It felt so right...

This morning I ran in downtown Baltimore in the pre-dawn hours for the very first time.  It is somewhat ironic that on a recent business trip I had run in downtown Sydney, Australia in the pre-dawn hours and could claim to do that in a city I've only been in for a little over two weeks of my life but it took nearly 15 years to experience running in downtown Baltimore in the pre-dawn hours.

What was the big occasion?  Following through with my first run with Back on My Feet Baltimore--in particular being introduced to members of the Christopher's Place team.

I'll probably be blogging about multiple aspects of this over the next few weeks, months, or perhaps even years.  Today's run--it just felt so right.

• It began with meeting people and everyone just being totally accepting of a new person in their midst.
• It continued with the Serenity Prayer before we ran.  While I will be a volunteer runner rather than a target of the organization's interventions, I can often use the Serenity Prayer myself in my personal and professional lives as I try to do what is right, change what I can, and realize where I just have to accept what is there.
• I then joined a group of four for a four mile run over the quiet streets of downtown Baltimore where I got to have good conversations with two of my fellow runners
• When everyone had returned there was much celebration, a shared sense of accomplishment, and stretching together.

I repeat, if felt so right.

I have been running more off than on since 2007.  (After a muli-year hiatus from running.)  I know how powerful it can be.  In Back on My Feet, I may have found an organization for which I can dedicate some of my own giving (through United Way in the future), an organization for which I can volunteer by doing what I love to do anyway and get back at least as much as I give, an organization for which I could see myself participating in events for fundraising in the future, and an organization that could lead to growing friendships.

Looking back over my resolutions, for 2011 (and 2010) this seems like a continuation of the answer to my 2010 resolution to figure out what God really wants me to do--perhaps it was there all along--take my running and make everything that I can out of it--for myself, my family, and the world around me.  Of this year's resolutions, it reflects on my desire to have a well-being plan rather than just a plan to be healthy, it could help in my quest to improve my race times, while this won't be raising money for cancer (a goal for 2011) it may provide a new focus for 2012, as I continue to blog about my experiences it will help with my goal of continuing and extending my writing projects, and finally if I develop friendships this is all about spending time with people in person.

Finding something that seems like such a clear continuing answer to a 2010 resolution and at least a partial answer to five of my top ten 2011 resolutions is just incredible.

Need I say it again?  It felt so right.