Jun 02, 2026

The Sprint Is Opening Up - Key Lime Cookies

Running is often portrayed as a physical challenge, but most runners eventually discover that the real battle happens somewhere between the ears. Running coach and writer David Dack summed it up perfectly.

The Warm Up!

We tend to think of generosity as something big. Time, money, or effort given when it’s obvious and visible.

But a lot of generosity is quieter than that.

Being early is one of those forms. It doesn’t get recognized or talked about much, but it matters. Showing up ahead of time means someone else doesn’t have to wait. It creates space instead of pressure. It signals respect for other people’s time, not just our own.

It’s a small shift, but it changes the experience for everyone involved.
Generosity doesn’t always require more. Sometimes it just requires a little more awareness.

There are a few other ways this shows up that are easy to miss.

Show up! Put in the work! Regroup! Put in the work! Don't quit! Believe in yourself! Develop your skills! Process > outcome! Be okay with uncomfortable! Compete!

The Journey!

There’s a certain feeling that only shows up near the end of a long ride.

Not at the start, when everyone is fresh and talking too much, and not in the middle either, when the miles settle into rhythm and the group finds its natural shape. It happens later, somewhere in those final miles when the energy changes almost without anyone acknowledging it.

The group gets quieter. People stop wasting words. Everyone starts paying attention without looking like they are. You realize there aren’t many miles left before the moment arrives, and suddenly every small movement matters a little more than it did an hour earlier.

You start watching wheels more carefully, covering gaps before they become problems, trying to stay relaxed while knowing you can’t drift too far back either. Someone rolls off the front and someone else follows immediately. The pace lifts just enough that conversation disappears completely, replaced by that familiar tension that hangs in the air before something finally breaks open.

And underneath all of it is this strange mix of anticipation and anxiety, because everyone knows what’s coming even if nobody says it out loud.

The sprint isn’t only about the finish line. It’s about everything leading into it. The positioning, the patience, the restraint, the feeling right before you finally stand up and go. That split second where instinct takes over and everything you’ve been holding back releases at once.

That’s honestly what this feels like right now.

For months I’ve been buried in revisions, ideas, details, second guesses, late nights, and constant adjustments, quietly building toward something without fully showing it yet. And now it finally feels like the road is narrowing and the pace is starting to lift.

Later this week the new site goes live, the Standard Bearer Collective officially begins, and the first pieces from this next chapter start to roll out.

Not everything at once. Just enough to finally open the throttle a little and let people feel where all of this has been headed.

Appreciate everyone who has been sitting in the group with me while I waited for the right moment to launch.

Meal Time

Key Lime Cookies

A little over a week ago, my parents were in town, and since my mother, wife, and son are all big fans of key lime, I decided to make a batch of these cookies.

They turned out to be one of those recipes that immediately goes into permanent rotation.

They were surprisingly easy to make and, honestly, the best cookies I've ever baked. Rich and buttery with a nice chew through the middle, just a hint of crispness on the bottom, and a key lime flavor that was present without overwhelming everything else.

I put them on the kitchen table around 8:00 that evening. There were twenty-five of them.

By the time we headed to bed, only a handful remained.

The only thing preventing all twenty-five from disappearing that night was the collective concern that someone might wake up with a stomachache.

To be fair, they were good enough that the stomachache might have been worth it.

Ingredients

Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2–3 tsp key lime zest
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Key Lime Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp key lime juice
1–2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp key lime zest
Pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

Make the Cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars for 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla, then mix in the key lime zest.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
Roll into smooth 1½-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, until set but not browned.
Allow to cool briefly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.

Make the Glaze

Whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth.
Adjust with a little extra milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Dip or spread the glaze over the cooled cookies.
Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Notes

Use properly softened butter for the best texture.
Do not overbake. The cookies should remain soft and slightly puffy.
Rolling the dough into smooth balls before baking gives them a cleaner, bakery-style appearance.
If you want a little extra lime flavor, sprinkle a touch of fresh zest over the glaze before it sets.
Let the cookies cool significantly before glazing. If they're still warm, the glaze will run right off the cookies instead of setting into that thin, sweet layer on top.

This is What I Heard...

This time of year, we tend to get links to all sorts of commencement speeches.

Some are funny. Some are inspirational. Some are delivered by household names, while others come from people you've never heard of before but somehow leave a lasting impression.

This year, I came across the commencement address at the University of North Carolina (a quick shout-out to avid reader Leslie L., as she is a proud Tar Heel), delivered by singer-songwriter Eric Church, who also happens to be a Carolina graduate.

The speech is about 18 minutes long and well worth the time.

Rather than standing behind a podium and offering a list of life lessons, Church uses his guitar and stories from his own life to make his points. It's a different approach than most commencement speeches, which is probably one reason it stuck with me.

If you have a few minutes, give it a listen. And if you have any young people in your life who are graduating, heading off to college, or simply trying to figure out what comes next, consider sharing it with them as well.

Back to The Journey