Web Exclusive: Running for Joy

Running makes me feel like a kid. God's grace fills me when I jog. I realize that I am sober! I can run! Running helps me physically with a feeling of well-being.

Running helps me spiritually because I realize all the graces that the Lord has given even when I did not ask for or want them. I can recall the prison meeting where I first spoke: One of my best friends was in the inmate audience. But for the grace of God I could have been in there too. Running helps understand in all my joys and travails that "only love is the answer."

I once ran with an AA who would jog by all the pubs that had kicked him out. This reminded him of where he had been. I had an AA friend who deliberately came in last at races. He felt that just being sober and able to run was winning in life. He told me that he would often run by a place he called his "funny farm," which was the state mental facility. He worked there as an aide in his drinking days. He also ran with another AA who lost a leg in Vietnam. Running mates like that helped him deal with bouts of "poor little me," which can lead to "pour me one"!

Finally, running helps me psychologically to see nature and people differently. Resentments and self-pity shrink after running a few miles. It doesn't matter if you come from Yale or from jail; from a penthouse or a flophouse; from Park Avenue or from a park bench, because running, like sobriety, is for whoever wants it.

Certain suggestions are advised for would-be runners: Check with a physician about your plan to start a running program. Moderation is the key to success in all physical activities. Don't be out to break any records. Once I ran in a race and had a good time for my age group. The Lord has a sense of humor because my time did not count since I forgot to run with a chip. I'm reminded of the many times in life that I am not playing with a full deck. I know the Lord sends me "senior moments" to keep me a humble runner!

Remember our program points out the joy of "being one among many." Running, like sobriety, can make the ordinary appear extraordinary. Often on a run, I recall lives and dreams lost due to the use and abuse of alcohol. Running reminds me of the daily reprieve that I have to be part of life today. Running is about now. Living in the now is such a blessing since I often reside in yesterday or fear tomorrow. Remember the alkie who was doing so good with his exercise program that when he looked in the mirror, he felt like "a new man." Well one day, the "new man" felt so good that he needed a drink! Recall where you have been in your haste to get to a new place.

Listen to your body and run prudently. Running is not a substitute for meetings. It is a way to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Running helps me find new places within and outside myself, make friends and encounter new things.

Fear is often a discussion topic at closed meetings. Some share that fear means "Face Everything And Recover. Fear can also mean: "Face Everything And Run."