Recently, I was asked, “When was the last time you went out of your comfort zone?” At first, I didn’t know how to answer. I try new things all the time: I meet new people, I go to new places, but none of these things scare me. Nothing actually pushes me out of my comfort zone.
My older brother asked me this question with a hidden agenda. Without telling my family, he had secretly signed up our entire family for a Turkey Trot 10K. After presenting a slideshow explaining how Thanksgiving is the superior holiday and how running a Turkey Trot would “elevate our family experience,” he somehow convinced all of us to do it.
As the race day came closer and closer, reality hit: 6.2 miles is far for a non-runner. My “training,” if you can even call it that, added up to a total of eight miles, including the warm-ups I skipped. My excuses of college applications, responsibilities of being the Vice President of Michigan Region BBYO, and simply trying to keep up with life, running kept sleeping to the bottom of my priorities.
The question “When was the last time you went out of your comfort zone?” kept echoing in my head. I realized most times when I considered myself to be “brave,” the situation was in my control. But running 6.2 miles? That terrified me.
The night before the run, my sister and I secretly emailed the director and switched to the 5k. I knew it disappointed my brother, but I thought it was the realistic choice.
Still, at 4:20 AM on Thanksgiving morning, as we stood in the cold, nerves shaking through me, something changed. Watching my brother line up for the 10k made me want to try, not only for him but also for myself. So, at the very last second, I jumped the fence and found my family in the crowd.
I ran beside my sister the entire time, and it turned out to be incredible. We high-fived people on the sidelines, soaked in the cheering crowd, and laughed when we found out there were cookies at mile 4. At 3 miles, I couldn’t believe I ever even doubted myself.
The final mile was the hardest, but crossing the finish line hand in hand with my sister at a 1:06:34 finishing time made every step worth it. We wrapped up the morning watching the end of the Macy’s Day Parade and waiting for Thanksgiving dinner, and even though I was tired, I felt proud. I spent the rest of the day exhausted, but it was truly a blast.
Now I’m already excited to run it again next year, with the goal of a 9-minute pace. I’ll leave you with this: When was the last time you went out of your comfort zone?
