🏃 One Foot in Front of the Other…

Do we recognize the most significant moments of our lives as they are happening? Sometimes, maybe. But I would venture to say that oftentimes they blaze on by without a second gaze.

During the lowest period of my life, when I embodied in my core that I didn’t matter and truly believed that it would be better if my presence simply left this planet, I noticed something. The people around me were running. One foot in front of the other. Literally.

I had played sports my entire life and even ran track a bit in high school, but I told myself after one bad day that I would never run again. Funny how life comes back around.

In that moment, I had a choice. Dust off my old running shoes from high school and give this running thing a second chance, or choose to follow through on ending my life.

Jungfrau Marathon, Switzerland (2021)

To some it might “just” be running, but for me this moment quite literally saved my life. I often reflect back on that period and wonder if there was anything else that kept me going, and I’ve only ever been able to recall that tiny whisper of the human spirit saying to me, “Not yet.”

For a person that said “never again” to running, the endless possibilities the sport has afforded me makes me eternally grateful. Reconnecting with the natural world and the immense beauty surrounding me on a daily basis that can so easily go unnoticed. Discovering and cultivating a voice through sharing my journey with others. Sharing space with endless animals as we all just do the best we can with each day that we have on this planet. Sharing race days with thousands of other humans, all with their own stories and journeys in this life. Exploring new places on foot for the sake of it because it’s FUN!

This idea of putting one foot in front of the other has carried me through this life. It has helped me in remaining true to the MEest version of me that I understand in this moment. In spite of any inevitable resistance, I know there is a calling on my life and I am here to fan the flames of my inner light that I couldn’t feel for so long.