Why I Love Runners

I reluctantly showed up at the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I hadn’t sleep well the night before and had told myself that if it was raining, I wasn’t running.

It wasn’t raining. It was wet but not raining.

So I laced up my shoes and headed to the race. I was surprised by the number of people participating. There were easily 1000 or more people running, probably the biggest group I’ve run with.

Yet, in that crowd of 1000, I felt incredibly alone. I knew people running but didn’t see any of them there and none of my family had come to cheer me on.

I struggled in the beginning, my emotions getting the better of me. But then I hit my stride and realized that I wasn’t alone. I was part of a community of runners who…

…stand on the sidelines, when they cannot run, and cheer

…stop to help when one of their own has fallen on wet pavement

…coach their children and hold their hands across the finish line

…and offer encouragement afterwards when the end result was not the desired one.

It’s a community I’m proud to be a part of.

Why do you love running?