Don't Let the "Sag" Wagon Catch You!

Recently, I renewed a friendship with someone from my youth. The friend will be forever remembered for attempting to certify a sibling and me as worthy Red Cross lifeguards. Before the test, my brother and I snuck a peak at the students being evaluated before us and knew that we would have to apply “reach-throw-row-tow-go!” to save a distressed swimmer in the middle of the pool. My brother went first. As he entered the pool and heard, “She’s drowning!” he quickly grabbed a long pole and sent it crashing down on the head of the distressed swimmer, who soon began drowning in earnest! The swimmer survived and replied to an email from me 35 years later. She had forgotten the near drowning (maybe due to the blow to the head?), but did remember me.



Once I assured my friend that neither my brother nor I had made a career in lifeguarding, we quickly covered 35 years of life experiences. I learned that my friend is a successful executive who is passionate about the work that she does, and is a practicing Clinical Hypnotherapist and Master Life Coach. She shared with me that she was preparing for the P.F. Chang Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix at the end of January. As I expressed my admiration for the example that she sets and the service that she provides, she described the challenges that she had to overcome to get where she is at today.


Less than 5 years ago, during a walk on the beach, my friend’s husband and love of 28 years suffered a fatal heart attack. Months of loneliness and despair followed, made worse by a sedentary lifestyle and weight gain. She eventually reached a point where she realized that she would either be lost in grief forever or she could change her mind about her circumstances, so she decided to make serious changes. She gives a lot of credit to her hypnotherapy training and a mentor who taught her skills to change her way of thinking and focus on the positive. Part of her transformation was her physical condition. In 2008, she began to exercise 4 to 6 times per week, walking outside, walking on a treadmill, or using the elliptical machine. It did not come easily. She had to talk herself into it each day until one day she realized that it had become a habit – the question had become when she would exercise, not if. A year later, she happened to be at Camp Lejeune, NC, where a 10K “Hope For the Warriors Race” was being held to raise money for severely injured returning service men and women. Someone suggested that she enter the race. My friend responded that she had never run in her life, but that she would “walk” it. 30 minutes into the race, she found herself trying to catch up with people in front of her. Soon it became walking, running, walking, running. Less than a year later, and over 40 lbs. lighter, she made plans to do a half marathon.


The morning of the half marathon my friend emailed me a photo of the race “Sag Wagon”, explaining that runners were told that they must achieve a certain pace or get in the wagon if it catches up with them. That was enough encouragement to get her off on a brisk pace! Armed with her iPhone (loaded with her carefully selected “Running” playlist of tunes measured at 143 beats per minute that included: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, “Lido Shuffle”, My Sharona”, “Born to Run”, “China Grove”, Rock-n-Roll All Night”, Carry On My Wayward Son”, “The Heat is On”, “Brown Eyed Girl” and “She Bangs”) she sent friends occasional status updates through text messages or an occasional phone call – modern day racing! She ran the first 9 miles before she started mixing in some walking, and finished the 13.1 miles in a better time than she anticipated and, most importantly, the Sag Wagon never caught her!


My friend’s example has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself a little more. It has been quite a few years since I entered a race. A race is not just a one-day event. It involves weeks of preparation. I mentioned Chicago’s upcoming (5 mile) Shamrock Shuffle to my friend. Guess what “we” will be doing on March 21st?