Take Your Gloves Off More: Guest Blog by Ambassador Lindsey Bisgrove

My goal for 2016 is rather simple | I want to take my gloves off more.

This past year, I was not supposed to be able to run. I was struggling with some serious injuries to my hip and back, and was told that running was not looking like a feasible option for me. Thankfully, this was not the case. I rested for 6 months, did a considerable amount of physical therapy, and I tried to keep the faith. By the start January of 2015, I had run my first pain-free mile. When I got home from that run, I made myself a promise. I told myself that since I was lucky enough to run again, that I would truly make the most of it. On every run, I try to find at least one person to say something nice to or to help out. I do this for three reasons: the world desperately needs small acts of kindness, I want people to view runners as a lovely bunch of people, and I want people to view my city as a friendly place. I have never told anyone about this who hasn't run with me (and they know because they witness it firsthand), because this isn't something I want praise for. I don't do it for that. So why am I telling you now?

Last week, I was bitter about running. It was cold, I didn't want to go, I was tired. While I was running, I saw what appeared to be a mom trying to prop her phone up to take a photo of herself and 5 kids. This happens a lot in the city. I wanted to keep running because there's nothing I hate more than taking off my gloves. I'm a freeze baby, and once my hands get compromised it's over. But I saw her struggling so I stopped. I told her to let me take the photo, took my gloves off, and I froze. After I took multiple shots, I went to leave and the mom had tears in her eyes. She said that this was the first photo of her and her kids out and about since her husband recently passed. She continued by saying I would never know how thoughtful my actions were.

Perspective is mind blowing sometimes. This experience was so touching to me that I needed to share. I began thinking about how many others would benefit from such a simple, small act of kindness. And for this reason, I make no resolutions to run further. I make none to PR. I make one simple goal that I hope each one of you reading this will join me on: I will take my gloves off more. Figuratively and literally. I will continue to spread positivity and help those around me. If in the meantime I snag a BQ, it will be icing on the cake. But that isn't what this life is about. I hope 2016 brings each of you more love, more friendship, more positivity and more wonderful memories. My wish is that in 2016, each of you will take your gloves off more. ♡

For more from Ambassador Lindsey Bisgrove, follow her on Twitter or Instagram. 

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