Full disclosure: I’ve never been the biggest believer in New Year’s Resolutions. You always hear about how people make lofty goals for themselves that end up being abandoned by the end of January, causing them to feel guilty or discouraged from trying again. Also, a lot of resolutions tend to focus on appearance, and I think that kind of mentality is unhealthy. Just like GOTR says, “All Bodies Rock,” and punishing your body for not conforming to beauty standards set by systems outside of your control tends to lead to bad habits and lower self-confidence. 

Still, I do love the idea of setting goals for yourself. Our Heart & Sole curriculum has a lesson about setting goals that are SMART:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable/Actionable

• Relevant/Realistic

• Time-bound

I think following this method is a great way to make progress towards your aspirations in a healthy and empowering way. Something I have wanted to do for a long time is run a half-marathon. Growing up, I hated running because it was made into competition. As an adult, I discovered that running could actually be fun if you just focused on your own activity and finding your personal joy in it. A half-marathon, 13.1 miles, seemed daunting, but I try to live by example for our program participants, and doing things that scare you is important for your growth. 

So, I entered 2025 with a New Year’s Resolution, my first one in years: Train for and run a half-marathon, and use the SMART goals method to do so.

SPECIFIC: Run a half-marathon in 2025.

MEASURABLE: Tracking my training progress through a virtual running log.

ACHIEVABLE/ACTIONABLE: Running a half-marathon is possible for me with training and determination.

RELEVANT/REALISTIC: As someone who has not run long distances before, a half-marathon is a more reasonable goal than a full marathon or longer race.

TIME-BOUND: Within twelve months, following a consistent training plan.

I began by running inside at the gym, starting small with a mile or two mile workouts. Around March, once I moved my runs outside, I got the idea to use my New Year’s Resolution to raise money for Girls on the Run. GOTR has a program called SoleMates, which empowers athletes to utilize their physical training and goals for an even greater cause. I determined that I would sign up as a SoleMate once I found a half-marathon I wanted to complete.

That half-marathon came through the Lane Purser Road Race Series, an annual set of races put on by our awesome GOTR Partner the Memphis Runners Track Club. This meant I would be completing at least five races–a 5K, 5-miler, 10K, 10-miler, and half-marathon–before the year was up. The race was on…literally.

5K: July 13th

Just because I had run a 5K before doesn’t mean I wasn’t nervous for this one. It was a SUPER hot day, and I crossed the finish line a little later than I wanted to–and that’s okay! I recognized that my body wasn’t accustomed to running in that heat and adjusted my pace accordingly. #HappyPace

5-miler #1: August 10th

This race took a beautiful route through WJ Freeman Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. I had never been before and thoroughly enjoyed looking at new things while I was running. I managed to not take any walking breaks this race, keeping a steady pace the whole route, which had been my goal.

5-miler #2: August 24th 

I shaved about thirty seconds off my first 5-miler time and was super proud of myself!

10K: September 7th

What can make a race better than seeing cats, horses, AND bison while jogging through Shelby Farms Park?

10-miler: October 5th

They call this route through Shelby Forest “The Beast,” and for good reason. These hills were no joke! I was proud of myself for continuing on even when I thought there was no way I could make it up the next incline. The only thing better than proving your self-doubt wrong is believing in yourself from the get-go.

Half-Marathon #1: November 2nd 

THE BIG DAY! The half-marathon trail went over Big River Crossing and into Arkansas. I almost forgot to get tired looking at views of the big Memphis-Arkansas Bridge and the Mississippi River. I definitely took a couple walking breaks this race, but I finished in just under 2.5 hours. If you asked me back in January if I would achieve my half-marathon goal, let alone at a time like that, I never would have believed you. Fun fact: I finished this day with a wild 30,000 steps on my FitBit!

 Half-Marathon #2 (Peer Power’s Big River Crossing): November 15th

Completing a second half-marathon had not been in my New Year’s Resolutions plans. However, when I heard other runners doing the series talk about the energy at the Peer Power event, I felt like I had to come out and see for myself. My partner joined me at the start and finish line, and it was great to share the energy of the event with him and the THOUSANDS of people working towards their goals. Plus, I finally got a race medal. 

This whole journey–training for something this huge, raising money while doing it–was such a meaningful endeavor for me. I feel confident I can use this experience to inspire our program participants. When a GOTR Girl tries to say they can’t do something, I can relate to how they are feeling, and I can hopefully encourage them to keep trying by taking things one step at a time.

And what’s next for my running journey? Well, recovery days are just as important as training. And maybe I will run a full marathon one day…I just might not use New Year’s Resolutions as an excuse to do it.