I just registered for the Paris half marathon this spring, and the last time I was really training for a race (11 years ago?), I was recovering from an autoimmune disease that had me majorly fatigued, adrenals shot, panic attacks when I’d drive. Had to go through a lot of doctors and treatments and vitamins and diet changes to get it in check. Coming out of that rough season, I knew I needed something to prove to myself that I could overcome it and come out stronger on the other side.

10.10.10 – the day I ran the slowest marathon known to man. I walked more than half of it. I cried (no sobbed) for the last 6 miles of it. But dude I did it. And the sucky thing about life, is often there aren’t finish lines to hard things. Challenges come and go and morph in to new ones, but the hardest thing about challenging seasons, is that they can make us feel powerless. Like we don’t have the ability to change our situation or agency to grow beyond what we’re currently experiencing. And this is why I love/hate running. It does NOT come naturally to me. I have never been an athlete and most of my life avoided anything that I wasn’t good at right away. I have to get out there every day and put in my miles or I will get injured or worse- not finish the race.

Running is HUMBLING and empowering at the same time. Everyone passes me. Like the guy wearing a full bear suit and the guy juggling included. But it doesn’t matter. The true work is inside my own head that tells me I can keep going. And when you keep going- when you make it to the end even though you’re crying and you were slower than everyone and you walked most of it- you realize that the race and the months of training was what changed you. Not crossing the finish line. It was in every morning you pulled yourself out of bed when you didn’t want to. And about the people running along beside you who urge you forward. It’s about your own commitment to change the story.

If you’d like to change YOUR story, check out our online program Danger School HERE!