Any given weekend in any given city you can find a handful of 5K events to honor or support individuals and groups.
The popularity of these events has increased dramatically in the last 10 years and it is a wonderful way to make a tribute to someone you love.
I choose to remember and honor those I love each and every time I am out for a run, needing motivation when I want to quit.
When I am out for a run I typically feel energized, refreshed, exhausted, happy, annoyed...my feelings are just as hilly as the courses I run. It is during those moments when I want to give up that I make "running tributes" to those that I love.
When my legs feel tired...
I think of my mom, whose knees have taken her so many places throughout her life that they are giving out. I think of my husbands grandma, the only grandma I have on earth, and how her hips have slowed her down but not stopped her.
When I get winded at the top of a hill...
I remember my sweet cousin, whose lungs gave out due to Cystic Fibrosis long before her spirit did.
When my heart is pounding after a sprint...
I remember my uncle, grandfather, grandma, great aunt and, sadly, so many other family members that had hearts that stopped beating before any of us were ready for them to go.
As I prepare to do a Memorial Day 5K this weekend, the registration information says to run in honor of a lost loved one. Officially I have chosen to run for my 15 year old cousin, but in my heart I run for every single person I love. Each and every time I go out for a run I take a moment to remember, to love and to smile.
Who do you run for?
<3 this Sally! You have such a big heart.
ReplyDelete~Nickie