The Olympic Marathon | Why Not Project

I've always been a believer that anything is possible. 

So why haven't I placed a bet on achieving something that feels impossible? 

The Why Not Project isn't just about running a super fast marathon. It's about learning to tolerate risk. About pushing the boundaries of my doubt. And actually living what I preach. 

We all have comfort zones. I like to claim I challenge mine. But the reality? Running for a long time is actually really comfortable for me. It's why I love ultras. I won awards. But what I didn't love, was those awards didn't feel special, because they didn't feel earned. I received praise and prizes that had little sentiment for me because I didn't have to work (really work) for it. I had found something I was quite good at, and then...settled. I decorated the space with billboards of excellence, while only having to give a fraction of my dedication to achieve it. Which got me asking, "Is that really excellence, or just luck?" And if that was luck...then what was excellence? 

I spent months trying to conceive what was next. At this point, I had a World Record, had gone to the World Championships in Triathlon and felt a numbness that disturbed me. I should've been happy, maybe even proud of my accomplishments. Instead, I felt empty. I knew I needed to stay aligned to my passion for running, while choosing something that felt ions beyond my capacity. I could try to win some races, but I feel competition-related goals are dangerous and not the purist reflection of ones ability. I could aim to run a marathon in a certain time, but I don't like single-performance goals, because they lead to intense crash landings. I needed something that was enormous, but also long. I can be intense. But can I be dialled? I can be focused, but can I be consistent? I can be passionate, but can I be disciplined? And that's when, in a beautiful moment of insomnia, I felt my heart pounding. 

"It has to be the Olympics." 

And I bet you can guess what happened next? 

I got smacked with a freight train of doubt (and reasons to not even try). I'm already 27. I'm baby-hungry. I'm in full-time school. I didn't grow up on the track. ...and the list continued. Until I finally got to the purist voice within: 

"Why not Sav? And why not you? Now?" 

This decision was anything but spontaneous. My husband and I discussed it from every angle. What would this mean for our timeline of kids? What would it mean for our finances? Our plans to travel the world? It was only after weeks of talking and toying with the idea, that I realized it was back. The alignment. The undeniable feeling that you're sniffing up the right tree. So, with all the conversations had, it was time to get brave and actually commit. A date was set, the plan designed and the deal signed. 

And I'm now proud to say, the journey has officially begun: to become an Olympic Marathoner. Welcome folks, to the Why Not Project. 

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