So boom, there I was, a mile into my wrong turn, knowing I had to finish the race. But before I tell you how it ends, let's go back to the beginning. *Cues rewind noise* I still remember the morning I woke up in Spring 2023 and said, "Today is the day I become a runner." Naturally, like the motivated fire sign I am, I rolled out of bed and set a course to the park. When I say "rolled," what I mean is I set an alarm for 6am and told myself, after snoozing it about 5 times, that if I can just get out of bed, then I can get up and get going. So I did just that. I arrived at the park, tightened my shoelaces and shorts, and whipped out my Couch to 5k app. I showed up with commitment, and the journey began.

About 3 months in, I decided I needed more, I was lonely, so I started waking my 3-year-old up and to tag along with me. The first few weeks of running were easy, but the last 3 were the worst. Add a toddler in a wagon trying to jump out after 20 minutes of seeing the playground over and over again, and you'll understand why finishing every run was like winning a championship game.

After completing my first 5k in training, I was sure that I could increase my numbers, and when the day would come to run a real 5k, I'd be ready, and quite possibly even place. That was not the case, though. Fast forward to February 2024. I just finished week 6 of running for the 5th time, but this time with my wife, son, and daughter when I get the call that we'd be doing a brand deal with On. Yes, that's right, On, like the first running shoe I ever bought, like the shoes my mother-in-law paced around the house in, like the really comfortable running shoe that looks like "Q C" rather than "O N," and I about lost my mind.

See, I've never spent more than $50 on shoes, and buying this specific shoe made me feel like I could enjoy being on my feet again. The run was set to be at the end of February, so naturally, when I got the news, I started training harder. I survived Mardi Gras with one of my first headlining shows here in New Orleans, followed by an extremely successful release to preview my upcoming EP in April. The fact that we broke 2k streams on "Falling Again" in 2 weeks alone should have foreshadowed that the rest of this month was going to be a celebration.

My family and I drove to ATX for that last week of February, knowing this is what we've trained for. There were about 210+ people in attendance, and when the run started, my pace was already set. I watched droves of people run past me, and despite being slower, I never got discouraged. About halfway in, I found myself running alone, not at the end but nowhere near the head of the pack, and then it clicked with me: "We all have to finish." As soon as that sank in, I realized it was never my job to try and keep up with anyone around me. It was only my job to finish the race non-stop because I knew I could. That led to the thought that "your race is your race. YOU have to set YOUR pace," and I kept repeating that over and over every time I wanted to give up. Trust me, I wanted to give up.

Austin is not like New Orleans, whereas there are hills there, there are more flat surfaces here. The hills were actually hills, and they hurt every step of the way, but I had my mantra, and I was sticking to it. About three-quarters of the way, I decided to run with a friend. We took turns motivating each other until he was ready to stop, and rightly so. This was not, in fact, what we trained for, but like the overachiever I am, I ran faster, I pushed harder, and kept going.

After reaching the 3-mile mark, I hit a crossroads, and what seemed like reality and fatigue mixing caused disorientation. Though I persisted, I made a wrong turn, and it wasn't until I was about a mile and a half in that I realized I was lost. I had no phone, no sense of direction. I was tired, it was dark, and i was in a city I still barely knew. Everything in me could have given up, but I figured, hey, I already ran the 5k, might as well see the sights, and I did just that. I ran next to someone and got directions, and slowly, at my own pace, I made my way back to the start. I fought tears and so much negative inner self-talk the whole way back because not only was the pizza gone at the finish, but I finished dead last. I was embarrassed, to say the least, but again, I'm a fire sign, and motivation comes easy for me.

I realized that I made a wrong decision, and instead of walking and taking it out on the world around me, I turned it into an opportunity to grow. When I finally stopped, it felt like the world was moving under me, and I realized I ran more than a 5k, and that instantly made me feel like I was unstoppable. I'm extremely proud of myself, and so was my team.

My life changed for the better in February, and I now know that I'm better for it and can never go back. This career has made me want to quit several times, and even writing this right now, I have the urge to give up, but I'm reminded of that last mile in the run. I wanted to stop so bad, but I wouldn't be nearly as proud of myself now if I had. I have to keep going, even if no one shows up, even if only 10 people listen, even if I feel isolated and lonely. It will all be worth it if I stay consistently putting one foot in front of the other. I will and so can you.

Until next month, friends, thank you for being on this journey with me ✌🏾