I remember it like it was yesterday.
It was all so familiar, even though it wasnt.
It was 2010, and I had never run amarathon.
Nike/Cortney White
I thought to myself, Can I really do this?
Yep, even I had those doubts.
However, when the race took off, I surprised myself.
I ran a pretty good race that morning.
Suddenly, I was a marathoner, thanks to that New York City race.
I ran my way through countless workouts, altitude camps,long runs, and races.
I gave running everything I had, but by 2019, my knees were giving out.
I needed major reconstructive surgery on both and a year of downtime to heal.
I needed to hang up my shoes and rest.
But taking a break from running wasnt just about losing fitnessit was like losing my best friend.
Two surgeries later, I was forced to bench a big part of myself.
And my one retreat from feeling stagnant was no longer an option.
With that, my mental health suffered in a way it never had before.
I wasnt me, and I wasnt running.
Something special happens when you find yourself in love with sport.
It has a way of making impossibilities feel attainable.
It has a way of making you feel more confident and beautiful.
It has the power to make you feel your most alive.
I needed to run.
After my recovery, I was nervous about how my body would handle coming back.
I had to rebuild my relationship with running too.
I had to rediscover my spark, my purpose.
And then, when I least expected it, came a once-in-a-lifetime running opportunity.
It was the challenge I was looking for:I could run all six Majors in just seven weeks.
Nobody has ever run all six in such a short amount of time before.
Sure, I was retired.
Sure, I had just recovered from major surgery.
Sure, I just turned 40.
Sure, I am a coach and a new mom to an amazing son.
My Bowerman teammates were there to train alongside me.
My friends and family were there through every mile, every doubt, and every hiccup.
Now, Im not expecting everyone to go out and run six marathonsor even one.
I know it did for me.
You will be surprised what youre capable of when you give yourself a chance to try.
And yes, my relationship with running has changed throughout this journey.
At one point in London, I stopped to walk…for the first time ever in a marathon.
And it was okay!
And that is worth so much more to me than a medal.
