out there doing incredible things inspiring younger people.

When you don’t recognize the reflection in the mirror, what do you see?

I don’t know. Who the hell is this person?!

No… it’s me, just a more “mature” version of me I guess. 

Two years into 50, what does 52 feel like? 

Surprisingly it feels older than 50 did. I feel things physically changing, having to be more conscious of my training and nutrition to stay injury free. I find myself trying to do more research on the aging female athlete. It’s frustrating that there’s a huge lack of information out there. 

With your first hand experience and knowledge have you ever considered helping the aging female athlete?

I have not done anything formally but definitely have these conversations anytime I can with friends, clients, fellow runners. I don’t really have any answers. I do have conversations about things that I have tried that may or may not have helped. I ask others about their experiences, there just isn’t enough solid research/ information out there. I feel like everything right now is just trial and error. But having conversations and getting the topic of menopause and the aging female athlete out in the open is important.

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You said so beautifully, “but I think of where I am in my life.” Can you tell us where you are?

I’m happy, I’m at peace, I’m still growing and learning.

I’m married to my best friend and love how we choose to live our life together.

Life is simple.

I work but it doesn’t consume my life.

I look forward to retirement because there’s many places that I want to see and explore. I refuse to wait to enjoy life. I do not hesitate to take a little time off of work if adventure calls. I have also learned to end unhealthy relationships that feel toxic or create boundaries. 

Can you talk about your process of learning how to end unhealthy and toxic relationships?

This has certainly been a long process. I used to just cut people out of my life but stay angry. That didn’t necessarily feel any better than being in the unhealthy relationship.

What I’ve realized over the years is that you can’t change a person.

The chances of them changing their behaviors are pretty slim. I either had to accept that and put up boundaries to protect my mental health. Or let them go and be at peace with it. 

View from the trail. Photography by Jodee Mason Thomas

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Could you elaborate on,, “I’m married to my best friend”

I feel so grateful for the relationship that I have with my husband. When you meet and fall in love later in life it’s a little different than when you’re younger. You’re still trying to figure out who you are as a person.

We’re both still growing, and growing our life together, but we know who we are without the other.

Yet there’s no one else we’d rather spend time with. Go on adventures with or just hang out on the couch. Our life is pretty simple but exciting.

You mentioned you work but it doesn’t consume your life. Can you tell us what you do for work?

I’m a personal trainer. I work with individuals to help them achieve their goals which can range from anything from weight loss to running their first ultra to simply staying strong, healthy and injury free

How long have you been an athlete and what has that looked like over the years?

As a child I was athletic but other than 3rd-4th grade never really played any organized or team sports. I didn’t have the support system at home financially or to get to and from games and practices. I started dancing in high school which was still challenging with the lack of support. I was working, so I could pay people to drive me (too far and unsafe to walk or bike). I continued dancing  competitively through college. In college I started teaching group fitness classes at the local gym. It turned out to be as important to my future career as my college education.

I didn’t start running until I was in my 30’s. It really kinda happened by accident.  Someone told me I was good at it and that stranger changed my life. 

View from the trail. Photography by Jodee Mason Thomas

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You have used the word adventures when describing your life , what does your adventures look like?

I use the word adventure a lot. To me it might mean taking a two week road trip west. Finding great trails and spots to stay along the way. It might be hitting up a new state park every weekend. Jumping in the car at the spur of the moment. Finding someplace cool to run, hike or even just drive and hangout together. 

You just never know exactly what will happen or where we will end up.

I’ve been known to be on my way to run somewhere, then suddenly turn and head somewhere completely different. Because why not?! That’s adventure to me. It doesn’t always have to be something big. I feel like I can find adventure in almost anything. 

Running happened by accident? A stranger changed your life? That seems insanely random for how much running is your life? Can you explain that?

I had signed up for a boot camp / military type class. We would do benchmark testing (push-ups, sit-ups, running, etc). Be put through a vigorous workout and after the workout retake the tests. The goal was to get as close to the original scores as possible after being put through the wringer. The running portion was simply run as far as you could in 15 minutes. I had zero clue how far that would be- 1 mile, 2 miles… I had absolutely no idea. So I figured I better jump on the treadmill. Try to run a little so I had some idea what to expect. While I was running a friend/ coworker asked me if I was training for something. I told him why I was running.

He told me about a half marathon that he was doing and maybe I would like to do one.

I asked how long it would take-an hour? 2 hours? Again, zero clue about running paces. He said probably about 2 hours. I had taught back to back group fitness classes (back when they were all high intensity cardio). I thought I would give it a shot. I sort of trained. I looked at a free Runners World training program. I did most of my running on the treadmill because I knew nothing about GPS watches, routes, etc. I ran the race. On the bus ride back to the start I was chatting with an older woman who asked about my race. I told her it was my first and she asked what my time was. She said that was really good for my first. She seemed pretty experienced so I believed her. I thought this was going to be a one and done thing. Maybe I would keep doing it if I was actually good at it. The funny thing is that my time was fine, but not super speedy or anything. But that’s all it took for me to keep going and improving. I’m grateful for both my friend/coworker and that stranger/fellow runner

View from the trail. Photography by Jodee Mason Thomas

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What does ultra running and racing mean to you?

I love training. I like having a schedule/ routine and a goal that I’m working towards. I was a dance minor in college. I also taught dance classes at a studio as well as group fitness classes at a gym during those years. I was used to a very heavy training and work load. After college I went to work full time at a gym and taught a lot of classes. It was fun and I loved it.

But running is different, especially ultra running. There’s a specific goal, I feel like I’m working towards something. Some races, I just want to spend time in a certain location. I want to be surrounded by nature with beautiful views. Sometimes, I want to share time with friends. Others I may be looking for a certain time (or miles) if I’ve run it before. There are a few I approach with the idea that I could excel in that particular format or course. I might even be the top female. All of those scenarios are exciting and fun for me. No matter what, I always enjoy the community of trail and ultra runners. If I’m able to share some miles with a fellow runner(s) and have a human connection, I always appreciate that. 

The struggles and lessons from ultra running and racing have shaped me. They have helped make me a stronger and more patient person in day-to-day life.

View from the trail. Photography by Jodee Mason Thomas

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You mentioned twice you didn’t have the “support system” at home. My instinct is to ask why? But lets look at this from another angle. How did that help you and shape who you are?

Well it took me while to get over being angry and feeling like life wasn’t fair. But eventually I realized that the only person I was hurting by being angry was myself. I went from considering myself merely a survivor of the trauma I had gone through. To realizing that I was doing pretty damn good at taking care of myself physically, emotionally and financially.

I was doing it all by myself and that was pretty empowering.

One thing I know about your childhood is you had a bear. Can you explain what it was like having a bear?

We actually had two black bears. A full grown adult male named Homer and a female cub named Honey. We got Homer first. It was exciting. However, I wasn’t able to have physical contact with him. He weighed somewhere between 500 – 600 lbs. I could feed him through his cage but couldn’t go in there with him. His “cage” was really good sized. It was the old foundation of the original house on our property. He had room to run around and play. 

We got honey soon after and she was dog size so I could actually play with her a little bit. I literally got bear hugs from her! She was so dang cute. Homer was incredibly entertaining. He liked to wrestle with my stepdad and uncle’s, bears are super playful. We fed him everything from meat and veggies to donuts and soda. Mountain Dew got him really hyper and he would run in circles. It probably wasn’t the most ideal diet. We didn’t really know any better at that time. That’s how we ate. To this day bears make me so happy. I could watch them play forever. 

You mentioned pacing is one of your favorite things to do. For those reading this can you explain in your words what pacing another ultra runner is like?

Basically a pacer is there to help a runner reach their goal. Some runners have a specific place or time goal, some simply want to finish. When I pace a runner, my number one objective is to keep them safe. I remind them to eat and drink. I keep them alert and make them aware of trail conditions. Sometimes there’s non stop chit chat. We tell stories and admire the views. Other times, it’s just head down, being there with them in what we call “the pain cave.” Often, it’s somewhere in between. But it’s always an honor to be there and be a part of their journey.

It’s very rewarding for me to help a friend do hard shit.

What have your learned about yourself and life through pacing?

I think the first thing that I learned through pacing. I could probably do more than I thought I could. I watched a friend struggle but continue to push. She finished the Superior 100. This made me realize that it didn’t have to be fast or pretty. It could be ugly and raw which was absolutely beautiful to me. This friend introduced me to the Superior Hiking Trail three weeks earlier. She invited me to pace her during her race. That was life changing for me.

Life changing is such a interesting expression. Can you share your most life changing experiences?

2020 was a big and life changing year for me. My marriage of 14 years had recently come to an end and then COVID happened shortly after.

It gave me a lot of solo time. I rediscovered who I was and thought about what I wanted to do.

My biggest takeaway from this was that I would no longer work as much as I had been working. I wanted to get more out of life. More time in nature, more time with friends/loved ones and just more experiences. 

Staying on the life changing theme. You post everyday on social media a optimistic and giving message. Why?

My daily posts began after George Floyd was killed and the riots that followed. It was heartbreaking. I started posting simple quotes about kindness and compassion. It ended up becoming part of my daily routine.

I think that social media doesn’t have to be such a negative as some believe it is.

For me I follow people who motivate, inspire or make me stop and think. We have control over what we see and how we react to it. I know how it feels to be sad, depressed, fearful, and lonely. If even one person gains a tiny bit more hope or benefits from my daily post, then it’s worth it. 

You also post your photography while out running. It’s usually tagged #viewfromthetrail. What motivates you to stop running, take these beautiful photographs and then share them so generously?

I’m never not in awe of a beautiful sky whether it’s sunrise, sunset or cool clouds. I get excited every time. It’s the simple things that make me smile. I just want to share it with others. Maybe some people don’t see that beauty. Maybe because they don’t pay attention or seek it out. Maybe it will inspire someone to get outdoors. Perhaps it encourages them to move more. Or maybe they just smile or have a positive thought when they see it. 

View from the trail. Photography by Jodee Mason Thomas

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You recently ran the Elm Creek Backyard Ultra and completed 100 miles which is incredible at any age. You did it at 52, and outlasted many women and men younger than you. Can you reflect on that race and what it means to you today?

Elm Creek Backyard was an absolutely amazing experience! I was able to come back home to the park that I ran almost everyday until moving in 2021. I was also able to see so many friends who were either running, volunteering, crewing or spectating. That alone was reason enough to be there. My good friend Erika was running. I looked forward to sharing some miles with her. We ran almost all 100 miles together, she was the second oldest female to me and final female standing. Which I had no question she would be the final woman, she’s pretty amazing.

Another reason I wanted to do this event is because I am still surprised by the female representation. I notice this especially in ultra events. So many of these events have a lower percentage of female participants compared to males. I knew that there were some strong women registered. I was confident that we could break the previous women’s mileage record. There were a handful of us who did just that. I think it’s really cool we can work together. We achieve a goal like that even though we are also each other’s “competition”. 

I didn’t realize until the next week that I was the oldest woman. Erika was just 10 months younger than me and was the second oldest. We were the last two women standing. That’s pretty cool. 

I also really cherish that experience because it truly reminded me (once again) that ultra running is a team sport. Two of my closest friends were there. They pushed me out again to run two of the final loops. I really just wanted to be done. They knew that I could do it again when I questioned if I could. It was a wet, cold, exciting, emotional, draining weekend and I will cherish those memories forever. 

View from the trail. Photography by Jodee Mason Thomas

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The universe has allowed you to have a conversation with your 25-year-old self. What would 52-year young Jodee say to her? 

Don’t worry about trying to figure it all out right now. You don’t have to be perfect, take risks and make mistakes. Learn and grow from them. Spend more time alone and in nature

You are trapped on the moon. You can’t be rescued. You are looking back at earth, what will you miss most about living here?

If I’m trapped alone, I would miss the people in my life that I love. It’s hard to imagine being on the moon alone for the rest of my life. If I’m trapped there with my husband and others I think I would most miss the beauty of earth.

The forest, trees, mountains, huge bodies of water. However if I got to run around weightless, kinda bouncing and floating, that sounds pretty fun! 

If you could write the first 3 lines of your eulogy what would you want it to say?

Jodee was a kind person with a good heart, a caring friend and fun to be around. She loved animals, nature and going on adventures with her friends, especially her husband. She would want everyone not to mourn, but celebrate her life, by thinking and telling stories of the fun and silly memories you have shared.

What defines harmony, peace and joy for you? How do you achieve it on a daily basis?

This journey took me many years. I’m not saying I have “arrived,” but I am in a better place than I’ve ever been. It’s internal. It’s accepting my life, my relationships, my body as they are.

I put in the effort to improve where I can. I let go of things that I can’t change.

I’m okay with that. It’s listening to my heart and body. I used to be very strict with nutrition and training to the point where things weren’t in harmony. I was more of a slave to the numbers and routine. I’m still super focused but can listen to my body better now.

I’ve been able to relax more and that brings me so much peace. 

Jodee Mason Thomas – Ultra runner, Trainer, Sherpa, Adventurer, and best friend to her best friend.

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Follow Jodee @

https://www.facebook.com/jodee.thomashollenbeck

https://www.instagram.com/jodeeheartstrails/?hl=en