Some see challenges as something big and scary. But I see them and I go right for them! I don’t know why but it’s a personal thing and I feel accomplished. Even if I don’t beat the challenge, just willing to try the challenge, any challenge, makes me feel accomplished.

If you have been following me on my social media, you’ve seen my recent post about overcoming and proving my doctors wrong. Supposedly, I am not able to run with all my chronic diseases, so with every single step and accomplishing a mile is a celebration for me. No matter how long it takes me. I never run for time and I never look at the clock, I just look at the distance and I am proud for what I can do.

I am currently doing the Run the Edge Amerithon challenge by myself. I logged on yesterday and saw that I was 11 miles away from my next milestone. There is a huge map where you advance across the US to reach the end point(yes there is a medal), so when you put your miles in it lets you know your mileage.

So in my true fashion, I said to myself…I can knock this out. Of course it was the hottest day ever here with 95 degrees outside! But I jumped on the treadmill and had my Vega clean energy ready to fuel me through out my run and laced up my ASICS. Barely on mile 2, my damn rotated ribs started to flare up! I mean…really??? You know how pissed I was? I did everything possible to shake it off, but then it started to swell. Ugh no. I wasn’t having it.

I worked it out and pushed forward. I kept running. I kept stretching it out and I don’t know if it’s still lingering issues from the Star Wars half or what but with every run I’ve done, the pain and discomfort is still there. And all this is due to my Scoliosis. My stupid spine is so curved that my ribs are curved too and they twist and rotated and break.  Anyway, I managed to make it to 11 miles!

But again, in my true fashion I thought that I could just go for a few more miles. I had already gone this far, whats a few more miles?? I was feeling OK, my legs were feeling sore and a bit tired but I was fine. I had already taken my medication that I needed to survive so I knew nothing was going to happen. At this point, honestly I was unstoppable.

I sometimes get frustrated with constantly being in pain that I turn it into motivation and drive. And that is what I did today. I bumped up the speed and felt so strong, which is normally is how I feel out on the trails, not the treadmill. I ended up doing 14 miles on the treadmill and while I felt exhausted, I felt really strong and powerful.

Don’t forget about how strong you really are, and sometimes you need to let your passion, and determination drive you forward. You have much more strength within you than you think and you need to bring that out more often than you do. Don’t forget that.

-gelcys