Competitive runners find a glimmer of hope and reassurance on Labor Day weekend as we begin to see upcoming fall races approaching on our calendars.
We can’t train at the highest level without knowing that soon we have an opportunity to collect on the investment we made to ourselves and our fitness this season.
Races provide us with the opportunity to test ourselves and to seek validation for our efforts; the best way to grow personally and professionally from running is to seek great results.
Great results don’t always make it on the leaderboard but they are noticed by your peers and fellow athletes. Great results sharpen us as a community as we collectively look to improve our performance. A great result is not just about you – it is a sign and signal to your community that things are working, the effort is worth it, and that legs are feelin’ good.
You have no idea how your performances will impact other runners but I assure you that if you put in the work necessary to achieve great results that it will be worth it. In honor of this commitment to each other, I wanted to share a few of the athletes I follow on Instagram that inspire me.
| Haron Lagat (@runlagat)
Haron is a member of the US Army and trains under the Army’s World Class Athlete Program. I started following Haron after he won the 2017 Army Ten Miler on an extremely hot and humid day. I will never forget Haron telling a reporter after the race “I thought the race was easy.” I realized Haron must have some serious grit and I knew I needed to keep an eye on him as he works to transition to the marathon. |
| Evan Schwartz (@evanmschwartz)
Any Ohio runner who has sought to achieve top results has come to know the name Evan Schwartz. Evan is a consistent top performer in the marathon and half marathon and has qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Trials. Evan recently moved to Boulder, Colorado and has started an informative video blog on Youtube where he is sharing a lot of great content and making it easy to connect and learn from his success. |
| Sarah Horbol (@saraheve64)
Sarah is a runner from Cleveland, Ohio and has become a consistent leader in road racing, most notably in the marathon where she has qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Trials. Sarah won the 2018 Cleveland Marathon and continues to represent her city by not only continuing to deliver top results but also by encouraging and promoting running in her community. Like Haron, Sarah is full of grit, knows how to run in all conditions, and shows the ability to finish races strongly. |
| Jake McCubbin (@j_mccub)
Jake is a member of the US Air Force and trains in Dayton, Ohio while also balancing a family and his full-time responsibilities in the service. Jake has emerged as a leader both on and off the track and recently won the 2018 Air Force Marathon under extreme heat conditions. Jake’s dedication to improving his performance while also maintaining the highest standards of military service make him an easy runner to look to for inspiration. Jake had a solid spring racing season and his outstanding summer build-up will make him a runner to target and follow this upcoming season. |
Thank you for sharing and being willing to let others in on your journey. Feel free to throw in a comment below about someone or something you’re following that has inspired you. Hit me up with a question or just to say hello – email me at runohloru@gmail.com or follow me on Instagram @ohloru.