7 people. 18.75 hours. 150 miles. We did it.

I just slept 9+ hours for the first time in a really long time lol.

MUCH NEEDED.

If you read my previous email on Thursday, you knew the next day I was preparing to run with a group of people from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Below is a screenshot of our location at 6:28am on Friday.

At this ^^^ point we were 2.5 hours into the race.

That morning I woke up at 2:45am.

Looking at the clock at 2:45am and saying "yep it is time to get up..." is not something I had ever intended to do in my life.

Let alone then also say ... I am waking up this early because I am intending to spend 18+ hours in a sprinter van, as well as spending parts of it running more miles than I ever have in one day.

.

.

.

I don't want to make today's message about the race itself.

Rather, what the pain of the race taught, and how it bonded me to the 6 other human beings I was around.

All of us had signed up to do something that we knew would hurt.

We knew it would challenge us mentally, physically, and spiritually.

And we knew it would throw unexpected obstacles our way.

Yet, we all chose to "go all in" anyway.

That decision alone, the decision to look at something difficult and say "I am doing this no matter how hard it gets... and I am going to give my all towards it," this alone can give you an immediate sensation of "these people are now my family."

But then it does actually get really hard.

It gets hot.

It gets mind numbing and exhausting.

It makes you nauseous and queasy at points.

It gets to a point where you question who you are, why you are here on earth, and how the hell are you going to keep going.

And when it gets like this...

You look over and see 6 other people smiling at you saying you got this.

Handing you water and gifting you resources every mile of the way.

They are by your side making sure you feel the power of having a tribe.

All to the point that the sinking feeling your brain tries to trap you in...

Vanishes.

And the pain of every step begins to help you become better...

Instead of making you bitter.

Eventually...

Those steps...

They add up.

And you will find yourself reaching a place you once thought impossible.

Here ^^^ we are about 19 hours after starting the race.

150 miles from the starting line in Los Angeles.

A moment in time that I will never forget.

.

.

.

There is beauty in pain.

You just have to allow it to be your teacher and your guide, rather than your devil.

I enter this week a different person.

And I am looking forward to continuing to sift through my mind and spirit to find the gifts that the 150 miles with my tribe will provide me.

#thriveon

CJ

p.s. I am grateful for the small moments in the race that provided some of the best laughs I have had in awhile.