Coming Full Circle

Yes, it is hard to believe, but the TRR ending exactly 31 days ago.  Since that time, I think I have run approximately 5 - 6 times (including tonite). So I was feeling nostalgic and decided I needed to get on the ball and bring this story to a close, and focus on the next chapter in my life.

Now just in case you are wondering, I do believe that registration for the 2011 GoreTex Transrockies Run opens up on October 1st.  Just 3 more days, and you to can have the experience of a lifetime.  This past week I completed my participant evaluation of the event, and rated it as Exceeding Expectations.  In fact, the TRR just posted on their Facebook site that of the first 77 responses to the survey - it has rated at 6.68 out of 7.00.  Just outstanding!

However, you won't find me signing up for the 2011 race on Friday.  Although I would like to.  But even if I did, I don't think I would have the proper training experience, or motivation to excel.  This year, the TRR was all part of something bigger - a master plan if you will.  While the thoughts of the race circulated since probably early 2009, the whole event came into focus on December 27, 2009 when I saw Emmah for the last time.  It was then that I realized the role I could play in making a difference in the life of a young girl and her family.  It is strange how moments like that happen in life, but when they hit, you know it.  And you know what to do, as if all the pieces to the puzzle were always there in front of you, but you didn't know how they fit together.  On my ride from Illinois to North Carolina those next few days, I thought a lot about what I could and needed to do, and put the wheels in motion to make that happen.  You can go back to my very first blog post from January 17th of this year to learn more and from there the rest is history.

Over the months of training, the desire grew to not just run and complete the 113 miles, but to tell the story of my friends, Jeff and Julie, and Emmah.  And to share the lighter side of training, random observations, and how Lynn and I prepared for Colorado.  And throughout that all, the number of readers of this blog kept growing (as I watched the visit meter), and culminated with the many "good luck" wishes right before we left for Colorado, and the "keep it up" wishes during the race.  And in the end, many people told me how they were inspired by our efforts.  Thank you for reading, for following, and for commenting.

So now I have a call to action for everyone reading this.  If you were inspired, what are you going to do about it?   What is your Transrockies Run?  Who is your Emmah?  What is the story you want others to know about?  And how can you pay it forward, and in turn benefit someone else?  At the intern conference I conduct through my employer, I speak about aspirations/goals, and finding your inspiration, and the ACTING upon it.  I always tell people that if I reach just one person with my story, and inspire them to act, then I feel great at the end of the day.  Because realistically, most people talk about what they want to do, but don't take the action to make it happen.  I am so hopeful, that one person reading this will commit to doing something incredible (and note, incredible doesn't mean big.  Big comes over time).

I also hope that someone reading this will share with me someone they know who needs help.  While I knew Emmah personally, my experience with Team-In-Training taught me that I could help others, even if it didn't know them.  I have more goals ahead of me (stay tuned for my last post), and would like to help others in the process.  Perhaps I can tell their story, make it personal, and bring more motivation to another group of people through the power of word, social networking and relationships and extraordinary effort.

But I would like you to take that journey with me, so I am going to lay this out there.  Is there an event you want to do?  A story you want to tell?  Not sure you could go at it alone?  Want a partner? A coach and motivator?  Then reach out to me and let me know.  We can do it together - whether near or far away - it will create accountability to see something through to completion.  Contact me at kjban23nc@aol.com if you are interested.

I must bring to close this chapter of my 113 For Emmah story.  This may have started out about me 2 years ago, but it turned into a celebration of a young girl's memory - and how she served as a guiding light to this wandering soul for the past 9 months.

For that, I thank you Emmah...you are forever in my heart.