Most recently, I was more than fortunate to hear a presentation by Olympian Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano about their new book Run the Edge. Not only that, I got to meet Adam and Tim, interview them on the spot for Pace Per Mile Radio and have their book signed! So exciting.

If you don’t know already, Adam and Tim’s relationship is a testament to the power of running to bring people together over a common bond that is not easily broken. They were teammates for only one year in college at the University of Colorado, but they formed a friendship and shared passion for running that has never faded. Run the Edge unites this passion with over forty years combined running experience, including Adam’s thirteen years of professional running and Tim’s fifteen years as a Psychology teacher and coach. Talk about impressive; enough to make someone slow like me anyone nervous to meet them.

What I didn’t know was these guys are about the nicest, kindest, funniest, most down-to-earth people you will ever meet in your life. I felt like I knew them from the moment we sat down during the interview and the nerves faded away as we began to talk. Amazing. Their distinct passion for running and motivating others to run prevails above all else. It doesn’t matter to them if you are fast, slow, big, small, competitive or not – we are all runners and they make it known that we are all part of the same running family. Positivity and encouragement just radiated from these guys.

In their presentation, Adam and Tim talked about the mirrors of distance running and how utilizing them can help you reach your maximum potential both in running and in life. The mirrors they talked about were Initiative (make someday today); Adaptability (know when to bend and know the line between tough and stupid); Responsibility (there is no one else who can do it for you); and Accountability (say it out loud, make written goals and put them where you can see them.

The most valuable part of their presentation for me was when they discussed the “Courage to Start.” It is a point that resonates with me still. If the only thing that is stopping you from getting started is getting started then what are you waiting for? Make today the day you decide to change your life. I did almost three years ago when I joined a local boot camp to shed excess pounds and then decided to run a half marathon on a whim (I found MIT once I realized I had no idea how one actually trained for that kind of thing). Once I took the first step, the rest just seemed to fall into place – running, racing, strength training, eating smart and getting healthy. Still, I have rough days (or weeks or months) and asking myself what is stopping you, Sara? is still important. As Tim and Adam said, “Your journey begins today and again tomorrow and again the day after that!” I thoroughly enjoyed every second of their presentation. They told stories, read from their book and used funny and informative slides to emphasize their points.

The next day, Adam and Tim came out to meet us for our morning run and they couldn’t stop talking about how exciting and amazing it was to see so many people up and ready to run on a Saturday morning. They even took video of us because they said people back home might not believe them! I was lucky enough to meet up with Adam out on the trail (he was walking due to recovering from knee surgery) and we talked about knees and training while injured.

Then, I raced over to Fleet Feet (in my car of course) to meet up with Adam and Tim for an interview for Pace Per Mile Radio. If you missed that, you can find it HERE.

Now for the part you’re really interested in – the GIVEAWAY! You know I wouldn’t forget my lovely readers. How would you like your very own signed copy of Run the Edge? I thought so. Here it is:

Until the next mile marker,

You can purchase your own copy of Run the Edge HERE and follow Adam and Tim’s adventures on Facebook HERE. Stay up to date with my Pace Per Mile reports HERE and on Facebook HERE.