Pursuing the Dream
I believe in dreams. If you’re not chasing what sets your soul on fire, then what are you doing in life? Running is what drives me. I crave it. I’ve followed some paths in life that have led me away from my passion, but when I finally to returned to what always made me happy, I appreciated it so much more.
I lived in NYC for a short period, and although I loved the people, experiences, and opportunities that the city offered, my soul was going stir crazy. I would look at white cone cups at work, and immediately start daydreaming about mountains. On the subway, I browsed pictures of trails to pass the time. After six months of spending my free time fantasizing about running anywhere but Central Park, I realized that I didn’t want the lifestyle climbing the corporate ladder led to. I decided to come back to what makes me happy, Colorado. I knew it wasn’t going to be glamorous, I would be broke, and my ego would have to take a back seat when it came to my job title. I promised myself that if I was going to give up a career where I was living a very comfortable lifestyle financially, then I must dedicate everything I had to pursue a career doing something I loved. It’s been almost five months, and not once have I regretted my decision. Of course I miss things about NYC, but the city isn’t made to house a spirit that feeds off of collecting miles on mountainsides.
This summer I was able to make some huge strides (pun intended) with my running. I met Avery and we started going on a few runs a week together. He taught me so much in such a very short time. He was a big factor in my success this summer. Although meeting Avery might have been the best surprise, (I am a dreamer, so of course I’m a romantic too, they go hand in hand there’s some Sabrina wisdom for you =P), there were many other high points for me over the summer:
Winning Bryce Canyon 50 miler early on was a huge confidence booster.
Helping out at aid stations, crewing, and pacing at the Ouray 100 allowed me to study many different runners and their strategy in terms of pacing, nutrition, and attitude (I soaked in as much knowledge as I could that weekend).
2015 I attempted Leadville and it went drastically different than I had envisioned. When I came in fourth this year for the females, I was shocked at my own results. I had put in the work, but never dreamed of being cocky enough to assume I would break 25 hours by more than a half hour at my first 100 mile finish. Looking at my Leadville attempt in 2015 compared to 2016 showed me how much time one puts into training can have tremendous positive or negative effects on the outcome. I would be crazy to leave out mentioning the type of people I surrounded myself with while training for Leadville this year, at times their dreams for me were bigger than my own.
Getting my first sponsorship, outside of Vertical Runner, with PhysioPhyx was another dream come true. It’s a recovery drink that not only works, but also tastes amazing. Blend it and it tastes like a slushy you get at a county fair (but it’s healthy!) trust me, you can thank me later.
We all begin somewhere, and here I am, just barely across the starting line. I’m putting everything out in the open. My goals, my dreams, and how I plan on making them all become a reality. In my blog I will be posting anything and everything that is related to my journey as a runner, and my goal to be an elite. I want you all to be able to be a part of this process; I was so overwhelmed with all the love and support I received after Leadville. Whether it is, in spite of or because of all my running posts on Facebook over the years, I am so grateful that you are still cheering me on from all over the country and the world.
I would love for you continue to follow me on this wonderful epic journey.