Why am I here and where am I going?

Me starting my first Ultramarathon. 20 steps done, 50 miles to go!! My proudest moment as a runner!!

Hello and Welcome to Grit To Gold Running!!

For those of you who know me personally, you might be surprised that I started a blog about running/fitness. My name is Maykel and I am a recreational runner who wanted an outlet to share ideas, experiences, and the journey to reaching my running and life goals. Right now I am undergoing chemotherapy for an aggressive cancer, but that hasn’t stopped me from running when I feel good and continuing to work towards my goals. There is more to read in the “about me” page.

First, thank you all for being here. I want to share what my aspirations of this blog are. I have always been into sports (mostly playing, sometimes watching). I was never an NBA-hopeful or NCAA competitor–not even close. I am a middle of the pack runner who hopes to one day run the Abbott World Major Marathons. I have a little experience in Ultramarathons, and want to work my way up to 100 mile races. I want to clarify that I am not an expert or coach, only a participant sharing my story, like many of you. What is even more unusual about me forming an athletics-centered blog is that I am generally quiet and introverted, so starting a public blog about my life, my running adventures and my fitness goals is not something I ever expected myself to actually go through with. I’ve had this blog idea for over a year, and if you’ve followed me on other social media the past year, then you have seen many posts about training for and running marathons. This site is going to be similar to my social media posts, but a bit more unpacked and thought-out with things that we can apply to everyday life.

Although I am not the type to consider myself an “influencer” or someone who can “market themselves” and “build a brand,” I am grateful for the opportunity to publish my thoughts and share my excitement around these activities. I aim to show a real life view into what it takes to be a better runner, worker, husband, and person. The core of its existence is to be a creative outlet for me to express and share my love of running and making progress towards distant goals with my group of subscribers. I am not aiming for celebrity status, but would much rather succeed at relating to and encouraging others who are struggling with their respective work-life-fitness- balance.

My hopes for this blog are to encourage, teach, form community, and help people progress towards their individual goals. In doing so, I hope my readers can continue the tradition of encouraging others to find happiness in sport, meaning in their suffering, and success through consistent hard work. 

Thank you again for clicking and reading my first post! I am excited to start this virtual adventure into being healthier, more focused, and learning new things. I am looking forward to you guys scrolling through my life story while drinking your morning coffee, or reading about the life lessons I learned on my long run while you unwind from a long day at work.

Feel free to subscribe to the blog from the home page, follow me on Instagram and Facebook (links at top and bottom of page), as well as email me any questions.