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I love hearing stories about inspiring people who, against all odds, rise above a difficult time and achieve success. I mean, who doesn’t? These are people who inspire us to be better people and push ourselves beyond our abilities.

Recently, I joined my friend Peter, a seasoned marathoner and coach of Back on My Feet, and my best friend, Mara, who suggested the early morning run, to train with the Brotherhood Mission team. I’m sure you have heard of Back on My Feet, but if you haven’t, it’s a nonprofit organization that started right here in Philadelphia and “promotes the self-sufficiency of the homeless population by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.”

Back on My Feet: The Brotherhood Mission team prepares for an early morning run in Fishtown.

 Despite the alarm clock ringing at the ungodly hour of 4:00 a.m., I sprung out of bed and was excited to meet my new running buddies.  Peter arrived with a smile to pick me and Mara up before heading over to Fishtown to run with his team.

Once I arrived, I was greeted with hugs all around from my new teammates. After stretching we broke up into distance teams of one mile, two miles or three miles. I met a new friend named Frank, so I chose to run with him for two miles.

Along our run, Frank told me about his past struggles with addiction and the recent loss of his father but also his triumphs of sticking to his recovery program and training schedule. Since he entered Brotherhood Mission earlier this year, he has stayed drug-free for nearly all of 2009 and has been running for four months. He said running is saving his life and keeping him on track.

 With his first 10-miler behind him (”It’s the longest I’ve ever run…I didn’t even think I could run that far!”) and a new watch to commemorate successfully running 150 miles (residents are rewarded for milestones in their training), he’s continuing his early morning jogs. This fall, Frank hopes to participate in the Philadelphia Marathon in either the Rothman 8K or half marathon race.

“Running means staying healthy and being fit,” said Frank. “I also do it for the hugs,” referring to the warm embraces of his teammates before and after all runs.

Like Frank, I’m also looking forward to the hugs and many more miles with Frank and the rest of the team at Brotherhood Mission.

To learn more or get involved with Back on My Feet, visit http://philadelphia.backonmyfeet.org. To submit your own stories about what running means to you and enter for a chance to run the Philadelphia Marathon for free, check out runningmeans.com.

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Just a few days ago, our nation celebrated Memorial Day, a day to reflect on our fallen heroes who put their lives on the line for the freedom of our nation. As I ran Kelly Drive this past weekend, I couldn’t help but notice many of my fellow runners wearing T-shirts or commemorative bracelets that referenced our soldiers stationed domestically and abroad.

Photo courtesy of The Warrior Tours

As I continued to run, I thought about how many of my fellow Boathouse Row runners have family members, friends or neighbors who are active soldiers. At so many races, I notice people wearing shirts, buttons or other reminders that proudly proclaim that they are running in the name of someone close to them who died in battle.  To many of us, running means remembering our veterans — some of the bravest Americans we are ever lucky enough to know. We are proud to run in their honor just as they are proud to serve for ours.

And while many will train stateside, more than 500 soldiers in Iraq will be wearing Philadelphia Marathon T-shirts donated by our staff during The Warrior Tours in July.  Organized by Rob Powers, a famed sports announcer, longtime coach and former U.S. Air Force pilot, The Warrior Tours includes seven races at seven U.S. military bases in Iraq in seven days.  By wearing Philadelphia Marathon T-shirts, our soldiers have an opportunity to feel connected to their loved ones at home while participating in a sporting event in the Middle East.

So the next time you run, think about your ability to do so freely in a country as wonderful the United States. Then think of the many men and women who risked their lives to give that opportunity to you.

If your thoughts resonate with this post because you are a soldier or know one, we want to hear from you. As always, don’t forget to submit your video on www.runningmeans.com to tell us your story*.

*Running Means is a monthly feature on the Philadelphia Marathon blog.

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