Q&A With Garmin Ambassador Sara Turner

We hope you enjoy this guest blog from Garmin Ambassador Sara Turner who shares her advice for balancing time, prioritizing and supporting other runners in your life. Sara and her husband Wes live and train in Danville, Virginia. Both Sara and Wes have full time jobs in addition to their active running training schedules. Wes is training for a marathon time of 2:18 or better, and Sara blogs about training, life with a competitive runner and her fitness goals at Loving on the Run. 

How do you balance your time when training for a race?

I am firm believer in making time for what is important to you. I used to make excuses and tell myself it was too hard, but once I changed my focus towards where I want to be it shifted. I get up ‪around 4:00-4:30 AM every weekday to get in my running. That usually includes 2 workouts and 2 easy runs per week. It’s not easy and every morning I curse my alarm, but I know that it’s the hard days and the perseverance that really make us into who we are.

How do you prioritize your running?

Running and my goals are important to me. They aren’t my absolute top priority (obviously family and a few other things come first) but it is definitely on the top part of my list. I’ve learned that the little things that go along with running are often just as important. For years I neglected these and after some disappointing races I’ve come to find that it has to be a priority. I run in the mornings and if I don’t have time for strength, I’ll do it in the afternoon when I come home. Sometimes you have to fit in when you can. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being persistent.

How do you find the motivation to get of bed for early morning runs?

It isn’t easy. No matter how many months, or years, I’ve been doing it when that alarm goes off and it’s still dark outside I don’t want to get up. I’m tired, I want to keep sleeping, but I know that I will never get to where I want to be by staying in bed. I often think back to my many mornings training for my attempt at a BQ in 2014. I had to cut over an hour off my previous marathon PR time and I was really struggling with doubt. However, when I was in the toughest parts of the Kiawah Marathon I remember back to all those early mornings and all the work I’d put it. It helped me push through and run ‪a 3:29 for a Boston 2016 qualifier. It was a HUGE moment in my life for me that showed me I could really do whatever I put my mind to if I worked hard. That is so often what I will go back to when I don’t want to get out of bed on those cold, dark mornings.

What’s it like living with a competitive runner?

My husband has always been a special breed, and I say that out of complete love! He ran his first marathon in ‪3:50 and now has worked his way down to ‪a 2:27. He has such a passion and joy for running and it has always inspired me. His dream is to qualify for the Olympic Trials (only 9 more minutes to shave off) and that to me is dreaming BIG! While sometimes it can be hard living with a competitive runner, it is also inspiring and rewarding to see him chase after and succeed in his dreams! It is great knowing that I always have a support system and truly understands the up and downs that come with running.

How do you support this individual?

Running is a very individual sport; however, it often takes a team to make your dreams come true. We both try to help each other out as much as possible. When I can, I will get up and run early so that I can bike and help provide fuel or water during a long marathon training run for Wes. He often will help pace me during tempo runs and pick me up at various spots when I don’t feel like running an out and back. It’s the little things that we do for each other and that help to build the success. It’s not always easy when we both have big running schedules, but it has always been worth it.

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