The Vespa Everyday Athlete Series - Julie

Series Background

I became a Vespa ambassador nearly 3 years ago after having great success with the product. It completely changed my training routine, my daily nutritional intake and how I viewed endurance activities based on carbohydrates.

This series will highlight other athletes in my community that have had success achieving their goals using Vespa. Meaning, you don't just have to take my word for it!

As a Vespa ambassador, I love to share these experiences and insights with others.

A Few Words About Julie

First I want to thank her for taking the time to share her experience with me!

I first met Julie through the San Tan Trail Runners where she would often supplement her road marathon training with some casual miles on the trail. She is a wonderfully genuine person who rarely scoffs at those early morning miles and always seems to have a smile on her face.

It's been wonderful to watch her successes (and race distances!) build over the years.

You can find her at Endurance Mobility Coaching if you want to learn more or work with her on your goals 😍

(Also, she's also being modest about her WIN (F1) in the 24-hour event at Across the Years! She was amazing.)

In Her Own Words

Tell us a little bit about your personal and professional life.

Javelina Jundred

I’m a mom of 6 children ages 16-26. I always said I wasn’t a runner. In 2010 my friend & I started walking in the mornings. Then she started challenging me to “run to that sign” or “run to the corner.” This was my start to running.

In 2012 I learned about Ragnar Relays and Disney Races, which made running/racing sound fun. So in 2013 I signed up for my first 10K Disney race and my first Ragnar Trail race. Since then I “caught the bug” so to speak and have participated in a variety of events including over 50 marathons, a 50K, 100K, and most recently a 24 hour event where I logged 101.4 miles.

I will run the Boston Marathon for the 5^th time this year, gaining entry by qualifying each time. Professionally I freelance as an editor for novels and work at our local running store, Queen Creek Running Company. I also have a few running, nutrition, and personal training clients on the side.

Why did you start using Vespa?

I started using Vespa in 2023 when I was training for my first 100K at Javelina Jundred. I had started a nutrition plan that involves carb cycling and metabolic flexibility. As my long runs became longer, I found I was struggling with waning energy at the end. 

My running friend (Trevor Davenport) recommended Vespa and after learning more about it, I thought it would work well with my overall nutrition and exercise plans. I started using Vespa Jr (since I am small) and it was exactly what I needed to prevent the energy lag towards the end of my long runs. It works well with my daily nutrition as well.

ATY 24-hour F1

How strictly do you follow OFM (Optimized Fat Metabolism) protocols in your daily life?

I log my food most every day, monitoring my macro intake. I have a device that helps me monitor my metabolism and I continue to carb cycle, alternating between low, medium, and high carb days. I focus more on my fat intake than ever before – one of the unexpected benefits of this change was that I found I hadn’t been getting enough fat in my diet.

Now that I am getting enough fat, the GI issues I had struggled with for years have almost completely disappeared. There are days that I don’t strictly adhere to my recommended macros for reasons such as travel, holidays etc. Those days I feel the difference. But I just pick up again the next day and get back to my healthy habits. One day of poor nutrition choices doesn’t need to be the start of a bad habit.

What is your favorite running distance?

I love the marathon distance. It’s the perfect “challenge” distance for me as I know I can cover the distance, but doing it well – at a competitive pace without bonking at the end – is something that I have to properly train for.

What big goal(s) have you set for yourself this year?

Last year was a big year for me – ran 9 marathons between January & June so I could hit 50 marathons before my 50^th birthday. I also ran my first 24 hour event and completed my first 100 mile distance. So, this year I’m taking a little step back to let my body recover and rebuild. So, I don’t have any “big” goals this year other than getting another Boston qualifying time to be able to participate again in 2026.

How do you see Vespa helping you reach your goal(s)?

Vespa is my go-to fuel for distance events. Anything 13 miles or over I am using Vespa. I recently started using the ultra concentrate & I’m learning how to make that work best for my body.

Rim to Rim to Rim

What are the top 3 benefits you see while using Vespa?

Consistent energy during endurance events, supports metabolic flexibility & allows my body to use fat more efficiently, supports a healthy body composition and nutrition.

What advice would you give others looking to adopt OFM and/or Vespa into their (endurance) training?

Since I had already started adopting a nutrition plan that supports metabolic flexibility when I started using Vespa, I had a seamless transition. I feel like the two go hand-in-hand. For Vespa to be most effective, you need to train your metabolism to efficiently use both carbs and fats for fuel. For most people, this means adjusting your nutrition plan. So, I’d recommend getting with a nutrition coach who understands and embraces a metabolically flexible nutrition plan and to begin repairing your metabolism prior to incorporating Vespa into your endurance fueling strategy.

First Boston Marathon

Staying busy, having fun

Now that we've established I won't be doing many races in 2014, both my body and my mind have been coming to grips with what that looks like. Even though my waistline is a little fuller now (I can't blame the holidays either), I am actually doing a pretty good job of eating well and managing my portions. It's a sure bet I'll partake in some cookies, pie and/or chocolate but the good news is that I'm not stuffing my face like I used to during race season.

Mentally, the transition from race training to running-for-fitness is taking a bit more time to adjust to. Having a race (actually, paying for a race) has always been my motivator but now with nothing on the horizon, motivation has to come from other sources.

Source #1 - Having fun with my kids

Hadley and Carvor coveting their new Aravaipa pints.

Thanks to Aravaipa Running, I was able to take the family up to the McDowell Mountains so they could participate in the Youth Run a couple weeks ago. I was able to volunteer at the Gate aid station for a short time before the youth run started. Holy hell was it cold out! It hadn't warmed up much for the youth run so we were all bundled up in pants and jackets for the start.

They had a great time on the 1.6 mile loop. It's the first time they've ever been in a race environment so it was a proud-poppa moment to be able to share the trails with them and have fun while doing it.

Source #2 - Group runs
I have an informal running group on Facebook for folks who live in the East Valley. It's been a pretty loose commitment on my side just because...well, because I've been lazy. I've kicked this up a notch lately because it give me a schedule and a little more public accountability knowing there are others who are going to join me. Basically no more excuses.

Even cooler, I just got asked to lead a new trail running series for Cadence Running Company on Saturdays starting December 21. I'm not only excited to work with Dan and Mary at Cadence but getting out to the park, meeting new people or introducing folks to trail running helps fulfill my passions on a number of levels. I hope you can join us.


Source #3 - Informal 'coaching'
I'm always humbled when people approach me asking for help reaching their running goals. I know I don't have all the answers but I think I know enough to help folks achieve their marathon or half-marathon goals. At this moment, I'm working with several friends who are running their first 1/2 marathons to ensure they're sticking to the training plan, that they have the right equipment and feel confident with their race strategies.

Bottom line is that their success is my success and I love seeing them reach milestones they never thought possible. Remember the first time you ran a 10k or a half-marathon? The elation, freedom and confidence takes over and begins to percolate to other parts of your life...I love watching others transform because of their success.

I'm not sure you'll see another post from me for a while so here's to a fantastic and memorable 2013.