I'll have another

Lindsey Hein (http://lindseyhein.com/) is a mom, incredible runner, coach and social media pro. She has started a podcast called "I'll Have Another," just casual and fun conversations with people she wants to get to know better so she can share their stories with her listeners.

Lindsey and I have known each other for five years and met through Back on My Feet as she was staff when I was a volunteer. Lindsey has always been an incredible supporter of our work and of my personal journey. She is the reason I got involved with Back on My Feet in the first place.

On Monday Lindsey had me into her home so we could catch up on her podcast. We had a great time chatting, it was fun to chat for longer than the usual 5 minute catch up we get at events.

It was really easy chatting to Lindsey, she's so sweet and asked a lot of great questions. Lindsey has been pretty open on her blog about what she's gone through as a runner and a mom and I think that's why we connect so well, we share it like it is. We could have talked about any of the many topics we covered forever: Back on My Feet, Running, Triathlon, Ironman, Being a Back of a Packer, Concerts, my TedX talk, TV shows, Meals on Wheels. There's laughter and tears

If you're looking for something lighthearted and fun on your podcast list I'd highly suggest "I'll Have Another" as it's full of laughs, sometime tears and a lot of inspiration - even if you aren't a runner!

Take a listen to Episode 10 where I share some of what's been going on and become a subscriber so you can get new episodes. It's on Itunes, stitcher and google play.

What does running change?

Self-esteem. Confidence. Discipline. Love. Determination. Attitudes. Self-worth. Health. Mind. Body. Spirit. Relationships. Priorities. Emotions. Pride. Goals. Passion. Hope. Lives.

Running changes all of that and more. We could easily fill an entire blog post with things that running changes. Yesterday we had 18 members run the half marathon and 5 members run the 5K race at the 40th running of the OneAmerica Mini Marathon. We had five runners raise money on our behalf to support our program while training for the half marathon. And countless numbers of volunteers and friends of BoMF. When out cheering the race, you easily saw a Back on My Feet shirt or face every fifteen minutes among a crowd of more than 35,000 runners.

It's tradition that we circle up before the race. In that picture of the circle there are so many emotions. There's nerves. It was a first half marathon for many. Some were going after a PR. Others were returning after injury or fighting personal obstacles. There's happiness, to be in a circle of people that truly support each other as runners and human beings all getting through this race called life. There's pride. Pride in the team, pride in one's self and pride in the progress of each of our journeys.

Yesterday was full of change. It was full of PR's: people running their first half, people running their fastest mini and others running their fastest race. It was full of struggle, some thought they'd never see the finish, some that were fighting the voices in their head telling them to slow down or walk, or were fighting against the wind. Everyone had to go through a change to get there. Whether a physical change, many lost weight getting to the start line; a mental change, some got to the start line of something they would never imagine they'd attempt. Everyone came out a little different on the other side of the finish line.

The determination to get to the finish produced an increase in self-worth. An higher sense of pride. A fuller sense of being alive and grateful for life. All because of running. Running changes more than meets the eye and many runners will tell you that running has saved their life. At one point yesterday it was brilliantly sunny and pouring down chilly rain at the same time. Just like life, the sun always shines when you need it most, you just have to look past things to see it.

Congratulations to everyone for an amazing day! Whether it went better than you imagined or it wasn't the day you visioned, it was a good day, we were out there together. Life is full of lessons and they come in different wrapped gifts. Sometimes it's a beautiful gift with a big bow that makes your heart skip a beat with wonderment about what is inside and other times it comes wrapped in old newspaper, tattered and torn. No gift is any better than another, so cherish every one.

Thank you to all our race partners for making these moments possible.

in the shadows

You've seen it in movies, the hero is struggling to stay a float after being locked into a room that is filling with water. Their head tilted back, grasping at the last few breaths of air before they're gone. Your heart is racing and you're wondering how they're going to get out, they have to make it out!

Everything is closing in on you. You don't know why, you can't figure out why you'd be depressed, there's no reason you should be. That's the pisser of depression, it comes out of no where. You can be having a great day, things are going well and it snatches you like a thief in the night.

You think you feel the hands of the thief closing around your neck, but you wake up to see nothing. So you go back to sleep, thinking you're just imaging things. It happens the next night. But everything is fine, the house is locked, you have a dog that's not barking and you haven't heard a thing that would cause you to worry. You thought you had been checking the shadows, but apparently not enough.

Then it comes and snatches you. You're in a dark room feeling isolated, the more isolated you feel, the more you seek comfort in the loneliness. You're left wondering how you missed the warning signs and didn't see it coming.

You finally see a small stream of light coming in from the top of the dark room. You realize you're in a pit that has slick muddy walls. You have to climb out, but you start to climb and you only slide back down. Finally after sitting there long enough, beating yourself up for not being able to climb the wall of mud, you see a hand reaching out to you. You get yourself up one more time and go for the biggest jump of your life, you connect hands and scramble your way up the wall to the light.

Depression. Addiction. That easily describes both of these. They come out of no where. You think you have your depression licked or you think you're well rooted in your recovery. Both you're feeling great and on top of the world.

If you're at the bottom of the pit don't give up, look for that light and don't be afraid to jump for the hand wanting to help you up. If you're out of the pit, extend your hand out to help someone in need. It gets better, ride the wave. The pendulum will come swing back the other way. You've still got work to do, people to help and life to live.