RA Christmas RUN

When I started running 7 years ago I never dreamed of all the adventures and friendships this one little sport would bring me. Runners are just wonderful friendly people. I use to think it was a secret club one that I could never be in because I wasn't fast enough or didn't run far enough, often enough, I was mistaken. I have made life long friends and surpassed my goals each year with their encouragement and their examples to me.

So as I woke up to the alarm at 6 a.m the Saturday before Christmas in Provo to head out to a run with people I had NEVER met (other than Melanie who I talked into coming, in case they were scary people lol) I was not questioning my actions on bit!

Melanie and I had started to read blogs a few months back and stumbled on Susette's, I quickly called up Mel and said you have to read this! This women is amazing, the trials she has been through and the way in which she faces them is amazing and is she out running, ALOT. We knew we wanted to meet her, we saw that she would be running the TOU Half Marathon in August and we hoped to see her there. Through meeting her at TOU and becoming facebook friends she invited me to join a group called RA (Runners Anonymous.) They organize runs together in Utah and Oregon. This run was organized by Susette at Orem High Junior High, so when I asked if anything was going on the Saturday before Christmas knowing I would be in Provo, I was excited to learn about it. All I had to tell Melanie to get her to join me all the way from Layton was "There will be medals!"

 

                       It was Very cold!

 

 

 

We arrived to see them setting up a table with water, Gatorade, gu, muffins, the BEST caramels. The idea of the run was to just do whatever we wanted, we ran around the track and would stop each time someone else arrived and get introduced, take some pictures and then repeat. We would stop and walk if we wanted, run each lap with someone new getting to know them. It was perfect!

 

This awesome runner brought a camp stove and made us hot chocolate!

 

There was just not a better way to start off the day. I am sad I do not live closer to join in on more runs but will for sure follow them and if I am ever up North join in on the events.

 

 

 

Thank you RA :)