After a great training kick-off over the Christmas holiday in Spring Island, I got bogged down with one of the nastiest colds ever. I missed an entire week of running, which had me concerned: would I be able to get back on track?

Fortunately, I had the ultimate back-up plan. Our long-planned sisters’ weekend to Tucson, AZ to visit Canyon Ranch could not have come at a better time.

Susanna, Katie and I joined an amazing group of women for a few much-needed days of fitness and wellness.  Canyon Ranch has special resonance for Susanna and me, because Mom took us there for the first time in 2008. That visit literally changed my life, as it transformed me from someone who hated exercise to someone who craved it. Without that trip to Canyon Ranch, I never could have run the Chicago Marathon, and I would be a far less healthy and balanced person today.

The trip was exactly what the doctor ordered: 5 straight days of exercise, mindful eating, great sleep, phenomenal spa treatments and quality time with my sisters took my fitness to another level. A highlight was a sunrise 8-mile run through Sabino Canyon, one of the most beautiful places I’ve been.

When I run the marathon in April, I’ll look back on this trip as a critical building block. I don’t think that the weather will have much resemblance to Tucson, but I’ll try to carry the spirit of Canyon Ranch with me through the streets of London.