2:45:01 and Beyond: Sam Yeager

I came upon Sam’s blog quite awhile back and because I related to her I ended up reading years back into her entries like a weirdo.  :-)  She brings such a joyful vibe to running and even from her writing it’s clear she is a very kind hearted person.  It is also impossible not to love her southern accent!  I was privileged to meet her before Indy Monumental 2019, and to run much of the race with her.  She and I also bonded over being small town girls in the big city of Indianapolis.

Seeing Sam’s race times progress over the last year and a half has been amazing, and she is really easy to cheer for because she is just so sweet!  She is blazing fast and her workouts amaze me, but she is also really good at taking her easy days easy, something many runners at this level fail at.  Read her story below, and look at her adorable dog who also exudes a zest for life! 

Name: Sam Yeager

Age: 34

City/State: Daphne, Alabama       

Occupation: Certified Public Accountant

Hobbies/interests outside of running:

Anything outside, but mainly spending time on the water (skiing, paddle boarding, etc.) and playing with my puppy (he’s eight years old and will always be a puppy in my eyes).

When did you start chasing the OTQ and what inspired you to try?

In the fall of 2018, I started working with a new coach (John Raneri with McKirdy Trained) and I had a breakthrough season. I basically ran a PR in every distance that I raced. After one race in particular, a 5K where I took over a minute off of my previous personal best running a 17:22, my coach started planting the seed that an OTQ could be within my reach. At that point, I hadn’t even run under 3 hours for the marathon, so I was still a bit hesitant. After finally getting under 3 at my next marathon, running a 2:53, I was ready to give the OTQ a shot!

Tell us about the races you attempted to OTQ at and the outcomes. 

I went for it at Indy last fall (where I met Sara!) and then tried one more time at the Louisiana Marathon a few weeks ago. I ran a 2:49 in Indy, which was a personal best by 4 minutes and I ran a 2:51 in Baton Rouge. Those two races were only two months apart and I just didn’t quite feel recovered enough, but I definitely don’t regret going for it again. The icing on the cake was getting the overall win in Baton Rouge and having my family and my finance’s family there cheering me on pretty much every step of the way!  

What did you gain from this journey?

I have more confidence in myself and my abilities than I ever have before and that has permeated a lot of other areas of my life outside of running.

What are you most proud of about your OTQ pursuit?

I’m proud that I didn’t let the fear of “failure” keep me from chasing after a goal. I have a tendency to shy away from any pursuits where I don’t think I will be “successful.” I don’t view this pursuit as a failure in any sense and that is a huge mental shift for me!

Do you have any regrets or things you wish you’d done differently in your OTQ pursuit?

I honestly had no idea that I was capable of running the times that I am running now and I just wish I had started working with my coach sooner!

What message would you like to send to those following your running pursuits?

Be consistent and have patience.

Tell us something unique about yourself. 

I love animals! My finance and I have two goats, Mr. Goat & Gaaaaaby (pronounced like it’s spelled 😊), ten chickens and don’t forget my wonderful puppy dog, Brooks (who is, of course, named after my favorite running shoes)!

What’s next for you?

I am going to focus on some shorter races this spring (1 mile, 5k, 10k, etc.) and likely do a half marathon in the fall. I don’t plan to do another marathon for a few years, but I do think that I would like to try again for an OTQ for 2024 (regardless of what the time standard may be at that time).

At Indy, I learned that pace buddies wearing
bright colors are easiest to find!