Couch to ATHLETE!

I remember one summer, it was blazing hot on our annual family vacation to Minnesota. It was one of those heat waves that literally took the region by surprise. My dad and I packed up the car for a day trip to the secret lake. This lake was not a lake to be swum in. It was a lake that was overpopulated with Northern Pike and Blue Gill. We had to hike a half mile in to the lake with our shirts tucked into our pants, pants tucked into our socks, hats on our head so as not to get ticks in our belly buttons; all while talking as loudly as possible so as not to scare the bears. This may have been the same trip in which I was reeling in the biggest northern pike EVER when something else hit my line. I was fighting the 'fish' with my pole, the boat was about to tip over from the strength of this fish, my dad and I were getting excited about the prospect of a 50 lb fish at the end of my line. Just as the boat was about to tip, the northern surfaces, attached to the fish was a huge...

I just couldn't wait a week to write and share this post, so I guess you can call it a bonus post, or a random rambling about love? I don't know what prompted this post other than the spirit moved me. Perhaps you will find the point, or you can chalk it up to more strange Sarahisms... A picture of someone I love dearly! I very much admire people who know exactly what they want out of life and then go for it. As you already know I love running. I don't need a reason to run, I just do it because I can. I remember an old friend asked me if I would consider doing planks if it was the only thing that allowed me to continue running. My immediate response was no! My tune has changed, I would do anything to make sure I could continue running even if it was the worst homework assignment ever. Why you ask? Because I love it!!! I was recently talking with one of my friends about relationships and the necessity of not settling. I was telling her that crushes are just crushes u...

In the moment! Every step we take will take us somewhere. We get to choose how to step, but we can't always choose the destination. It is funny how we often try and look back to determine what we could have done differently, what choices we could have made that would have brought us to a different place in life. I like to say, as you may have seen on my blog before, that when I find myself saying 'I should have', I try and follow that up with, 'but I didn't'. I try to remember, when I am bummed out about where I am in life, that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Continuously looking back to wish away your life only inhibits you from living right now. Case in point: This past week, while travelling for work, I found myself 'riding' the elliptical in the hotel at the gym. I was doing this daily, as prescribed, knowing the first run was fast approaching! You see, I am not an elliptical fan at all. As a matter of fact, I dislike the elliptical ...

I woke up on Monday morning convinced the doctor was going to tell me to go out for a slow two mile jog to begin my re-entry into running. What I got instead was a rude awakening. I headed to the Dr. first thing in the morning. When I got there, Dr. B. squeezed my leg, poked at my bone and watched my face for wincing. What he got instead was a big fat smile because I had no pain at all. He looked at me and said, with a big smile, that I could start my reentry to running plan. I got giddy with excitement and then he reappeared with the plan! The plan did NOT tell me to go out and run; here is what it said instead... Take a ten minute walk, after two days of walking for ten minutes with no pain, take a twenty minute walk and repeat for two days... I thought, OK, I guess I can handle that, and I kept reading. The plan then told me to use the elliptical for 20-40 minutes a day for 2 weeks... insert tears here... What the heck does this plan have to do with running!!! The do...

Amy, Andrew, Mandy, Kumar and Lynne (not pictured Rachel, Sue, Laurie and Deb) As I mentioned in my previous post, I have a group of friends who were on the path to crossing the finish line of their first, sixth and tenth half marathon. I joined my running club again and began running with this new group of strangers back in December. What happened when I started MIT was extremely unexpected. I was invited to join a group of MITers who gathered on additional days to run and I found some amazing friends. When I learned that I was not going to be able to run this half marathon with them I found myself extremely sad... So instead of being down in the dumps on THE DAY I found myself at the starting line of the half marathon and was thrilled by the sea of people lined up to run thirteen point one. I was not running but the energy was still brilliant and contagious! Instantly, I was grateful to be down there in the midst of that energy even though I was not running. I did a quic...

Typically I would be participating in the carbo loading that many people are doing today in preparation for their half marathons this weekend, but that is just not in the cards for me this year. Two years ago, this weekend, I was running my first half marathon with my friend's C & J. What an amazing accomplishment! I remember crossing the finish line with tears in my eyes and was greeted by hugs from my sister and other spectators. I was untouchable and thought I could take on the world... After Cap City Half in 2010 (My First) So what did I do? Signed up for the next Cap City Half in 2011. One year ago this weekend I ran another half marathon. I roped my friend J into running this one. I again cried at the end, I think it was because I knew I would be doing the same thing again in the fall with another 13.1 tacked onto the end. However, I once again felt like I could take on the world. Finishing Cap City Half in 2011 So what did I do? I signed up for the next...