Camaraderie

One of the things that I love the most about running is seeing other people who run. Almost every time that you pass someone on the road they will wave and smile at you as you run by them. It's like everyone is saying, "Hey, you are out here pounding the pavement too!Doesn't it totally rock? Good job! Keep up the good work!"

There is something incredible about that wordless connection that happens with complete strangers who just happen to be exercising outside at the same time as you. I love it.

But today, the connection wasn't wordless. I went for a run up Provo Canyon on the Provo River Trail and had an awesome encounter with some other runners.

First, a picture of the trail. Isn't it gorgeous?

Anyway, it was midday and pretty warm when I went, and there is a lot of uphill involved in running up a canyon. So, needless to say, when I was pretty close to the end of my four and half miles, I was a janky mess. As I was pushing through the last bit of my run I was concentrating pretty hard and was focusing on the road for a minute. When I looked up I saw two shirtless wonders coming toward me and one had his arms wide open like he was going to hug me. When I first saw him I am sure the confusion registered on my face. He just smiled, put his arms down and said, "We're your support team!" In that moment I knew that I must have looked SERIOUSLY janky because they knew that I needed a support team. But you know what? I did need a support team, and I am so thankful for those goofy guys. I finished my run like a champ. I am so thankful for all of those runners out there who wave at each other to say "Good job, you're out here too." We are all rock stars out there on the road. It doesn't matter if you are fast or slow, whether you are pint sized or chubby, or whether you are running for the first time or have been running for years.

Guess what? Life is like that too. We are all rock stars out here. What matters is that we are trying our best. It doesn't matter if we are fast or slow, it just matters that we get out there. So, "Hey. Good job. You're out here too."