Congratulations Hayley, for finishing – and excelling! – in the Chicago marathon this past weekend.

You are my hero – not because of your amazing time, but because of the way you trained for and ran this race.

You persevered through many setbacks this past year to maintain your training and live this dream.

You ran a smart race. You ran 25 minutes faster than your marathon last year.

You found JOY in the experience. You had fun. You encouraged others.

I truly wish I had your mindset and spirit when I was competing.

Keep running. Keep living your dreams. Keep making a difference.