Running with purpose

It is really easy for me to find reasons to run. I know I usually run because: I love to, it is good for me, it keeps me balanced, I sleep better, I love to, and the list goes on and on.

Sometimes, it is also really easy to forget that there are other reasons to run. Recently, my community, the one in which I live, work, play, and run, was traumatized by a tragic shooting at a movie theater nearby. In these situations, it is often easy to feel overwhelmed and at times, helpless. Well, I know that there are two things that usually help me refocus and find joy: prayer and running.

That said, I found myself wondering how to use running as a way to support those affected by the recent shooting. Last night, the Boulder Running Company in Greenwood Village (if you have never been to this specific store, I would strongly recommend it… they are awesome!!)  hosted their weekly pub run. Instead of just getting together to run and enjoy beer and food afterwards, Adidas decided to pay $3 per mile, up to three miles for every person who ran to a fund for the shooting victims. Fifty-five people showed up to run. As I watched people filter in, I was struck by the fact that most of us don’t know each other and many of us were probably not directly impacted by the shooting. The one thing we all had in common was that we could gather to do the one thing we enjoy to serve a greater purpose. How cool is that?

So, if the next time you start to wonder why you run, I would challenge you to look around and see if there is some greater purpose you could be running for.