About
I'm a writer, ultrarunner, horsewoman, and empty-nester mom of two adult kids publishing a weekly newsletter called Mountain Running & Living (sarahrunning.substack.com) with the tagline, "personal essays with practical advice about trail running, mountain living, and midlife grit." I'm the author of "The Trail Runner's Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras" (Falcon Guides, 2017). I'm developing a memoir with the working title "Running Stages" about midlife aging and acceptance within the framework of a weeklong self-supported ultramarathon. When I was 55, I left home and my partner of forty years to race the 170-mile Grand to Grand Ultra stage race to confront self-doubt and grapple with insecurities and desires that compel me to run. The challenge in the desert became less about finishing the extreme endurance test in an older body and more about making peace with who I became and deepening an appreciation for this stage of life.
Featured Work
The Trail Runner's Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras
"The Trail Runner’s Companion" provides an inspirational, practical, and goal-oriented guide. Readers will embark on a journey that begins with safe, consistent training and culminates in adventurous, ambitious trail racing. Along the way, they’ll learn the basics of technique and gear, deepen their appreciation for the ethos and characters who make up the sport, understand how to tackle numerous challenges during a trail run, and develop the physical and mental tenacity to complete an ultra-distance trail race. Combining the storytelling and coaching expertise of the author, Sarah Lavender Smith, along with the insights of many pro trail runners, "The Trail Runner's Companion" delivers sophisticated, yet uncomplicated advice through a well-known and trusted personality in the sport of trail running.
