We hope your 2013 is off to a great start and on track with your new year’s goals!
We are training hard and preparing for our Spring races: Boston Marathon for Ryan and the spring track season for Sara. If you haven’t seen Sara’s blog about running XC Nationals off of injury, check it out! http://ryanandsarahall.com/blog/

We wanted to let you guys know that this year we have decided to partner our Steps racing teams with Team World Vision, an organization that we love and have supported since 2008. We have gotten to see first hand Wold Vision’s work while in Zambia, where we saw water projects and health clinics that were funded by runners. Team World Vision raises money for clean water in Africa- something we are very passionate about, and have funded World Vision’s work through Steps. Se want to encourage all of you who are looking for a team to join to check out their website, www.teamworldvision.org and select “Join the Team”.

Of course you can always run any race, any place for Steps or Team World Vision. We hope you will continue to commit your running to bringing better health to those in need!

Blessings to you guys,
Ryan and Sara

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http://youtu.be/aDnTq4EI2QE

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When I first began competing at the age of 13, winning came easy.  In fact, I started competing with the boys because I was winning girls races by over 2 minutes, and even still, usually won or placed 2^nd against the boys.  Though this fueled my love for running and competing, it also set me up with an “anything less than winning is not acceptable” mentality.  As I’ve grown up, I’ve realized how much I was drawing my identity from how successful I was as a runner.  If I was competing well, in my eyes I was a success, but if I competed poorly, I saw myself as a failure.  Fortunately God used some rough patches in my career to show me that my identity is not based in what I do, but in who He created me to be and who He says that I am.  Now I make sure to spend time hearing from God and from others on how God sees me, the plans He has created me for, and shape my identity from that.

Once your identity is secure, than you are free to take risks and go after dreams, because you no longer fear failure. There have been times in my career where I was more nervous I’d fail than excited to succeed- and this was because the failures were shaking my identity.  But now that my identity is secure, I rarely ever get that feeling of nervous dread before races, I am excited and peaceful going in, more focused on how much I love to compete and run all-out than worried it might not go well.  That is how this whole year has been leading up to the Olympic Trials.  Even when some of my steeples early on were sub-par performances, rather than letting that rattle my confidence and let fear enter in, I shifted my focus to what my goal was and how excited I was to be running towards it.  The day of the Olympic Trials I experienced so much more peace than in other years, and I am so thankful for God’s grace in growing me in this area.

I have also learned that, unfortunately, as much as we would like them to be, our bodies are not machines and do not always cooperate as we would like them to.  After 15 years of competitively racing, I’ve become quite aware of this, and though it can be frustrating at times, I have learned that the number one thing you can focus on is giving your best and walking away from the race with no regrets.  When you’ve given your all, you have to trust that even if your best wasn’t good enough, that God will use it to “work all things together for your good” (Romans 8:28).

So what happens when you don’t accomplish your goal? Well, I believe it’s totally normal to get really bummed out, as I did after the Trials.  I was devastated and let myself mourn the death of the dream.  I had really believed it was going to happen and that Ryan and I were going to walk hand-in-hand into the Opening Ceremonies. But amidst the pain, I intentionally kept my focus looking outward and forward rather than backwards and inwards.  Rather than getting really introspective and analyzing what went wrong, why didn’t I have that last gear, what could I have done differently, how did this happen and being tormented by these thoughts, I instead got together with my friends and family and let them embrace me with their unconditional love.  I hung out with Jesus and let him encourage me.  I picked a new goal and kept moving forward.  Then, after some of the frustration and disappointment had worn off, it was a good time to meet with the coach and analyze the race and what we could do to improve both the race and preparation next time.  And after a few days, I felt a lot more like myself, because I realized that I don’t just do this solely for the end result, but I do this because I love it and feel called to it, and that doesn’t change when you don’t meet your goal.  When you are enjoying the process and letting it shape you as a person along the way you realize the value of the journey.

Another thing I’ve learned is to keep your head up and keep looking for signs of God’s redemptive work.  I have already seen little glimpses of how God has used my Olympic Trials race to teach me things, and am constantly looking for what He is up to.  It’s always easier to see these things in hindsight and see how His hand has fit all the pieces together perfectly, though at the time we can’t see the full picture.

So what’s next? My attention has now shifted to preparing for some fast races in Europe and supporting Ryan in his final buildup to the Olympic marathon.  I am excited to experience the Olympics with him as we usually approach things- as a team, together, even though we won’t be official teammates on Team USA.  It will be the culmination of a big season of change for us, where we’ve really had to rely on each other and God for support, so I look forward to seeing it all come together on the streets of London.

We will keep you updated! Thank you so much for the prayers and support, we really appreciate them as we continue this journey!

The post Sara Hall Post Olympic Trials Thoughts appeared first on The Steps Foundation.

If you need a bib or want more info on joining one of our teams: contact Caleb@thestepsfoundation.org for team information and bib requirements for each race.

The post Fall 2012 Chicago and New York Marathon Teams now forming! appeared first on The Steps Foundation.

The post Sara Hall makes 3000m Steeplechase final at 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials appeared first on The Steps Foundation.

Well Drilling

Many villages across the world do not have a clean water supply, and people are sick and dying as a result.  When people are thirsty and starving, the best thing we can do is offer a cold drink of water. The IRIS  well-drilling program is moving ahead rapidly making a tremendous difference in the quality of life of many villages. IRIS is one of the few organizations that has the equipment and government permission to drill wells throughout Mozambique. Nearly a billion people have no access to clean water. When they drink dirty water it makes them sick. When a well is drilled and installed, children return to school, businesses begin, and the men begin to work again from not being sick. Water brings health to the food supply chain. This breaks the poverty cycle.

• Nearly 1 billion people don’t have safe water to drink.
• A child dies every 15 seconds from a lack of clean water.
• 115 people die every hour from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene and contaminated water.
• 1 in 5 children who die before age 5 worldwide, die of a water related disease.
• Children often walk miles every day to collect dirty water to drink.
• Water related illness kills more people each year than wars and conflict.
• It costs approximately $6,000 to drill a well.

Find these and other facts at:

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/sanitation/en/
and
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/facts_figures/en/index.html.

Health Clinics

In Pemba, there is a free health clinic that offers medical attention averaging 50 patients a day with a limited small staff. In three months, 3300 patients have been seen with 33% of them children under five. Babies and mothers are assessed twice a month and given powdered milk formula. The clinic covers basic medical attention mainly focusing on public health issues ranging from nutrition and hygiene, to infant care and abstinence. Medications are distributed as needed. As IRIS has seen growth, the need for a larger facility has grown and the groundwork of the new medical clinic in Pemba has begun. Monday through Friday, the clinic strives to meet the needs of the local community with free services. In developing countries, 80% of medical illnesses are related to water and sanitation issues. We see a huge opportunity to help IRIS meet their goals and provide a safe medical environment that impacts many in the region and educates for a better future.

While the cost is high to build a new clinic, it far outweighs its reach into the future and the impact on the local community. The Hall Foundation is committed and excited to help fund these two ongoing projects in Mozambique!

The post Hall Foundation Funding A Well and A Medical Clinic In Mozambique appeared first on The Steps Foundation.

Way to go runners!

 

 

 

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This journal chronicles Ryan’s 14-week preparation for the 2010 Boston Marathon, providing practical insights into the daily regimen of someone training at the absolute peak of human performance. It also reveals the spiritual journey of an elite athlete who is a follower of Jesus Christ.

The post Autographed Copy Running With Joy by Ryan Hall appeared first on The Steps Foundation.

As in any marathon there were obstacles that came up along the way and things got increasingly hard as the race unfolded.  By the time Meb, Abdi and I shot free with a lap to go we were all hurting.  I hadn’t done a good job of finishing my bottles along the way as a result of some stomach issues I was having and so the dehydration and lack of calories was beginning to take its toll on me.  I have never felt like I did in the last three miles of the trials.  My energy was extremely low and I felt like I was beginning to have an out of body experience.  I was starting to get concerned that I may pass out.  I was glad I had a lot of people praying for me because it was these prayers and the thought of walking into the opening ceremonies at the London Olympics with Sara that got me to the finish line.

Looking forward, I have never felt so optimistic about a marathon as I do feel about the Olympic Marathon.  I have a strong since of destiny about this race.  I believe God has been preparing me until now for these next 7 months of training and for the race that will unfold on August 12th.  I am not sure exactly what the results will be but I know I will walk away from the games and this experience forever changed.

The post My post trials thoughts. appeared first on The Steps Foundation.

Congrats Ryan! We at Steps are so proud of you!

The post Ryan makes his 2nd Olympic Team in the marathon with a 2nd place finish in Houston! appeared first on The Steps Foundation.

Our goal is to help you with better health and faster PRs in 2012, but as you will see from question 5 this week, nothing is off limits! Post and tweet anytime you have a question as we are constantly collecting the questions and sorting through them.

1) How do you stay injury-free? Can you share a few post-run stretches that may help?

Staying injury free is the name of the game! We do a lot of little things to prevent injuries.  To prevent soft tissue injuries, we do a lot of self massage using tools like a foam roller, softball, golfball, whatever you can use to get directly on the tight area and get blood flow to it.  We also try to prevent stress fractures by doing as much running as we can on dirt or softer surfaces than pavement, and making sure we get plenty of calcium from food (dairy, leafy greens, sardines are some of our favorite).

2) Running 90 miles a week and am ALWAYS hungry. How can I meet my caloric needs eating healthily?

This can be a challenge, especially when doing marathon training! We would recommend getting in lots of healthy fats, they will satiate you and also help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day.  Nut butters, especially almond and walnut, are great (we like adding agave nectar to ours!).  Lemon Flavored Cod Liver Oil (it just tastes like lemony oil, no fishy taste) is the most healthful option!

3) I live at sea level, but will be running a marathon at altitude. How can I prepare for it? How do I adjust my pace on race day so that I don’t bonk too soon?

Wow, that’s a tough one!  We’ve heard it’s best if you can arrive less than 24 hours before the race, as 24-72 hours is usually when you feel the worst if you haven’t lived at altitude.  Depending on your pace, it would be wise to start 30 sec slower for every 4 minutes you run- so if you run 8 minute miles, start out running 9:00 miles, but if your pace is 12 min/mile, start at 13:30.

4) How much cross training do you do a week?

Not very much.  We both have pretty durable bodies, so we prefer to do running over supplementing with cross training.  Because Sara is doing shorter, more power events, she will lift weights twice a week (full body, a series of squats, core, etc.) and occasionally take a spinning class, but if we are healthy, we think the best way to become a better runner is to run more.

5) Will the epic beard be making a comeback?

I don’t want to give anything away at this point…. but I’ll give you a hint to say that it’s been in the high 60s in Redding all winter, unlike the usual snowy winters I’ve had in the mountains in year’s past.  I’ll leave you to guess!

The post Ryan and Sara answer your questions 1/6 appeared first on The Steps Foundation.