Positive Results by Sabrina

Your goals and perspective can change by the year or by the minute. In running as in life, different encounters can open your eyes and different events can open your mind to change the path that you are on, or remind you to be more flexible in how you choose to head towards your end destination. My #1 Goal for this race, the inaugural Every Woman’s Marathon, was to have fun! Most Coaches will tell you NOT to set a time goal for your first marathon and I understand why. This marathon was proof to me of what my body could achieve. I was nursing Amelia for 80% of the training cycle so my body was still primarily focused on someone else’s survival. And although we stopped nursing while I was at DRC, your hormones and body don’t just JUMP to attention and say “come on, we’ve got this!”

All along the course, I reassessed my body and my goals, as was suggested to me by friends. I appreciated the diversity of bodies and emotions around me. I felt proud as we saw the first incline and I realized I was not as scared as some of the women around me. “I trained for this.” Coach Irina caught my smile of pride. Then I reassessed when we chose the wrong bathroom line and watched two pace groups pass us by. I took the time to appreciate the “Candy Land” themed mural we all ran down and reminded the women in line with us that we still had plenty of miles ahead to make up for time.

And my perspective was reinforced every time I encouraged another runner, inspired someone to lift their head a little higher, smile or cheer. While some people may not have appreciated all of the out and backs on the course, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities the women around us were taking to cheer for and high-five each other!! We were constantly reminded that we were not alone and it was an amazing feeling.

There were aches, pains and blisters a plenty to remind me to reassess. There were also cheers, supporters, signs and smiles to remind me that I was on the right path. Repeatedly we were reminded that running and life can get hard, but when you have the right training, resources and support, you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. As you face the obstacles of tomorrow, I hope that you can find inspiration in our stories and keep pushing forward. When you need support, reach out. I am here as a Coach and a Friend to help you see your way to your goals.