Watching the back yard ultra, while on my tready....... Whooohooo
The Fall 50 in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. 50.7 miles and a whole lot of purpose!
The good news? I’m finally starting to feel better! 
The medication seems to be helping, and I’m learning how to use this new inhaler.
The medication seems to be helping, and I’m learning how to use this new inhaler.With my lungs still recovering, I decided to keep things indoors on the treadmill rather than head out into the cold air.
Let me tell you…SLOW was the name of the game!
Nothing fast, nothing fancy. Just seeing how my body was feeling and keeping everything easy. Since I’ve had a little extra downtime this week, guess what happened?
I ACCIDENTALLY BOUGHT MORE RUNNING SHOES! 
Found a pair I’ve run in before, just a half-size bigger. Then somehow, I accidentally wandered into Dick’s Sporting Goods and found ANOTHER pair!
I mean…what’s a girl supposed to do?! 
So I gave the shoes a little try on the treadmill. They felt good, and while the pace was slower than I’m used to, that’s perfectly okay. Right now, I’m not chasing speed. I’m focusing on getting healthy. As much as I love running, something even more meaningful has been happening behind the scenes.
THE NAMES.
Oh my goodness, the messages, texts, phone calls, and stories I’ve received from people asking me to carry the names of their loved ones.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much that means to me.
Moms. Dads. Grandparents. Sisters. Brothers. Aunts. Uncles. Cousins. Friends.
People fighting cancer. People who have survived. And people whose memories will forever live in the hearts of those who love them.
I am incredibly blessed that you’ve trusted me to carry their names.
What started as running miles for my daughter-in-law Jennah has become something I never could have imagined.
Every name I add makes this journey even more special.
Now it’s time to finish organizing those names, get my race gear together, figure out what I’m packing, and prepare for a week that’s going to FLY by!
And through it all, I’m keeping one thing in mind…
A positive mindset doesn’t mean everything goes perfectly. It means finding something to be grateful for, even when the journey takes an unexpected turn.
The goal is still there. The excitement is still there. And the purpose is bigger than ever.
7 DAYS. 50.7 MILES. HUNDREDS OF NAMES. ONE GRATEFUL HEART. 
