Q&A with elite runner Sarah Brown
Brown talks her first meet, exciting family news, and health and fitness.
The 23rd Annual Susan G. Komen Massachusetts Race for the Cure is on Sunday, and elite runner Sarah Brown will be in town to captain the team of about 200 from New Balance participating in the race. New Balance has been a sponsor for the Komen National Race for the Cure series since 1991, and a partner of the organization for 26 years.
We caught up with Brown, a native of Northern Virginia, to talk running, the Race for the Cure, and the future. The 28 year-old announced last week that she and her husband Darren Brown, who is also her coach, are expecting their first child, due in March 2016.
Boston.com: Why are you participating in the Komen race?
Sarah Brown: My mom was actually diagnosed with breast cancer around 2001. And growing up — my mom and I have always been close — but growing up, she was definitely my rock and somebody I looked to. And I remember when she got the diagnosis, seeing your mom cry and go through something so difficult and so traumatic, was hard on me as a kid because I relied on her so much that I wanted to be able help her. Take some of that away from her. But as a kid, it’s hard to know how to do that.
She’s fought through it. She went through rounds of chemo and had a double mastectomy, and has been cancer free since.
But when I signed with New Balance in 2009 after my college career was over, I knew that they had this long term partnership with the Komen Foundation. For me it was an opportunity to get involved with something I’m passionate about. I really think it’s important in life to find things that you have a connection to and you feel passionate about, to be become involved. And New Balance provided me that avenue.
Has your mother’s diagnosis affected or changed the way you think about health and fitness?
Yeah. For me, when I saw my mom go through her cancer treatments and then the double mastectomy and then come out on the other side, I saw her reinvest in herself. And I’m not saying she didn’t take time before all this, there was just a purposeful change in her approach — putting time and giving time to herself. And I think that a lot of people after a traumatic event do that. They reevaluate their lives and make a lot of positive changes.
But the thing that I took from that is those kind of changes don’t have to come just because of a traumatic event. I think it’s important your entire life to make some positive changes, and I think one of those first steps to having that balanced lifestyle is health and fitness. And I think it should be a priority for women. For me running has always been my fitness avenue.
The great thing about running is that there’s always a running community that you can get involved in. And it’s important that women find that community around a lot of fitness avenues, whatever you’re passionate about. Whether it’s yoga, cycling, whatever you find that you enjoy there’s really a community that you can get involved in. I think it’s important to have that support structure. And again, it’s just the beginning to having that whole, well balanced life.
How did you get into running?
I started actually as a soccer player. When I was 6 I got into recreational soccer, and over the years I ended up getting into some of the more advanced travel teams in the D.C. area. Women’s soccer was really big in the D.C. area. I actually played soccer until I was 16, but my strength in soccer was always my speed and endurance. I could just keep running around the field, and people had a hard time keeping up with me. I think my parents recognized that ability. Even my grandparents would joke at a young age, ‘Oh, we don’t want to babysit her! She’s too fast — she’ll run away from us!’ It was just kind of one of those things that people recognized in me.
When I was about 13, my parents decided to put me in a Hershey Track and Field meet. So my first meet was actually in cheerleading shoes and a soccer jersey. We didn’t come from a running family, so we were very naive about the sport. But I ran the Hershey Track and Field, and I ended up making it to the national meet. And I won. And that was in the 1600 meter.
Then that same year, through doing Hershey Track and Field, someone told us about AAU Track and Field, so I competed in the 1500 there. And again I made it to the national meet. And I won that too. So that year out I kind of was very successful and I had never properly trained for it. I was just conditioned from playing soccer.
It was kind of just from there that we got into it. We started learning more, about running shoes, running outfits — I just had, like one, running outfit. So that was kind of the beginning of my career.
What are your tips for people who are just getting started in running or beginning runners?
For beginning runners I think it’s important — like I touched on before — that community, that fitness community. Finding a community of runners or a friend that you can do this with. It’s great to have accountability. And also it should be fun! Doing it with other people and creating a social aspect, as well as a fitness aspect, is really key to keeping you engaged. I also think picking a race or picking a goal that you can focus on, that also helps hold you accountable. Instead of just going out and blindly doing something. Following a plan to get to an end goal, that’s also key if you’re just started.
You’re expecting a new addition to the family – do you have any other plans professionally or personally for the future? Any goals?
The pregnancy was a big surprise. It was unexpected, but we’re definitely very excited. That stage in our lives, I think, came sooner than we were thinking it would. But we’re definitely embracing it and very excited about it. But I’m still focusing on all the training that I had planned originally. I know it’s going to need to be adjusted, but we’re still looking to the Olympic trials. I do have already the qualifying time to get on the starting line at the Olympic trials. But we’re focusing on that right now. And we don’t know what’s going to happen or what to expect with that, but we’re not afraid to try. So our goals are very much the same, they’re just adjusted.
Any suggestions for how people can prepare for the race this weekend?
It’s so close now… so I think there’s just a little preparation. Just having a friend to help you through the race, maybe having people out there to cheer you along the way. I think support goes a long way. At this stage in the game, I’m going to have to go with the support stuff because hopefully they’ve put in a little bit of prep work leading in.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com