Run to BEAT NB

Last year two Beat NB folks decided to turn their passion for running into an outlet for awareness, fun, friendship, health and raising funds. They formed the “Cure Me I’m Irish Running Club” and began recruiting new members and spreading the word about our mission: to save kids with cancer and BEAT NB.

They ran the Falmouth Road Race in 2012 raising over $15,000 for our cause and have been gaining members along the way. In 2013 they have 12 – 18 races on their calendar and runners of all abilities shapes and sizes are welcome. This is an all inclusive group with folks who are planning to run their first 5k as well as others who have been at it for a while. There are only one or two races per year that have a fundraising requirement and all others are just about getting healthy, having fun and raising awareness.

Interested in learning more? Simply email run@beatNB.org to find out what is in store for 2013 and how you too can RUN TO BEAT NB.

One of our fabulous running team members – Jill Whittemore – has been kind enough to allow me to share an email she had sent to the team members about whey she runs. As one other team member said upon reading this: “There are important lessons about life in here – not just running.”

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Over the past couple of years there have been several times that I have said I’m going to stop running. The reasons have either been because of an injury or me thinking that all that pounding of pavement cannot possibly be good for the body. I’ve realized after failing at this attempt several times that running is just like any other habit and once you start doing it, it can be very difficult to stop. Some claim that this is because your brain becomes addicted to the endorphin release defined by Wikipedia as an “effect of endorphin production is the so-called “runner’s high”, which is said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production”, and it continues to say that “a runner’s high has also been known to create feelings of euphoria and happiness.” Anyone who runs knows EXACTLY what they are referring to. This “buzz” almost guarantees that your day will be better. For me, I will smile more and be an overall better person. Running calms me, clears my mind and makes me feel good and focused for the rest of the day, in other words it is my form of stress management.

Then there is what I call the “extension” of the runner’s high. This comes from running a race. It is the combination of anticipation and anxiety of being on an unfamiliar course, with unpredictable weather conditions knowing that the only person who can get you to the finish line is YOU. There is usually a point during the race that you keep running even though you’re tired because you know you are nearing the end. The surge of adrenaline usually shoots you into high gear and as you head down the last stretch to the finish line you peak with an overwhelming feeling of personal accomplishment because this was ALL YOU! It is a “I just pulled this off” grin that nobody can peel off your face, this is when the “feelings of euphoria and happiness” typically kick in. When this happens be sure to enjoy ever single moment of it. The best part is this feeling will stay with you for weeks and the personal accomplishment will stay with you forever.

We all know that things do not always work out the way we plan. Most of us, at one time or another, have experienced a “tough day” or a less than ideal performance. It’s a day when you feel like you just can’t pull it off and wish that someone would drive by and give you a ride home. This is the kind of day that you end up walking and thinking, “ugh, what happened?!” There are so many factors that can influence the outcome; running can be so unpredictable and turn into an enemy if you’re struggling. It is so easy to psyche yourself out and let self doubt creep into your mind. I recall one specific moment where I was at the start line of a race that I never thought I would be able to finish. I was waiting for the starting gun with my brother in law who listened to me speak about my impending doom and ramble on about all the things I feared would happen. He then gave me some simple words of advice that changed my attitude and changed my race, he said to me, “just have fun with it.” It was that simple. With that I was able to find inspiration from the other runners, motivation from the crowd and happiness on the face of every little kid I took the time to high five. I finished that race with a smile and after a couple (few) post race beers I realized that “just having fun with it” was something that I could do quite effectively. I also learned that despite various injuries and lungs that don’t always cooperate, that giving up running is just NOT an option!

John Bingham wrote, “Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself” and I couldn’t agree with him more.