02/24/2026
Matt’s Journey to Running
I’ll be honest.
For a long time, running felt like a club I didn’t belong to. A community I quietly resented… because I didn’t think I could ever be one of them.
This year, at 42, I set a goal: become a confident runner.
Not fast. Not competitive. Just confident.
When one of our members said her goal was simply to “keep running every weekend,” it hit me. Because my goal is just to get to where she is. Funny how perspective works.
Almost 20 years ago, I tore the labrum in my right hip. For over a year and a half, every step was excruciating. This was while I was working as a personal trainer in NYC — on my feet all day, demonstrating exercises 8–10 hours at a time — silently battling pain and imposter syndrome.
One doctor told me, “You look strong. You’re too young to have anything wrong.”
What I heard was: Essentially, there’s nothing wrong with me.
So I internalized it. Tried to outthink it. Tried to fix myself alone.
That injury was just the beginning — chronic back pain, torn shoulder labrum, meniscus tears, plantar fasciitis, partial Achilles tears. Quite the résumé.
Running? Not even an option.
Over the years I tried. Failed. Hated it. Quit. Came back. Refined my craft. Studied relentlessly. Healed. Built strength. Built belief.
And somewhere along the way I realized something:
There are answers.
You’re not crazy.
You’re not weak.
You’re not “too young” to feel pain.
And you’re not disqualified from doing hard things.
Today, I run.
Not because I love it. Most days it’s a mental battle every step.
I run because I can.
Because I know what it feels like to have that choice taken away.
And I never want to live from “I can’t” again.
This is why our work at Movement Redefined matters so much to me. You can do more than you think. And if you’re in the middle of your own battle, we’re here to support throughout your journey!
