Gratitude, on and off the course...

The initial support I have received for this project has been tremendous, filling my soul with strength and inspiration. From the “likes” on Facebook, to personal emails, to running beside me, I am humbled and grateful. I’ve taken for granted all the amazing cheerleaders I have in my life, but I am glad I am now given this opportunity to reconnect with gratitude – learn how to truly be gracious and express appreciation, a lesson that’s never too late to learn.

In that vein, I’d like to say thank you to my friends with VA Momentum (https://www.vamomentum.com/). VA Momentum is all about “energizing the community for good”, putting on unique and fun events to encourage health and wellness in a spirited, supportive environment. I’ve been super excited to watch my friends grow this important initiative, and whether the founders realize it or not, they have played a huge part in inspiring me to begin this project. They’ve been nothing but supportive from the start, even including me as a guest blogger on their website, allowing me to share this story with even more people in the hopes that those who really need to hear it will find it.  I’m looking forward to including a number of VA Momentum events in my 35 races.

Speaking of my races, I completed my 4^th race last Friday, the perfect way to celebrate my “birthday eve”.  Here is a brief reflection:

Race #4 – Apr. 24, 2015

Grand Caverns Signature 5K

Grottoes, VA

Time: 34:27

This was my first twilight race, set in the quaint Grand Caverns park in Grottoes, VA. I must say, I am certainly grateful for the opportunity to enjoy many of these races in such beautiful surroundings – the Shenandoah Valley is quite a spectacular place to live. I take it for granted each day, but as I mentioned earlier, I am trying to find ways to be more gracious in my life, and I definitely find myself taking more notice now of the amazing scenes surrounding me when I run.

I was also joined by our good friend, Michael. He is in the military and can run a 5K in his sleep, certainly MUCH faster than 34 minutes.  But he’s also a pretty awesome friend and always finds unique ways to support us, so he ran with me, right next to me, the entire time, never once pushing me or forcing me to go faster than I could.  That said, just his presence alone encouraged me to push myself anyway, so away we went, shaving three minutes off my previous race time – woo-hoo!  I think that’s good, right?  Well, it’s good for me anyway, so, that’s good!

As my birthday month comes to a close, it’s been an incredible start to this crazy journey so far! Four races down, AMAZING support from so many, positive energy flowing through each race – I can’t wait to see what the next month brings!

Speaking of the next month, I’ve started a calendar with my race schedule. Some of you have mentioned you might want to catch a run with me – I would LOVE that!  Check out the calendar and see what works for you! Be sure to let me know! Please note – the calendar only shows out to September right now, and I’m posting both races I’m officially registered for and races I’m considering.  I’ll try to figure out a way to indicate when I’m officially registered for something so you can tell the difference.

Thanks again to everyone for your love, support and encouraging words. Even if this project had to stop tomorrow (hope not), I have already been strengthened and inspired by your love, and for that, I am most grateful.