Our newest East Nasty of the Week is an attorney. You know what that means, Nasties? She can write! So settle in and get ready to read all about Beth Meadows, your latest ENOW!

Beth was born and raised in Alexander City, Alabama. She was always playing sports - volleyball, softball and cross-country. She attended University of Alabama. She didn’t play any sports in college, but she did major in fun. Beth loved every second of college, especially game days. She also met her husband, Steven, in college.

Beth moved to Nashville in 2008 to attend Vanderbilt University Law School. After graduating in 2011, she lived briefly in Washington D.C. and Vero Beach, FL before moving back to Nashville in August 2012. She now works as an attorney, and recently started her own dog running business, Nashville Runs With Dogs.

Beth started running with her dad when she was in second grade and really hasn’t stopped. Beth ran in college, but just enough to keep the beer and pizza off of her thighs. She ran her first marathon in 2011, but after that, took a long break from anything farther than 6 miles. It wasn’t until last year that Beth really started looking towards longer distances… and the trails.

Beth's biggest accomplishments in running are qualifying for Boston at CMM 2014, winning her first 50K at StumpJump this year, and finding an amazing community of friends and runners that constantly support and inspire her. Here, here!

NRC pal, Season, has this to say about Beth, "Her love of running coupled with her drive and dedication to setting and achieving new goals makes her one badass [TacoBell Race Team] runner. I can't think of another runner more deserving of ENOW, especially after she just crushed StumpJump 50k. Like I said, Badass, with a capital B."

Bree, Beth, Alicia, Christa, Season, and Margaret at NRC Pint Night following a great East Nasty run

Beth came to East Nasty by way of Nashville Running Company. In 2012, Beth joined an NRC half marathon training group. Everyone there kept telling her that she HAD to run with East Nasty. Eventually, she took their advice, and it was a great decision!

Beth enjoys the community of East Nasty. All of her friends are part of East Nasty, and no matter how busy they are during the week, it’s nice to know that they’ll at least have a 3-6 mile run where they can catch up. She's pretty sure she’d have no social life if it weren’t for East Nasty!

Beth's most memorable East Nasty experience is one in which she wasn’t even running. Beth ran Chattanooga Stage Race back in June and was taking the week after the race off. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the scheduled Wednesday night run that week was The Nasty. She hated to miss it, so she decided to camp out at the top of Mt. Nasty with popsicles for all of the runners. She says, "Seeing everyone working their butts off, going up one of the worst hills in town, and having a great time doing it, was so much fun and so rewarding! I think I had more fun cheering everyone on than I would’ve if I had run!"

Running is, obviously, Beth's favorite hobby, but she also loves to spend time with her husband and her best friend/dog, Gypsy. Gypsy loves the trails (probably not as much as Beth does). Beth also loves watching Alabama football, cyber-stalking ultrarunning “celebrities” and eating Taco Bell and tweeting about it.

My husband Steven and me at fellow East Nasties, Hunter and Season's wedding

*Author's note: Nasties, are you still with me? Good. Stand up and stretch, refill your coffee because turns out, Beth isn't the only writer in her family. Here's what Beth's husband Steven had to say when I asked him for a quote about his wife. From Steven:

I love my wife very much. My wife LOVES to run and, in my humble opinion, is very good at it. As a fat man, it’s just something I don’t understand. When Kim sent me a message saying that Beth was going to be this week's ENOW, my first thought was “that’s so awesome. Beth is going to love that”. Even though we are admittedly opposites in many ways, I have always tried to be supportive, and I am always proud and impressed by her accomplishments. But we are different. Beth is a staunch vegetarian. I am of the opinion that man did not claw his way to the top of the food chain only to sustain himself with quinoa and caprese salads. I love a lazy day on the couch. Beth loves to run, multiple times a day. Here is an exchange from a few weeks ago:
Me: Hey, everything all right?
Beth: How do you know when you need to get stitches?
Me: WTH?
Beth: How do you know when you need to get stitches?
Me: Why?
Beth: Well, I was running on the trail and I fell and hit my head on a rock. My face is covered in blood, my shirt is covered in blood…
Me: Go to the emergency room right now!
Beth: I think I’ve got the bleeding stopped.
Some of you know how that story ends. Spoiler alert, it involves a trip to the emergency room. But this is her passion. To the point where she still gets nervous days before a big race and can never sleep the night before. That sort of excitement and passion paid off for her earlier this year when we found out her application to run the Boston Marathon had been officially accepted. I don’t know much about the running world, but even I know this is a big deal and I couldn’t be more proud.
After some thought, I have found a way to sound excited about running. Well, maybe not running, but the people who do run. Specifically the people involved with NRC, East Nasty and all the people Beth and I have met through her running. She has made great friends with many of you and in turn, so have I. You are some of the most kind, generous, outgoing and creative people we have the pleasure of knowing. From beer miles to trivia night, store openings to pool parties and Thursday movie nights, I can honestly say we love every minute of our time with all of you. For that, and for my beautiful wife, I am very grateful.

Beth, congrats on your recent StumpJump win! Welcome to the ENOW club!