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Day 1 at 53: My 3-Mile Comeback Run & Choosing the High Road2
Dec
DAY 1 AT 53: My 3-Mile Comeback Run, Barefoot Shoes, DIY Electrolytes & Choosing the High Road Anyway
This morning, I did something I wasn’t entirely sure I could still do.
I ran.
Not a shuffle. Not a walk-run.
I ran 3 miles in 30 minutes — at 53 — without getting winded, without crashing, and without the storm of doubts I expected to show up with me on the sidewalk.
I ran parallel to the beach, one block inland from the soft sand that instantly humbled me.
I listened to music, felt the Gulf breeze, and even recorded a few moments because something told me:
“You’ll want to remember how this feels.”
And how did it feel?
It felt like hope.
Quiet, steady, surprising hope.
♀️ Why I Ran Today (And Why It Surprised Me)
Even though I walk 10–20k steps a day at work, running is its own beast.
I didn’t know if my legs — or lungs — could still shift into that gear.
But one of my favorite sayings came to mind:
“You can’t find new things you’ll love if you don’t try new things.”
So I laced up my barefoot incline-treadmill shoes, mixed my DIY electrolyte drink, stepped outside, and whispered:
“Let’s just see what happens.”
And what happened was:
I ran.
Easily. Smoothly. Happily.
Running Parallel to the Beach
In a burst of enthusiasm, I first tried running on the beach.
What a beautiful idea — and what a terrible reality.
My body said nope, immediately.
So I moved one block inland, found stable ground, and something clicked.
The rhythm returned. My breath steadied. The sky felt enormous and kind.
⚡ What Helped Me Run So Well Today
1. Barefoot Shoes (on the treadmill!)
I don’t wear barefoot shoes to work — I wear Dansko clogs for their support during long days on my feet.
But I do use barefoot shoes for 30-minute treadmill walks at a 15.0 incline.
Turns out those incline walks have been quietly strengthening me for months.
No free lunch, right?
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”
Running today felt surprisingly easy because, in some way, I’ve been training all along.
2. My DIY Electrolyte Drink
A simple mix of water, citrus, salt, magnesium, and a touch of sweetness.
It kept my energy stable and my recovery smooth.
(Recipe below!)
3. Music
The right playlist can turn your feet into wings. Mine did.
4. The Work I Already Do
People underestimate daily movement.
My job — my constant walking — may have been building my endurance without me realizing it.
Sharing Day 1 on Day 1 — Not After Success
Most people only share their Day 1 after they already know they’ve succeeded.
After the victory.
After the finish line.
After the story is polished, edited, safe.
I’m choosing something different.
I am sharing Day 1 on Day 1, with no guarantees.
I may make the Naples Half Marathon on January 18.
I may not.
My body may surprise me.
Or it may not.
But I’m sharing anyway.
Because the finish line isn’t the point.
It never has been.
The point is trying.
The point is getting back up.
The point is beginning again — even if you fail.
Yes, people may laugh at me.
But that’s okay.
“There is no traffic on the high road. Ever. You can’t control how others behave, but you can always control yourself.”
If someone wants to mock or judge, let them.
They don’t know what distance I’m running.
A Story That Still Makes Me Laugh: Mile 26 on A1A
Back in early 2010, inspired by my upcoming 40th birthday, I ran my way through a wild three-month progression:
Dec 2009 – My first 10K
Jan 2010 – Naples Half Marathon
Feb 2010 – A1A Full Marathon (26.2 miles)
Here’s the unforgettable part:
During the full marathon, as I entered the last agonizing stretch of mile 26, I passed a row of beach bars filled with drunks who’d already watched the 5K, 10K, and half marathon runners finish hours earlier.
So they heckled me.
They genuinely thought I was some unbelievably slow 5K runner.
Meanwhile, I was finishing a full marathon.
How ironic is it to be judged by a crowd before the actual finish line — by people who didn’t even know what race I was running?
It taught me something I never forgot:
People will judge you without understanding you at all.
Let them. Keep going.
A Small Sea Glass Note
Maybe that’s why The Sea Glass Journal means so much to me.
Tess’s transformation — her willingness to begin again, even when she’s unsure and unsteady — mirrors the quiet bravery I’m trying to practice now.
Not perfect.
Not polished.
Just willing.
This run felt like one of those early Tess moments:
a small step with a big future tucked inside it.
My DIY Electrolyte Drink Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups filtered water
the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon or lime
Pinch of sea salt (I prefer Redmonds)
2 cups organic coconut water, unsweetened and unflavored
1/2 cup aloe vera juice (unsweetened and unflavored)
Optional: sprig of fresh mint or a few slices of fresh ginger
Instructions:
Mix, taste, adjust.
Sip before and after before running, working out, sweating or walking.
My Treadmill Barefoot Shoes
I use these ONLY on the treadmill for steep incline walks.
They’ve strengthened my feet and ankles in ways I didn’t expect — and today proved it.
️ What’s Next: Naples Half Marathon in 6 Weeks
January 18 is 43 days away.
I don’t know whether I’ll finish that race.
But here’s what I do know:
At nearly 40, I thought the word half meant “not enough,” so I doubled the distance.
At 53, I finally understand:
There is no “half” in courage.
No “half” in hope.
No “half” in trying again.
Whatever happens next, today was a beginning.
And beginnings are everything.
If You’re Reading This… Try Something New Today
Start small.
Start scared.
Start imperfect.
But start.
Because:
You can’t find new things you’ll love if you don’t try new things.
And you deserve to love things — including the person you are becoming.
xoxo, Kristin
About Kristin Omdahl
Kristin Omdahl is a bestselling author, designer, and creative entrepreneur known for her “sensory storytelling” — weaving food, craft, and nature into unforgettable fiction and non-fiction. Her debut novel, The Sea Glass Journal, is a love letter to Florida’s Gulf Coast, exploring themes of healing, connection, and creative legacy.
When she’s not writing, Kristin shares crochet and knitting designs, recipes, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her creative process with her global community on Patreon.
