{"collectionById":{"d4a5b68c-8afd-4bbe-a7ac-e9a8422fedde":{"id":"d4a5b68c-8afd-4bbe-a7ac-e9a8422fedde","name":"Blog Articles","fieldSchemas":[{"id":"402ba26f-8f6d-4f5f-bf20-62e6549f4ad4","name":"Slug","type":"slug","role":"slug"},{"id":"1f58afa6-2748-4188-b4a4-f1e54e37eca9","name":"Hero Image","type":"image"},{"id":"3084d9ba-ab55-4e5a-931b-b9db3d09105f","name":"Article Content","type":"rich_text"},{"id":"b7712ee6-f9fd-4781-8c5c-e7e10ce8f81e","name":"Publish Date","type":"date"},{"id":"f2ba59b9-49cc-4ec6-9416-bda99d4c8383","name":"Title","type":"plain_text","role":"primary"}],"itemById":{"7c10a08b-d604-4d4d-a009-2400c53b6b59":{"id":"7c10a08b-d604-4d4d-a009-2400c53b6b59","index":"!","collectionId":"d4a5b68c-8afd-4bbe-a7ac-e9a8422fedde","fields":[{"id":"fd4149e6-f650-481b-9165-9860df48fa0a","value":"{\"root\":{\"children\":[{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Step by Step\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Why do I keep running? I don’t run just because it’s good for me or because I like it. I run for deeper reasons. Because it teaches me things about myself, it opens up my mind to new ideas, and it helps me think. Ultra runner Sally McRae summed this up when she said, “We find the best learning in the trying, in taking the initial step and then doing it again and again.” That’s the message I hope to internalize and then instill in my daughter, Lydia, as she faces challenges living with Usher’s syndrome. I hope she always has the confidence to take the next step again and again.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Running is all bout taking the next step, even when you don’t want to, and when you don’t know how far or fast you can go. That’s what I did Sunday, March 1st, in the Little Rock Marathon.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"For me, this race was part of a bigger journey. This wasn’t just the Little Rock Marathon. It was the first step of a journey. A journey towards the Arkansas Traveler, a 100-mile ultra race, and this was the first rung of the ladder, the preparation for the journey.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I don’t know how to train for and run a 100-mile trail race, but I know I can train for and run a marathon, so I started there. That’s something I love about endurance sports. You may not be able to tackle the big event today, but you can do something to move you towards it. There’s always something you can do to get 1% better.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Insider information\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"heading\",\"version\":1,\"tag\":\"h2\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"By identifying a next step and doing something, I gleaned information I wouldn’t otherwise know. I got insider information about myself that will help my future self. Towards the end of the marathon, I got some hot spots on my feet, which didn’t turn into blisters by the time I reached 26.2 miles, but if I were to go much further, they would have become a serious problem. So now I know I need to try different socks or address my feet around 24 miles if I want to stay on top of it. That’s the kind of insider information I could only gain by taking the next step, and it gets me closer to succeeding on the big day.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"I also got a huge confidence boost from the race. I set a goal to do it in 3 hours 30 minutes (30 minutes faster than my previous Ironman marathon 1.5 years ago). So I made a training plan to get there and then stuck as closely to the plan as possible. I crushed my time goal by over 10 minutes by crossing the finish line just under 3hours 20 minutes. It wasn’t just about the time, though. I proved to myself that if I develop a well-thought-out plan and stick to it, my body can adapt and do something it couldn’t do before.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"That’s what I need to do in the next 6 months: plan, train, and adapt. During the marathon, my pacing, nutrition, and plan unfolded almost perfectly (aside from a few cramps at mile 24.5). No one who has ever finished an ultra has said “everything unfolded almost perfectly” running on a trail four times as long, there are more opportunities for mishaps. So I know this training journey and the race itself won’t be anywhere near perfect. There will be ups and downs. But I’m embracing that. I crossed the finish line of the Little Rock Marathon exhausted and wondering how I was supposed to do the equivalent of 3 more of those to hit 100 miles, but I was confident I was ready for the journey.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"So what’s my next step? I have the base built, but now it’s time to actually start the training plan. To log miles and build strength. I’m excited to chronicle my journey along the way. I’ll get more into the why behind my 100 miler in another post, but I’m doing this to show my daughter, who has Usher’s syndrome, how to be resilient, and that I have an unreasonable belief in her to accomplish what she sets her mind to. I’m also fundraising for The Usher Syndrome Coalition, which helps raise awareness for Usher’s syndrome and further research, which can really make a difference in the quality of life of someone living with Usher’s Syndrome.\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"10 dollars funds one mile and every dollar counts, so if you’re interested, you can donate here: \",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1},{\"children\":[{\"detail\":0,\"format\":0,\"mode\":\"normal\",\"style\":\"\",\"text\":\"Donate to the Usher Syndrome Coallition\",\"type\":\"text\",\"version\":1}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"link\",\"version\":1,\"rel\":\"noreferrer\",\"target\":null,\"title\":null,\"url\":\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-usher-syndrome-coalitions-vital-work\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"version\":1,\"textFormat\":0,\"textStyle\":\"\"}],\"direction\":\"ltr\",\"format\":\"\",\"indent\":0,\"type\":\"root\",\"version\":1}}","itemId":"7c10a08b-d604-4d4d-a009-2400c53b6b59","fieldSchemaId":"3084d9ba-ab55-4e5a-931b-b9db3d09105f"},{"id":"3891a361-1c2e-451e-903e-fe7b3ccd2e10","value":"{\"image\":\"29906bcef844b26019647d4275be545621dd56fa\",\"imageThumbnail\":\"120792ebf21ed68f01826907dc08974124de51c9\",\"originalImageHeight\":768,\"originalImageWidth\":1024,\"altText\":\"\",\"fileName\":\"2026-03-01-16.55.212026-03-01-08.00.09LR-MarathonP3010050.jpg\"}","itemId":"7c10a08b-d604-4d4d-a009-2400c53b6b59","fieldSchemaId":"1f58afa6-2748-4188-b4a4-f1e54e37eca9"},{"id":"4560ecfa-ac51-4ca9-888d-127e83eacb2c","value":"Little Rock Marathon: The First Rung of The Ladder","itemId":"7c10a08b-d604-4d4d-a009-2400c53b6b59","fieldSchemaId":"f2ba59b9-49cc-4ec6-9416-bda99d4c8383"},{"id":"11b1a2ed-32d9-4421-a360-1572ed3189ee","value":"2026-03-01","itemId":"7c10a08b-d604-4d4d-a009-2400c53b6b59","fieldSchemaId":"b7712ee6-f9fd-4781-8c5c-e7e10ce8f81e"}]}}}},"slugByItemId":{"80345e24-6050-439b-9c3b-9e1690a6a5de":"running-analysis-the-beginning-of-the-journey","7c10a08b-d604-4d4d-a009-2400c53b6b59":"little-rock-marathon-the-first-rung-of-the-ladder"}}