A Running Start

❤️Rain couldn’t wash this one out. 🌧️⛰️

Today A Running Start headed to the Red River Gorge for our group hike. We started under blue skies and perfect fall weather… and by the afternoon we were soaked, muddy, and laughing harder than we had all day.

That’s recovery in a nutshell. Plans change. Storms roll in. You can let it ruin the day, or you can lace up and make the most of it. These men chose the second one.

For one of our guys, today was a whole list of firsts: his first hike and his first ride on a sky lift. Watching him face that height, push past the nerves 😬, and step way outside his comfort zone was one of my favorite moments of the year. Every one of them stretched a little today, whether it was a tough climb, a fear of heights, or just showing up somewhere new.

Here’s something I believe with my whole heart: recovery should be MORE fun 🤩 than the life you left behind. Real laughter. Real adventure. Real friendships. No hangover, no regrets, just muddy shoes and memories you’ll actually remember. 💚

A huge thank you to Heather Isaacs Hackett, Mike, and Ryan for coming along and being part of this day. And thank you to the Hope Center for continuing to support us and believe in these men.

The Red River Gorge never disappoints, rain 🌧️ or shine. We’ll be back!

Tomorrow we're trading the track for the trails! 🥾🍂

A Running Start is heading to Red River Gorge for a full day of hiking, and it's honestly one of our favorite days of the whole year.

People hear "running group" and think it's all about miles and pace. It's not. It's about showing up for each other. The running and walking are just how we get there.

Here's something recovery teaches you fast: if you want to stay sober, you have to find things that are actually fun. You need places to laugh, people to lean on, and days that remind you life on the other side is worth it.

That's what tomorrow is. Fresh air, fall leaves 🍁, a few tough climbs, a lot of encouragement, and the kind of fellowship that only happens when you're out in nature together, cheering each other up the next hill.

No one does this alone. That's the whole point. 💚

🏃‍♂️ **Finishing what he started.**

When we met Chris H on day one, we'll be honest — we weren't sure he'd make it through. He was quiet, guarded, and carrying a lot. Twelve weeks is a long commitment when you're fighting for your recovery every single day.

But Chris kept showing up. Tuesday. Thursday. Friday night. Rain, heat, sore legs, hard days — he was there for just about every single run.

Somewhere along the way, something shifted. The guy who stood at the back of the group started leading it. He began using those miles as part of his everyday recovery, and he's told us he plans to keep moving long after this program ends. That's the part that gets us. 💚

Chris is now moving into the extended care transitional housing near the Hope Center, which means he's staying close — and we get to keep cheering him on. 🙌

This is why we do what we do. People ask if programs like ours really work. Chris is your answer. We have success stories, and every one of them started with someone simply deciding to show up.

Congratulations, Chris. We're so proud of you. 🏅

🤍Hey friends, it's Liz. I want to talk about something that's been on my heart.

We don't all start this race from the same line.

Some of us grew up with a safety net. A parent who could cover rent when things fell apart. Insurance that paid for treatment. A family name that opened doors, an education that gave us options, a lawyer when we needed one. When someone with those things falls into addiction, it's still devastating. But they often get a softer landing and a clearer path back.

Others grew up in homes where addiction was just part of life, passed down like old furniture. Where poverty wasn't a season, it was generations deep. Where nobody had ever been to college, rehab had a waiting list, and one bad mistake followed you on every job application for the rest of your life. Same disease. Very different odds.

I've been doing this work for almost 14 years, and I've watched both stories. Addiction doesn't care where you come from. Recovery, sadly, sometimes does.

So here's what I believe. We need empathy for everyone. Pain is pain, and nobody chooses this. But we also have to be honest that some people start miles ahead, and some are starting from a hole they didn't dig. If you've been given advantages, that's not something to feel guilty about. It's something to use. Share your table. Mentor someone. Hire someone with a record. Show up on a Tuesday night and run beside somebody who's never had anyone run beside them.

And if you came up the hard way, hear me: where you started is not where you have to finish. You are not your family's history. You are not your worst day. You can be the one who breaks the chain.

That's what A Running Start is about. Every one of us gets grace. Every one of us deserves a second chance, and sometimes a third and a fourth. We lace up together, we lift each other up, and we finish what we start. ❤️

From addict to athlete. From surviving to thriving. Together.

— Liz

Tonight we talked about the heart. Not the Valentine's kind — the one working hard in your chest every single mile. ❤️

We talked about cardio health and what running actually does for a body that's been through years of substance misuse. How the heart gets stronger. How the lungs start to open up. How blood moves better, sleep comes easier, and the body slowly remembers what it was built to do.

Then one of our young guys spoke up. He said there was a time he honestly didn't think he had a heart ❤️ anymore. Somewhere along the way, it just went quiet.

But now? He thinks it's coming back.

Let that sit for a second.

Because that's exactly what we're watching happen out there on those Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday night runs. A heart that was numb is starting to beat again. Not just stronger — louder. Beating for himself. For the guys running beside him. For a future he couldn't picture a few months ago.

And he's not the only one. Every week we're seeing changes in every way:
👟 Attitudes shifting from "I can't" to "watch me"
👟 Weight coming off and energy coming back
👟 Guys cutting back and quitting ci******es because they want their lungs for the next mile
👟 Better sleep, clearer minds, bigger smiles
👟 Showing up, keeping commitments, and finishing what they start

This is what recovery looks like when you give it room to breathe. One step, one breath, one heartbeat at a time. From addict to athlete. 💚

To every man lacing up with us this season — your heart didn't give up on you. And neither will we.

Tuesday night at 6:00, we lace up again. 🧡

After all these years of running alongside people in recovery, I can tell you nobody does this alone. You show up because someone's expecting you. You keep going because someone's right there next to you. And on the days you really don't feel like it, someone says "see you tonight," and somehow you're there.

That's what accountability looks like to us. It's people who care enough to notice when you're missing, and who are just as glad to see you when you walk back in.

Recovery works that way. Running works that way. Life does too.

So come run with us, walk with us, or just cheer us on. You don't have to be fast. You just have to show up and finish what you start, and we'll be beside you the whole way.

📍 Privett Center| 6:00 p.m.

❤️💪

We're taking tonight off from A Running Start — the heat's too much to run safely. Back on the pavement tomorrow night! Stay cool and hydrated. 🌡️🏃‍♀️

Another week down. Another week our runners showed up, laced up, and did exactly what they said they'd do. 🏃

That's what A Running Start is really about — not just the miles, it's the promise kept, three times a week, week after week.

And the science backs up what we see every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday:
- Exercise is now recognized as a legitimate adjunctive treatment for substance use recovery — the WHO added it to its official addiction treatment guidelines in 2024
- Regular physical activity is linked to lower rates of substance use, and consistent movement has been shown to reduce cravings for people already in recovery
- Structured routines like ours help ease withdrawal symptoms, regulate sleep, and give people a real sense of purpose and accomplishment

Every finish line is proof: when someone commits to showing up for themselves, their body and their mind start showing up right back.

Proud of every single runner who finished what they started this week. 💚

The heat finally broke, and we couldn't be happier to be back out on the road together! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

This week we're lacing up in the cooler weather and getting back to it — Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 6pm. There's nothing like the feeling of the whole crew back together, chasing miles and cheering each other on.

Excited for a great week of running. See you out there! 💪 ❤️

Tonight's forecast: sun's out, but we're not. 😅

We built this program on "finish what you start" — but nobody said anything about starting a run when it's 105° 🥵with the heat index. Even the sun needs a rest day sometimes, and so do we.

Runners canceled, hydration levels: mandatory. Grab your water, stay cool, and we'll be back out there when Kentucky decides to chill (literally) — see everyone next week! 💧🏃