Can You Be Too Enthusiastic About Something You Love?

Is it possible to be too enthusiastic about running?

I don’t think so.  After all, I have the greatest mentor ever in Esther.  So when I get the chance to promote Road2Hope or Esther, I try not to miss the chance.   And since Esther is very much the kind of person who walks the walk and talks the talk, to be able to do the same is very important to me.

And I’ll tell you a secret, I like to run with Esther.  I love the way she motivates her runners to do more.  For themselves and for their community.  Any chance I get to run with Esther is one I jump at.

Except, she started to suggest recently that I go with the “big runners.”  Those of us, who can run a straight 5 km and shrug it off by casually mentioning … “oh I just ran a 5 last night.” While the non runner is shouting … “only a five?” in disbelief.

I was really happy that Esther needed an extra person to help with the beginners tonight.  And practically jumped up and down to get her attention when she was looking for someone.  I managed to keep myself from doing cartwheels when she agreed I could go with her.

My instructions were pretty simple.  Take the advanced group and run around the one mile track, rest for a minute and do it again for a total of three miles.  Oh and make sure you talk a lot and motivate the runners.

Pretty easy right?  Except I think I might have been too excited about my task.  Resulting in a group of really frightened beginners.  Runners who thought perhaps that I might be too enthusiastic about running.

Actually at the end, I got the highest compliment ever paid to a sort-of leader.  “Hey, you really know a lot of usefull stuff.”

Hmmm, how do I top that?  Just by showing up again ready to spread more useful information as well as enthusiasm for a sport that has stolen my heart.