Pat Tillman

Have you ever been a part of something bigger than yourself? Bigger than your family and friends? I was a part of something bigger than me yesterday. I was just one person in 30,000 that participated in Pat’s Run in Tempe, Arizona.

Pat’s Run benefitted the Pat Tillman Foundation, which helps veterans and their families continue their education, which presumably leads to better lives. The foundation was created in honor of Pat Tillman, an Arizona Cardinal football player who was killed in action during a tour of duty in the Middle East for the military. He chose to be part of something bigger to help this country – his foundation continues his dream of doing good and serving others.

Originally, I signed up for the run in an effort to get in shape. I set myself goals to be able to run the 4.2 mile race. I didn’t think much about what my race-fee went towards. It didn’t matter, because this was a deadline that I was determined to beat. I knew I was going to help others, but my effort of helping others was helping me help myself… if that makes any sense. I was getting in shape, getting better at running, enjoying the physical exercise, etc.

Race day was Saturday, April 17, 2010. Of the five or six years that this run has been in existence, this year’s was the biggest, with 30,000 participants (not all of which were actually registered). We began, and the marathon runners finished in 20 minutes or so, long before a lot of the pack had even started. It takes a long time to get 30,000 people in motion and in the same direction! At any rate, we got moving.

At about the half way point, I really started thinking about this whole racing thing… this was more than just getting in shape. I hadn’t really known it before, but after seeing all of the people united in one thing and hearing about why this race meant so much to some of these people, I could see that I was one tiny piece in something much bigger than myself. A lot of it had to do with the fact that there was a sea (and I’m talking a monstrous amount) of people running and joining together for this, but I also thought about the good that I was helping to spread. In the big picture, I really meant nothing. I helped to enrich the lives of others, which helps enrich this country, which helps enrich everyone in America.

I’ll never know what comes of my $35 that it cost to sign up for the race, but what’s irreplaceable is my personal sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that I helped be a part of something that is more important than me, my efforts to get in shape, and the trivial life I lead.

I got a shirt and a sweet id number to pin on it, so those were definitely added bonuses!

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