Thanks CREWsaders

I just blogged a bit about this past weekend. But I wanted to say thank you to all who went down this past weekend.

You say that you know someone. But, do you really? Sure, I knew Clayson, Kayla, Kaylee, and Vairin. I work with them. I saw them a few times a week at work. We had conversations. We said hello, had small chat. Had laughs. But I think that all changed this past weekend in St. George.

First; to any of you mentioned above, congratulations on the race this weekend! It was amazing and you all did a terrific job! They say you really get to know someone by spending a lot of time with someone. You can begin to understand who they really are. Well, one of the benefits of running a team relay race is that you have an opportunity to spend A LOT of time with individuals. I am so lucky to have spent time with some amazing people. The ride down was just the beginning. We were able to actually learn about each other. Not just, what they think about the Jazz. I was able to learn about their life, things they liked, things they didn't like, and a number of other things.

Then the race began. This is where I learned the most about everyone over the weekend. I was running the first leg of the race. We began and things were going well. I wanted to follow this female runner and try and keep her pace throughout the race. We are going along and she is keeping a really good pace. I feel like I have been running for quite a while at this point, when she turns to me and says, ' half way'. I thought; 'wow. I am so slow. I am letting my team down here.' I turn to my ipod which also tracks how far you've gone with your time. It had only been 27 minutes so I didn't feel as bad. But I realized that she was keeping a pace that I wasn't used to. It was faster than I had trained for. WHOOPS. I thought to myself: 'walk for a bit, and catch your breath'. As I thought this, I saw our team car ahead and everyone outside cheering. If you're a runner, you understand what this can do for you. It is motivating. I had to keep going. I learned that they cared about how you were doing. Enough about me though, this isn't about me. Throughout the rest of the race there were many experiences that helped me understand each individual.

Kayla- Kayla is quite the team player. She was asked if she wanted to run with our team a week before we left for St. George. That's a quick turn around to run a race in. But she didn't even hesitate. She just said yes. Her first leg she did really well. She felt bad I think because we weren't up in the pack with the rest of the race. But during her second leg of the race she pushed herself and come to find out had passed multiple teams. It showed how determined she was; and what a team player she was. She didn't have to do that. That was impressive Kayla.

Clayson- Clayson took the leg after Kayla had passed those teams and we were looking good. By this time in the race it was us and this other team. It is now incredibly hot outside, and on your second leg you begin to get tired very quickly. We tried to find a point where we could pull over and wait for Clayson and give any encouragement he needed. The other teams that were somewhat near us came up to us and asked if we wanted to start the next leg early because they had to get going or something like that. And that we could start with them if we wanted. We decided to send our next runner Kaylee along. The team we were with (the things) had told us that they saw Clayson and that he looked tired and he was sore. We began to worry a little bit. We drove back the course and found him about a mile from the finish line. We asked if he wanted a ride up to the next check point and that our runner had taken off. He said, 'no, I want to finish this'. That set a tone for our team the rest of the race. It showed courage and determinism. Never give up. EVER. Clayson. I look up to you for that. That was so impressive.

Vairin- The weather had begun to change on us and a storm was beginning to roll in. He took the last leg of the race. We had heard some bad news from Salt Lake City about a family that we work with. He dedicated his leg to that family. And he ran that leg as someone else. We got to where the finish line was, but there was a catch. You had to run through the finish line down another mile and then back. I am sure it was going through his mind that it would be so easy to just run through the finish line, and I bet the event staff would have said go for it, but he didn't. He went the extra mile. It showed a determinism to finish what you start. It also showed love for others. Going out of his way to help others. So impressive.

kaylee- The race had begun to take its toll on all of us. By this time it's been 8 or 9 hours. We're all tired. Some of us our done with our legs. Others still waiting to go. Most of the pack is either done, or well ahead of us. Kaylee wasn't feeling very well when she began her last leg. After Clayson finishes we pull up to Kaylee. We ask how she is and find out that her knees are really bothering her, and she still doesn't feel well. We drive up further to see how far she has left to go. It's a long ways it seems, along with a dirt road and a big hill to finish. We go back and tell Kaylee what is in store. It would have been easy for her as well to say that we could go to the next check point. We would have all understood. Sore body, hurting knees, and not feeling well. It's a bad combination. But she said, 'no, I don't want you to think I'm a wuss', or something along those lines. She kept pushing on. Kaylee wont give up on anything in life. She is a fighter, and a trooper. Thanks for that example Kaylee. That was impressive.

We finished the race, and had a great ride back home. We talked about the most random things. We talked about facial hair, grilled cheese sandwiches, or tacos. We even talked about combining the two. Everything came up during the ride home. There was a new sense of friendship that I think we all felt. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to be a part of such a wonderful experience, and to be around such wonderful examples and people. Thank you all.

What is it?

There is something about running. It may be the sound of feet pushing forward in front of you. It could be the feeling of releasing stress of a long or maybe hard week. It very well could be the feeling of getting into better shape. Whatever it may be for you, I think that we could all agree on one thing: it's addicting. I think that there is one thing about running though that we could all agree on.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a pro runner. Nor am I a great runner. I just enjoy all of the things mentioned before as well as a good challenge. During the St. George Marathon last October (my first marathon), I grew a lot as a person during the five and a half or so hours that I spent running. It was emotional. I don't know why. As I came around the last corner of that race and saw the people down the last stretch, I could have just stopped and bawled. I can't explain it. But I had a similar experience just this past weekend.

Something tough about getting the ONEfight organization going is that it is hard to get it going, get people excited about it, and move on from there. But I wish to share an experience with you. A few months ago, at work, I was asked if I wanted to run a 50 mile relay with a few other people. I said that I would. During the time of training the topic of what ONEfight was came up in discussion. I was so thrilled to hear that people that I was training to do this race with thought that it was a good idea and something that they believed in too. This added a new sense to our race. We weren't going down to just run. We were running for others. Each member of the team had a reason to run. I may not have known what that cause was, but you could tell by the determination that each individual had.

Something really special happened to us while we were there. 50 miles is a long way. It's a long time to spend with people. It is a lot of waiting in a car, and chatting about who knows what. You run your leg, and then you're back to the car. But something happens as you finish your leg. You are able to relate to what the person who had gone before experienced. You began to feel for them. As the race went on, the encouragement for each other began to increase. It was amazing. I felt a strong connection to those that were there. Even the other teams. I didn't know any of them, or probably wont see any of them again. But I think they felt it too. I know when I show up to work, and see those that were there running as part of our team, we will have a special bond that will last for a long time. I am grateful for that experience and the friendships that were made this past weekend. Thanks to all who made this happen.