I've always been fond of seasons. I love the traditions and celebrations that come with each season - family ski trips in winter; the smell of fresh cut grass and hot rubber at track meets in the spring; summers spent at the pool; and my favorite, fall, which brings cross-country season, the start of school, fall colors, and pumpkin-flavored everything! The changing of the seasons serves as a reminder that time is not standing still - the world is moving forward and time is indeed passing, so you best not get stuck.

Like the seasons on the calendar, we go through seasons of life. As we grow and mature and change, we travel through different life seasons, each one new and different with its own challenges and promises. I'm reminded of a quote from an article I'm fond of, What to Know at 25-ish, about this current season of mid-20s life:

"Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming."

I say all this because I'm about to make a move and take a risk. In this season of becoming, I'm taking on a new challenge - I'm moving to Cleveland, Ohio. My long-time boyfriend is in medical school there, and after years spent commuting across the country to see each other, we'll finally, finally be in the same place.

And so I'm bidding San Francisco farewell after 2 joyful years here. This time has been its own glorious season, filled with new friends and adventures. But now, I'm ready to explore some new trails and embark on a new journey, with Avi.

In my remaining weeks in San Francisco, I'll be going on many joyful runs, checking off some SF bucket list items, and spending as much time with friends and family as possible. I'm quite sad to be leaving my home state, but you can't take the California out of a girl for too long though - I expect to be back in sunny CA once a month for track meets, road races, and visits to friends and family. It's not goodbye, just see you later...

As I've made this big life decision, I've frequently been recalling the lyrics of a favorite song of mine - Landslide by Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac:

"Well, I've been afraid of changing
'cause I've built my life around you
but time makes you bolder
even children get older
and I'm getting older too."

Boldly, I go forward into this next season of life - Ohio here I come!

When I think back on all my years of running, what I remember most is the people. The challenging workouts, the painful injuries, the anguish of championships lost, the pure joy in running a PR... all these memories remain, but they pale in comparison to the memories of the people I shared those miles with.

I began my running journey as a 7th grader, in 1999; over the past 13 years (holy smokes, has it really been that long?!?) I've shared countless miles with cherished friends and talented teammates. But since moving to San Francisco in 2010, I've mostly been training alone. This isn't the first time I've trained on my own - I logged solo miles when I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Washington DC when I interned there in 2009 - but training on my own in San Francisco was the first time it's been a long-term thing, with no end in sight. I struggled at first (recall blog posts from Fall 2010...) but I've learned to get out the door on my own, do core by myself on the living room floor, click off splits around the track when no one is watching...

I may have figured out how to get things done on my own, but it doesn't mean it's gotten any easier over the past 2 years. I still yearn for training partners to run with every day (thank goodness for my adopted team, the USF Women's XC team!) and my favorite day of the week is Tuesdays, when I get to work out in Palo Alto with my New Balance Silicon Valley teammates. Like I said, it's all about the people!

Yet even between NBSV and USF workouts, I still do over half my mileage alone - which can be a little lonely. This is where my Sisters in Sport have come in and been so important to me. Through Twitter and the blogosphere I've gotten to know many talented female athletes - runners of all abilities who race everything from the mile to the marathon. We've connected through tweets and blog comments, sharing in each others' triumphs, consoling one another when races go south, and cheering each other on mile after mile. A note crammed into 140 characters might not seem like much, but those motivational messages have gotten me out the door, helped me push through that last tough repeat, and if ever I forget, have served to remind me that running brings me joy.

So, I'm thrilled to announce that I've officially joined the #SistersinSport blogging network, part of a project started by superstar pro runners Lauren Fleshman (my idol!!) and Ro McGettigan. Once a month I'll be blogging about the personal goal-setting I'm doing using their Believe I Am training journal. This journal is different than my training log; instead of tracking weekly mileage and workout splits, I'll be setting personal, athletic, and overall wellness goals. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with YOU, my Sisters (and Brothers, Family, and Friends) in Sport. THANK YOU so much for your overwhelming support over the past 2 years and I look forward to sharing my running journey with you for many more miles :)

The first goal that I'm setting in my Believe I Am journal is to enjoy every run. I have some big changes ahead of me so for the next few months, I want to make sure that I really take the time to savor every run. While it might be rainy or foggy and there's a million things getting in the way of my run, I'm challenging myself to find the time and patience to take a step back and enjoy each joyful mile. I hope that you can do the same!