Setting out to do something EXTRAORDINARY

I love to organize things and get people together. I think it's because I love to see people connect with each other and begin new friendships or strengthen old bonds. Connecting others with others is something I find great joy in, as well as connecting with others myself. I love being around people!

My little sister and I were talking on the phone the other day. She lives in Utah, I'm down here in Texas. She and my mom ran a half marathon in each month of 2012...so they ran 12 half marathons this year. I've ran two half marathons in my life, but I really loved running them and have been wanting to make running a larger part of my life. It makes me feel good and I love those moments when I get that 'runner's high' and feel as though I could run forever!

Anyway, the little sis and I were chatting and I suggested that we both commit to running 1,000 miles in 2013 and keep each other accountable. As the conversation continued, we both discussed how great it would be to expand this goal to our friends and family that also enjoy running. Then we decided that we also wanted to include those who maybe do not run very much, or that have been wanting to get fit, but just haven't found the motivation.

The more we talked, the more this simple idea began to turn into something EXTRAORDINARY.  What if we could find people all over the world that would commit to walking, jogging and running 1,000 miles each in 2013 and what if we could get enough people to run the equivalent of running to the moon? I've always wanted to go to the MOON and suddenly we realized that we could make it happen.

We started spreading the word and inviting individuals to participate, as well as families.  How awesome is it for a family to commit to work towards a goal together and to spend that time together to reach it?  A family could commit to walking and running 1,000 miles in a year and everyone would do their best to pitch in and start crossing off those miles until they reached 1,000.

Suddenly, we have people from all over the world joining our Moon Joggers crew.  We have advanced runners that run more than 2,000 miles a year and we have people that have committed to get into shape and do their best to walk 1,000 miles...or even just 200 miles in a year.  It is something to help them get out and get moving.  We have allowed people to team up with their friends (up to five people on a team) and split the 1,000 miles between them.  So a team of five people can be split up so that each person is committed to running 200 miles each in one year...that's 1/2 a mile a day.

As we sit here watching this unfold, I am amazed at the people we have connected with.  Runners from New Zealand that can't wait to get to the moon, families that are excited to get their kids involved in something that will help them to be more active and even a woman that wants to lose 100 pounds and has committed to walk 500 miles this year to help make that goal a reality.

Each person is at a different fitness level, but we are all determined to do one thing:  to get to the moon!  When you are part of something bigger than yourself and you know that you are responsible for helping your team to succeed, you are more likely to do your part and accomplish your goal. I have already made some amazing new friends and I look forward to this incredible journey -- mostly because it's an opportunity to connect with new people and to rejoice together as we accomplish something HUGE!

I am going to the moon and when I get there I'll be surrounded by friends.  How awesome is that?



If you want to join us, we are still looking for a few more crew members and we'd love to have you. It doesn't matter if you can barely walk down the stairs without running out of breath, or if you ran a 50 mile race last weekend, we want ALL of you.  We're here to help each other and help this dream of going to the moon a reality!   Check it out here: .http://www.moonjoggers.blogspot.com. Become a MOON JOGGER today!!!