andrew harley: Hey everyone, I'm Olympian Carrie Tollofson and welcome to the C Tolly Run Podcast. This week on the show we have Cassie Parker. She joins us this week, and I couldn't be more excited to get to learn more about her. Cassie is a professional runner for Crown Running, which is based in Iowa.

Carrie Tollefson: excited to have you on the show. ⁓

Kassie Parker: Hi, yeah, thanks for having me.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, this is gonna be fun. I mean, as I was saying before we hit record, like it's been an honor to be able to watch you the last few years just kind of get into the world of professional running and and now you're coming off your first USA national championship on the road. You just won the four miles, so congrats. Yeah, how does that feel? I mean, what does that mean to you? I know that you've been, you know, you've been on the podium before. You've been inching your way, but you finally you've you finally got it.

andrew harley: She's coming off of winning the USATF Four Mile Championships, her first USATF National Road Championships. And she's also coming off of winning the Bloomsday 12K, which is the she was the first American-born woman to do so since 1997. She was also second at the USATF 25K Championships, behind Emma Grace Hurley, who we just had on the show. And guess what, you guys? She's ranked number two on the USATF road running circuit. She's on fire. Cassie is a former Division III athlete for Lauros College, where she was a

Kassie Parker: Thank you. It's yeah, it's like hard to describe 'cause it's something I've been wanting to achieve for a while now. And you know, now that I have it I'm like, Okay, what's next? Like kinda thing, but it's such a good feeling and just like such a accomplishment.

andrew harley: Seven-time NCAA, Division III national champion, and ran the D3 5,000 meters and 10,000 meter record while there. She's getting ready to run the Gary Bjorklin half marathon in Duluth this next weekend, where I'll be calling her race with Dick Beardsley and Kara Goucher. So let's learn more about Cassie Parker and let's get after it.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, for sure. I mean I I do understand that feeling of like, okay, I've broke the tape now. I am a US champion, but it sort of just gets the wheels turning thinking, okay, if I can be number one in the nation on that day, what else can I do? Like where did your mind go?

Kassie Parker: Like during the race or after?

andrew harley: Thanks so much for joining me today on CTollyron. My guest was Cassie Parker. You can find her on social media at Cassie.parker19. Before we go, a big shout out to Rundot for supporting the show and to Andrew Harley and Sarah Bernie, the amazing producers behind the Tridot, Rundot, and CTollyrun podcasts. If you're a fan of the pod, we'd love your support. Please take a moment to leave us a rating and review. All you have to do is visit Ctolirun.com/slash review, and we'll bring you right to our show's page. You can find us all over the place: YouTube, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Carrie Tollefson: No, after after you you won.

Kassie Parker: ⁓ I was just kind of thinking of like, okay, what races do I have coming up? ⁓ what are my goals for those races and ⁓ just how I'm going to kind of yeah, go into those races, which is weird because I really just wanted to have fun this summer before I started marathon training where it's like I'm having fun but I'm also like still in like very high competition.

Carrie Tollefson: Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. I know it's been interesting. You've raced a lot this year. And all kinds of different distances. What do you think your true distance is? I know you alluded to the fact that you're gonna run the marathon and I think it's next December at CIM, right? Yeah, so you're getting ready for the big one, but what where do you feel like, you know, you land right now? 'Cause you just won the four mile, but you were second at the twenty five K and like you kind of bop all around.

andrew harley: at CTallyrun and at Carrie Tollson, or head on over to visit us at our website, ctallyrun.com. Thank you so much for joining us today. And don't forget to get after it.

Kassie Parker: Yes, yep. Mm. Yeah, I'm not sure yet. I think I'm still finding it. ⁓ I really do like the ten K though. That's like a good distance. A good middle ground, I think. Not too fast, not too slow, but

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It was interesting. In twenty twenty-four, I think that's where I mean I saw you when you were running at the D three level. You were running really well and faster than anyone has, actually, at the five and the ten K. So it was like, you know, this girl's legit. What's she doing? So let's talk a little bit about moving to the roads, because it seems like you spend a lot of time now on the roads.

Kassie Parker: Mm, yeah, I think after college, ⁓ I was with the Hansen Brooks for a year and I was focusing on track and a little bit of roads. ⁓ and then once I moved back home I ⁓ wanted to step away from the track and kind of focus on the longer stuff and I think just doing that I've I found like a really ⁓ good spot with the roads.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. So you're back in Iowa, you said. That's how many years have you been back there now?

Kassie Parker: It has been two almost three.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. And tell me a little bit about your setup now, who you train with and your team and that kind of thing.

Kassie Parker: Yeah, so I'm affiliated with Crown Running. They're in Dubuque actually where I was in college, so Dubuque, Iowa. And I knew Ben and Jess, ⁓ just because they were big into running when I was in college and after I moved back to Iowa they reached out to me and were like, Hey, do you wanna, you know, be a part of our group? And I said, Sure. and just kind of been focusing, you know, with them And we don't really have like a set team. It's just kind of like everyone is like anywhere they wanna be. So we have a lot of people spread out through the Midwest and even people in like Flagstaff and California. so it's not really like a team based, ⁓ but I do a lot of my training by myself. ⁓ mostly by myself. ⁓ I run with my dog a little bit, she runs a little bit with me.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah. Okay.

Kassie Parker: Or I have ⁓ my boyfriend will run a couple of miles but or he'll bike with me on workouts. But most of the time it's pretty individual.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah, I mean there's so many different ways you can get it done. And I know that you're pretty busy. I mean, you're working and you're going to school, you're doing all the things, right?

Kassie Parker: Mm, yeah, I'm yeah, working as a pharmacy tech part time and then I'm going back to school ⁓ to be a social worker.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my goodness. So how do you fit it all in? What is your day like?

Kassie Parker: My day well I wake up. ⁓ I feed the animals. I have a cat and a dog. Yeah. ⁓ I have a blue healer terrier dog. And she's the one that runs with me. In the summer she'll run a couple miles here and there. Gets really hot out for her. ⁓ but in the winter she'll run maybe like eight miles or so when it's like chilly. ⁓ so she's like my running buddy.

Carrie Tollefson: What what are they? What other what kind of animals do you have? ⁓ okay. Uh-huh.

Kassie Parker: And then I have ⁓ a tabby cat.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ okay. So you tend to the animals and then what?

Kassie Parker: Yes. And then I just like slowly get ready, like wake up for my run. ⁓ I go for my run and come back, get ready for work, go to work. ⁓ sometimes after work it depends if I'm going to do a double or not. ⁓ or if I get off early. ⁓ sometimes it's it's pretty flexible, which I really enjoy. My coworkers are very flexible and they like understand the

Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. ⁓ that's nice.

Kassie Parker: my running and being like, ⁓ I kinda actually like squeezed this in, ⁓ but we're we're pretty slow, so I'm gonna take off like thirty minutes early and finish my run.

Carrie Tollefson: Tic off. Yeah. I mean and that helps so much when they let you do that.

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Yeah, no, they're wonderful. And then, ⁓ I have class like two days ⁓ on the weekdays. So like Monday or Tuesday and that's from like five thirty to eight o'clock. So it doesn't really allow me to double so I have to make sure I get everything done the morning of on like those days and then do homework or I'll I'll play video games and then kind of call it a night.

Carrie Tollefson: Mm. Nice, nice. I mean it's a long day though, it sounds like. How many miles a week do you run? Are you pretty high mileage? Or no?

Kassie Parker: ⁓ approximately like sixty-five ⁓ to seventy right now. ⁓ I was running eighty ⁓ this spring. So I've kind of cut back a little bit. ⁓ kind of not doing anything crazy long like ⁓ I really enjoy like doing marathon training, but not doing the marathon, just kind of like getting a base and a feel for it. ⁓ so now I'm kind of cutting back.

Carrie Tollefson: Hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Kassie Parker: And just having fun with running before I I bump back up to like eighty, ninety ninety miles a week in the fall.

Carrie Tollefson: Are you super excited for the marathon?

Kassie Parker: I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. And I'm excited because I really did enjoy like my long runs. ⁓ I think I'm just nervous because getting into the marathon shape is probably like the hardest part. Just doing like those initial long runs. ⁓ and I'm like really glad I don't have to do it in the summer because I can't imagine what marathon training would be right now when it's like

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Hmm. Sure. ⁓ it gets hot and humid. Yeah. I know. So yeah, you I mean, you've already run, was it one ten is your PR for the half? You just set that.

Kassie Parker: But all. Yes, that was last year in Indianapolis and so last November.

Carrie Tollefson: It So November, yeah, twenty I I think of it as a school year 'cause I'm a mom now, so I'm like, yeah, so it's been this year, but you know what I mean. So late 2025 that was. ⁓ you know, talk a little bit about that. I think like it'd be just interesting to hear your full year, maybe even a couple years. Like I look back at your 25k last year, and you had a really good 25k, but then wasn't it wasn't there some mishap right after the twenty-five K that kind of knocked you out for a while?

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Yes. ⁓ yeah, so kind of going from there, ⁓ I had a really good race and I feel like that was a pretty like defining moment of me like getting into the longer stuff. And the very next day I broke my collarbone. ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Like just on a random walk or run or what?

Kassie Parker: So I was jogging with my boyfriend and my dog and I usually have my phone on me but instead I decided to carry a water bottle because it was pretty warm out for my dog. ⁓ so we were jogging, we weren't even a mile in and I think my legs were just heavy and I tripped over like uneven like the road. It was like uneven. And I didn't want to like land on my knees, so I landed with my shoulder and

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. ⁓ yeah. Yeah. ⁓

Kassie Parker: I broke my collarbone. ⁓ it's actually ⁓ I was so I had surgery the very next day because it was pretty severe, it wasn't gonna heal on its own and I was in a lot of pain. It was like displaced, so like one bone was underneath the other one. ⁓ so it's actually kind of funny 'cause it's a funny story. I love sharing it. ⁓

Carrie Tollefson: How long did it take you out? Mm. ⁓

Kassie Parker: So I fell and I'm like laying on the side of the road and I'm like gonna get up and I'm like I can't get up. It hurts. And my boyfriend had the dog and my dog is very protective of me. So like him trying to help me get up was not like a great idea. Like she freaks out. And so he wasn't really able to help me. And the one time we don't have I don't have my phone on me. So we can't call anyone.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay.

Kassie Parker: We can't call like an ambulance or anything. And so I was like, You're gonna have to like flag someone down. And he's like, I don't want to. And I was like, Well, you're gonna have to like run back to the house or something. And he was like, Well, I don't want to leave you alone. Right, yeah, I could not get up. And someone stopped on the side of the road and she was like a retired nurse. And so her and her husband ⁓ just happened to left

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my gosh. Yeah. Like you couldn't you couldn't move. ⁓

Kassie Parker: church early that day and they helped helped me get into their car and then they drove us all back to our house which was less than a mile away and then they helped me get into my boyfriend's car who drove me to the ER and found out I broke my collarbone. ⁓ had surgery the next day and I think I was out for not running for like three weeks I want to say but I was still

Carrie Tollefson: Mm. ⁓ my gosh. Yeah.

Kassie Parker: Doing like stationary biking. So mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: Of course you were. W with a broken collarbone. And then you came back and ran that four mile race pretty well.

Kassie Parker: I d I did, yes. I think I was maybe that would have been about four weeks later. I wanna say I was running for like maybe a week and I still remember running the four mile champs and I was I felt so out of shape but I was like running like at five thirty pace and I like I'm just giving it my all but I remember that was

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my gosh. Mm mm. ⁓ huh. Mm-hmm. ⁓ And then you come back a year later and win the whole thing. So like a full that was a, you know, full circle moment for sure.

Kassie Parker: It it was a full circle moment, honestly. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my gosh. ⁓ my gosh. ⁓ when you w think about your journey into this sport, I mean, did it start when you were little? How how did you get into running?

Kassie Parker: ⁓ it actually started in high school. ⁓ so I ⁓ qualified for cross country state in my junior and senior year. it wasn't I wasn't very good. Yeah, we were a very small school, so it was just kind of a big deal to even like qualify for state. And then my plan was to go to D one, University of Iowa, and I really like was not expecting to

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Kassie Parker: wanna continue running, I was it was something I was gonna put behind me and just focus on academics. But for some reason I kept wanting to stick with it. And when I got to Iowa I joined a running group. I I remember I emailed the the D one coach, ⁓ but they never responded to me. so I joined the running club and I I did pretty well that senior year. I think I got third in the the three K. So

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Okay.

Kassie Parker: It wasn't too bad, but it was late in the year. ⁓ to kind of get on a D one team. So I joined club. It's kinda like dealing with some injuries and some early like symptoms of depression. So I just wanted to like be home ⁓ a little bit closer and so I looked at being a little bit closer to home for college, which was Loris. So mm.

Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Nice. And then you just kinda took off and won was it seven national championships, set the records, like I said, and the five and the ten K, like did all the crazy things at Lauras.

Kassie Parker: Mm. And it was cool 'cause it was also like team as well. 'Cause we we won some team titles and yeah, so that that even like makes it even better.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. And how was your your mental health when you got there? Was it better because you were closer to home?

Kassie Parker: Yeah, it was definitely better and it was just kind of something I had to ⁓ kind of work with like some medication and eventually like after ⁓ that first year I was it was smooth sailing after. But yeah, I think just like that initial first year being away from home too, it's also like super hard. So

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. It was. I'm s It's so hard. I went to Villanova from ⁓ where I grew up in Dawson, Minnesota, not far from Iowa. ⁓ but It took us like twenty-seven hours to drive there. And I remember when I flew out there for my recruiting trip, I was like, ⁓ it's two and a half hours. It's not that big of a deal. And then when we drove there to bring all my stuff, I was like, Where the heck am I going? And you know, I grew up in a town of sixteen hundred people. It was farm country, you know. It just it was a rude awakening. And I mean, we had like two hundred and fifty dollar ⁓ phone bills. And that was cause it was land line. Like my mom and dad paid more and

Kassie Parker: Mm. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: my my ⁓ monthly calls home than they probably would have had I lived off campus in an apartment at that time, you know? Like it was a lot. It was hard. I struggled both academically and just like I my running went really well, but I was a mess. Like it was hard for me.

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Mm. Yeah, and I think that's also an important part of running is being able to be, you know, inner your inner self needs to be happy too in a way or two. yeah, when I was ⁓ away from home with the Hansons, ⁓ I was kind of feeling that a little bit of lack of separation from myself and maybe just kind of post college and there was kind of like a separation between me and running.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah. Hmm. Sure.

Kassie Parker: ⁓ and then moving back home helped a lot.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. It's it's really important to kind of follow your heart, I think, at times. And a lot of times as athletes, I don't think we do that. You know, like there were times where I had more of an opportunity to run with a team or whatever. And I think as an athlete I thought, okay, let's buck up and do this. Like this is a a really good opportunity. But I was thankful that as a pro I moved home. I I just wanted to come home. And a lot of people said, Why would you go back to Minnesota? It's cold, you know, all this stuff, it's hot and humid, like all the things.

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. I move.

Carrie Tollefson: that you don't want and I just wanted to be close to family. And so I I I appreciate the fact that you are open with that and say that it wasn't an easy transition for you and you made some changes and now you're finding what makes it what what clicks.

Kassie Parker: Mm. Although I will say I'm not sure if I'll be ⁓ staying in Iowa just 'cause I am not like a cold person, the winters and I told my boyfriend, I said, I don't know if I can make one more winter work but we wanna move somewhere warmer, so

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah? Yeah. ⁓ well But it is different because now and without putting too much pressure on you and your boyfriend, but I think too you have that support system with him. And you know, that's a big thing to have. Even if when I went to Villanova there was a family that went to church that were friends with families back home in Dawson that I knew. That was the biggest like

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: I guess just one of the reasons I went there was I had a family that I could go to if I needed it. And I think having your boyfriend be able to go somewhere warm with you is huge.

Kassie Parker: Mm. ⁓ yeah, absolutely. And he's great.

Carrie Tollefson: But we did go away in the winters. We went to Flagstaff, we went to Phoenix, we went to Albuquerque. So we got away too in the winter. So you could try that if you do like to live back home.

Kassie Parker: I could, but I think I convinced my boyfriend that the winters are a little too brutal here. So

Carrie Tollefson: There you go. There you go. I love it. ⁓ when you're getting it ready to run the Duluth well, you're gonna run the half marathon in Duluth, the Gary Bjorkland half marathon. And you have some good competition there, but I wanna hear a little bit about why you picked that race and and what you're excited about when you head to Duluth this weekend.

Kassie Parker: Yeah, I've always wanted to run in Duluth. I've kind of been trying to like squeeze it in my schedule the last couple years and I feel like finally I it's something I can squeeze in. especially since now that I ran more half marathons, ⁓ it just it just works really well. I'm kind of excited, nervous just 'cause I haven't been ⁓ doing much of the long stuff.

Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. ⁓ huh.

Kassie Parker: But I feel like maybe strength from the s the spring is like ⁓ definitely gonna translate over ⁓ some kind of having some some strength stuff and some speed stuff. I'm just kind of interested to see how it's gonna play out.

Carrie Tollefson: Hmm. Yeah, I mean it's a beautiful course. Have you been to the ⁓ yeah.

Kassie Parker: I have not, no. My brother lives in Minnetonka. ⁓ so I'm familiar with that area, but I have not been to Duluth, but I heard it's wonderful.

Carrie Tollefson: It's beautiful. You're gonna love it. ⁓ they take such good care of you. So ⁓ I can't wait to I'll get to meet you in person and see you and say hi. But tell me what kind of racer you are. I mean, I've seen you race and you know, now that you are gaining this confidence, you've had some really big results the last couple of years. What kind of like if it's a perfect race for you, what how would that go? Do you like to push up front? Are you one to go and look at the course? Like what do you What just tell me about you as a runner.

Kassie Parker: I think I tend to push ⁓ more towards the front. ⁓ it's kinda funny because I've raced ⁓ raced with ⁓ Rachel Rudol in ⁓ Bloomsday, ⁓ Boulder Boulder and the USATF four mile and I kinda just told her like I think I'm just gonna like go with the leaders and then I end up leading it. even in the four mile I was like, I'm gonna let ⁓ Courtney and Allie take it out and just

Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Kassie Parker: kinda see where it goes and then all of a sudden I'm the one in first place. ⁓ so like I unintentionally do that, I think. But ⁓ that's kind of like how it was in college for me. Is I was always like the one leading the pace. So I think it's just kind of like a natural instinct a little bit. ⁓ and I think it's just kind of it comes from that a little bit.

Carrie Tollefson: Uh-huh. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. How do you calm your mind in those situations? Because yeah, you won so much in college. Like, you know, it there's a time where you get sort of used to leading, like not even hearing people breathing around you. And then when you're in races where you have people, you hear footsteps, you hear people cheering other female names, like that that can ⁓ you know get in people's heads, but also it's a thing that we have to deal with, especially when we're used to winning. So what do you do to calm your nerves or to calm yourself when you have an Annie Frisbee next to you or or someone like that this weekend.

Kassie Parker: I almost find like the both aspects of running, like running by myself, I do it so much and I do it so much in workouts that I know I can replicate that in a race. And then if there, you know, is people around me and there's people pushing me or if I'm in a group, I still feel ⁓ I feel a little bit more like relaxed, ⁓ where I don't have to kind of like push so much, like it's just running with other people makes you feel faster. so I feel like either way I I can do both, which is really nice. ⁓ but also yeah, I don't mind the crowds. It's it's kinda nice, like a little different setting that I'm used to, running with people and it almost makes it easier, ⁓ sometimes in certain races just to run with people as well.

Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Are you a big fan of this sport? Like are you someone that watches every race and studies races or is it just something that you're good at and you do for a living?

Kassie Parker: I used to, but I think it that got too much into my mind. ⁓ so now I'm kinda a little bit more relaxed. ⁓ more kind of whatever happens is gonna happen. ⁓ and I think that's kind of like helped me ⁓ not get too worked up before races. So I think I do watch ⁓ the marathons though. I do enjoy watching those. So I'll watch those and maybe like

Carrie Tollefson: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Kassie Parker: I definitely like looking at the results of certain races. ⁓ it's a little bit it's a little bit like in the middle. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Sure. What do you do to turn your brain off from running? I mean, are you someone that do you like to get on the water? Do you like to go camping? What do do?

Kassie Parker: Well, I don't like to go camping so I'm afraid I'm gonna get murdered. ⁓ But yes.

Carrie Tollefson: I have those thoughts too. Like I think they're gonna just unzip the the tent and just go down.

Kassie Parker: Mm. Well, I listen so I actually I d l do listen to a lot of true crime. So that's probably why too.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ wow. On your runs, do you listen to those? ⁓ Okay, okay. There's certain rules. Yes.

Kassie Parker: Yes, but not when it's dark. I know when it's dark. Then I get spooked out and then I've done that once and I ran so fast. But ⁓ yeah, now when it's dark out, it kind of creeps me out. But ⁓ I love being outside, especially being on water, lake, river. ⁓ I grew up on a river town and so I've done a lot of water skiing.

Carrie Tollefson: ⁓ my gosh. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay.

Kassie Parker: So I've done that. I just like being outdoors, especially in the summer. ⁓ we have some paddle boards, we like to go paddleboarding.

Carrie Tollefson: Cool. I know it's fun to hear how you shut off a little bit. I mean, with somebody that is in school, is working and running a ton, it's it's a lot. It there's a lot of demand on you and and fun to hear that you do other things. And seems like you have a really nice balance right now.

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I do, yes. And I I just love being outdoors in the summer. It could be like ninety degrees and my boyfriend's like, It's too hot and I'm like, It needs to be hotter.

Carrie Tollefson: Me too. yeah. ⁓ I am with you. Like I was just I don't know where we were. I was just walking the other day. I'm like, I love Minnesota right now. Everyone thinks it's cold. It's not cold. It's hot. But it's just beautiful and it's green the summer. And yeah, I think we you know, the Midwesterners really appreciate the warmth, no matter how warm it is in the summer. ⁓ talk a little bit about the rest of your summer. Do you shut it down because you've been racing a lot or are you gonna continue on until you start your fall build for the marathon?

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Interesting. I'm gonna kind of continue on. ⁓ so I have the six K champs coming up in July and the A K S T D V D I'm not sure yet because the week after I'll have the Bix, which is an Iowa race and ⁓ I think it's the championship for the P R. R. O. circuit. ⁓ and it's like two hours away. I've it's

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Yep. Uh-huh. Yeah. Mm-hmm, yeah. Gotta do it. Yeah. Yep.

Kassie Parker: It's a lot of fun. I love that course. So because I feel like everyone knows me. So it's just like I always hear my name in that race. Mm-hmm. And then

Carrie Tollefson: Yes, so fun. Mm-hmm. That'd be good. Yeah, you're sitting second right now on the USATF Road Circuit Championship. So that means any of the USATF national championships on the road, there's points, and you are right now in second and you can win quite a bit of money if you stay there. So that's cool. So you do have to run a lot of those if you want to keep your standing.

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, for sure. Mhm. Yeah, and then Beach to Beacon is on the list for August. And then I was kind of thinking about ⁓ taking a little break, but a break for me is like just doing cross training. ⁓ I used to do a lot of cross training now, but ⁓ I feel like I've built into the running structure a little bit better and doing the running every day basically. I might bring it down for a couple of weeks and then

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Sure. Okay. Mm. Get ready.

Kassie Parker: Start the start the marathon build. Yeah, but still do like a couple of ⁓ the USA ⁓ races in between.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah. Yeah, we have some of those in the fall and things like that. well, this all sounds exciting. I'm gonna let you get going, but I do have just a few rapid fire questions. They're the run dot rapid fire questions that kind of lets us into your your world a little bit more. So these are quick. They're like, would you rather this or that type thing, okay? Okay, would you rather go swimming or cycling?

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Okay, we'll try. Swimming.

Carrie Tollefson: Would you rather walk your dog or take a nap?

Kassie Parker: Take a nap.

Carrie Tollefson: Would you rather lay on the beach or hike on a mountain?

Kassie Parker: Lay on the beach.

Carrie Tollefson: Would you rather eat sweet corn or sweet potatoes?

Kassie Parker: Ooh, sweet corn. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: stump you. Okay. I kinda figured from Iowa. I mean but I guess we can have both. ⁓ would you rather go line dancing or do Zumba? Do people do people do Zumba anymore? I don't know. Okay, would you rather get a manny or a petty?

Kassie Parker: Line dancing. I don't think so. ⁓ Manny.

Carrie Tollefson: Yeah, I don't know, those petties, they tickle so bad. Would you rather do hill repeats or eight hundred meter repeats?

Kassie Parker: Mm yeah, ⁓ I don't know. That one's hard. I'd they're both my weaknesses. So ⁓ I'd probably do Yeah, I'd say eight hills are my weaknesses. Eight hundreds I can toughen out. So I'd probably do

Carrie Tollefson: Ooh You might need to do some hills. Okay. I love it. Okay. Hills. I like those too. They say they're so good for all of us. Would you rather eat a hamburger or a veggie burger?

Kassie Parker: Mm-hmm. Cheeseburger? As long as it has cheese on it.

Carrie Tollefson: Yes. You don't like either one really?

Kassie Parker: ⁓ it depends. It depends on the place. Yeah. But I'd if you put cheese on it, I'll eat it. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Carrie Tollefson: Okay. Okay, I get it. Me too. Cheese on anything. I'm there. Okay. Would you rather be known as a farm girl or a city slicker?

Kassie Parker: Farm girl.

Carrie Tollefson: I am a farm girl too, but I also live now in the big city. So either one. I don't care. And last one, would you rather push the pace or relax and run? You kind of told us. Make them hurt. Okay, lady. Well, good luck to you in Duluth and the rest of the summer. And then I will see you next December at CIM when you hopefully, you know, have fun running 26.2 and getting that Olympic trials qualifier.

Kassie Parker: Mm. Push the pace, yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, I'm excited. Thank you.

Carrie Tollefson: Yay, thanks for coming on C Tally Run. Get after it.