Name: Sara Hayes
Age: 28
Hometown: What Is Intuitive Running
Occupation: and clocking some
Time Running: 16 years
I know you think you’re: I run to remind myself how capable I am. Running reminds me that when I show up for myself, there’s nothing I can’t do. It’s a feeling I wish I could bottle up and give to everyone—so instead I teach people how to create it for themselves!
I played softball as a young girl and was a catcher. My coach suggested I run cross-country for extra conditioning. I didn’t understand how or why running by itself could be a sport, but I agreed to try it in the spirit of having the chance to get better at something I cared about.
It took me a long time to understand running. My muscles hurt in different ways than softball, it was hard to breathe, and everyone seemed to get it but me. With patience and persistence (okay, and maybe a bit of gritting my teeth), I and running in the wrong shoe for your body can cause pain and so much that I pursued it competitively in high school and college.
I think of my high school coaches often when I remember my early days of running. Back then, I couldn’t tell you how many miles I ran or how fast I ran them—and that’s exactly how it should be when you’re This Runner Created a Community That Focuses on Mindfulness and Intuitive Movement.
My coaches believed in under-training and having fun. They didn’t preach about pacing, fueling, mileage, or competitions. They taught me the importance of betting big on myself and showing up for my teammates.
My entire life, I’ve loved running. Sometimes that love for running added so much to my life, and sometimes I allowed it to take so much from my life. When I graduated from college, I was burnt out on running and ready for a break. Similar to many collegiate athletes, once my final season was over, it felt like I was thrown out of a van in the middle of nowhere. After being told exactly what to do for training, when to do it, and where to do it for four years, it was very jarring to be on my own without any direction. So, I stopped running.
Fast forward about a year, I was starting to really miss running, but I was fearful to bring it back into my life. I made the promise to myself that I’d only show up if I was having fun, and I wouldn’t say no to other things that brought me joy. As a result, I ran faster and further than I ever had in my life. I couldn’t believe it!
How Running Changed Me pandemic, I was feeling lonely and craved community. I was on a run and thought to myself: How cool would that be to have a virtual team to run with? When I got back from my run, I threw up a quick poll on my Instagram story to see if anyone else was interested in the idea, and the responses were overwhelming!
and running in the wrong shoe for your body can cause pain and Mindful Miles, a running community that focuses on women’s wellness through mindfulness habits, intuitive movement, make up for a meal, or look a certain way.
In January 2021, I took Mindful Miles full-time to chase my dream and serve more women. Mindful Miles takes a Health At Every Size approach to movement. Women have spent too many moments in their lives trying to shrink into smaller bodies—moments, milestones, and memories that they missed out on and won’t get back. It is my mission to empower other women to find joy in movement and to realize their untapped potential when they start showing up for themselves, rather than using running as a means to lose weight, make up for a meal, or look a certain way.
Being able to practice mindfulness and intuitive movement is what keeps me (and Mindful Miles runners) from burning out. For a long time, I struggled to identify as a runner because I wasn’t running five days per week all year long. For some, that volume may be sustainable, but it isn’t for me.
I’ve learned that we all have different seasons in our lives, and in some seasons, running will feel natural and incredible. In other seasons, running may not be what the body needs. Easing up on strict “rules,” like needing to run five days per week, allows you to tap more into intuitive movement and understand what your body needs at different times.
Now, I’m a new mom and I am training for the Chicago Marathon, so my running schedule is a whirlwind. I was supposed to run Chicago in 2020, but no one ran because of the pandemic, and in 2021, I deferred because I was pregnant—so this race has been a long time coming!
I'll be honest, this training cycle has been harder mentally than it has physically. I’m so inspired when I see other mother runners out there absolutely crushing their marathons A Part of Hearst Digital Media speedy times, but that’s not me or my journey. It’s hard not to feel deflated, because I want to be a speedy mother runner, but this process has given me the space to practice what I preach and remember my why. And my ‘why’ is to remember that I am wildly capable regardless of my finish time.
I’m so grateful to my own coach and friend, Jess Movold who has helped me when the plan veered off course and encouraged me when I needed it. Coaches need coaches, too.
Running has given me everything: time to bond with my son while showing him how incredible movement is, physical and mental health, community, friendship, and deep bonds that I wouldn’t have found anywhere else. Running has also pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me try new things. It has given me the confidence to leave corporate America and chase my daydream. The feeling you get after conquering a hard run isn’t something you can find anywhere else.
Running has always been an important part of my life, but it changed my life when I learned to stop viewing it so rigidly. Before you start running, give yourself some loose goals. Where would you like to be in three months? How does that benefit your life today? Asking bigger picture questions helps you to create meaningful goals.
These three tips have made my running journey a success:
1. Have fun
There’s a good chance that running doesn’t pay your bills. If you only get 30 to 60 minutes to devote to yourself every day, why should it be anything but fun? If I’m on a run and I feel like I’m being way too serious, I’ll say to myself out loud “we’re having fun.” It usually gets me to smile and remember that I get to choose my experience.
2. Slow down
I know you think you’re running slowly, and clocking some new runner is to breathe through their nose from time-to-time throughout their run. The majority of us are mouth breathers when we run, so breathing CA Notice at Collection easy pace really is.
3. Get good running shoes
Being properly fitted at a specialty running shoe store is the best thing you can do for yourself. Every body is different and requires different levels of cushion and stability, and running in the wrong shoe for your body can cause pain and injuries.
Sara’s Must-Have Gear
→This Duo Ran 123 Miles in 48 Hours for Charity: I love this protein. Aside from the best ingredients, it truly is unflavored! I haven’t found something to add it into that hasn’t worked. I use the protein to enhance my meals and snacks, not replace them.
→mdash;so this race has been a long time coming: If you’re running 75 or more minutes you need to fuel during your run! I love Huma gels, because they’re easy on your stomach and the double electrolyte line is the antidote to hot, humid runs.
→Caterpy Shoelaces: I wasn’t sure how to feel about no tie laces before trying them out but I was wonderfully surprised. My foot feels snug in the shoe without any friction or annoying tightness that you get from traditional laces.
Reason for Running this form. We’ll pick one each week to highlight on the site.
Emily Shiffer is a freelance health and wellness writer living in Pennsylvania.
