I ran my first 5K last Sunday. The weather was beautiful—cool, calm, perfect for running. My time wasn’t anything to brag about, but I tried to see it as a starting point—something solid I can build on and improve from.

I finished 171st out of 201 runners. Honestly, I probably could’ve done better. But I have this tendency not to push myself. When you’re doing something alone, it’s easy to give in to comfort. There’s no one holding you accountable. If you’re tired, you stop. If you could go faster, you don’t—because staying in your comfort zone is easier. And when no one’s watching, the question becomes: Why not?

I’m running my next 5K this Saturday. Yep—again, already. Why so soon? Well, I made a promise to myself to run five races this spring… and thanks to a schedule packed with baseball tournaments, work chaos, and general life mayhem, this was literally the only weekend that didn’t already belong to someone else. So here we are—squeezing in a 5K like it’s just another errand between innings and emails.

The question is: can you actually recover from one run while still training to get better for the next? For me, yeah—you kind of have to. I don’t give myself the luxury of staying where I am. Improvement isn’t optional.

I’ve always been the kind of person who digs in when the odds aren’t in my favor. Call it stubbornness or a chip on my shoulder, but I like proving people—or even myself—wrong. There’s something about chasing the impossible that keeps me going. If the bar’s high, I’ll raise it. If the path’s hard, I’ll take it anyway, because that’s how I’m wired. Dream big, push hard, and don’t back down… especially when someone thinks you can’t.

But seriously—how do you actually get better at running by yourself? Is it the right playlist? The perfect shoes? Some secret runner’s handshake I haven’t learned yet? Do I need to start stretching like a yoga instructor or just invest in better snacks?

If you’ve got tips, I’m all ears (and sore legs). Help a runner out—and I’ll see you at the next one. Probably somewhere near the back… but I’ll be there. 😅👟