I know, Things runners say for $500, Alex!

I was in desperate need of change and for months I had been looking for a new job.

When an offer finally came in, it didnt take much convincing to make the cross-country move.

a pair of running sneakers on the floor

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I remember the first week Istarted running.

I mean, terrible.

I cried during and after every run.

In all honesty, Im not sure what kept me going.

I was on the ultimate mission to, as Congresswoman Maxine Waters would say, reclaim my time.

Each run urged me to confront my perceived limits head on.

Running was my teacher and I was the student.

Day by day, mile after mile, it got easier and I got better.

Not faster, just better.

One of its biggest gifts?

I learned to measure opportunities by whether they are life-giving or soul-sucking.

Other times the stakes are a little higher.

I call out bad behavior and passive aggressiveness.

Sometimes this goes well, but many times it doesnt.

My already small circle of friends has become a bite-sized group.

I naturally gravitate towards people who are self-starters, entrepreneurs, and highly motivated.

If they like dogs, thats even better.

These are my people.

This is my tribe.

But at that moment I realized how unkind I had been to myself over the years.

Were all guilty of this in some form or another.

Multiply this by five in any given month and, Houston, we have a problem.

I took rest days when my body simply wasnt up for the challenge.

I began going to bed well before the nightly news.

I treated myself to spa days, and I never felt guilty about taking a nap.

While it was a hard lesson to learn, running taught me that self-preservation is essential.

The thing is, most people dont wake up one morning and decide to run amarathon.

It changes, but I love the way running makes me feel.

Running gives me the quiet space to slowly chip away at it all and explore who I really am.

There were so many instances when Im making decisions based in fear, rather than truth.

But, running has taught me so many things that Im not sure I could have learned without it.

I realize that Ive not only been training for races, Ive been training for my life.

Toni Carey is the co-founder of Black Girls RUN!, a writer and an all-around creative.

She’s been internationally recognized and was named one of the 50 most influential people in running.

Learn more about Carey atwww.tonicarey.comor follow her onInstagramandTwitter.