Support, passion, curiosity, kindness, values, and action collided this Sunday morning in the form of running a 5K for the John P Mayhugh Foundation, an organization focused on addressing systemic barriers to recovery and improving outcomes for those suffering from post-traumatic stress (PTS) , traumatic brain injury (TBI), and addiction.
Back in May, I decided to support my now ex in his marathon training by doing his short, easy runs with him and learned that I could run! Between a fractured ankle in 2019 and a torn MCL in 2023, running has not been the sport for me for these past 5 years; but finding out that my aerobic capacity was lower than I preferred and that I could handle a couple miles, it really sparked my interest in running again, aligning with my passion for being healthy and promoting health (long withstanding positives can still be drawn from romantic relationships that don’t last!).
In my curiosity about running, I researched and invested in gear and participated in the Billy Morrow Memorial 5K just nine days after I started running again. For that race, I was surprised that I ended up getting a plaque for third place in my age group with a pace of 9:17 and an overall time of 28:52.
I thought I might like to do another 5K at some point so I looked up local races in DC where I found this race. I put the race registration deadline in my calendar, July 31st, and then when July 31st rolled around, I mulled over how I would be in Delaware August 17th for a baby shower and I would want to have rest before doing an early Sunday race. But then I decided I hadn’t been doing much advocacy for mental health and brain injury, topics that really matter to me, so I took action and signed up.
And today comes, I wake up at 6:00am, get ready, and I head to the race in Georgetown. Right before the race the Founder of the Foundation, Mary Lowe Mayhugh shares with us the legacy of honoring her son who passed away from overdose and the current work the foundation does. There was a flag at the beginning of the race which we could sign, and she said that these flags are given to congress people to hang in their offices in support of mental health if they want. While I was signing she asked me, “What was their name?” I told her, she hugged me, and I almost cried.
I saw another woman tearing up thinking about her lost loved one, but I crossed my arm and I told myself: “I’m here to run.”
There was no pressure, I wasn’t running with anyone else, and I decided to run with a slower heat because I had not desire to meet a certain time. But while I was running and feeling quite tired near the end, I thought of how in mental health it really is about putting one foot in front of the other.
I thought about my friend the day before who joked about how she tells her family I taught her how to put one foot in front of the other, how she walks like me, because I have a fervent passion for walking (and biking, and I guess now running!..really just being active in general). I thought about my friend who had died by suicide earlier this year and how maybe her and other health care professionals like her could use friends who wouldn’t mind going the extra mile for anyone in their time of need. And I ended up running just a bit faster than my first 5K at a 9:04 pace and ending at 28:08. This time I wore a watch, but I never looked when I was running. I was busy thinking.
At the end of the race a friend of mine was waiting to do a cool down walk with me and to have breakfast and coffee. I was so grateful to have someone to reflect with and to remind me that I am supported and that I have an amazing network of family and friends dedicated to supporting my overall health, including my mental health. It was such a productive morning and the productivity carried throughout the day as I cooked, cleaned, and worked on a training certificate I’ve been working on.
What a way to start the week…I’m filled with gratitude for foundations, volunteers, and people doing the good work that I don’t have the bandwidth to do all the time for the things I value, for having an able body that can carry me for a few miles, for friends who will show up for me, for having passion, curiosity, and the privilege to take action in practicing kindness – a habit that must be continuously exercised both figuratively and, in this case, literally 🙂
