The Runner’s Life

When I woke up in my bed in Palo Alto on Friday morning I had no idea that in 6 hours I would be at San Jose Airport boarding a flight to Portland. I was enjoying a cup of coffee and reading my Bible when Sara got a call from her coach, Dena, informing her that a spot had opened up in the 1500 meters in the Prefontaine Classic (one the most competitive track meets in the country). We immediately headed out the door to get in a run before catching an afternoon flight.

Being spontaneous is an essential component of being a professional runner. Our plans are constantly in flux, making it very difficult to plan anything with friends and family. We had planned on spending this past weekend with Sara’s family before going to her cousin’s wedding. We were sorry to miss the festivities, but such is the nature of our sport.

As a teenager dreaming about being a professional runner I had a pretty narrow view of what the job would entail. I thought I would train, sleep, eat, travel and race. However I would learn that there was much more that came with the job. My last week is a pretty good illustration of what the pro life looks like. I raced and traveled back from Boulder. Two days latter I did an all-day photo shot. Two days after that I traveled to Prefontaine. After Pre I traveled directly to Orlando, Florida for an Asics function, in which I was to be a speaker alongside Bob Babbit.

I admit that my life isn’t always this. There are times when life is, well, boring. I train, eat, and sleep. However much of the year is filled with travel, photo shoots, interviews, blogging, and various appearances-all of which, even though I didn’t necessarily know what I was getting myself into, I love and have come to appreciate as part of the job. I consider myself blessed to have the honor to do all the things that come along with being a professional runner. It just requires some spontaneity at times.