California dreaming

Motivation today came in the form of an e-mail from a rock-star running friend who recently moved to Monterrey, Calif.

“I had to write you and let you know I’ve just had the best run!” my friend Sarah wrote. “I’m back! I’m a runner!”

What’s she back from? Oh, from having two kids, one who was born in October.

It needs to be said that her hiatus from running hasn’t been much of a hiatus. Sarah ran the Nashville Country Music Marathon with me (I use the term “with” loosely — I had miles to go by the time she finished) when Lily, her 3-year-old daughter, was barely walking. She ran a half marathon in Jacksonville while pregnant with Zack on a day so hot, she said she was practically hallucinating. I still use this as motivation during summer races, when I repeat to myself: “Channel Sarah. Run till you hallucinate.” It’s amazingly effective.

Sarah’s loop included a couple of mile repeats on a nearby track and “breathtaking vistas of the Pacific.” That’s not available to most of us, but her playlist, and her rock-star state of mind, are.

“The playlist on my iPod included ‘Stacey’s Mom’ — or ‘Lily’s Mom,’ as I like to sing it. This song give me hope as a mom. It also included ‘So What’ by Pink. I put this song on repeat and probably listened to it 7 or 8 times (not exaggerating). It’s my favorite angry-woman power song: ‘I am a rock star … I’ve got my rock moves …’ “

Sarah’s training for the Santa Cruz half marathon in April. Here’s how she describes it:

“Santa Cruz is a laid back, surfy, college town about 40 minutes from us. In my head, I imagine all the 20-somethings walking around with their perfect Abercrombie bodies and wardrobes. I don’t have huge expectations for this race, as far as a time goes. I’m using it as a starting place to denote my return to running post-baby.”

On my run tomorrow, I intend to picture Sarah speeding past all the cute little Abercrombie-clad freshmen on her race toward feeling like her pre-baby self. I suggest anyone who’s ever rebounded from anything do the same.