These past two weeks I ran in local races in support of good causes. These are the races I first ran three years back when I began this journey. These races are also the first races my work team ran together. Little Red Runners is a team comprised of teachers from my school and myself. Three years ago we started a competition at work – Biggest Loser. As part of this competition, some of us started running as a workout. That year, I registered for a Memorial Day 4 mile run and created a team. I put the information on Facebook and invited anyone at work to join me. Little Red Runners was created and we have had some exciting adventures over the past three years. We definitely caught the running bug and have signed up for so many races together. I’d say this team has been instrumental in keeping me out there pounding the pavement.
Today I’d like to reflect a bit on the role this team has played in my journey. All of us have set and met goals during this time, both in weight loss and running. All of us have stuck with the running and we’ve added a few members to the group. All of us have completed half marathon distances and one has run a marathon. Two of us will run the NYC Marathon this year. We have supported each other on our individual goals and through injury and down times. While all of this is impressive, this team has also had impact on our personal lives.
When you run and preserve through the challenges, you can become an inspiration to others. You just never know the impact you can have on someone through sharing your journey. That has been the point of this blog, in addition to keeping myself on the path. I’ve seen this impact first hand through my work running team. One member, Patty Peppermints as she is lovingly called, has inspired so many with her journey. She not only lost weight, but she inspired her family to join her on this running journey. Her two daughters now run and they’ve joined their mother on many running adventures, including the marathon distance. It has been a joy and pleasure to run with these ladies as part of our Little Red Runners team. These past two weekends reminded me of just how far we all have come.
The last two weekends the team has completed two local races, yesterday’s was in support of a fallen 9/11 firefighter. There’s just something about doing these local races. It’s so nice to not have to travel early in the morning and worry about traffic or parking. It’s also nice to see the same familiar faces out at the race. The local after race parties are also fun and family oriented. But what’s best of all is meeting up with the Little Red Runners for a run and some laughs. These ladies have helped motivate me and kept me on my running journey. Watching the impact running has had on our lives is a true testament to finding a running tribe.
What’s your journey? Please share below what has inspired you.
Reclaiming My Health 