National Running Day, on June 1st, was a huge success for the RunningWorks
team. As a group, we totaled 590-miles over 12 hours and had 85 people
run at least one-mile to support our cause of raising awareness for homelessness
and poverty here in the Carolinas. We would like to express many thanks to all who came to run and walk
with us. I have been involved with the sport of running in an organized fashion
for 18 years now, and I can safely say that June 1st was a day that
I will always remember for changing and challenging me in ways that I never
thought possible. I ran 26-miles throughout the day, which happened to be on the
one-year anniversary of my foot surgery, with a RunningWorks team member named Josh. Josh
is very new to the sport of running. He is 21-years-old and came to the program as a blank
slate to the running world. I have been on several three-mile runs with him and
completed several 5k races with Josh by my side, but I never thought I would say
that we would have run the marathon distance together. He just wanted to keep
going. He didn’t want to stop until our time was finished for the day. He got
outside of his comfort zone like no one I have witnessed (and albeit paid
for it the next few days as did I), and we learned more about ourselves and
each other that day than ever before. Running was our greatest teacher, and
looking back now it has always been my greatest confidant, refuge and strength
throughout life. Running taught us all that day, as well as the city of
Charlotte. We were able to connect and talk with so many who were
wondering—why were we still out on the streets running?!
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| Josh and I after his 5k PR at McAlpine Park this past Sunday. |
I have struggled these last few months to find myself, to
find that spark or mojo or whatever you want to call it. I thought that it was
gone forever and that I would never learn to enjoy running again, much less
train and compete at the highest level. Running fast can be overwhelming and the
aspects of training that I need to complete day to day have paralyzed me this
entire year thus far. The Olympics are this summer. Will you be there? I have
been asked. How is your foot? I wish I have a dollar for every time I was asked
that question. When is your next race? Is your training going well? All of
these questions have come from a loving and caring place, and I thank all of you
who have taken the time to reach out to me and check in and give encouragement.
However, running has taught me so much more this last year as I have been able
to get outside of myself and my selfish pursuit and see life and running at the
rawest of levels. It has caused great fear and anxiety for me not training in a
structured way, not having all of my meals 100% right and my schedule fit to a
“T”, but I know I have still been doing what I have been called to do—run and
help others with their running.
I have put together several solid weeks of training and will
continue to build with a refined passion that I never thought would go away or
be bigger that it was in my past. Running 3:36 for 1500m was great. Running sub four-minutes in the
mile 11 times was cool. Finishing in the top four at a USA Championship twice was
a blessing, but running at RunningWorks has changed my life and
perspective more that any of those accomplishments combined.
I want to thank all of my supporters and sponsors for your
patience this last year. It has not been pretty on the outside or inside for
that matter, but I can promise you this—I still love to run. I have learned to
love practices even if I am not running, to love racing even if I am not
winning and running with people even if I am not in the best shape I can
be. I have learned to just put on my shoes and go. To not stress about tomorrow
or the next day, but to truly make today the best it can be. It was easy to say
let’s make today better so that my tomorrow will be best when I was in peak
shape. Now, I have learned to do that even when I am 15-pounds overweight and
hurting all over. Life is a good. Running is good. I am good. Now, it is time to
get my best back, and be better than I was ever was before. Onwards and Upwards!
