“I really want to see others positively impacted through my running…I hope to leave a positive legacy on the sport”. – Sara Hall

If you follow the sport of road racing, chances are you’ve heard the name Sara Hall.  She is a professional American middle distance runner and wife of Ryan Hall. Ryan Hall, as you may know, has posted the best-ever American times in the Half Marathon and Marathon and has represented the U.S. in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games¹.

Both Sara and Ryan Hall were high school superstars in their sport and All-Americans at Stanford University where they met. Sara was the 2012 U.S. National Cross Country Champion and a Gold medalists at the Pan American Games in the steeplechase. She has represented the U.S. at three World Indoor Track and Field Championships and a World Cross Country Championship¹. 

Sara recently competed in the London Marathon, where she finished 12th overall among the elite women with a time of 2:30:06. This was her fourth marathon and a personal best. The marathon distance is relatively new for Sara; she made her debut appearance in the Los Angeles Marathon in 2015. Her second marathon was the 2015 Chicago Marathon, where she finished 10th with a time of 2:31:14.

Finishing 12th overall at London is pretty incredible considering that she recently switched to marathons. Her average pace per mile for a finish time of 2:30:06 is 5 minutes 43 seconds, or 10.5 mph. The London Marathon women’s elite field is always extremely competitive. Every year the fastest women from around the world compete in this event. Placing 12th overall is remarkable.

I have followed Sara and Ryan’s journey since 2008. I’ve always been fascinated by this power couple. Their athleticism and public faith are admirable. I follow Sara on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They recently adopted 4 Ethiopian sisters, which is another thing I highly respect. I love reading Sara’s weekly posts about her training, motherhood, and learning what her girls are doing next.

When I learned awhile back that Sara was running the 2016 London Marathon, the 3rd race in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, I was super excited and wanted to hear all about her experience and also what it’s like to be a new mom. After she returned home, I had the opportunity to ask her some questions.

LONDON MARATHON

TRR: What did you like best about the London Marathon?

Hall: My favorite part about the London Marathon is the crowds. It was a cold and windy day, yet you can always rely on crowd support on almost the entire course, which is incredible! It really shows how much pride and excitement the marathon brings to the people of London.

TRR: How good did it feel to PR?

Hall: It was a good feeling. It’s always a bit of a relief to finish a marathon strong and successfully! I had higher expectations of myself for time based on my training, but wasn’t quite able to put it together the second half. I hope next time I’ll be able to keep my pace going, and hopefully have some company in the last 10 miles unlike at London.

TRR: Would you do the London Marathon again?

Hall: Absolutely! Especially if I could get myself in 2:24 shape. As an elite woman, since we start ahead of the masses, it can be a lonely race unless you’re in shape to run under 2:24.

TRR: What was your pre-race meal in London?

Hall: The morning of the race I wake up feeling pretty full from carb loading the days before. So I like to take in my breakfast more in liquid form to make sure I don’t lose it out on the course! I drink Muscle Milk mixed with maltodextrin powder, a slow burning carb. I snacked on some bread too just to have a little something in my stomach.

TRR: What’s next for you after London?

Hall: I’m getting ready for the Olympic Track Trials in Eugene, Oregon in early July! I’m hoping my strength from the marathon will transition well as I sharpen my speed.

ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS

TRR: You’ve run Chicago and now London. Do you have hopes of running any other World Marathon Majors, and if so which one? Which would you want to run next?

Hall: Definitely! Since my view of the marathon was largely shaped by following Ryan to all of his races, I’ve gotten to see most of the World Marathon Majors since those were mostly the only marathons he ran besides ones connected to the Olympics. I am dying to run New York and Boston especially since they are in the U.S. and have incredible crowds!

TRR: Which World Marathon Major did you enjoy watching the most when your husband Ryan ran?

Hall: Boston was always a really special one for him where he really came alive, so that will always have a special place in our memories. We have been to the New York City Marathon every year for the last 11 years for ASICS, so that is another one that has become a tradition in our lives and one we look forward to. I’m excited to actually race it one day.

MOTHER-RUNNER

TRR: Has becoming a mother of four affected your training or performance with marathons specifically? If so, in what way?

Hall: Becoming a mom definitely affects every aspect of life, especially with our girls having unique challenges being adopted from Ethiopia. Challenges like learning the language, culture and having never been to school before. But it has been a really fun adventure and added so much richness to my life!

TRR: As I mentioned, I enjoy following Sara on Instagram. She often posts about motherhood and what her girls are currently up to. One of my favorite posts was from her 33rd birthday celebration. Her husband was away and the girls got up early to surprise her with a cake. Her daughter Mia couldn’t figure out how to work the oven, so she cooked the cake on the stove. Sara said in her post “What a gift they are to me”.

TRR: Do you feel the pull as a mother to be at home more, or do you feel your support system is great in that you can still do what you need to do in training and competition?

Hall: Yeah I definitely try not to travel as much as I used to. We used to rarely spend more than 6 weeks in one place, bouncing between altitude and sea level, and I don’t do that anymore. And I love to race, but I don’t race quite as often, which is probably actually good for me. I try to get my training done while the kids are in school, which is a pretty big block of time.

TRR: Do your girls run with you? Do they come to training?

Hall: Yes they do! When we first met them they had been sedentary for a long time stuck in an orphanage. But we have gradually gotten them into it and now they are starting to really enjoy it. We have so many beautiful places to run in Redding; it’s been a great way to show them their new home. Our 12 and 15 year old are running track on their middle school team, so we are helping coach them, which has been a lot of fun.

TRR: Has your sleep been affected since adding four girls to your family? How have you adjusted to that?

Hall: Fortunately our children were all old enough to be sleeping through the night, a huge blessing that not many new moms get to enjoy! There are occasionally times that require getting less sleep than I would otherwise, but they are few and far between. I have had to shift my schedule to an earlier one than I would naturally to accommodate getting them ready for school in time.

TRR: What word of encouragement would you give to a mother struggling to train or achieve her goals with training for a marathon?

Hall: I would encourage her to see what she is doing as leading by example to her children – taking on challenges, being disciplined, taking good care of her body, not shying away from pain and discomfort – these are things we hope to instill in our kids, but when they actually see it in our lives, it is so much more powerful.

TRR: When you’re running a marathon, like London, or the Olympic Trials, do you ever forget for a minute what you’re doing and think about your family or what they’re doing back home? Does your mind wonder?

Hall: I don’t really think about that, but I do think about them watching me and wanting to make them proud of my effort. Not necessarily with the time or place because they don’t understand that, but seeing me really give it all I have.

NUTRITION

TRR: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received regarding nutrition?

Hall: Eat as close to how God made things as possible. It seems like anytime we try to reinvent things to make them better, they just end up more processed, less natural, and not as good for us. If we eat food in its wholeness as it was meant to be eaten, it has the power to heal us and strengthen us.

TRAINING

TRR: Who is coaching you currently?

Hall: I’m currently coached by my husband and Steve Magness, the coach at the University of Houston.

TRR: How many miles a week do you typically run?

Hall: Now that I’m track training, more in the 70-80 range.

TRR: Do you have a favorite Scripture verse that you quote over and over again in training that encourages you?

Hall: I like to remind myself that I am “working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23b) as it is difficult in a sport where you are in the public eye , to not be wanting the praises of others, but to really focus in on doing it unto God alone. I also like to think “the horse is prepared for battle, but victory belongs to the Lord” Proverbs 21:31. It is up to me to prepare my horse, my body, as best I can to go to battle, and God gives me the grace to live that out, so at the end of the day the results, good or bad, belong to Him for His glory.

INJURIES

TRR: How do you deal with injury? (By cross training? Aqua jogging? Physical Therapy?)

Hall: I have been fortunate to have a very durable body, so I have not required a lot of cross training. I do like to use the ElliptiGo® and spin classes to supplement training or if I’m injured I’ve found those give me the best heart rate bang for buck and translate the best to running.

SARA HALL

TRR: What do you like to do in your down time? What are your hobbies outside running?

Hall: When I’m not training I have a small window of time before my kids are home from school that I’m usually catching up on things, meal planning, or meeting with friends. I try to fit in Bible reading and prayer every day along with one on one time with my husband and each of my kids which pretty much fills the day. I love to travel and explore new places, exotic foods, and stand up paddle boarding. I volunteer for Extreme Love, which is a local organization that is striving to see our country be orphan-free. And I run all the day to day operations of The Hall Steps Foundation.

TRR: Excerpt from Extreme Love’s website:  “Extreme Love was founded for the purpose of creating a world without orphans. Extreme Love gives practical, tangible ways for people in the local community to respond to the global issue of orphans and foster children. We have a dream that the world could be void of orphans. Our life’s pursuit is helping children find identity in family”².

The Hall Steps Foundation was founded by Ryan and Sara Hall in 2009. It is a non-profit movement to fight global poverty through better health. “Our goal is to build a community and provide each member an opportunity to take their own STEPS toward relieving suffering and helping the poor rise out of poverty. We are a lifestyle philanthropy that encourages our supporters to make a personal commitment to their own health and wellness, using it as a catalyst to ignite change and make a difference in the lives of others”³.

TRR: How can people get involved with The Hall Steps Foundation?

Hall: We would love others to commit a race to fundraising for Steps! We are currently funding drought relief in Ethiopia, which is affecting millions of people with famine. We also provide small loans to people in Africa to work their way out of poverty, and are going to be focusing on orphan care and prevention for the 4 million orphans and 60,000 children living on the streets in Ethiopia.

TRR: What is one thing you want people to know about you that they might not already know?

Hall: I love to run, but my heart really burns for seeing people lifted out of extreme poverty. I wish they could see what I’ve seen, as it would change their life as well.

TRR: Like the Hall's, I have visited Ethiopia. Words cannot express what I saw. I went there in 2009 for a medical missions trip, and my life will be forever changed. Pictures after the conclusion. 

TRR: What is most important to you as a runner? 

Hall: I really want to see others positively impacted through my running, whether it is inspiring others, using my platform to engage others in social justice efforts like The Hall Steps Foundation, or pioneering how to go about things differently. I hope to leave a positive legacy on the sport.

TRR: How can you not admire her passion, and desire to make a difference in this world? When I think of the Hall’s I think of the scripture in 1 Peter 4:10: 

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

She has taken her talents, and is using them as a platform to change the world. 

I am not an elite runner, but I do run a lot. I often think of new ways I can use my running to benefit others, whether it be through running for charity and raising money, or by volunteering my time and legs for the organization Athletes Serving Athletes that I am a part of. If I’m running, my steps should be making a difference. 

We all can be inspired and learn something from the Hall’s; whether it’s by dedicating our money, time or legs to a worthy cause. How can you use your gift of running to help others? I encourage you to check out organizations like the Hall Step’s Foundation. 

Run to make a difference, 

-Jill M. 

Follow Sara on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Send her some encouraging words as she trains for the Olympic Track Trials in July!

Special thanks to Sara for allowing me the opportunity to interview you after the London marathon, and fitting all my lengthy questions into your busy schedule! 

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest! And subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post! Next up: Athletes Serving Athletes: Wind Beneath the WingMan.  The inspiration behind my journey to become a WingMan. 

Above pictures taken from my journey to Ethiopia in 2009 for a medical missions trip. 

**Disclaimer: I am an Ambassador for the Abbott World Marathon Majors. My opinions expressed here are my own. 

Sources: 

1. http://ryanandsarahall.com/

2. http://extremelove.org/agape-village/

3. http://www.thestepsfoundation.org/?cbg_tz=240

Additional resources and photos from:

 http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/3tXh6qlU__2/XVI+Pan+American+Games+Day+14/x7AbRhZi9hz/Sara+Hall

http://www.runnersworld.com/olympic-trials/olympic-trials-contender-sara-hall

http://womensrunning.competitor.com/2016/04/inspiration/sara-hall-london-marathon-fitbit-data_58302

http://running.competitor.com/2016/04/news/sara-hall-running-the-london-marathon-as-the-lone-u-s-elite_148935

https://www.athletebiz.us/blog/our-journey-to-becoming-a-family-2/