A MESSAGE FROM RIOT RUNS A MARATHON!!!!!
YOU GUYS! Dear friends! I am HONORED to be running with the Girls Gotta Run team for my first ever marathon!! https://www.girlsgottarun.org/about-us
About 8 years ago I watched a YouTube video of Oprah saying it was her dream to run a marathon before turning 40 and she said when she finished that she thought everyone in the world who can and wants to should run a marathon and yall KNOW I stay listening to Oprah. She said it was “the greatest feeling I ever had” in reference to crossing the finish line! And y’all KNOW I love great feelings!!!!!!!
Then during the pandemic my friend Chris Givens was using the pandemmy time to do a self made marathon
— using “The Nonrunners Guide to Running a Marathon” a book derived from a psych/PE community college class in which EVERYONE runs a marathon and the only goal is TO FINISH. Chris inspired me so much, sold me the book from his cute book pop up out of Fourth Wall Coffee Shop and I started TRAINING! It was soo life giving for me, amazing for my mental health and nourishing for my soul.
My therapist is a big runner and had stacked me with all these spiritual/therapeutic/biology running books and I had a dream running partner of Kellie who let me huff and puff as she talked to keep me distracted. I was going to do a self made marathon on my June birthday copying Chris’s December one but you know what… with how long it was taking me to run, eat and sleep I was going to fail out of my first year of seminary so I just …. Stopped. Highest mileage I did was 18 miles and I just… STOPPED.
Fast forward a few years in NYC and understanding the BEAUTY that is the unifying event of the NYC marathon. The way it runs through every borough and just so happens to go by the top of our beloved 11th st.
Watching the world come out to cheer the runners and all the blood, sweat and tears turning into JOY has been a delight. The best highlight and big nudge was watching my dear friend Alex Sarkissian from seminary LOCK IN for training, use it as a spiritual practice and finish the marathon STRONG. He has been a soul friend since I met him and will be my coach for training.
Ever since Oprah said she did it and felt great, I knew I one day would too. This is simply amazing to me cause I was once the person who made fun of people running — “what are they running from??” “Why would you CHOOSE to do this?!” And here I am setting a goal and using it to grow mentally, physically and spiritually.
So my dear friends far and wide — that is where I am at! In running the marathon I am also raising money for an amazing organization: Girls Gotta Run Foundation. Girls Gotta Run wants all girls in the world to be able to design a future of their choosing. One of the main ways they do that is by investing in girls who use running and education to empower themselves and their communities in Ethiopia. Please join me in making a donation to help their mission sustain and GROW.
I love you all — thanks for the support and I will try my best not to talk about marathoning too much when we see each other (LOL SYKE)!!!!
