I am writing from my home, where like most of you, I am looking forward to life as normal soon.
However, this time of unknowns has given me time to find ways each day to notice the things in life that bring me joy. Some of these include: extra time with my family (especially since we are home together), finding time to get outside (when the weather allows…springtime in Colorado changes moment to moment), movement/exercise and knowing that there is hope for communities to come together to create a positive impact as we practice physical distancing.
I was given additional hope last week when Vacation Races launched a race coming up on April 25th. This one has a low risk of being cancelled as it is the “Stay Home” Virtual 5k, 10k or half marathon…and there are charity bib options!
What this means, is that you can sign up to run a distance of your choice, continue to train for something, complete the race somewhere in or around your home, while raising money for a local nonprofit organization that is supporting your area right now!
This could be an organization that you already support that might be experiencing financial hardship during this time or you might look into a new nonprofit organization that is focused on providing front line support to the most vulnerable people in your community.
If this sounds interesting to you, the registration link to Staycation Races (which is the pseudonym for Vacation Races as we are all safe at home) is below. Once you go to the website, just follow the prompts for “Charity Bibs.”
I have just registered for my very own charity bib and am looking forward to working with local nonprofits here in Grand Junction, Colorado!
We have an online meetup scheduled for Wednesday April 1st at 12 noon MDT. If you would like to connect to learn more or gain ideas about how you might get started, go to the Wander Project Facebook page for details on the meetup.
I also am planning on using the free training program that Vacation Races has available to all of their athletes to make sure that I am ready to run my first 10K on April 25th.
Mr. Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.””
So, let’s focus on what each of us can do to help make this world a better place. For me that starts with reconnecting to the things that bring you joy in life! Let’s also help motivate each other to stay active while raising funds for the community organizations that do so much for our local areas!
Finally, I am hoping to stay connected with our amazing community of virtual runners via social media. I will be tracking my training and fundraising updates as we go and would love to see what others are doing as well.
I look forward to training with you all, raising much needed funds for a local organization and earning my super sweet Stay Home medal and shirt to show off what I was able to accomplish during COVID-19!