We’ve made it! Thirty-one straight days of talking about living a healthier life.

I hope you’ve been encouraged.

I hope you’ve been challenged.

I hope you’ve been changed.

This month has been a hard one for me. Especially the first part of this series. I felt as if I was constantly bombarded by temptation. I felt overwhelmed and honestly, like the biggest hypocrite. It’s almost as if I was being tested. Tested to see if I meant every word I was writing.

There were days I felt like I was emotionally crawling and clawing my way back out of the pit that held me captive for so many years.

That’s why I think this series has been good for me. It’s reminded me of where I’ve been, how far I’ve come and renewed my determination to press on.

Have you ever seen the movie Facing the Giants? It’s a cheesy one, but I like cheese.

The scene where Brock is doing the death crawl with Seth on his back gives me chills every time I watch it. The coach starts yelling, “Don’t stop, Brock. You’ve got more in you than that. You’ve got to keep moving. Let’s go. Don’t quit until you’ve got nothing left . . . Keep moving. Keep driving. Give it your very best. Your very best . . . . Keep going. Don’t quit on me.”

Then, Brock starts yelling back, “It hurts. I’m running out of strength.”

And then . . . okay. How about I give you a link to the video. It’s far more powerful if you watch it. We can be like Brock. If we stop giving up and thinking the 50 yard line is good enough and choose to push ourselves, someday we’ll find ourselves in the end zone. That’s where we want to be, y’all. The end zone.

I want to end this series with one very important point.

This journey isn’t a sprint.

This journey is a marathon.

The sprint is hard and painful, but it’s over in a matter of seconds.

The marathon is a different kind of beast.

It’s about endurance. It’s about training your mind, body and heart. It’s about continuing on even when you feel like you can’t move another step. It’s about change from the inside out. It’s about learning and growing from your mistakes.

Yes, it involves pain. Yes, it means slamming into a wall or two or three.

But, it also involves joy. It means climbing over the walls that try to stop us.

This journey isn’t a sprint.

This journey is your life.

How will you live it?

The top picture was taken the first time I ever met Melissa in person. And yes, that is Marlboro Man. You never know who you might run into in Wal-mart. ::snort::

Can I ask y’all a question?

Why are we so down on ourselves? Seriously. Why are we so critical and hard on ourselves?

We work so hard, yet we feel like impostors calling ourselves runners. Why?

From what I’ve heard, observed and experienced myself, I think it boils down to one specific thing ~ speed.

“I’m not fast enough. When I run faster, then I can call myself a runner.”

Mmmmmm.

Here’s the thing ~ there will always be someone faster than you. Always.

Well, unless you’re the fastest person in the world and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be reading my blog if you are. Although, that would be cool.

Remember the comparing game? Stop it. Stop. Just stop.

Other people are not doing the work you are doing.

You are the one out there giving it 100%.

Yes, your 100% is going to look different from my 100% and from hers and from hers and on and on and on. It’s supposed to. We’re different people.

This is the point where I would love to tell you everyone everywhere will be loving and supportive of you running. I wish I could. I wish I could tell you that there will be no negative people, no naysayers, no one that snorts behind your back, no one that thinks she’s better than you because she can run faster . . . but, I can’t. Yes, there will be people like that.

I honestly believe those types of people are few and far between.

The majority of people are inspired by you. I believe that with all my heart.

But, you know what? The issue really isn’t about other people. The issue is with ourselves. We won’t open our eyes to see what’s right in front of us. We’re blind to our own reality.

No more of this “wannabe runner” stuff. No more selling yourself short. No more discrediting all of the work you’ve done.

Decide today that you are no longer held captive by someone else’s definition of what a runner is.

You are a runner. Own it.