Before Your Fall Race, Prepare With Inspiration for Your Toughest Miles
Fall race season means the miles that runners logged all summer are about to pay off. The final long run before a marathon or a half marathon can give even the most seasoned distance runner a case of the “Have I done enough?”
So while you’re reminding yourself to trust your training, run your own race, enjoy every mile, and any other platitude that serves you, Puma Running’s roster of sponsored athletes are here to provide you with a little #inspo.
The universal truth about runners is that everyone has a story and all of those stories can be packed away to help you on your journey. I remember writer, runner, and podcaster Cindy Kuzma told me that she once dedicated each mile to someone who had inspired her or helped her prepare for a marathon. And maybe you can think about these runners while you’re out there putting one foot in front of the other.
Sara Vaughn for when you need to remember to never give up.
According to Runner’s World, regardless of her incredible talent, Sara Vaughn had given up on pursuing a professional running sponsorship. So, to keep at it in the sport she loves, she got a job as a real estate agent and continued right on training. Then she won the California International Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento just as PUMA Running was making huge strides in distance running.
So, after 16 years running her ass off, raising her four kids and working a full-time job, Sara is able to run with the support she deserves with a deal from the brand. Think of Sara during the miles when you feel like you’re just about to have a breakthrough.
Omara Durand for when you need a reminder that running is IN FACT a team sport
Omara Durand is a Cuban sprinter with visual impairment, and she and her sighted guide, Yuniol Kindelan, run tethered together coordinating everything from the swing of their arms to the length of their gait.
Durand took home her second world championship title this year in the 100m distance. And it wasn’t just her on the podium, Kindelan was up there with her. Think of Durand when you’re feeling grateful for your running crew and the people who showed up to train with you.
Usain Bolt for the moments when you feel like panicking.
We all remember the iconic moment when Usain Bolt looked over his shoulder as he clobbered his competitors in the 100m at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. But, there was a time in 2008 when he wasn’t looking back, he was trying to catch up.
In those moments if you feel like you’ve gone off-plan, take a breath and remember the words of Usain Bolt, “no matter if I get a bad start, just go through your steps … the moment you panic, you’ve lost.”
Molly Seidel for when you need to remember what it feels like to be in flow-state.
This Olympic-bronze-medal-winning marathoner is a Puma Running sponsored athlete who trains at elevation to give herself that distance-edge. I’ve met her at a Puma event in Austin and her presence is inviting and inspirational – she pulls people in and lifts them up.
She shared what it feels like for her to race. You can call it other-worldly, you can call it flow state. I’ll just call it #goals.
She said, “When you’re at your peak, whether it’s in art, whether it’s in sport – some other thing is flowing through you. And that’s honestly how it felt in my best race at the Olympics – it just felt like it wasn’t even me … some other energy is flowing through you and you become greater than the sum of your parts.”
No matter your race, no matter your distance, we’re cheering for you with our friends at Puma Running.
