Exercise Enthusiast Award for August! :o)

So, it’s that time…time to present the award for Exercise Enthusiast! Woo hoo! 😀

Sarah Daniell is one tough chic. :> I have worked with Sarah for over two years now, and at first, she came in wanting to get stronger and ready for her big day-her wedding! She did exceptionally well, staying dedicated to her goals, and by the time her wedding rolled around, she looked fantastic! (Yay, Sarah!).

But, shortly after, she decided to have knee surgery, an issue that had plagued her for awhile. She went through with it, and the surgery was successful, although the aftermath seemed quite painful, and her recovery was slow. We slowly built up her leg strength, starting with very low weight and simple leg exercises to build quadricep strength. Slowly but surely, she started to get stronger, and eventually added bouts of running to her cardio regimen. The minute/two minute jogs eventually become longer, and soon enough, she was running 10+ minutes at a time.

I had known that Sarah had wanted to run a marathon, and that she had previously started training for one awhile before we met. So, when Sarah told me she wanted to give Chicago 08 a try, I was a bit shocked, but so proud that she would attempt such a bold feat shortly after going through a major surgery!

We talked about it in depth, the pros and cons, and what program I thought she should try, especially since her goal was to finish injury free (www.jeffgalloway.com-long time running coach, known for his injury free running programs).I knew she was going to do it, regardless of what anyone said or even after my horrific experience in May 08 that I had gushed to her about (my 5 missing toenails are finally back!). Hopefully, that won’t happen to you, Sarah. And needless to say, I will be running another one in 09. I guess it’s like childbirth, you shortly forget the pain, regardless of how horrible it was. I think you may, too, Sarah. :o)

But I must say I am so proud of you Sarah, for taking this risk (running any type of long distance race is just that-it’s a risk-it’s hard on your body and training can be draining…but it’s so worth the feeling of accomplishment), for staying true to your goals, and for always wanting to better yourself in terms of health, fitness, and nutrition. You do it for yourself, and you really go for it!

I know that you will run Chicago and you will have an amazing experience. It won’t be a piece of cake, but I know you will really, really enjoy it (save the last 5 or 6 miles). Hey, at least the course is flatter than a pancake and there is plenty of eye-candy along the way (mile 7/8-boystown-watch for the male cheerleaders!). Just don’t do what I did—start ultra slow and finish strong! You will do great!

Thanks for being a committed athlete Sarah!

All the Best!
Jeannette