Every Motivate Wrap or Foot Note we create is made to inspire and empower. We hope that our products give you that extra push...that little bit of power you need to get through something difficult. Maybe they keep you moving through an adventure with strength and perseverance. We absolutely love hearing your stories about our products. Today, we'll share one with you. It's from Bridget of Fitness With Bridget. The word "believe" is her mantra, and this is her journey:

Two years ago, I signed up to run my second marathon. I completed my first one at the age of 28, and I had no plans to do another one. Doing a marathon was a bucket-list item. I started running when I was 21. It was a form of therapy after I lost my mom to ovarian cancer. Running helped me combat anxiety and depression, but it also made me think I could eat whatever I wanted to, and I gained over 30 pounds.

So after I crossed the marathon off my bucket list, I started off on a weight-loss journey.

I began taking group fitness classes for more cross-training, and to have support from like-minded people. This helped me to lose 30 pounds. I felt confident, and I became passionate about health and fitness—so I became a certified fitness instructor to keep myself accountable and to pay it forward. I wanted to help other people on their own fitness journey.

Fast forward a few years. I got married, had two kiddos, and added "personal trainer" and "online health motivator" to my list of jobs. This allowed me to leave corporate America, after which I began my clean eating lifestyle. I changed my workouts, too. I felt strong, and I was ready for another challenge.

The Spring before I turned 40, I made a quick decision to sign up for Marathon #2. My goal was to be better at 40 (weighing 40 pounds less) than I was at 28. 

I trained for five months. Race day came, and I felt ready. I was running a good pace, following the 3-hour/45-minute pacer until I reached mile 18. My IT bands locked up. I let the pacer go by, knowing I needed to just let myself breathe and run slower.

I listened to my body.

I struggled big time, but pushed through the pain the best that I could. I thought I lost an hour, it felt like forever. At mile 25, I saw the 4-hour pacer and was so relieved—my goal was to finish between 4:00 and 4:15. I could make it...and I did, in 4:01. I shaved almost an hour off my original time! Despite the pain, quitting was not  an option. And throughout it all, my “Believe” and “26.2” footnotes were a constant reminder that I could keep going...that I could finish, and that stopping was not an option.

My experience in both marathons, and my entire health journey have taught me so much. Most of all, these experiences have taught me to believe in myself. To believe that I can do hard things. That it takes work, but that pushing myself means that I am working on me.

We all deserve to feel good in our skin. I am no longer training for races, but I am training for life. I will always believe in me—and no matter where you're at in your journey, you should believe that you can do anything.

It just takes one step at a time.

Our Foot Notes come in a wide variety of inspirational sayings. Get one, or one for each foot. We can also customize them with your personal mantra. Believe in yourself, and believe in the power of a personal mantra! Bridget is proof of that.