Thank You Running

I didn’t come to you chasing greatness.
I came to you searching for strength.

When the doctors said change or risk everything,
I tied my shoes and stepped outside—not with confidence,
but with hope that movement could heal what fear had broken.

At first, every mile felt like a question:
Can I do this? Should I do this?
But you didn’t ask for perfection.
You just asked me to keep showing up.

You took me from country back roads
to early college mornings,
to race courses across the country
trailheads at dawn, deserts, mountains, cities
places I’d have never known if I didn’t learn to keep moving forward.

There were races I won,
podiums I stood on,
ultras where I pushed deep into unknown territory.
There were also days when motivation stayed in bed,
when the finish line felt too far away,
and moments when I pushed so hard I passed out,
only to rise and learn where the line truly was.

You taught me that motivation is a spark
but purpose is the flame that keeps burning.
That discipline outlasts inspiration.
That why matters more than how fast.

And somewhere along the roads and ridgelines,
I found another reason to run:
for those who physically can’t,
for those battling the limitations I once faced,
for causes and communities that need strength carried forward.

Through more than 15 years,
over 100 races, countless lonely training miles,
and finish lines that demanded everything I had left,
I discovered that what I was really running toward
wasn’t distance, or victory
it was identity.

You turned survival into strength.
Therapy into passion.
Passion into purpose.

You taught me that even a heart once in question
could become an engine.

Now, when I stand at the start of a race
whether it’s a marathon in the city
or an ultra along a remote trail
I no longer ask if I can finish.
I ask, what will I learn on the way there?

I’ve run for medals.
I’ve run for time.
But now, I run for meaning.
For those who can’t.
For clarity.
For the person I become with every mile.

And as long as there are roads to travel,
hills to climb,
and quiet moments where it’s just you and me,
I’ll keep lacing up.

Not because I’m always motivated,
but because I’ve found my why.

With gratitude, grit, and the miles still ahead,
Dom