How Running (and Life) is About Taking the First Step
Four summers ago, I had a one-year-old and was just existing, finding movement when I could. I wasn’t a runner. Sure, I had done a one-mile test at CrossFit, but that was about it.
Then, out of nowhere, I got a text from a friend:
“Would you sub in for our 100-mile relay race?”
Excuse me? Me? The person who had run exactly one mile that summer? The first thought in my head was NO WAY. But then I paused.
This scared me.
But I also knew I could do it.
So, I said yes.
You Don’t Have to Be “Ready” to Start
The race was two days away—not months, two days. I didn’t even own proper running shoes, so I had to go buy a pair. That’s how unserious I was about running.
But I showed up.
I ran my segments.
No one cared how slow I was.
I just had to finish.
It was a long day, filled with exhaustion, doubt, and eventually… throwing up. But the feeling at the end? Unreal. Emotional. Beautiful. Worth every painful step.
That feeling made me want to chase more.
So, I signed up for a half marathon in September to keep me honest with my training. The last half marathon I had run was nine years before in Long Beach. But this one? This one felt different.
One Foot in Front of the Other
I kept running.
A 5-mile race.
A 10K.
More miles. More movement.
Now, running has become my reset button. When my mind is too busy, when my creativity is stuck, when I just need to be alone, I put on my shoes.
3 miles? Perfect amount.
One foot in front of the other.
Music. Fresh air. Winter, summer, rain, humidity. Doesn’t matter.
I run for me.
Starting is Everything
I wasn’t “ready” when I started running. I wasn’t “ready” when I said yes to that first race.
I just had to start.
That’s the same mindset that led me to create The GRL Initiative—I didn’t have all the answers, I didn’t have a perfect plan, but I knew it was something that needed to exist.
That’s the secret. You don’t have to be ready. You just have to start.
So whatever it is—a race, a dream, a challenge, a new beginning—just start.
#TheGRLInitiative #JustStart #OneFootInFrontOfTheOther #RunningIsMental #WomenWhoRun #MindsetMatters
