* * Emily Hutchins is up early

Talking to Emily Hutchins, you don’t get the impression that she set out to live an inspirational life; it just sorta happened.

“Exercise is a big part of my life,” she told me as we sat in a Blacksburg café one morning recently. I had been looking to talk with some people who broke what we think of as a normal “to bed at 11 p.m., up at 7 a.m.” schedule, and she came my way. A woman in her mid-30s, she proved to have a great story in her young adult life.

She grew up on a farm in Craig County and always lived an active, outdoor lifestyle. “I’m a morning person. I typically get up around 4:50 a.m. I didn’t really get into the morning routine until after college. My parents took us hiking every Sunday and my dad was a runner. I did sports in high school. I went to Craig County High School and there were only 45 kids or so in the graduating class.

“I’ve always felt that exercise, movement and being outside are foundations of a happy life. Trail running is my main activity; I love it! I do ultra-racing, greater than marathon distances. I got into that four years ago. I’ve done two 50 mile races this year, one in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. It was in June and there was still lots of old snow on the ground. It took me 13 hours, from 4 a.m. until 5 p.m. So I started in the dark.

“I run and walk, moving over the terrain as efficiently as possible, fueling myself with plenty of food and water. I’m constantly tweaking my routine. I eat lots of quick energy gels and other energy foods.”

Emily told me that five days a week she’s active before 7 a.m. She goes to bed between 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Exercise bicycles. Track running. Yoga in heated rooms. Meditation. Then she’s refreshed, alert and alive, ready for her job in fund raising at Virginia Tech. “I work out for an hour between 6 and 7 (a.m.) and then I shower and sit in the sauna listening to an app called ‘Calm’ which is a guided meditation. It helps to clear the mind chatter.

“I started meditating last year to help me get through a difficult time.”

Brace yourself. Emily had a brain tumor.

“Last December I had brain surgery. A tumor was discovered in the front part of my brain. I have a scar from here to here,” she waved across her head above her forehead, “It was found in August on an MRI and removed in December. I had a successful operation at UVA to remove it.”

It was about 8:00 a.m. when we spoke. Emily said she’d been up since 4:45 a.m. that morning. “I packed my bag last night for the gym, as well as the clothes I’d wear to work. I’m all about being efficient. I set the coffee pot the night before. I might journal a bit. I’m out the door about 5:20. I did spin class (on an exercise bicycle). I sat in the sauna, did meditation, then showered in 15 minutes and came here. I get to work every morning before 8:00. I’m usually the first person there. I leave by 4:30.

“I have all this energy; I’m high on endorphins. I’m addicted to that feeling that you get after exercise and meditation. With my job, I travel a lot. I always make time for exercise and fun. I’m going to San Francisco and I’m going to run through Golden Gate Park with a woman who runs trails.

“The older I get, the better I feel. I advocate for a healthy lifestyle. I get lots of interesting responses and hear lots of excuses. People are not able to implement positive habits. People say they don’t have time or enough money for a gym membership. But it may be the best money they’ll ever spend. They don’t make time for self-care. People need to find time to build exercise and movement into their day. If you make it important, you are in charge of your time, and you will find a way.

“I did my first 50-mile run just before brain surgery. It was in the North Carolina mountains. It was extremely hard, very intense, with lots of heavy rain and terrible mud. Half the racers dropped out. The only reason I persevered was that I know I was not going to be able to run or even walk for awhile afterwards. I was determined to finish.

 “I feel that I’ve been able to excel in my career because I take care of my body and I manage my time well. It’s all related to how I feel. When you’ve run 50 miles, you feel like you can do anything.”