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Sara & Ryan Hall:
Our Fall Adventures - Part 1
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 18)

Posted November 14th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Sara Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, SPOTLIGHT, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall, Sara Hall

Welcome to the official blog of U.S. middle-distance runner Sara Hall. Sara’s list of running accolades include being a former NCAA All- American at Stanford, the 2006 USA 5K road champion, and the 2006 champion at the Continental Fifth Avenue Mile. Check back every other Friday for her latest entry at http://sarahall.thefinalsprint.com/

I don’t even know where to start! Since I last wrote, we have experienced so much that it’s overwhelming to try to sum it up succinctly in a blog. So this will have to be Part 1 of the Hall’s Fall Adventures!

Last I wrote we were about to head off to the Chicago Marathon to cheer on Team World Vision. It was incredible to actually be with the team in person, meet them at the pre-race pasta dinner, and rally the masses in orange ready to run Sunday morning! Team World Vision had around 800 runners in the marathon, making them close to if not the largest charity in the race! It’s been exciting to see the word getting out and the momentum that the team is generating. During the marathon, I ran around the course cheering on my teammate Kate O’Neill and the hundreds of orange TWV runners that were so easy to spot! Afterwards, we had a barbeque in a park adjacent to the finish, and we got to hear the stories of the 26.2 miles and what had motivated them to join Team World Vision. Some of the runners even ran with buttons displaying a picture of their sponsored child, of whom they were running in honor.

NOTE: Check out the following video of Sara and Ryan addressing Team World Vision runners before the 2008 Chicago Marathon. Then make sure to click “Read the rest of this entry” to continue viewing Part 1 of Sara’s blog entry about their Fall Adventures!

While in Chicago, Ryan and I enjoyed running on the bike path that runs along Lake Michigan, conveniently located right in the city. The first runs back after a break are always difficult for me. Not only do you feel tight and sluggish, but you’re so excited to be running again you just want to sprint, but your body is holding you back. I often liken it to feeling like Pinocchio with wooden legs and disjointed parts. Tight as I was, I knew that it was only going to get worse flying 20 hours to Zambia!

race in zambia sara hall fall 2008 world vision team However, my first run after the epic travel to Africa not only felt good physically, but became a memory I will never forget. As soon as we arrived at our hotel, we asked the staff if, after a short nap, we could fit in a run before dinner, to which they agreed, saying they would escort us for our safety.

Not sure of what that meant, we headed to the lobby in running apparel and found four of the Zambian World Vision staff awaiting us wearing the same clothes they had one when they greeted us; jeans, collared shirts, slacks, sandals… “We’re ready to run!” they said, and Ryan and I looked at each other knowingly. Ryan ran up to the room and grabbed his extra Zambia Isaac at the starting line pair of shoes to lend to the guy in sandals, partly as an act of good will, partly because he didn’t want this guy holding him back. The young man was very grateful, and the shoes fortunately were his same size. (See picture, right). As we trotted down the dirt road together, I thought to myself I wonder how long these guys will last.

After a few minutes of jogging to loosen up, the pace naturally quickened as the run continued. Ryan and I looked around at our new friends and were impressed by the natural smoothness of their stride, though partially hidden by their baggy clothes. How can they wear fleece jackets in this heat? I wondered. As we continued down the road, women walked with buckets of water balanced on their heads, men rode by on rickety bicycles, and everyone that passed us stared at Ryan and I, often muttering “mizungo”, meaning “white person” or, the more bold ones, shouting out “Hal-loo, how are you?”, excited to practice their English. We passed numerous mud huts along the way, and often children came running out to wave at us wildly, giggling at the sight of foreigners. They were so adorable it was overwhelming, and I waved back at them, grinning equally as wide.

Soon groups of children in light blue uniforms could be seen up ahead, walking home from school carrying their book bags. As we ran up next to them, they smiled and laughed, and started running with us, still laughing! I was amazed at how small children, caring bags of books the size of them could keep up at a sub-7 minute pace, often barefoot or wearing sandals! Their joy was infectious and we giggled with them, giving them high-fives and thumbs up as they strode beside us. Soon the road started to climb, and one by one they would slow to a walk, except one girl who looked about 10 years in age, who followed our pace from across the road. She was wearing pink crocs and had a large back of books in one hand, but she smiled as she kept up with us for almost 2 miles! When we started to pull away and she slowed to a walk, she still smiled and waved at us until we were out of sight.

Sara Hall Zambia Trip Fall 2008 Team World Vision Now that I’m back in Mammoth and enduring the combination of getting in shape, adjusting to altitude, starting speed workouts, and all with incredibly sore muscles from our intense weight routine, I will occasionally picture myself out on that first run in Zambia, surrounded by smiling children. I will try to have that same joy when I’m running, one that made them unaware of how tired they were and allowed them to just savor the exhilarating moment.

African Adventures to be continued…..
- Sara

Check back on Friday, November 28, 2008 for Sara’s latest entry at: http://sarahall.thefinalsprint.com/

To comment on this entry and to send feedback & questions to Sara, please click here.

Check out Ryan and Sara Hall’s NEW website: http://ryanandsarahall.com/

Learn more about and donate to Ryan & Sara Hall’s “Run For Something More Precious Than Gold” Campaign and Support the Humanitarian Efforts of World Vision: