Running for a Purpose

I have never been a competitive runner. Until now, I ran for therapeutic, social and general fitness purposes. But, for the most part, I thought running was kind of boring. To me, it paled in comparison to the adrenaline rush gained while roller blading, scenic cycle rides, or to great friendships forged on the tennis court.

This winter, something snapped in my head while running on my elliptical. I became obsessed with completing five miles in 30 minutes. Once I reached this goal, the competitive runner in my soul became unleashed.

So, now what? My new fitness challenge is to run – and win – a few 5K races. Not only am I enthused about establishing this healthy living goal, I am motivated to stay the course on this mission because so many races help others. It’s multi-tasking at its finest.

Inspiration for my new mission comes from my cousin Joe, who runs half and full marathons to raise money for the American Heart Association and two girlfriends who share the same first name. My two Lisas are long-time friends who are both committed fitness advocates. One is a friend from college who has medaled in a number of local, state and national races. The second is my closest friend. She finally sold me on registering and training for my first 5K — Back to the Beach. It takes place this Sunday at Stoney Creek Metro Park and was organized to support the Detroit chapter of Medals 4 Mettle.

To encourage me in my pursuit of victory, my husband bought me a pedometer for Mother’s Day. He’s so practical. But, I love this. When we were dating, he was about to dial the florist, but then hung up and went to the nearest sporting good store . There, he purchased new bearings for my roller blades, which had been dogging me for weeks. It’s all good. Flowers look and live better in a garden; and too much chocolate makes running shorts look indecent.

Advertisement