I’m in!!

I run predominantly in the mornings, generally between 5 and 6am at a length of 6-10 miles each day during the week.  I choose the morning because this is my time; no meetings, no lost family time, and nothing else happening other than more sleep.  Few can take this time from me and if I choose not to run, it is totally my fault as I have no one else to blame.  That said, getting up in the cold winters and running is really hard, especially this winter.  I am always asking members of the running team through text, “run in am?”.  In general, I always receive a response of “I’m in”.  Here is the essence of ‘I’m in!’.

I will show up at 5:45.  I will not let you down.  I will not hit the snooze and over sleep.  I will not allow excuses to be on my thought table or in my head to try and convince me that there may be a way to get out of this run and go back to sleep.  Not the rain, not the cold temperature, not the snow, not anything will keep me from honoring my ‘I’m in!’ commitment and meeting you for this run.  And at the end of the run, I will feel great that I followed through.  With rare exception, this code that we have built for Running for Rare Diseases has always been followed.

Today is National Rare Disease Day.  I and 99 other runners on the Running for Rare Diseases  team along with 75 patient partners have formed 93 partnerships with a goal to raise as much awareness as possible on behalf of this greater rare disease community. Today marks a day where we and the rest of the nation recognize the rare disease community but our cause will last for 2-3 more months as we prepare for marathons and half marathons in Paris, Louisville, Boston, and Providence in the months of April and May ahead.  So what does ‘I’m in!’ mean to us as a greater team of runners and patient partners?

‘I’m in!’ means..  I will make that call.  I will send that email.  I will write that letter.  I will tell that story.  I will write that post.  I will not allow excuses to be on my thought table or in my head to keep me from honoring my ‘I’m in’ commitment to RFRD and the greater rare disease community to build a relationship with my runner/patient partner.   The fact is we are all busy and there are no relationships being built at the uninterrupted time of 5:45 am (other than with other runners, though at that hour, conversation can be quite minimal 🙂 ).  Time to build relationships is always pressured against work commitments, family commitments, and that general fear of that awkward moment while reaching out to someone you don’t yet know very well.  ‘I’m in!’ means that we must follow through!

So Garrett (my patient partner), I would love to Facetime again with you and your mom and dad today or tomorrow; how’s 5:45 am 🙂 ?  I will text your dad to set up a time that works for you.  I know we will have a wonderful call discussing the 21-7 Wyoming Cowboys and their tough loss against Fresno St. and their likely win at UNLV tonight.  I may even gloat again about how the Pats beat your Seahawks (just kidding).  I can’t wait to hear how your new golf clubs are working out and how your dad’s training is going.

Today is National Rare Disease Day.  How about we all climb up on our snow covered roofs and scream ‘I’m in!’ and reach out to your runner/patient partner today?

See you on Tuesday morning at 5:45 am, I’m in!