GRL #343 | DEVON YANKO - Running 500k, dealing with injuries & running a bakery!

·1 hr 9 min·5 clips

Devin Yanko laid off her entire bakery staff during the pandemic and ran 100-mile weeks while working alone.

Ethan Newberry, the Ginger Runner, and co-host Kim Tashima Newberry welcome back ultra-runner and bakery owner Devin Yanko after a four-year absence. Yanko recounts how her bakery, MH Bread and Butter, navigated the early pandemic by laying off employees and operating with volunteer help, including ultra-runner Corinne Malcolm. During this period, Yanko ran over 100 miles per week as a form of control, not tied to racing. She engaged in virtual events like the Wings for Life race, running a 3:27 50k before work. Yanko participated in the Aravaipa 10-day summertime binge, completing ten 50ks in ten days, and on the final day tied the supported FKT on the East Bay Skyline Trail. She trained for the Hoka 100k and ran a 3:15 50k time trial in December with pacers including Susie and YiOu Wang. Shortly after, Yanko experienced knee pain and weakness, leading to an eight-week hiatus from running. Diagnosis via ultrasound and MRI revealed a partially torn ACL from a prior trail slip and a stress fracture in her femur. She underwent PRP injections and faces a recovery timeline of several weeks. Yanko reflects on lessons from the injury, emphasizing listening to her body and the value of running for personal experimentation rather than external validation. The episode includes live audience questions and concludes with a GR Crew member shout-out.

As heard by us

Nine 50Ks build to a record-setting tenth day before injury, training, and bakery life complicate the path ahead.

Ginger Runner Live's conversation with Devin Yanko frames a 500-kilometer project as more than a tally of miles. Yanko walks through nine 50Ks in a row, then a tenth day that tied the supported record and set a new unsupported mark, but the episode is strongest when it stays…

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Why you'd press play

You get Devin Yanko back for a 500K-sized feat, a bakery detour, and a candid return-from-injury check-in.

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