Make a promise

1 comment June 9th, 2008

I fulfilled a promise Saturday when I ran the 4th annual 911Run.

When Mark Marinaro called the paper four years ago to ask for publicity for the first run, I promised him I would run it because the proceeds benefit the Fire and Police Chaplains Division, the Rockford Fire Department and its Division of Fire Prevention.

Well, something came up and I didn’t run the race that year. And, somehow, something came up in the other years as well. But I was in town Saturday morning so I finally made my 911 Run debut in a less than stellar 17:05.

 Don’t look up the per-mile pace. I didn’t and I don’t want to know.

The remarkable thing, though, was that as we started out on the first loop of the race I overheard a couple of ladies talking about why they were in the race. One said to the other that, despite the humid conditions, she was glad they were getting their exercise in the race that morning “because it makes me feel good when I’m also doing it for a good cause.”

That reminded me why I got into running races way back when. Even if my time didn’t make me feel particularly good, the idea that a good cause benefited did.

If you’re looking for a motivation for your training, think about getting into a run, a bike race or even a non-competitive walk that benefits something you would support.

Rockford MELD has a 10-kilometer race coming up on July 4 to support its programs for families and youth (see www.rockfordmeld.org) and the Hall Creek Scamper, a well thought out 5-kilometer “green” race to benefit the programs of Severson Dells Nature Center (see www.seversondells.org or e-mail to dellsgreenrun@gmail.com) is scheduled for July 26.

 There are plenty of others throughout the year, just pick one and promise to do  some good in more ways than one.