03/15/2026
Goal: 20 miles at 20 weeks ✅
I’ve been very fortunate to stay active throughout all of my pregnancies. During my first two, I ran two half marathons before the 20-week mark. This time I wondered… what if I ran 20 miles at 20 weeks? That would be neat.
Intimidated by the idea, I started training after the first of the year to see where it would take me.
There was no race, no sidelines, no one handing me snacks or water. Just me and my little one, running around our little town in Kansas. Talk about a mental game.
Long-distance running is a personal mind war. Your legs keep moving, but your mind is constantly negotiating with discomfort, fatigue, and doubt. It may not be for everyone, but there is real value in doing hard things that require endurance and sustained effort. To me, it’s one of the closest metaphors to the journey of life. Some days will drain you. You feel like you’re getting hit by waves after wave and can’t catch a breath. Some moments make you question the point of it all.
That’s where grit shows up.
This is when you keep going anyway. You do it for yourself, your partner, your kids, your loved ones, your animals. You do it because resilience is the only option.
Pick a goal. A hard one. You will feel a sense of pride that will shape a better version of yourself-for you and perhaps your family. The determination, resilience, and courage that you develop might just inspire others.
Chasing goals can be addictive… so make sure you choose the right ones.
