Sunday morning, after a late Saturday night partying {aka watching Netflix}, I rolled out of bed cursing my alarm clock.
I had planned to visit a client {turned friend} who was working with the Challenged Athletes Triathlon.
He trains Olympic level amputee athletes, and is one of those humans who inspires you just by being around him.
But on Sunday morning at 6 am — ooouffff — this girl needed some coffee.
So I showed up, cappuccino in hand, and let my jaw drop as I watched these 5 year olds run by me.
Big smiles, lots of sweat, no legs, all heart.
I was inspired and excited {not to mention a little “leaky” as my husband would say}.
I decided it was time to get off my buns, stop making excuses, and get more involved.
There were a lot of things I committed to that morning, but one of the small things was to enjoy the legs that I was so blessed to have, and start running.
As most of you can probably guess, I put a simple 15 minutes of running on my calendar for the next 30 days, and found some “loveliness” to make it fun {hello Spotify-find-your-tempo-running-thing}.
I also knew I needed a “mentor” or a “smart-ass-I’m-a-great-runner-and-nice-person-type buddy”.
We talk a lot about mentors in this group… the importance of them, the need for them, the power of them.
Some of us already play that role to someone else, but a lot of us could use one for ourselves.
Someone who can show us how to find the balance, and success we’re looking for in work.
Someone who can show us how to speak to people in tricky and emotional situations.
And sometimes, it’s simply someone who can inspire us to run a little more.
Mentors don’t always have to start off as the end-all-be-all Tuesday’s with Morrie type.
Sometimes we need to start with Mini-Mentors. People who can show us the ropes in small areas of our life.
So today, I’d love to ask you – what is something you want to learn more about, or an area you want to grow more in?
Who is someone that can help you with that… could they be one of your Mini-Mentors?
Below you’ll find a little email I sent out to my “running mentor”
xx, Kelsey
Dear {person who runs… a lot}.
I just returned from The Challenged Athletes Triathlon and was overwhelmed with inspiration… it immediately made me think of you.
I am always so inspired by your dedication and love for running. I think about it often, and hope one day to integrate it into my life as fluidly as you have.
I have been wanting to make this a part of my daily routine for a while, and was wondering if you would at all be interested in playing a support role in that growth.
I would love to run together once a week, perhaps starting with 1 mile or 15 minutes together, and then of course follow it up with a beer or wine (my treat)!
I have a goal to help guide some of the Challenged Athletes next year in the San Diego Triathlon, and would love to start planning this journey with you. Would you be interested in running with a newbie like me, once a week, and perhaps passing along your tips and tricks for nailing it?
I know you are incredibly busy, so if this doesn’t fit into your schedule right now — no worries at all. Regardless, I wanted to share how much I appreciate what you do, and let you know that you inspire me.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thanks,
Kelsey