After becoming a nurse and moving to Hawaii — two things that once felt impossible — I found myself feeling lost. I had checked the biggest boxes off my list, and suddenly, I didn’t know what to reach for next. At the same time, I was working overnight shifts, barely moving my body, and watching NYC Marathon videos that made me cry every single time. Something about it just pulled at me. The crowd, the energy, the emotion — it felt bigger than running. In January 2024, I made a vision board. On it, I put the NYC Marathon, running, and a version of myself that felt far away. At that point, I wasn’t even going for walks. My friends would head out for a sunset run, and I’d say absolutely not. I didn’t believe I was capable of running. But I kept that vision board up. I stared at it for almost an entire year before I took myself serious enough to even try running. I didn’t tell anyone about this dream at first, not even my closest people. Not because it wasn't mine to claim, but because I was embarrassed. That version of me felt so far away , like someone I'd never actually meet. I didn't believe in myself, so how could I expect anyone else to? The only running I’d ever done was in elementary school, when I was part of a little team called the Road Runners and did a 5K. That was it. But something shifted when I realized that nothing will change if I don't. I realized I couldn't keep waiting to feel ready — or for someone to come drag me out of bed to start my running journey for me. I had to decide I was worth the effort, show up for myself, and start anyways. My roommates and friends supported me and finally got me to go to a run club — and that was the beginning. I never doubted that I would run the NYC Marathon. It was just a matter of how — how I'd start, how I'd get in, how I'd overcome my own limiting beliefs, and how I'd show up when it got hard. Because for me, it's never been just about the marathon. It's about proving to myself that I can become the person I once didn't believe I could be.