Running without a Cause

On August 25th, our family and 2 others I recruited started the South Carolina Coastline Challenge.  It’s a 3-month challenge to virtually run or walk the 187 miles of South Carolina coastline.   

So why did I start this crazy 187-mile challenge? And rope in my family and friend too?  Other than me being an overachiever, here's why …  

1. I needed a fitness goal.   Though I’ve been running or walking most mornings, I needed a new challenge.  
   For several years, our family has been running 5k races for charity several times a year - one year I scheduled a race for almost every month as forced family fun. But since most of the in-person 5ks have been canceled this year this was a great substitute!
2. I wanted a vacation.  Since I live in humid Georgia, this was a great way for me to pretend I'm taking a morning walk or run on the beach. And then once I upload my results, the website has a map to show me where I'd be on the actual South Carolina coast. How cool is that?! (As of Tuesday, I was a little outside Savannah, GA.)
3. I wanted another excuse to be outside.
   I really enjoy walking, but more than that, I just love being outside with nature.  And now that I’ve been enjoying daily mass and praying the rosary daily on my walks, it’s become my meditative time.  Now I have something that's good for me, in multiple ways (spiritually, physically, and mindfully) that I get to do every day. And this is something I won't just swipe past the event on my calendar!

The only downside to this running challenge is that it's not tied directly to a charitable cause. So when I started, it felt like that extra reason I run 5k events was missing.

But don't you worry, I figured out that I'm actually running for a cause ... my own!  This isn't me being an ego-manic, I promise.  Not sure if I've shared this, but my goal in the next 5 years is to have my business helping people and thriving enough so I can give my husband the option to retire into his next career.  (Like he did for me.)

And what better way to help my business thrive then to retest my products?!  This way I'll know if they need fine-tuning and it will help me describe them better to potential customers.

Last week I started with my upgraded Runners Rosary. On my prior walks, I used my older version so this was a chance to test the new model. And I'm thrilled to know that it's still as easy to use as the original. But what made this one it even better is the extra bead I added for the Glory Be & Our Father!  And since I don't wear running shorts with pockets, I especially love that when I'm done praying, I just put it on my wrist and keep going!  (That's not new, just something I love about it!)

This week I tested the Simply Effortless Pocket Rosary.  I found that it's a great option for me as well - it's easy to navigate the knots by touch only and even lighter in weight than the Runners Rosary!

Next week I think I'm going to test the mask lanyard … it has 10 knots ... plus I’m wearing it anyway, so Why Knots?!  🤣

Want to join me on this 187 mile challenge?