5 miles. I ran 5 miles, and even though it isn’t quite the number I am looking for, I couldn’t have been happier with that number. Now to some people, five miles might not sound like a life changing achievement, and to others, five miles might be their dream goal. For me, five miles was the mark of a beginning. My sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with chronic exertional compartment syndrome in my calves. For those of you who have no idea what that is, it’s a syndrome that causes a sensation of built up pressure in your muscle due to the fascia surrounding the muscle not expanding during exercise. After two surgeries and many doctor appointments, I was told I would never be able to run again. As an elite soccer player, those words the doctors spoke were heartbreaking, yet I was able to run again.

This summer, I decided to set a goal for myself. I would run a half marathon, which is a very big deal for me. Not only had I never thought I would be able to run again, but soccer players are also notorious for never wanting to run. I was determined though to accomplish my new goal. I had talked with my dad about running one before but never actually signed up for one. Now, I am signed up and running the Savannah Rock ‘n Roll half marathon this November, which is something I never in my life thought I would be able to attempt to do. 13.1 miles is a long way to run, and I’m still not quite sure what I have gotten myself into.

I have seen, though, in my training for the half a connection to life events also. I never imagined myself running 13.1, and the reality of it still hasn’t quite set in. My sophomore year of high school, though, I would never have imagined myself running five miles. In fact, I never thought I would be able to simply walk up a hill without pain in my calves again. I realized that you have to look at a large goal in parts. Take it one step at a time and not try to tackle the big picture all at once because before you know it 3 miles turns into 5 turns into 10 turns into 13.1. Before you know it, that daunting task turns into one last finishing detail. If there is a goal you want to place in your life, don’t be afraid to set your sights on it. Because even though it might be a long task, there is a way to accomplish it. In completing a goal, however, it takes dedication and planning your life around what it takes to finish your goal. For my half marathon training, I have had to make choices based off of how many miles I would be running that week, which sometimes meant not doing things that would interfere with being able to run, but in the end, I am doing it. I am doing something I never thought would be possible, and I couldn’t be more excited to accomplish my goal.