Inspiration, Motivation: IRun4

To be a distance runner, one must have plenty of motivation. It's not always easy to get out there day after day and pound out the miles. Despite my successes, sometimes it's really hard to get off the couch. I know that I will feel better after a run, but those first steps and that first mile can be SO. HARD. Sometimes my internal motivation is lacking, so I rely upon other sources of inspiration to get me going.

In October 2013, I found a Facebook group entitled I Run for Michael. In this group, runners are paired with special needs buddies and dedicate their runs and workouts to them. I thought this was a fabulous idea. Why not put intention behind every run? So I signed up. The runner list was long, and the estimated wait time to be paired with a buddy was six to eight weeks.

(Bryce's cute little toes)

While I was waiting to be paired in the IRun4 group, I came across a post that mentioned another group: I Run for … Remembrance. In this group, runners are paired with those who have passed on and dedicate their runs/workouts to that person's memory. I immediately thought of my friends Paul and Mary who, after years of trying to have a child, lost their miracle baby Bryce to Trisomy 18. I urged Mary to sign up, and she did. I messaged the woman in charge of making the matches and asked if I could be paired with Bryce, but she told me that the pairing process was random. However, Mary made it happen!

I found out I was paired with Bryce on Thanksgiving, November 28th. That morning, I ran the Cold Turkey 5k with Bryce in mind and placed first in my age group. My angel is with me every step of every run, and it makes me happy that I'm doing my part to ensure that his memory lives on.

(Gracie)

On December 5th, I received a message stating I had been paired in the IRun4 group, and she is the most perfect match. Her name's Gracie, and she lives in Maryland. She's seven years old, has Trisomy 21 (aka Down syndrome), and is my warrior. At seven months old, she survived open heart surgery. In April 2013, she suffered two severe strokes within days of each other. After almost a month in a coma and three and a half months in the hospital, she went home to begin the second phases of her battle: to learn how to do everything all over again. She is defying the doctors every day and showing the world just how tenacious she is. She's a constant source of inspiration for me.

On October 18th, I will be running the Baltimore Marathon and hope to meet Gracie and her parents, Mike and Kim, for the first time!

(Bri)

Most recently, I learned of yet another offshoot of the IRun4 page: I Run for Siblings. In this group, runners are paired with siblings of special needs children so that they too can connect with a runner. On  August 7th, a few days after I signed up, I was matched with my hero Bri. She is thirteen years old and lives in Ohio. The oldest of six siblings, she helps take care of her two younger sisters, Layla (3) and Angel (2), both of whom have Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy. As we have just been paired recently, Bri and I are still getting to know each other, but I've discovered that she's great at giving me distance goals for my training runs.

The members of my team give me a strong drive to do well and to live, and run, with intention. I am so blessed to have them in my life!

Thanks for reading, friends. :)