When Kendra Molden toes the starting line for her first attempt at the 26.2-mile distance at the second annual Every Woman’s Marathon in Scottsdale on November 16, she will await the starting gun knowing she has a secret weapon.

I caught up with Payne at a spot in her running where recovery from July’s High Lonesome 100, (where she finished in seventh place) was morphing into training for the Mammoth 200 – her first 200-mile race – to be run on September 26th.

“I’m always excited for others. I sort of live vicariously through others and their athletic pursuits, and always had been. I’ve always been a big sports fan. And Ross knew I was genuinely interested, because I’d always ask him about his latest race or whatnot.”

Andrew didn’t know it at the time, but his own athletic experiences were about to become a whole lot less vicarious

Derived from the Italian for the word cadence, Cadenza signifies a specific passage in a musical composition where the soloist has the freedom to showcase their creativity. For one breathtaking moment a solitary member of the group steps outside the already stunning artistry of the ensemble as a whole, and delivers a virtuoso performance, one that not only brings to the fore the soloist’s talent, but magnifies the cooperative talent of the orchestra. For a shining moment one voice, one cadence, steps from the cadence of the collective, the harmonious togetherness of the group, to shine alone.