If you want to be inspired by other people, go run a half marathon. I just ran the Novant Health Charlotte Half Marathon on Saturday, and I had two goals:

  1. To finish in under two hours
  2. To enjoy myself

I did both. I’m not new to half marathons, but since this was my first half since I had ACL surgery in 2021, it felt special to prove to myself that my body is strong and stable and pain-free when pushed to the limits. It also felt special to set an intention to enjoy myself, and to stick with it. For me that’s the healthiest intention I can have when it comes to movement – to relish what my body can do and how it all makes me feel vs. focusing on calories burnt or body composition achieved.

It’s easy to enjoy yourself during exercise when you drop any sense of competition and allow yourself to take in the amazing things that other people are doing around you, too. Half marathons are a good reminder of abundance – if you think about it, every single person out there could hit their goal of a sub-two-hour time. That wouldn’t stop you from hitting that goal. Abundance mentality.

And with that, I noticed so many inspiring people around me. Some of my favorites:

  • The woman my age who was outpacing me while pushing a stroller. All I could think was: You are a badass, and if I have kids, I want to be just like you.
  • The woman running just ahead of me who was bursting with gratitude, waving at strangers cheering on the crowd, thanking every single police officer along the route for being there, shouting encouragement at other runners. Carried by gratitude, she was all smiles and clearly having an easy run.
  • The people crossing the finish line with a final rush of energy, one mad dash to wrap it all up.
  • The people crossing the finish line who weren’t in a rush but were in the moment – picking up their child to finish, bouncing at a slower jog so they could experience it together.

With all of that amazing energy packed across 13.1 miles, how could I not be inspired to do my personal best, to enjoy where I am and what I’m doing, to be in the moment, to be grateful for it all?