How one decision changed my life—and my limits.
Looking back, there are pivotal moments that define our lives. Today, I want to share one of those moments—how one decision to run a marathon forever changed my limits.
My mom was an avid marathon runner and coach. After her last marathon in October ‘14, she felt a soreness in her back, but said she’d improve on the next one. A few weeks later, she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. She had just finished a marathon with lesions in her spine, yet all she said was, “My back was sore. I’ll do better on the next one.”
I started running when my mom’s oncologist told her she couldn’t run anymore. That moment changed everything. It was painful to watch the most positive person I know face the possibility of losing what she loved. I remember the car ride home, realizing how fragile things are. I made a promise to myself that day: I would honor my ability to move, never take a day for granted, and always keep my health a priority.
So, in December 2014, I printed a marathon registration and put it in my mom’s birthday card, telling her I’d run for her. I hadn’t run much before, but committing to the race changed how I saw my own limits.
But when it came time to train, I put it off. After all, who wants to run before or after work in cold, dark, rainy weather? I kept waiting for a “perfect day,” convincing myself it could wait.
Then, with only 8 weeks left, I knew I had to make it happen. I didn’t want to let my mom—or myself—down. I trained as best as I could in those last few weeks and showed up on race day. Crossing that finish line was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but seeing my mom’s joy made every moment worth it.
A few months later, I found myself missing the pursuit of something big, of pushing through every mental and physical block. I realized the marathon was just the beginning—I had discovered a new resilience within me that I could bring into every part of my life. I signed up for another marathon in 2016, determined to train properly this time, and brought that same focus into building my first business.
The lesson I learned is that facing challenges today makes us stronger for tomorrow. I didn’t realize how those early morning runs in the rain were building resilience, or how running would calm my mind and become my therapy. I didn’t know it was preparing me to navigate the hardships of running a small business through the pandemic years later.
When's the last time you set a big goal and challenged yourself? When's the last time you pushed through discomfort? Your challenge could be physical, mental, or emotional. What goals could you set to push past your limits and unlock the best version of yourself?
Whether you succeed or fail, if you commit yourself to the goal, you will grow. It might be the spark you didn’t know you needed, and it may prepare you for whatever lies ahead.
I promise you, life is better on the other side of those so-called limits.
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