For 400+ days Cassandra and Elijah Beach have been slipping on their running shoes each day for more than just a run around town. The mother and son bond they share is an inspiration we recognize and cherish deeply. Gone For a Run’s story began in 2008 when the mother and son duo behind the brand ran their first organized race, the NYC Marathon, together. At Gone For a Run, we love running. Running has fueled our energy and passion to never stop exploring, creating, and enjoying life.

Every single day for the past 408 days, we have laced up to run.

It didn't matter how busy we'd been, where we were, how hot, humid, cold, wet, windy, or snowy it was.

It didn't make a difference how big our excuses had been, how exhausted, sick, tired, or injured we were; we have managed to get up, lace-up, and run.

What started out as a simple goal of "to get in shape and not sit around this summer," now has a whole new meaning.

This journey of forcing our bodies to get up and convincing our legs to get moving is so much more than just running every day. It has become so much bigger than Elijah and I. It has evolved into its own entity. It's not about how fast we run or how many miles we log. No, it's so much more than that now.

Every day we've taken the time to get away from the noise of the world, work, TV, Xbox, cell phones, the distractions we call modern living.

We get to connect with each other, far away from it all. We laugh and talk about our day, sometimes we argue. We may have even cried a time or two.

We love it when our family, friends, and critters join us on our journey. We love exploring new places to run and all the memories that each run has given us. This journey has taught us so much about ourselves, about how strong we really are, and how capable each one of us is in accomplishing anything we set our minds to.

This journey has been amazing so far and it is only just beginning.

Elijah said to me, "Mom we are going to look back on this time in our life one day and they are going to be some pretty good memories." At those simple words, my heart swelled with pride! These are the moments in life you can not get back. This is our journey! I am excited to see how far it takes us. I am so glad we decided to take that first step and just go run.

This amazing running streak has become an ever-present part of us. It’s no longer something we must do, but rather something we look forward to every day.

With all that is going on in the world around us today, our running streak has become so much more than just a simple run.
It has become us.
It has enveloped us.
It is us getting out and it is us enjoying each other’s company.
It IS us.
This is our injection of positive energy into each day, no matter what. It doesn’t matter what is going on around us, we know we have this - Our Journey. It is our way of hanging onto our tiny bit of freedom that we have left in a world of isolation and social distancing. We are bonding with each other when others are distancing themselves. We need this running streak now more than ever. It is keeping us sane and giving us strength both mentally and physically.

These are trying times for all of us right now, and getting to spend these precious moments with, not just my son, but with our family and friends who decide to join us on our run streak, has become the single most important time of our day. Without knowing what the future holds one thing is certain; this running streak has filled us with hope, it has made us stronger, and brought us closer now more than ever.

With what is going on in the world right now, I want to remind all of you that each day is precious and should not be wasted. Whatever it is that inspires you; whether it be spending time with your family, getting healthy, pursuing hopes and dreams, starting a new business, or just taking that risk you’ve always been afraid to take, I encourage you to use this time wisely to spend it with your loved ones and take those risks. Challenge yourself and start your own journey. It’s not always easy. Some days it really sucks. It’s hard to drag ourselves out of our nice warm cozy bed to get up and run. But anything worth having is never easy. We will never regret all the time we have spent together, the places we have run, or the memories & experiences that each one has given us.

It does not matter what it is in your life, It doesn't have to be running. Just find something you love and are passionate about. Set a goal and start your journey.