Community and My First 5K

It was a beautiful morning to run.  The air was crisp and cool.  My ankles felt strong.  I had on my new Ravens t-shirt.  And best of all, I was surrounded by friends.  Friends who, like me, were eager to get moving and excited to be able to follow through on what we had been pledged to do: run 3.1 miles in order to raise money for a family seeking asylum in the United States.

The family was there to cheer us on.  Our families were there, too.  Some of us had been running for years and others, like me, had just started.  But we all felt confident we would finish strong and we all did.
Everyone crossed the finish line in under 30 minutes.

I loved running in a group.  The motivation and morale can not be beat.  Yes, time alone is therapeutic and not to be denied, but I know I ran my best today.  We chatted about the route and compared gaits.  We waved to the cars that let our little posse pass and decided it was because we looked so official in our donated numbers.  We encouraged each other on the hills and sprinted side by side when the end was near.

The run was fun.

The run was successful.

The run raised nearly $2000 and will provide an amazing, faithful family the relief they need as they wait through a lengthy process.  A process during which they can not work.  This family fled their homeland out of fear and basically with only what was on their backs.  The least we could do was run a few blocks and raise a few bucks.

And how did we do it?  By combining our skills and resources.  By tapping our networks.  By fully embracing community at its best.  A community of which I am so proud to be a part.

Me and my parents who have always taught me both to give back and to stay fit.

The six runners who ran for relief.  Thanks for a fabulous first 5K.  Let's do it again sometime!
I also want to thank all of those who donated and coordinated behind the scenes.
After all, not everyone was "born to run."