Recently, I started running again after a LONG hiatus. In high school, I was on the cross country and track teams and used to run almost every day. In college, while I couldn’t run as much as I used to, I still ran pretty regularly and ran a couple of 5K races each year. For some reason though, my post-grad life had put a complete halt in my running. I had a lot of excuses — travel, long working days, general laziness, other distractions — you get the point.
Anyways, a few weeks ago came across an nonprofit organization called Back on My Feet. This organization organizes runs for people experiencing homelessness and uses running as a tool to empower and create change that leads to employment opportunities for the homeless population. Fascinated by its unique concept, I decided to join as a volunteer and subsequently made a decision that I am going to bring running back into my life.
So yesterday, I work up at 4:50 am to meet up with my team for a 5:30 am run. The group consisted of mainly residents who are now living in shelters and are on the road to self-sufficiency, and a few non-resident volunteers like me. After a round of bear-hug introductions, stretching, and serenity prayer, we set out for our 2-mile run. (Some people chose to do the 4-mile route, but I decided it was too early for that). The goal here is not to break your personal PR or to be the first one to finish, but to finish thereby accomplishing the goal that you set for yourself that morning. I ended up walking most of the way with one of the residents who was telling me about how excited he was to finally have a job and that he is planning on getting a place of his own and get a cat. Back on My Feet’s philosophy truly works and it is stories like these that will motivate me to come out to these early morning runs.
To keep in the theme of goal-setting, here are some of my running-related goals for the Spring.
1. Get my butt up for Back on My Feet runs twice a week (the teams meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week at 5:30 am, rain or shine)
2. Run at least 4 times a week
3. Do the Ben Franklin Bridge Run
4. Run along the Schuylkill River
5. Run the Philadelphia Museum of Art Rocky Steps
6. Be able to run a 5-miler by the end of April (since I’m still slowly building back up my endurance)
7. Run a race, any race
Tea Time Heals 