Warrior

Today I look forward to my run.  I don’t think I have thought that in years, let alone shared the thought with anyone.  Although it is diminishing, I know exactly when my hatred for running began; SVSU.  I was a freshman pitcher.  We had just returned from Florida, losing every game except one. Coach told us we had to run as many miles as we had strike-outs looking. For those of you who are a little rusty on your softball knowledge, this means the number of batters who looked, instead of swung, at a strike 3 pitch.  The magic number was, drum roll please, a horrific 17…and that was the amount of miles we were to run.  We had 5 days to do so, but it still managed to seem like the worst punishment ever…and running was never a punishment in my life before. If you think about it, as kids, most of us loved running.  My two babies run everywhere, anytime they can get away with it!  As we grow, that perspective shifts with social norms and responsibility, and for some, it becomes a chore.  Today is my long run.  I am prepping for the Warrior Dash http://warriordash.com/register2011_michigan.php in July.  It is going to be a challenge, but my goal is to finish in 45 minutes or less.  I will be freshly 31, and I am going to do it for myself, and for my EFA club at school.  Two of my most compassionate students began this last year and formed a group of CAHS students who have presented Bullying Awareness skits and rallied together to become a more positive role-model group within the school.  I am going to become a running warrior for all the kids who have been bullied, and continue trying to focus at school each day, for those who get called names at home, and at school, for those who have Hate Pages made for them, and those who hurt.  If you are willing to donate to this cause, please email me.  Tonight I am looking forward to my long run, and I know with that mindset, running can turn into something enjoyable for me again.  It can provide peace, a personal meditation, change, and the warrior workout that I need. Afterwards I may set down with my book, Born to Run, http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303 and continue to be inspired. It is a second read, and it continues to open my eyes to the power of positive thinking, the awesome feats our bodies can overcome, the true simplistic nature of life, and the joy that running can truly become if we just smile as we face our challenges head on and warrior heart forward.