Take the First Step

If you've been around long enough, you know my story.

And while I'm so proud of my story and don't want to do it a disservice by summarizing it in a few sentences, I'll SparkNote it for anyone new here: I injured my lower back in 2019 and couldn't walk or run. It was debilitating. Epidurals, Physical Therapy, Pilates, doctor appointments, surgery consults - you name it, I did it. After what felt like forever, I started running in the second half of 2020. I stopped again in mid-2021 due to a medical procedure (for said injury) and didn't run for an entire year.

They say, "One day? Or day one".

Today is my anniversary of taking the first steps back.  My day one. July 16, 2022.

I was scared but knew I had to try.

I'm still scared some days, but I know I have to try.

I get to try.

It's a gift, after all. All of this hard. To work hard to get it back.  To take a break for a year and then start fresh all over again.

I'm writing this today to celebrate the past 2 years for myself and encourage you, or anyone you know who needs to read (hear) these words, to take the first step. It doesn't have to be running-related. It can be anything you've been scared to do, scared to try, putting off. Take the first step towards it. It won't be easy, but the most rewarding things in life rarely come easy. You don't want it to be easy; it doesn't feel as good when it's easy. The hard is what makes it all so good.

The only time you truly fail is when you don't get up and try again.  The only failure is limiting yourself to what you think you can do.

When I started (again) back in 2022, I told myself I'd only be able to run 5ks.

"Only."

I thought I'd be happy with that (because I was—until I wasn't). I quickly realized I was limiting myself to what I was capable of. Since then, I've covered distances from half marathons to marathons to two ultras. And now, I'm training for my first 50-miler. There have been hiccups. I've fallen - a lot. But more importantly, I've gotten back up and kept going.

So please, do the thing you're scared of today. Take the first step. A year from now, you can look back and smile.

Forward is forward, no matter how small the steps are.