8K Race for Hope

Hello, GYRO Readers!! I'm Nicki -- a proud GYRO member and guest blogger today on the GYRO blog. This morning I ran the 8K Race for Hope in Radford, Virginia. The race benefitted the Pregnancy Resource Center, and there was a great turnout! :)

One of the most exciting things about this race was the fact that three world-class runners from Kenya participated in the race!!! The fastest runner -- James Kipketer -- ran the 8K in 23 minutes and 23 seconds. I really enjoyed seeing them run, even though they were WAY ahead of me. :) And I couldn't resist asking for a picture with them after the race.

They were so nice, and sooooo impressive!! After the race, another runner -- David Chromei shared his testimony and explained that he runs to glorify the Lord. It was really great to hear him speak, and I am amazed at their capabilities!!!

This race was a lot of fun for me. I felt really strong the entire way through. I ran with another woman for most of the race, and we pushed each other to keep going. The course was flat and the weather was great -- a little warmer than what I've been used to, but really beautiful!!

I finished the race in 52 minutes, which is a great time for me!! I really love races, even the small ones! There's something so great about accomplishing your goals with others, and I'm always encouraged and motivated to see others out there running. It's a great feeling to cross that finish line... no matter how far you've ran or how fast you've ran you have FINISHED something great. So go ahead and look into signing up for a race today. You can start with a 5K and find something local so you don't have far to go. Encourage some friends to train with you. I'm always so motivated to run when I have the deadline of a race on the calendar. And the race becomes an amazing way to celebrate how far you've come!

Thanks for letting me guest blog today, Sarah! And thank you for all your continued support, encouragement and training -- you inspire me so much!! :)