The Random Race-- Be There

The focus of this blog is living intentionally.  I have a few posts coming up on living in a community, fair trade purchases, recycling, scheduling, all the things that I like to talk about that are applicable to the theme of "intentional".  There was, however, no intention behind what happened on Saturday and it was exactly the kind of random I enjoy in life.Jim loves the 100 Merridian Century Ride that starts in Cozad, NE and has done it every year for the past few years.  This was my first year driving along to support him.  I had planned on dropping him off, doing a long, slow run through Cozad, showering at their gym and then lazing through farmer's markets and coffee shops, meeting Jim in a few spots along his ride.
Confusion on the starting location had us asking the race directors of a local 5K/10K event where to go.  The foot race started a half hour after Jim got started.  I figured it was a couple of miles shorter than my intended distance, but at least I wouldn't get lost and could get some water at the end.  So, after seeing Jim off, I signed up for the foot race.  Having done a speed workout the day before, I thought I would just fun for fun.
A beautiful speech was given about a man named Claud Sr., a man who passed away last fall and his sons were dedicating the race to him.  For some reason, I ran hard for him, praying for his family who obviously still mourned the loss, and thanking God for this man who had made a deep impact on his community.  At almost the turn around point, someone yelled "first girl!".  Some unknown sense of competition against the nameless women behind me had me pumping my legs harder.  Until the last mile, when I was regretting having ever signed up for the race, but luckily the nameless women didn't have a stronger kick and I wasn't passed.
I was awarded the title of overall female for the 10K.  I won a Subway and Running Warehouse gift card and a pair of socks that had "Be There" written on them.  Apparently, these were the last words written by the man we were honoring.  It was a reminder for him to be at an appointment.  The shirts we were given for signing up also had "Be There" written on them.
I felt uncharacteristically emotional at the end of this race.  It isn't very often that a mortal runner like me (an average pacer, a not-so-fast-girl) gets a title of any kind during a foot race.  I have won overall female once before, in a race of 10 or so people, and various age group wins in other small events, but this was completely unexpected and I felt such a connection to the people of this town I had never been to.
The words "Be There" resignated with me throughout the day.  When I was done running, I didn't even get water right away, instead I cheered for the runners behind me.  I was living completely in that moment, taking it all in.  I then meandered to the water station and talked to the people of the race, just being present.  Unlike my normal self, I walked up to complete strangers with a "I'm Kristin, from Ogallala".  I met Mike, a man who recently retired and was disappointed that for the first time ever he had to walk during part of the race.  I met another man who never said his name but had lost 50 pounds since February, when he married a vegan and started running.  I talked to one gentleman who had been considering a marathon, and bragged about my best friend who has already done that and told him I hoped to someday join her.
The rest of the day, the words "be there" popped into my head.  At the coffee shop where I got my cold chai latte, I spoke with the man in line ahead of me and bought his expresso when he didn't have quite enough change.  He was a trucker from LA who loved tennis.
I thought of it as I stopped at a park in downtown Gothenburg and took in the beautiful fountain in the center and listened to the shrieking of a girl birthday part a few yards away.

I always want to "be there".  Living life intentionally, even when you make random decisions like deciding to join a 10K race fifteen minutes before it's start time, is all about being there.  The race was a beautiful representation of how I want to live my life-- being there to remember the past, being there to run the race of the moment, and being there to look forward to the future.  Just being present, making memories and experiencing things.

So I guess, the main point of this post is, I hope you will consider "Being There" for your life, too.