Many thanks to Neal Donald Walsch for a classic quote that speaks to many. Comfort zones exist, and getting outside them makes magic happen. We love seeing our Ambassadors push beyond their own comfort zones to achieve their biggest dreams, or to experience life from a different perspective. Today, Janelle is sharing her story with you, too:

Most people consider it crazy. Spending 36 hours in a van while running a 200-mile relay race. No sleep. No showers. Six sweaty women, plus a sweaty driver. Sound miserable? Actually, it was the event of a lifetime.

Last year, a member of our run club was diagnosed with cancer. She has remained so incredibly strong and positive through her journey and treatments, and six women from our club decided to dedicated their Ragnar Relay to her. Struggling to each run 30 miles over the course of two days with no sleep would be nothing compared to what she would be battling over the next year.  When they asked me to be their driver, I immediately agreed.

We decided our team name would be "All Kinds of Strong" (although, it should have been called "All Kinds of Crazy"). We drove our 12-person van to Lancaster to begin the race on Friday morning at 5:00am, and we finished in the Pocono Mountains on Saturday around dinner time. Between the lack of sleep and constant running, our team battled GI distress the entire time. We survived on whatever we could get down—peanut butter and jelly, pasta salad, soft pretzels and Coke. Let me tell you, Coke was our savior! None of us are soda drinkers, but there is something so satisfying in a Coke that somehow settles your stomach.

These ladies ran up and down hills all through the night with few complaints. We each had our "moments," but they were short-lived and the remainder of the moments were filled with laughing and singing. We stopped for afternoon ice cream and midnight coffee. They suffered through exposed runs in the blazing sun and through death marches up an incline that could be walked faster than it could be run. They got lost on the course multiple times and we received multiple bear sighting alerts. I ended up running about 15 miles to keep a few of them company on the hills and in the middle of the night. Those hills were no joke! I'm so proud of these six women for pushing themselves, and also for winning their division!

For anyone that knows me, I need my sleep and I can only sleep in a bed. My family and good friends were shocked that I even considered joining in this (foolish) adventure. You know what? Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone. That's where the magic happens. 

These six women are some of my favorite people, and I would do anything for them. And we would all do anything for our run club family, especially when one is sick and in need. When one struggles, we all struggle and rise up to support each other.

That right there is my favorite thing about the running community. 

We want to know: What is your favorite thing about the running community? If you have a story, pitch it to blog@designesthatmoveyou.com, and be sure to tag @momentumjewelry on Instagram. We love hearing about your adventures, and we love seeing our Motivate Wraps and Foot Notes in action.