Inspire Daily

I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted into the Brooks I.D. program and it has got my tiny little sponge thinking.

Per the website, here is a description of this amazing program:

Brooks I.D. Program Brooks I.D. stands for Inspire Daily. These two simple words guide the principles of the program. Brooks I.D. is made up of over 1,200 members who are active in their running communities and share a passion for the Brooks brand. They are runners who are winners in their own right: Winning their age divisions, accomplishing their personal goals, pushing their own limits, and, by extension, encouraging others to do the same. They are coaches, mentors, and leaders.

Let me be honest, that I initially applied because of the gratuitous discount given to Brooks I.D. members. Seeing that I run in Brooks, with my current list including the Axiom 3, Dyfance 2, and Cascadia 4, I thought why not? I thought that at least I was pushing my own limits, but a coach, mentor, or leader? However, coinciding with my acceptance, a strange and most unexpectedly thing has happened. Something, I would have never imagined.

Through the podcast which I had orginally intended to chronicle my 100 mile adventure, I began to get some emails from listeners saying that I was an inspiration to them and motivating some of them to get out the door and maybe even to head on over to the "dark side". I then paced my friend Joe to a new PR showing him he could run faster than he thought and now he is focusing on a half marathon in the fall. Little Dirt Dawg and Dirrty Feather ran down a Kids Fun Run and away from clowns. My friend, Megan ran her first half marathon with a plan I had worked up for her and has now set her sights on the Detroit Free Press Marathon this fall. And of course, Dirrty Girl ran her half marathon. All of this of course, I have put on the podcast, because I thought it made listening and enjoyed running with all of them. But in listening to the audio, I have begun to think, that maybe I am doing something good.

Maybe I am inspiring some people. Maybe I am showing others that just because you have a job and family, that if you make some time for yourself each day you can achieve your goals and still spend time with your family. Maybe people can see that you don't have to be fast to cover long distances, just be willing to put the time in and ride out the bad patches. Maybe through my rambling diatribes, people can see that running is a wonderful sport. Maybe, just maybe, I am sharing my passion for the sport and can epitomize what a Brooks I.D. member is all about.