BEST YEAR YET!: RUNNING CONNECTS US

The Cheerleader, Me, Pam & Tom Rickard - NYC 2015

I have a friend, Pam Rickard (pictured above) who has been known to say "Running Connects Us!" Actually, she is full of wisdom, compassion, grace, mercy and many other Christ like characteristics.....and says a bunch of really good stuff.

Pam and I first became "friends", although she wasn't aware of it yet, through the pages of a book by Liz Robbins, "A RACE LIKE NO OTHER". This book told the story of the 2007 NYC Marathon through the stories of some elite runners and some "everyday champion" runners like Pam and others. The Cheerleader got me this book for Christmas 2014, right as I was starting my first "BEST YEAR YET" journey. I really connected with their stories and especially Pam's.

A couple of months later, we became friends on Facebook and stayed in contact up to the day we got to meet face to face (the pic above) as I was preparing to cap off my first BEST YEAR YET by running the 2015 NYC Marathon.

RUNNING CONNECTS US.

Since I started this running adventure, I have had the privilege to meet in person, or through social media, MANY great people. My friends who work tirelessly for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, my Abbott World Marathon Major Ambassadors, to some other really cool "nationally known" people in running circles (mostly through social media). Through it all.....

RUNNING CONNECTS US.

The Cheerleader and I have come to realize that the running community is a fantastic TRIBE. We have so much in common from training quirks, eating habits, sleep, miles, etc. All the while, there is encouragement that goes WAY beyond running. We feel for each other when we are hurt or injured. We cheer each other when there's a promotion or when the foundation was launch. How about the time that a bunch of our "kind" decided to run across the country in 2016 to raise awareness for addiction and recovery...and all of them were in the recovery phase of life.

RUNNING CONNECTS US.

"But I don't run Tim." That's ok. What do you associate with? Who is your TRIBE? CONNECT there. We are all in or need to be a part of a group...a TRIBE of people going after the same thing that makes a positive splash on the world around us. FIND YOURS and pour your life into them! If you still don't have one or can't find one...there's always room here.

Whether you run or not....

RUNNING CONNECTS US.

Here are a few of my "TRIBE"