Play it Forward

I love to run.  And bike.  And swim.  And I really love to race.  Whenever I have someone give me the look, (you know the one where they are trying to think of a polite way to tell me I need to be committed...), and I have to give a reason as to why I do what I do, the only think that comes to mind is that I love it.  Some people like to watch TV, or play video games, or hit happy hour to unwind.  I like to cook a nice meal, curl up on the couch for 30 minutes with a good book, and then be in bed by 8 pm.  I like to get up at 4:30 AM and get a head start on the day with a bike ride or a run.  When my alarm clock goes off it's a rare occasion when I am tempted to sleep in, and when I do I'm never happy about it later.  I love to hit the trails on the weekend and run for hours.  And there's nothing better than watching the sun rise while swimming laps at the pool. 

Recently I've had the opportunity to share my passion with a couple of friends.  One (who lives on the other side of the country) recently started training for triathlon, and completed the Nautica Miami Triathlon last weekend.  Now, she wants to do Ironman! 

And even more rewarding, a friend at work approached me a couple of months ago and asked if I would help her start an exercise program to get in shape for summer (aka: bikini season).  So we started off slowly.  Twice a week on our lunch break we would walk/ jog 1 1/2 miles to a nearby park, do a few strength exercises (lunges, squats, planks, etc), and then walk/ jog 1 1/2 miles back to work.  Within a couple of weeks, the walk portions were getting shorter and shorter.  Now, she runs (no walking!) about 5 days a week - on her own! - and we hit the strength workouts still twice a week.  She is getting stronger and seeing changes in the mirror. 

Best of all, yesterday at work she asked me how she could get involved in a running race.  A 5k.  This newly addicted runner has a competitive streak and is ready to put it to the test!  As someone with passion for running, there is nothing more exciting than seeing someone fall in love with running.  Sometimes it's hard to lead by example, but it's so much fun to 'play' it forward!