Right On Running: The Inimitable Sarah!

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah a long term on line running buddy for the first time. I have chatted to Sarah since before her first ever marathon and last weekend she completed her first 100 mile ultra marathon.

How it all started!

Sarah is one of the most humorous runner/bloggers I know and has absolutely no worries about recounting her "Warts and all" adventures, including toilet activities so be warned!

Sarah was selected from thousands to be in the Asics target 26.2 team run by Runners World magazine and was followed through her training right up to the Paris Marathon.

As a 3:23 marathon, and 1:33 half marathon runner she is definitely no slouch!

Sarah's journey has been inspirational from "Lardy couch potato" (Sorry Sarah) to awesome runner, ultra runner, trail runner and triathlete.

2 years ago I asked her about her favourite run and this is what she told me

Read on.....

"My favourite run? How can I choose a favourite? It’s like asking me to pick a favourite child ... although luckily I stopped at one. Phew. Lucky escape. Child that is, not run. Otherwise this would be a REALLY short post.

My favourite run. It depends on the day, on my mood, on my company.

Maybe the run on the day that I realised I had signed up for a marathon and in 3 months would have to run that dreaded number ... 26.2. I decided that it wasn’t such a scary number and on booking a day off work, I went out to conquer it and ran 29 miles along the Oxford & Grand Union canal path. I did stop for ice lollies though. My longest run before this had been 15. Numbers are just THINGS.

Or it could be the Skeleton Run, twice up and down a Beacon hill. In the dark. In fancy dress. In the scary woods. You’ve never lived until you’ve completed a night time hill run in a corpse-bride wedding dress, right? (Hello? Anyone there?)

Skeleton Run

Or Thunder Run? There’s no finish line stretching out in front of you, just a timing clock ticking down 24 hours. This has to be one of my top runs. Run chat all the way round, running in the dark, in the burning sunshine, attacking squirrels, ankle deep mud and lightning storms? Try getting all of that into an hour long race.

53 miles into Thunder Run, pic taken by @spin_queen

Can I cheat? Instead of picking a run, can I choose a part of a run?

Ok then. I reckon it is every time I have started a marathon and I’ve hit the final .2 of a mile. Don’t believe what people say. This ISN’T the part that hurts the most. This is the GOOD bit. All doubts have dissolved, the mental blocks, the ‘wall’ ... all of these have disappeared. You KNOW you’re going to finish now. You’re going to get a medal. You’re going to be allowed to stop and no spectators will be screaming “Man up!!!” or waving signs at you trying to get you to start running again. It will be official. The marathon will have finished. For today anyway.

Even if your legs drop off now you’ll get across that finish line. Even if you have to use your teeth because all other limbs have stopped working, you’re going to make it. Surety in a marathon is a rare thing. So appreciate it when it happens. And that’s why I think that final .2 of a mile is a beautiful thing. "