Stay Ready
This past Sunday I was able to finally check off something that had been on my to do list for YEAAARRRSSSSS. I was able to run and complete my very first half marathon. It was such a surreal experience. I am so grateful for all of the training and numerous friends and family who encouraged me and assisted me on this journey.
Before turning 30, running in a half marathon was on my bucket lists of things to compete. In an unfortunate turn of events, I broke my foot twice (same foot) in one year and suffered a concussion right after I started training and had to really focus on getting back to 100 percent.
A few months after turning thirty, I lost a cousin to a drunk driving accident. At the funeral, his brothers and family talked about how he was such a motivating force in their lives and they played several videos of him motiving others. His mantra of “Stay Ready” kept me when I ready to quit.
Through all of the crazy things that happened before the race, brownstone failing inspection which resulted in the gas being turned off in my apartment (still ongoing six weeks and counting) no cooking, no hot water in the dead of Winter, stomach flu the week before the race, Airbnb canceling the day before I arrived, race shoes not arriving on time, LGA grounding planes over the government shutdown which made me arrive super late, extreme rain and cold in Miami etc. I was still determined to run this race.
My race was in honor of Edwin and I will continue to uplift his legacy. I’ll be back again next year to run the same race…but only faster :-)