When and why did you start running?

I ran in HS; but, believe it or not, I was a hurdler! My coach forced us to do cross country in the off season. He teases me to this day that here I am running ultras and I would duck into Dairy Queen to eat a buster bar instead of doing the 3 mile loop in cross country practice. 3 miles? That was crazy distance! I wasn’t going to do that!

I started back to running when my kids were 4 and 2. I had lost myself. I wanted something that was just mine again and where people knew me as simply ‘Sadie’ not ‘Cade’s mom’ or
‘Ryan’s wife’. I also needed to lose some weight so I started walk running with a neighbor. The rest is history as they say.

What or who inspires me to run?

I know this sounds strange, but I inspire myself. I had someone tell me once that I am always in ‘relentless pursuit of self challenge’ and I think that is a good truth. I never, ever want to settle and heaven help you if you tell me I can’t do something. That is an automatic challenge on for this girl!

What is your preferred race distance and why?

I’m the wrong one to ask this. I love them all! I am a race addict! I love the 5K because it is hammer down the whole way and if you stop to think, the time goal has drifted away. On the other hand, I just did a 100 miler and I have to say, that one is one that has me now. It is the exact opposite of a 5K because if you put the hammer down and don’t think, you have just blown your race and won’t make it to the finish. Two extremes and I love them both. I think I just love running in general! Oh, and the swag! I am such a sucker for good swag!!

At the Finish of the 100 Mile Rocky Raccoon with My Son Cade

Do you remember the first moment you felt like a runner?

I was about to run my first ever half marathon and for that race I got a running skirt. Surprise, surprise, right? It was the very first ones on the market and I had to go into an actual running store to get it. When I walked in and looked around, I felt so official. Look out world, here comes Sadie the Runner Girl!

What is your favorite race or coolest place to run?

Madison, WI, during my very first marathon. It wasn’t because the course was stunning or amazing crowd support, it was because my entire family was there cheering me on. When I crossed the finish line, I was so happy to see them that I didn’t even realize my time for a few moments.

What was your worst injury?

Finding out I had a stress fracture and the race that I had been training so hard for over a crazy cold Minnesota winter was just taken off the table. As hard as this was, I learned so much about myself during this healing time and I am forever grateful for this injury. At this point in my running career, I needed it to happen to see the big picture and adjust my view of running and goals.

What do you like and dislike about running?

I love the fellowship! You know that sticker that says ‘running is cheaper than therapy?’ That sums up my view of it completely. When I run, I come back a better mom, wife, daughter, and friend.

What do I dislike? I don’t like the competitive side of it. I love competing with myself but I HATE competing with others. When I run a race, I am racing that clock and that clock only. OK, OK, I will admit, coming into the finish if there is a dude ahead of me, I will give it my all to ‘chic him’. Hey, I’m being totally honest! I love me a wee bit of girl power. 😉

What is one piece of advice you can give to a new runner?

Be careful. When you are new, you have the most ground to gain. PRs are easy to break because you are running consistently, mixing in speed, and learning about the sport and your times will naturally get faster. That feeling of a PR is wonderful! Sadly, there comes a point where the gains don’t come as quick and you will have race after race after race that simply aren’t what you hoped for. Don’t ever let yourself wallow in this. This is the beauty of the sport and all runners go though this. When you PR, celebrate! When you don’t, brush it off, find another race, and find someone who did PR and go celebrate that person’s achievements.

What is your next running goal?

I have two. One is to break 3:20 in the marathon and properly celebrate. I trained for this hard in 2013. I crossed the finish line at 3:20:34. Not quite breaking it, but I nailed it. I never got to celebrate because of the bombings as this happened at Boston. I never ever wanted to celebrate that race even though it was the best and smartest race I have ever run.

The second is to do another 100. I always have to do something twice to prove to myself it wasn’t a fluke. 😉