Name: Sarah Miller
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
Year: Junior
Major: Social Work
Her Campus (HC): So, Sarah, what was your main motivation for starting the Running Club at FSU?
Sarah Miller (SM): So as a freshman coming into school, I just assumed that there was going to be a running club that I could join but when I went to the club sports night, there wasn’t one. I found the triathlon club and realized that they only practiced once a week, which wasn’t really what I was looking for. I wanted to know what it took to actually start a club so I did it! I basically wanted to be able to build a community of people who enjoyed running for whatever reason; whether it be a way for someone to train for a race or a way to help people to get in shape. Sometimes it is easy to lose motivation without a group of people to run with and it can get quite boring to run alone.
HC: How big of an impact has running made in your life?
SM: Running is kind of like the focal point of my life. I started running competitively in 9th grade and I was the slowest girl on the team, but I fell in love with the team, the community, and my coach, who is an amazing woman. Because of the people and the vibes that I took away from the sport, running really blossomed into something that I loved. Running also helps with my anxiety because it is such a great stress reliever and it helps me release and escape for a while.
HC: What suggestions do you have to young college women who want to get active?
SM: Getting active seems a lot harder than it is. Building a habit takes 21 days, which will definitely be rough, but worth it. Once you really get into a schedule and find your own groove, you will find that an active lifestyle has such a positive influence on your life. It has a lot of benefits that people don’t even realize like the release of endorphins, even during a 20-minute run or five minutes of lifting weights.
HC: What part of running do you love the most?
SM: My favorite part of running is probably the conversations that I have with people on my longer runs. It is really cool to see the bonds you can form with people as you increase in your mileage.
HC: How did traveling abroad for your first year of college influence your perspective on things?
SM: I took a gap year between high school and my freshman year of college and joined a program called Nativ, which means journey in Hebrew. I wanted to take the non-traditional path by going to Israel for 9 months before I started college, which allowed me to learn so much about myself and how to be more independent. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience!
HC: You are also involved in Greek life on campus. Do you have a position in Gamma Phi Beta as well?
SM: I currently serve as the assistant PR Vice President. We had elections for the new school year but I didn’t run for anything this year.
HC: What is it like trying to juggle all of your responsibilities? Do you ever get overwhelmed?
SM: I am a crazy busy person! Being president of a club, involved in Greek life and being a part of a pro-Israel advocacy organization on campus, it isn’t easy. My planner is definitely my life! Running club is definitely the thing that has remained the most constant thing in my life because it is basically like my baby. Since I have seen it through since the beginning, no matter how stressful my day or week is, I know I will go for a run in the afternoon and I know that my stress will fade, even it is for just 20 minutes.
HC: Are you training for any races?
SM: I am currently training for my first marathon called The Donna! I have run 3 half-marathons before but this will be my first full one.