In August 2019, I transferred back to my original office to learn some new skills and get closer to my dad’s house. Turning a five-minute commute into an hour drive was a hit, but I was excited for the opportunity. It was great to reconnect with old friends, see my dad a couple of times a week, and start learning new systems.

The first few months went well, but the commute quickly caught up with me. On the road by 6:00 a.m. and rarely home before 6:00 p.m., my overall activity started to drop. Still, I kept running. That November, I ran my fastest half marathon at 2:01 and set a clear goal for 2020: break two hours. 2019 closed out well, and I was ready for what was next.

Then 2020 took a left turn. I won’t rehash it, but I kept running, commuted two days a week, and did the best I could.

My weight started climbing.

By 2021, I got back to racing and structured exercise while still making the long travel to work and back. My weight kept climbing. Then, in late fall 2021, I learned that my heart pauses while I’m sleeping.

Enter 2022—my anxiety said hello, and I prepared for my first surgical procedure.

In February, I had tests done on my heart to figure out what was going on. In a mix of relief and frustration, the doctor didn’t find anything to repair. The testing went fine overall, leaving me with a 24/7 monitor implanted in my chest for the last four years.

Between the heart scare and a few other life shifts, I transferred back to the office near home.

As the year went on, I kept my runs going, hit some races, and kept moving forward. 2023 turned out to be a steady year—I ran my ninth half marathon and was looking for number 10. Then, right at the end of 2023, I called a friend’s bluff and signed up for my first full marathon.

Oh! And in case you didn’t know, my weight kept climbing…

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The Path to Unconquerable: Part IV: There and…