Blog – Page 2 – Ryan and Sara Hall

Keeping Your Peace: Ethiopia

July 19, 2017

By, Sara Hall

A good chunk of 2017 I have been back training in Ethiopia, a place that started to become home while frequently visiting our kids in the orphanage during our adoption process and simultaneously preparing for our races in the same high altitude places as some of the world’s best runners. There are many fun, beautiful things about training here, but being back after an extended time away has reminded me how nothing about training here is comfortable. At home I log my miles on the perfect surfaces of the uninterrupted bike paths of my hometown in Redding or the endless even dirt roads of Flagstaff. Everything is very predictable, controlled, set up for the optimal conditions to prepare me for my goal race.

Training in Ethiopia on the other hand is wild and unpredictable. The extremely high altitude and uneven surfaces are just the beginning. Running on the roads for long runs and tempos is never a relaxing experience where you can just focus on your effort and pace. As with most things in Africa, “personal space” is a lot smaller than we are used to in the west, and when it comes to drivers it’s no exception. On top of this, you have to watch out for horse carts, donkeys, stray dogs, meandering villagers, and occasional unruly youth throwing rocks or cracking their whips to scare you. A large percentage of vehicles envelop you in a cloud of black smog (no smog checks here!) so I debate what’s better, holding my breath at 9,000 ft. where air is scarce or breathing it in.

When I was training with a team here going into Tokyo Marathon, I never quite knew what to expect on any given day. It may be an “easy training” day, but the pace would quickly progress to low 6 minute miles on a rutty grass field at 9,000 ft. (which was not easy for anyone). Workout times and distances were often lost in translation, and I knew just one thing- that I better bring my A-game and keep going until the group stopped. I was training with Olympic gold medalist, world record holders, and people that far out-classed me, but I loved the challenge of seeing how long I could keep up.

There are very few foreigners in Ethiopia, so as a white person I am definitely a spectacle, especially in the rural areas. I can’t run anywhere without everyone staring at me unabashedly. Quite often the ensuing comments are encouraging, like “Berchi!” and “Aizersh!” which basically mean, “be strong, good job!”. But almost as often I get someone yelling “CHINA! CHINA! CHINA!!” at me (the few foreigners that are here are usually Chinese, contracted to build roads and other city infrastructure, thus it’s assumed that anyone white is Chinese). I usually ignore this good-naturedly, but sometimes I can’t help but playfully respond “Habesha!” (which means “Ethiopian!”) to hopefully show them how silly it is to yell someone’s nationality at them (all with a smile of course!)

As much as these challenging aspects can wear on me, I also feel that they have made me a stronger runner mentally and physically. A friend once told me as I was heading out to a race “No matter what, keep your peace”. It has really stuck with me and is something that I draw on constantly. No matter what my external circumstances, it is up to me to keep my peace internally. Rest is not just the absence of work, you can be very busy but be at rest and not stressed internally, something I have to remind myself as a mom. No one or nothing can take your peace if you don’t let it.

Similar to training here, races are not perfectly controlled environments with someone running exactly the pace you want to run. They are wild, there are unexpected distractions and things threaten to knock you off your game. In the marathon, you go through good patches and bad patches, and you have to stay calm no matter how you are feeling in the moment. So now when I’m suffering at 9,000 ft. up a hill, trying to keep my pace, and donkeys are cutting me off and people are yelling “CHINA!” at me and a bus wooshes by me from behind, I am practicing keeping my peace. And then when I head off to race, like recently when I ran the ASICS Gold Coast Half Marathon soon after 3 bouts of bacterial/food illness and traveling 23 hours, I chose to keep my peace, and was rewarded with my 2^nd fastest half marathon to date.

My pastor once said “The storm you can sleep in is the storm you have authority over” (Bill Johnson), referring to Jesus asleep in the boat while they were sailing through a storm (Matthew 8:23-27). The disciples were freaking out and couldn’t understand how he could be sleeping. But the Prince of Peace knew the end from the beginning, and that he had nothing to fear. With authority he spoke to the storm and said, “peace, be still”. And so can we to whatever storms are in our life when we choose to keep our peace.

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recipes

Raising Healthy Eaters

March 20, 2017

When I envisioned myself as a mom before becoming one, I never thought I’d be one of those bone-broth-making super-healthy moms that takes away the hard-collected Halloween candy or brings in rice cakes to class for their child’s birthday. I am not like that myself so why would I impose that on my kids? I wanted to be the fun mom who wakes the kids up in the middle of the night to go out for ice cream! (Now this seems ridiculous on many levels)

But as with many aspects of starting my family that were different than I originally envisioned, here I was with kids that were essentially like a blank slate when it came to food. They had only eaten a few (very healthy, plant based) things and no sugar their whole lives (until the orphanage when they occasionally got sugary treats from American visitors, which usually shocked their tastebuds and they threw out). Despite never brushing their teeth, their first trip to the dentist showed no cavities simply from eating lots of plant-based foods and not eating sugar or fruit/juice. It changed the way I thought of nutrition. All of a sudden I was thinking, “what are we doing to our kids feeding them stuff that is making their teeth rot and making them obese!” I felt like it was up to me to keep them from being corrupted by America and acquiring a taste for all the foods that so easily become a part of our diet.

But try as I might, it was an uphill battle in our culture where it is always someone’s birthday with cupcakes, some holiday with desserts, or they are daily being rewarded for completing a low-bar task with candy. It wasn’t long before they developed a sweet tooth as well as a love for American junk food. However, as a parent I still can help them to crave healthy things because what you eat often is what you are going to crave, and teach them to enjoy the other things in moderation. And so far, I have been delighted that each time I serve them one of these super healthy meals that took 5-8 minutes to prepare, they act like I am Julia Child.

Each meal we serve either with Salad or Steamed/Roasted vegetables. Our kids had never eaten a raw vegetable before coming home and were very confused why we eat “leaves” (they have a point, that’s exactly what Spinach and mixed greens are!). So we took advantage of an Ethiopian tradition of feeding each other with your hands, typically done to show affection, but for us it served to stuff the spinach leaves into their mouths. But now, the trauma has subsided and my little 6-year-old’s favorite thing in the world is spinach salad, I have to actually hold her back from just eating seconds and thirds of it because her tummy is so small that she will just fill up on it.

Figuring out what language to use when we educate our kids about food has also been something we have tried to be intentional about, as we do not want to overemphasize it and draw away from the fun and experiential part of eating, but also realize that just as we educate them about every other area of life, it is up to us to teach and model what is best for them as far as nutrition. Rather than framing foods as “good” or “bad” we talk about “strong food” that is going to make our bodies strong to do what we want it to do, and food that is “not as strong” and OK in moderation. We talk about eating food close to the form God originally made it. We applaud them for making good choice and don’t guilt trip them when they don’t.

I also decided long ago that I was not making “kids meals” and adult meals, that we were not going to have picky eaters. As my pastor says “what you tolerate will grow” and since we nip pickiness in the bud when we see it it’s amazing how quickly your kids catch on and end up eating and liking absolutely everything. Here are 8 Super-Healthy Recipes our whole family adores, as well as one not-so-healthy one that is a must-make as well:

1) Ryan’s School Day Pancakes: Every single school day Ryan gets up early and makes the kids pancakes, and usually a chocolate Teff one for me (recipe below). He even will put in a daily “secret ingredient” that the girls have to guess, ranging from a tea-infusion to lemon zest. No joke, we are spoiled!

But these are not your average Bisquick carb-bomb-comma-inducing ones, these are super healthy and super-fast to make. We throw everything in a blender and use a large griddle to whip them out. They are full of fiber, protein, and some healthy fat to keep our kids alert at school without the sugar crash from cereal and milk or other common go-tos. Plus our kids love to roll them up and eat them with their hands like they do the spongy injera bread that is a staple in Ethiopia! Note: these are thin, makes 2-3 large pancakes per person

Recipe:

(one serving- we multiply x 4!)

1 cup of oats

1 scoop Muscle Milk Organic Vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

dash of sea salt, 1 packet Stevia (optional)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

3/4 cup water

2) Super Pizza: My kids at first abhorred the sight of cheese, but now they are pizza-loving Americans and as much as I don’t want to overdo dairy I am not about to deprive them of this civil right. But we typically make our pizzas at home, thanks to a little mini pizza oven appliance Ryan gifted me for an anniversary. He knew one of my favorite things in the world is wood-fired pizza, and one day though I’d love to have a brick oven on our backyard, this one gets up to 700 degrees and does the trick pretty well. We use healthy tortillas that are high in fiber like the Ezekiel brand, which also make nice thin, crispy crust like I love. Just top with organic pizza sauce, organic mozzarella cheese (there is no replacement, do NOT use fake cheese, just don’t) and whatever else your kids want to decorate it with and you’re done! Because they are thin you often need more than one (bonus!)

3) (Bean) Pasta Marinara/Bolognese: I recently discovered all of these super awesome pastas that are made out of only lentils, or a combo of beans and lentils. I was skeptical, but we made it and it was unanimous- everyone agreed they tasted exactly like wheat pasta! It is pure magic! Perhaps there will be a lawsuit eventually for false advertising, but for now we can’t get enough of this stuff. It has a ton of protein naturally so we often toss it only with a good quality, low-sugar tomato sauce, but you can also add in a bit of grass fed ground beef for texture. (Lentil Pasta can be purchased at Costco, Amazon.com, Trader Joe’s)

4) Enchiladas: These are my kids’ favorite thing ever and when they asked me to show them how to make them I almost didn’t want to show them because they were convinced I spent all day lovingly rolling them. They are super saucy, which they love as Ethiopian food is all about salty stews. We prefer to use mild-flavored white fish like Alaska Cod or Halibut over chicken because chicken is super inflammatory, and non-organic chicken is basically the devil (I will never forget the documentary I watched about how diseased chickens just get chucked in the processor along with the rest…) Cook the fish and mix in some raw onions, black beans, and roll in whole wheat tortillas. Drown in tons of Enchilada Sauce (this Trader Joe’s brand is our favorite) and sprinkle a bit of cheese on top for looks if you desire, and bake at 350 til they look done.

5) Alaska Salmon Burgers: Available at Costco in the frozen section or online, these are a huge crowd pleaser and surprisingly healthy. When soccer takes over my life, these are my go-to. They just need to be heated basically and grilled is the best way. At first I was skeptical of them, but then I saw that all they contained besides wild Alaska salmon were a little oil and spices. Serve in a bun or with a side of rice, and you’re done. Multiple days a week our kids even take these in their lunches for sandwiches (don’t get me started on how gross lunch meat is! Plus these are cheaper per pound that that nasty pressed together stuff). When I have a bit more time I like to make my own out of canned salmon (recipe here: http://www.wildalaskaseafood.com/recipe-listing/feed-your-fitness/)

6) Yum Bowls: Basically a free-for-all rice bowl of whatever is in the fridge but typically either Mexican or Asian in flavor profiles. In an ideal world, rice, black beans, cabbage, cilantro, multiple salsas, stir-fried veggies, grilled Alaska salmon or halibut, avocado, and jalapeno but we are pretty liberal with what we throw on there. Just grill some Alaska fish filets, make rice in a rice cooker, and let your kids go crazy with toppings.

7) Ethiopian Food: We try to keep up their culture in many ways, including food, which is fortunately super healthy. They use a ton of spices which are very anti-inflammatory, and staples that include kale sautéed in garlic and onions, lentils cooked with garlic, onions and ginger, and “shiro” a powder of different beans and legumes that you throw into boiling water and salt to make a delicious spicy, salty stew. Here is one recipe for a split pea stew:

Ethiopian “Aterkerk” (yellow split pea stew)

Ingredients

4 medium onions
1/4 cup olive oil
1 16 oz. bag yellow split peas
1 T turmeric
1 tsp. ginger
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp salt

Instructions

In large, heavy pot, cover peas with 3” water and boil. Cook until tender

Meanwhile, chop or puree the onions in a food processor. Cook into oil until they’re and light brown. Add the spices and salt. Add the cooked split peas (water included) to the onion mixture and simmer.

8) Brownie Bomb Pancakes: **NOTE: These contain caffeine and I would NOT feed these to your kids, because does anyone want caffeinated kids?! ** I couldn’t write a food blog without including this recipe that makes me bounce out of bed every morning with excitement. Too good to be true that they are healthy, but once in a while something actually is! The base is teff flour (available from Bob’s Red Mill or on Amazon.com) the Ethiopian super grain that the runners swear by that’s super high in iron, fiber and gluten free.

1/2 cup teff flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (or over 1/4 of a cup as I love! The darker the better!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash Himalayan sea salt
1 scoop Organic Muscle Milk chocolate protein powder
Stevia to desired sweetness (taste the batter before you make
it- I use 6 1g packets)

Add water and mix til you get a slow drip… Pour onto heated nonstick fry pan. Makes one large pancake. (We eat it straight out of the pan so that it stays hot and doesn’t get soggy! With at least 1 Tablespoon Kerrygold butter, which we use to top each bite with a little bit)

9) Pure Heaven: Our Wedding Pie

Because life is too short to live in deprivation, I bring you the closest thing to heaven you will ever experience on earth- my mom’s Swedish apple pie. This is not your typical pie, it’s like a large deep dish cookie with a bit of apple. So good that we made 30 of them for our wedding instead of cake! Don’t even think about substituting anything to make it healthier. It is super easy to make and have not met anyone who doesn’t like it, so next time you need to impress people, here you go, you’re welcome:

Swedish Apple Pie
“makes its own crust”

4 cups sliced, peeled apples
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (MUST be butter!)
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Fill a 9-inch pie pan with apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar and
cinnamon. Mix butter, salt, sugar, flour, egg and nuts together;
sprinkle on top of apples. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve warm with
vanilla ice cream.

For more kid-approved recipes we created using Alaska seafood, check these out: http://www.wildalaskaseafood.com/recipe-listing/feed-your-fitness/

You can also get a free hardcopy of these in cookbook form mailed to you by emailing “Fitness” to FeedYourFitness@alaskaseafood.org

Would love to hear some of your family’s favorites as well! Enjoy! Xx

~ Sara

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Races ryan hall

Ryan’s World Marathon Challenge for Dream Center – Recap

February 21, 2017

Thank you all for the prayers and support during the World Marathon Challenge! We’ve put together the video blogs for each race for you to watch below.

#1 Antarctica

#2 Chile

#3 Miami

#4 Madrid

#5 Morocco

#6 Dubai

#7 Sydney

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How Ryan and I Support Each Other’s Goals

February 6, 2017

Ryan and I are in our eleventh year as professional runners, a journey we have been on together from day one. It all started back when we were finishing our senior year at Stanford University. I had just placed 2nd in the NCAA’s 5,000-meter race, and he had sprinted to a narrow victory in the same event. Although our original plan was to follow the same pattern and return the following year for a fifth year of eligibility, in the span of a few weeks we got engaged, signed contracts with ASICS, and headed off to Europe for a summer of racing, all the while planning a wedding that would take place in three months. When we made the decision to “go pro” we decided we wanted to do it together and have been ever since. In the process I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to support your loved ones as they strive to achieve their health and fitness goals. Below are a few of the ways I’ve helped Ryan through the years. I hope my experiences can help you help your significant other make positive changes in their life as well.

How to Be a Supportive Partner

Be a positive distraction.
Supporting Ryan’s running career has always been easy for me; the impulse to help flows out of my love for him and my genuine excitement to see him compete to the best of his ability. When we were in college, that support role meant encouraging him when he was struggling with injuries, poor racing performance, and eventually depression. We both had very successful running careers leading into Stanford, so I kept reminding him that greatness was within him, despite the current circumstances and we relied heavily on our faith in God. When you’re in the midst of an injury or failure, it’s hard to see situations clearly, so having a loved one to offer a clearer perspective is key. I also found that helping Ryan get out and do fun things unrelated to running was therapeutic.

Encourage healthy choices.
Oftentimes, supporting Ryan meant helping him make good choices—especially with food. He put on the classic “freshman 15” at Stanford, which was definitely hampering his performances. I knew a little more about nutrition than he did at the time, so although we had our moments of being kids and pigging out on junk food, we tried to support each other in making better choices and not tempting each other with treats. This is something that we still do to this day. There is a time and place for indulging together, but you can literally fuel a loved one’s goals by making healthy food for them and keeping them accountable to their nutrition plan.

Make sacrifices.
Once out of Stanford—and a bit more knowledgeable about what he needed to do to perform well—Ryan’s professional running career took off. Just a little over a year in Ryan set a new U.S. record in the half marathon and, in his marathon debut, became the fastest American-born marathoner in history. It was an exhilarating time for both of us! My performances were not quite at the same level at the time, but rather than feeling competitive or jealous, I felt the same thrill of his victories since I had invested in the process as a member of his “team.” Making sacrifices—like handling the bills while Ryan took a much-needed nap or training at altitude at a time I would have rather been sprinting on a track at sea level—for his career was not always easy when I knew my own competitions were approaching, but I was excited to see him living his dream and running with the best runners in the world.

Act like a coach.
During this time, one of my favorite ways to support Ryan was riding alongside him in the car during his long runs, blasting music and stopping to give him sport drinks every three miles. After these long runs, I would also rush to make him lunch so that he could eat within the 30-minute refueling window that experts say is key to promoting better recovery.

Expect the same in return.
Despite Ryan’s career being more successful, our relationship during this time was not completely one-sided, which is really important. Once his target race was over and he took a break from training he would head to the Olympic Training Center to help me get ready for the track season. Giving back to your loved one after your goal is met is a great way to thank them for all the love and support they poured into your process. One of the greatest ways Ryan has continued to support me in my career is to act as a sounding board to help me process my training and racing. I love to constantly analyze what I’m doing to maximize my potential and Ryan never grows tired of discussing what workouts or races I should go after and how I can continue to improve.

Stay flexible.
Supporting Ryan looks different now that he’s taken a step back from professional racing, but he continues to set goals for himself athletically. For instance, he recently ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven days as part of the World Marathon Challenge. I wasn’t able to be with him during the race, but I made sure to cheer him on from afar. Although it’s hard to believe he’ll be able to top that incredible accomplishment (seriously, 183 miles in seven days? Wow.), I can’t wait to see what other epic adventures the future brings. I’m confident we’ll continue to tackle them side by side.

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Races ryan hall

How I Trained For and Finished the World Marathon Challenge

February 2, 2017

Photo courtesy of World Marathon Challenge.

If you’ve been following me on social media, then you may have heard that I just completed the World Marathon Challenge, which tasks participants with running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Yes, you read that right, 183 miles spread across the globe in one week.

My preparation for the World Marathon Challenge was unlike any previous marathon training I’ve done. Typically, I would run 15 to 20 miles a day with some intense hard-running sessions twice a week and then do a long run (usually about 26 miles) in 2:30. However, to build up to the World Marathon Challenge I did 60 to 90 minutes of intense weight training and an easy 30- to 60-minute jog every day—no hard run sessions and no long runs. In the three months prior to the World Marathon Challenge, the furthest I ran was eight miles.

Why did I choose such an unorthodox buildup?

All too often people sign up for an epic challenge and over-train, leaving them injured or extremely fatigued. My unique buildup was to ensure I came to the start line healthy and fresh, which I definitely did. I knew I could complete the challenge if I trained properly, but I wasn’t sure I could do it on this minimal of training, so that made things interesting. I knew that my biggest challenge was going to be mental, so I trained my mind for battle. For example, I kept telling myself “I can always take one more step” until it was so ingrained in my mind that it became a reality. I also repeated “When things get harder, I get tougher” to convince myself I was created to overcome difficult challenges. And I reminded myself to “just have fun.” If I’m having fun then I’m usually running well and am happy when I cross the finish line.

My World Marathon Challenge Experience

I’m happy to report that my preparation, though unconventional, paid off. Below are the journal entries I recorded after completing each marathon.

MARATHON 1: UNION GLACIER, ANTARCTICA

It felt great to kick things off today. After spending the last 4 days in Antarctica, everyone was getting stir crazy in camp. We were actually staying on a glacier with the mountains looming all around us. Snow was everywhere despite the fact it was the peak of their summer.

Photo courtesy of World Marathon Challenge.

The temperature today was around 0 degrees Fahrenheit with some pesky winds that made our four-loop course a real challenge. The path was covered in snow, but the race organizers groomed it 24 hours prior to the start, so the footing was surprisingly good.

I started my seven-marathon challenge in my typical fashion: fast. In this case too fast. I could see my moment-by-moment pace on my Fitbit Surge, so I knew I was probably running faster than I ought to, but hey, you never know how long you can hold a faster pace until you try.

I ran the first 6.55-mile loop at about a 6:30 pace, the next at a 7-minute pace, the following at an 8-minute pace, then died a slow death on the last lap. If it weren’t for grabbing a large handful of cookies at mile 23 I’m not sure I would have made it.

It felt good to finish a marathon again. My last was Boston in 2014. My legs aren’t too trashed, so I’m curious to see how I’ll feel on number two (set to begin nine hours from now…ouch). Oh, and I set a new personal record for my slowest marathon time. I had never run longer than 2:30 until today. At 3:26, I only missed my personal best marathon time by 1 hour and 22 minutes.

The most challenging part of being in Antarctica is getting used to 24-hour-a-day sunlight. We were staying in camping tents so it was impossible to get darkness. I’m really looking forward to getting a good night’s rest tonight at a hotel in Punta Arenas, Chile—the destination of our next marathon.

Marathon time: 3:26:31

MARATHON 2: PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE

Running on firm ground today felt amazing. It’s crazy how big of a difference it makes to not slip when you push off your toes. I was surprised at how good my legs felt, so I decided to go out harder to test the waters a bit. I was running a sub-3-hour pace halfway through the race before the fatigue set in and I started slowing down.

This entire course was concrete, which is brutal on the legs—my calves were absolutely hammered the last 10k. Luckily I have my extra cushy Asics 33-M to help offset the pounding. I would never recommend running a step on concrete. It’s 10 times harder than asphalt.

After the race, my legs actually felt decent until I sat down for breakfast the next morning. When I tried to get up I thought I was going to need a wheelchair; I could hardly move. One thing that has helped me on this trip is hitting the weight room after my marathons. It doesn’t make sense, but moving around a bit and getting a pump in my arms really helps with blood circulation. I usually feel like death when I first hit the gym but feel ready to run another marathon after. Kind of weird, but it’s working for me. Plus, I refuse to lose any muscle on this trip.

Speaking of muscle preservation. I’ve never eaten so much food in my life. I’m constantly eating. Massive steaks after my marathons and tons of candy during the races.

It was nice to get six hours of sleep in the hotel last night. I’m not going to have the luxury of staying in a hotel for two more nights.

Marathon time: 3:06:33

MARATHON 3: MIAMI, FLORIDA

It was really nice to be greeted by Miami’s local running community. Any support we runners can get right now goes a long way.

Before the start of today’s race, I jogged down to a restroom and got slightly concerned. I was a sight to see, hobbling like a 100-year-old man. Yet somehow when the gun went off I actually felt pretty good and, once again, went out way too fast.

Let me pause here and explain why I’m a fan of going out hard in a marathon. The marathon is going to hurt no matter if you run a 5-minute pace, a 7-minute pace, or a 10-minute pace, so I figure if I run fast than I’ll get done in less time. I also think it’s a lot easier to establish a good tempo early and just try to hold it. Even if you slow down later in the race you will have bagged so much time that you’ll still come in ahead of schedule.

Anyway, back to the race. My calves were extremely tight from the beginning. But on the up side, they couldn’t have possibly gotten any tighter and actually started feeling better after 20 miles.

It was great having a couple of local friends join me for the run. Running with people always makes the time pass quicker and they were massively supportive in grabbing me gels, candy, and even slushies to manage in the warm Miami sun.

I was glad to get to the finish line in 3:16. I figure anything under 3:30 is great for me considering my unorthodox training approach.

My legs felt trashed after the race, but once again, a gym session had me feeling better physically and mentally. Now back on to our chartered plane for a red-eye to Madrid, Spain and our next marathon.

Marathon time: 3:15:36

MARATHON 4: MADRID, SPAIN

Getting five hours of sleep prior to a marathon is never a recipe for success, so I shouldn’t have been so surprised that I felt sluggish at the start.

I had a much more conservative race strategy this time and was just trying to run around eight minutes per mile. My calves felt like rocks from mile one so I was only able to maintain that pace through 20 miles before the wheels completely came off and I had to do a couple hundred meters of walking, which was a first for me.

Despite taking in nine donuts and a bunch of candy, no carbohydrates could possibly dig me out of the hole I found myself in. It took every bit of mental and spiritual strength I could muster to not walk it in.

I was lucky to have my good friend Jaap Berg pacing me on a bike the whole way. Without his support I don’t think I would have made it. The worse I feel, the more essential camaraderie becomes. Without the support of others I would never make it.

When I finished my legs immediately locked up; I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to walk. However, hitting the gym for an hour of weight training helped my body and mind feel better.

It’s hard to picture running another marathon tomorrow, but God will give me the grace I need to get through the day.

Marathon time: 3:41:41

MARATHON 5: MARRAKESH, MOROCCO

We were lucky enough to get our second and last night in a hotel yesterday. It felt glorious to sleep in a real bed. Unfortunately, we were only able to get in 5 hours of sleep before starting our next marathon.

When I woke up I felt like death and nearly toppled over when I took my first steps. On the starting line I was planning on trying to run as much as I could before doing some walk/running. So when I began I was surprised to find that my previously rock-tight calves felt surprisingly normal. Not only that, but my energy actually felt good and my Surge showed that my heart rate was low. I gradually increased my speed until I was clipping along at a 6:40 pace feeling like a million bucks. Not only did I feel physically changed, but something also happened to my spirit. It was almost as if I was confronted and had to choose: flight or fight. The fighting side of me rose up and it were as if my spirit said: Not today. I may have gotten absolutely destroyed by the marathon yesterday, but not today. Today I fight. It was a very unusual yet powerful experience for me. One I’ll never forget.

Today had to be one of the biggest surprises of my career. I ended up running 3:04 (only an hour off my PR. I was thrilled, mainly because I went from feeling like death to actually feeling like Morocco was good to me. Thus far Marrakesh has been my favorite of the cities we’ve visited. I definitely want to go back when I have more than 22 hours to spend. But for now, off to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates!

Marathon time: 3:04:56

MARATHON 6: DUBAI, UAE

Whatever happened to my body yesterday did not last through today. Despite running on a nice, slightly rubber track on out-and-back loops for 10k, my legs were so dead that it was hard to enjoy the beautiful beach we ran along.

I started off running a sub-3-hour pace through 8 miles, which in hindsight was way too fast. I then died a long and slow death over the remaining 18.2 miles.

What concerned me more than my fatigue was the state of my right hip. I could feel a growing dull pain in my hip from the moment we started. The pain intensified to a point then remained my constant, little friend for the last two hours.

This brings me to a quick point. In running you are undoubtedly going to encounter aches and pains, so how do you know which ones you can run through and which ones you should rest? My rule of thumb is that I don’t run through pain that is sharp or that intensifies through the duration of the run. Otherwise, I just clench my teeth and run through it, which is what happened today.

The other challenge of the day was the heat and humidity. We were running in mid-80-degree weather with high humidity, and that’s in winter—imagine the summers! I was drinking fluids and taking gels and candy every 2.62 kilometer, or 1.6 miles. Yet despite all the hydration and calories I still got chills in the last lap, which is a sign of dehydration.

My advice for running in the heat: Drink as much electrolyte-rich fluids as your stomach can handle and drink it before you feel like you need it. Another thing that worked really well for me today was putting crushed ice in my hat to help bring my body temperature down.

It wasn’t pretty, nor fun, but I got through it. Looking forward to better things to come in Sydney tomorrow. I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to such a long flight, but that will be the only sleep we get before the next and last marathon begins.

Tomorrow is going to be a special day, as it will be the last marathon I will ever run. I’ll be wearing the singlet I wore for my first marathon (I never washed it or took the bib off). The marathon has been so good to me. It’s taken me around the world, it’s allowed me to meet many amazing people. But most importantly I’m thankful for what the marathon has taught me: that I can push myself further than I believed, to love challenges, to take risks, and that running a good marathon is done in training, not in the marathon itself. Finally, it’s taught me to draw strength from sources outside myself (God) when I have no strength. For all of this, I will always be thankful to the marathon. I came into this sport with an epic 15-mile run when I was 13. Now, more than 20 years later, I’m going out on another epic running challenge that will allow me to say a proper goodbye to the marathon, something I wasn’t able to do during my professional career.

Marathon time: 3:46:20

Photo courtesy of World Marathon Challenge.

MARATHON 7: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

I knew I was in trouble today as soon as I walked off the plane. The subtle pain in my right hip had been getting worse and worse over the course of the last two marathons. I wasn’t able to walk without a limp, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to run without a limp either.

It was a long day, to say the least. I may have set the world record for the biggest time differential between your fastest and slowest marathon as I took over 5 hours to finish today.

I got a massage part way through the race, which helped for a couple of miles, but it was clear today was going to be one of those days you just have to put your head down and find a way to keep moving forward.

Luckily, running along the ocean at Manly Beach made it easy to relax and just enjoy myself. It wasn’t a pretty last marathon, but this challenge is all about finishing. Anyone who finishes seven marathons in seven days on seven continents should be proud regardless of how long it takes.

At the end of the race I ended my last ever marathon the way I always envisioned. I stopped, pulled off my shoes, and left them on the finish line. It was an emotional goodbye as the marathon has meant so much to me throughout the years. But it was time to say goodbye. Now it’s on to new fitness challenges and helping others achieve the same breakthroughs I was able to achieve throughout my career.

Marathon time: 5:15:34