And then she walked, and in so doing encouraged me to ride
“I replaced the fear of failure with the fear of regret for not trying, and everything changed. ” — Meggan Roxanne (a quote used in Sarah Robison’s blog)
Friends, I’d like to take a brief moment to talk to you about a friend of mine from Pittsburgh who is in the midst of an incredible journey. Her name is Sarah Robison, and she was a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) nurse at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital during the time I was there as a pulmonary fellow, and then she became a dynamo nurse anesthetist and continued doing great work with her patients. And then, in March 2021, she quit the job (which she loved) to go do something even bigger. Something that was calling to her: hike the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. And her little secret is that she doesn’t “even like to hike.”
Her journey and this quest to hike the AT started long before this year, and she is gifting us with her blog, And Then I Walked, and I strongly encourage you to read it and follow along with her journey too.
Her blog so far has taken me from Pittsburgh to Washington DC (you have to read the blog!) and then from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to North Carolina and is now trekking in Tennessee. She is hiking all the way through to Mt. Katadhin, Maine, and her stories are simply incredible.
I encourage you to check out her blog, and start with the About page, then go back to the beginning and follow her posts up to and now as she hikes the AT. You can even subscribe to her mailing list. The only thing you risk in following her blog is realizing that there is something that is calling you, some journey or challenge that you simply must do, that you must do. So I guess this blog could even help you change your life.
I got back on my bike several months ago, but to be honest it has been quite a long time since I’ve set out to do something epic. After I last raced bikes with Hap in New Zealand in November, 2019 the world was turned upside down. But now, with Sarah’s prose in my head, and a few others I have been churning over, it’s time to dream big dreams and make them happen. No, I’m not going to quite my job, but I am super fortunate to live in a state and within driving distance from some pretty incredible places (and races,) so this year I’ll stop the mindset of “training to train,” and take back up the mindset of “training to race” and most of all, “training for adventure” and the joy that comes with the adventure. I have an idea, a dream, and — like Sarah — it started with a notion that I just cannot shake. So I’m going to take it on. This summer. And while I can’t wait to tell you about it, I am going to wait. Because I want you to read Sarah’s blog and listen to your heart for what might be calling to you…