I planned to run the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run in 2015. I had a 5K under my belt by October 2014, and was pretty easily running six miles at a time by mid-January 2015. What's another four? However, by the end of January I had done some significant damage to my Achilles tendons playing volleyball. I wasn't able to run the 10-miler after all that training. I couldn't even walk half a mile without pain for more than six months.

My experience with running taught me many lessons that are universal. The first being you can't accomplish all of your goals on your schedule. I was very disappointed that I wasn't able to make the race, but more than that I had the running bug. In school, I played about every sport, but I ran track just to stay in shape for the other sports. I never dreamed I would want to run.

I was itching to run. I was so disappointed, but by the time I was able to run again after all of those months of physical therapy, injections and limping around, I couldn't muster the motivation to start all over. Who you are is, in part, defined by how you deal with disappointments of all types.