Three Ways to Honor Sherry Arnold

This Blog is completely copied from Another Mother Runner   They have great stories about women that are balancing fitness, mothering and courage and how it all comes back to running.


Please honor Sherry Arnold on 11 Feb.  Even if your not a runner, print a bib and walk around the block.

In the weeks since Sherry Arnold, the mother runner and teacher from Sidney, Montana, has gone missing, her disappearance made national news. Even People magazine covered it. (I wish they would’ve factchecked the word “jogger” in the headline; she was—as we all are—a runner.) Sadly, her body has not yet been found–the FBI are still on the case–but her family, including Beth Risdon ofShut Up and Run, is eager to honor her memory. In a beautiful post, Beth writes, “I won’t focus on the evil parts of this story. I will say there are two malicious, heinous men who did this and thousands upon thousands of loving and good people who have reached out in support. It’s not even a close contest. The good continues to outweigh the evil by a long shot. That’s where I will put my attention.”

That’s where we’re putting our attention too. I was very teary the day that Sherry was proclaimed dead, and I know plenty of you were too. Another Mother Runner Phoebe wrote on FB, “The Montana Mom, Teacher, Runner won’t be coming home. I’m a wreck over a person I never knew….” Exactly.

I didn’t know Sherry, but I knew her: I knew she loved on her kids; I knew she thrived on a good run; I knew she wanted to make a difference in the world through teaching and adoring her students; I knew her priorities must have included health and personal goals and the regular endorphin rush; I knew I would’ve instantly liked her and wanted to be her friend.

Beth is spearheading a two-pronged effort to honor her cousin, and we want to support her and spread the word.

First up: a virtual run. On Saturday, February 11th, we encourage you to grab your BRF’s, your family, your running club, your neighbors, anybody and everybody who wants to run with Sherry in their hearts.

Some details: 
:: The run starts at 9 MST; if you can make that time, great. (I hope you can; I want the earth to shake in Sherry’s honor.) If you can’t, just run when you can.
:: The distance is up to you. Go fast, go slow, go fartlek, go short, go long. Just go with the knowledge that Sherry will be watching from above–and with you every step of the way.
:: You can print out a pdf of the bib here. If it’s raining, Beth wisely suggests laminating it with packing tape.
:: Beth (and we) would love to see pics or blog posts of your runs; you can e-mail her at beth@shutupandrun and she’ll get them to Sherry’s family.

Second up: an opportunity to donate. Beth writes, “Sherry Arnold, a runner, mother, and teacher, went for an early morning run on January 7, 2012, and never came home. Sherry’s goodness, courage, and strength prevail; she is not defined by the tragic way in which she died. Please help me support Sherry’s family by donating to a fund for her children, Holly and Jason.”

 

Third up (my contribution): remember Sherry when you don’t want to run. When you’re dragging and are fighting the run with every ounce of your being; when you get to mile 11 of a half-marathon and are cursing the last 2.1; when the ___________ (rain, hills, wind, your IT Band, whatever the handicap du jour may be) is making your legs feel leaden and your heart even heavier, remember Sherry. You get to be a runner and feel the wind, the road, your quads, your exhaustion, your smile. Lucky, lucky you.

I'm Not Flexible Enough to Do Yoga

Even at my increased rate of practice, I was still astounded at how little I could bend my body compared to others.  I was so stiff it was at times embarrassing, as no posture came easily to me.  But soon, I had a wonderful epiphany:  I was the "stiffest" person in the class, and I may always be.  And for the first time in my life that became okay.  I decided to give myself permission not to have to be the best or compete like I'd been trained to do in sports-compete until you win or die trying.  I knew it wasn't possible to win this time, and I would never excel at this, but I still loved it.  So, I gave myself permission to be the stiff guy in the back row the guy who was trying hard but was kind of embarrassing to watch.  I just didn't care anymore, and it felt so good to me.    

Max Strom, "A Life Worth Breathing"

If I had a nickel for each time I've heard, "I can't do Yoga I'm not flexible enough," I could make a really large contribution to a deserving charity somewhere.

Were you strong before you started going to the gym?  Do you have to be skinny to start a diet?

They seem like silly questions, but the answer is the same, you can't start changing anything until you start.  It is a rare occasion to see a someone stick their leg behind their head or some other crazy move.

What if you just came to a yoga class and started to move and maybe then you would become more flexible.  Think about it, is  your inflexibility to try something new keeping you inflexible?

Insist on Yourself; Never Imitate

Insist on yourself; never imitate.  Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession...Do that which is assigned to you, and you cannot hope to much or dare too much.   ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance




We've all had moments when we wished we were someone else, or "if only I could do what they do, everything would be perfect."  What we don't realize at those moments is we are all here for a reason.  That reason may not present itself for years or it all flows in when you least expect it.

For years I did all that was expected of me.  I was trying to live the vision others had for me.  I never took chances and it always felt so laborious.  Like running in mud.  When I began to practice Yoga it took time for the body to adjust and the mind to follow. Time for the cobwebs to brushed aside.  Slowly as I began to practice more, I also felt more alive, more open for joy and I realized I was moving thru to a new path.

I began to teach and the joy a student has when they have that 'AHA' moment continues to drive me to read more, experiment with postures and how they effect the physical and emotional body and I am continually reminded that the more I learn the less I know.  But it continues to amaze me how much easier the journey is when you have a full heart and look forward to serving.  Not at all like running through mud but floating down a river.

Insist on yourself; never imitate...and you cannot hope to much or dare to much.