I'm stepping away and hanging up my spikes officially. When I entered this sport at the age of 14, because of a girl, I never thought it would take me as far as it did. This has been a grand journey. What I think back on the most are not the great races I had. I think back to all the people and experiences that came as a result of my circumstantial existence in this world. I will truly miss all the friends I've made over the years. Thank you all for your friendship, kindness, and inspiration. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through the years.

While I'm sad to leave the people in this sport behind, I'm not leaving on any terms other than my own. There are a lot of people who think I'm forsaking my talent. There are quite of few people who feel like running fast is the only thing that should matter. I'm not one of them. Today I've received a few nasty emails from people telling me I'm weak, that I'm stupid, and that I'm giving up. I have to say that it is painful to hear those things from people. I'm not giving up on anything. Running is a beautiful sport and it means a lot to many people, but it isn't everything to me. I'm not giving up. I'm just not happy being a professional runner any longer. It isn't there for me. The passion it once evoked has faded. It became a very unfulfilling pursuit.

I moved to San Francisco, unsure if I was really going to be able to divorce myself from the sport. I moved here and joined AirBnB, a start-up, as the head of marketing. Learn more about it here. And here. I can say that I've probably never been happier. I'm enjoying every minute of my days away from the track. I've poured myself into AirBnB as much I poured myself into running. I can happily say that I trained at the limits of my talent for a number of years, especially this past year in Colorado. I have no regrets. I never wanted to have my grandchildren sitting on my lap with a head full of stories that only stemmed from my time as a runner. It is a small part of who I am, but I am extremely proud of myself for what I did accomplish.

Do I think I could have run faster? Absolutely. Was I ready to wait around for it to happen? No. It no longer became something I felt like I needed to prove to myself. If I did run 3:28 it would have been fantastic. However, I know it wouldn't have made me any happier. It wouldn't have made me a better person. Running tended to suck the life from me. It became a very selfish pursuit and one I regret letting take such a hold over my life. You live and you learn.

I want my life to be filled with as many amazing and unique opportunities as I can possible manage to fit into my finite time on this earth. I want to live a full life. I knew I wouldn't be living that personal ethos if I had stayed in the sport. Running was a sure thing. I could have continued making a living, traveling the world, and living "the dream." The problem was it was no longer my dream. Continuing to run would have been making a safe bet. Joining a start-up certainly is not the safe bet. I can say that there are very few start-ups I have ever admired this much. What is happening inside the walls of our office, with our rag tag team of brilliant 20-somethings, is amazing. I can't wait to see where we land in the next few years!

Thank you again to everyone in the sport. I will miss you all dearly.

Over and out.

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