Run to Become

Saturday our church had a 5k Run to Become for the young women in the area (ages 12-18). I went with Miranda, planning to cheer her on and walk the course.

Mind you, I have not exercised to much extent over the past year. But that's another post in and of itself. The girls and leaders lined up at the start . . . and I started jogging. Slowly, but it was a jog.

And I jogged the entire course. A 5k course. Three point one miles!

Miranda did great! She ran with Libby the whole way. As I entered the gate to the park on my way to the finish, the volunteers manning the entrance said, "Wow! Miranda flew through here. She is a runner!"  I know this was a good experience for Miranda. She hasn't been running much since cross-country last fall. But she still finished the course in about 25 minutes. So proud of her!

The whole purpose of the Run to Become was to help the girls see what they can do. If they have obstacles in their lives, they can set goals and work on overcoming those obstacles, becoming the person they want to be.

It was an amazing experience for me. I cannot believe I was able to jog that entire course and sprint to the end. I encouraged and cheered on the girls throughout the race as I passed them or they were passing me on their way to the finish. So much fun! It inspired me to continue jogging, to overcome my sadness of losing my best friend (who was my walking/running partner).

I feel like so much of the past year and a half has been a fog . . . like I've been just going and going, never quite finding my way. Trying to see my destination, but not knowing what that destination was. Saturday afternoon the girls and their moms gathered together for a dinner and broadcast with church leaders sharing their thoughts and feelings with us. One thing that really stood out for me, was Thomas S. Monson saying, "Life by the yard is hard. Life by the inch is a cinch." One day at a time. Doing our best that day to be who we want to be.

Saturday night DH and I were able to go see the Hunger Games. A quote from that movie seems pertinent to this post: "One emotion is stronger than fear . . . and that is HOPE."

I HOPE to become a better ME.