Becoming Her: The Journey to Elite Endurance Athlete
He didn’t even bat an eye when I uttered my plans.
He just listened patiently and said,
“What can I do to help you get there?”
[ insert: lovey-dovey feels ]
Before you come at me, know that I realize the hubster is an amazing individual —
one I definitely tricked in college to fall in love with a clumsy, goal-obsessed, off-key-singing chaotic dumpster fire of a woman.
Hello. That’s me.
Said dumpster fire.
And I’m okay with it.
Now, back to the story.
The dream I told the hubster was that in this season of my life — well, our lives —
I feel called to become an elite endurance athlete.
Yep.
At the ripe young age of 43, I am setting out to become not just an athlete...
but an ELITE endurance athlete.
At this point, you might be thinking two things:
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Amber… what exactly is an elite endurance athlete?
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Um… have you run or participated in any of those kinds of events before?
And if you're like me, you have the ticker-tape banner of a thought blaring in the background:
ARE YOU FRICKING MENTAL?
To answer your questions:
-
No, I’m perfectly sound of mind… if not a bit rough around the edges.
-
I’ve participated in only two races — both ultras (150mi and 100mi) — and a few endurance events.
An elite endurance athlete that does not make.
Because, really… what is elite?
SO I GOOGLED IT
Like any normal human with big dreams and mild panic would.
I was bombarded with a slew of info, but here’s the AI-generated cliff notes:
“Becoming an elite endurance athlete requires exceptional physical attributes, rigorous training, and mental fortitude. This includes a high VO2 max, strong heart, efficient running economy, structured training, and high resilience.”
There was more.
Words like “stroke volume,” “ventricle wall thickness,” and “running economy” were thrown around like a Nike commercial.
But here’s what hit me:
It doesn’t matter what Google or society defines as elite.
It’s what I define it as.
A REMINDER ABOUT ME
I’m a 40-ish woman who still feels mentally 25.
My body, however? Yeah… not on board.
Since turning 40, it’s like my body decided to hoard abdominal fat like a doomsday prepper —
stockpiling adipose tissue like we’re headed into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights.
Visual received? Good.
That’s where this story begins.
This is the start of my journey to becoming an elite endurance athlete.
Do I know exactly how it’ll happen?
No.
Do I know when it’ll happen?
Heavens, no.
But do I believe it’s possible?
Absolutely.
WHY
Because if a dream is put in your brain and stamped on your heart,
I fully believe God has already provided the tools, the resources, and the people to make it happen.
Anything is possible. So… why not this?
ENTER: THE COACH
Naturally, the next step was hiring a coach.
I chose someone who:
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Believes in me but won’t let me off the hook
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Knows me just enough to know when I’m bluffing
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Will push me beyond my comfort zone
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Will force me to do it differently this time
And you know what?
He didn’t blink. Didn’t gasp. Didn’t say “Are you sure?”
He just asked:
“What does this version of you look like?”
“What does she do, wear, speak, listen to, hang around with, read every day?”
“What does she sacrifice to make this happen?”
“What is she saying to herself?”
“What races is she participating in and what does she do with this?”
As I sit here, reflecting and journaling through these questions — I wanted to share this moment. To document the beginning. The messy, chaotic, hilarious, nerve-wracking beginning. The story of a 43-year-old, homeschooling twin mama. who’s decided to go all-in on a calling.
It may take two years. It may take a decade. I’m not entirely sure. But I don’t want to miss it. And if by sharing this story, just one other woman in her 40s decides to say YES to that whisper on her heart —
then hells YES.
It was worth it.
Because I believe this to my core:
If God put it on your heart, He will make a way.
So if you want to:
👊 Share your dream with me -- email >> HERE <<
📖 Follow this journey -- where you'll catch behind-the-scenes action >> HERE <<
🙌 Or just drop some positive words...
Know this: I believe in you. And if you ask me to do something in the near future and I say no? Just know it’s not personal. Mama’s busy.
She’s becoming an elite endurance athlete.
Grit + Gumption.
ALG ♥️
