Lessons from the Topeka Correctional Facility – July 16, 2017
“A body at rest remains at rest, and a body in motion remains in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force.”
During Sunday morning’s twice-weekly (for me) run with the inmates within the walls of the Topeka Correctional Facility, I could not help but think of Newton’s First Law of Motion.
As I encountered the multitude of fellow volunteers entering the facility for a variety of programs, including the morning’s church services, it occurred to me how often the inmates express their gratitude to us for visiting them from, in their words, “The Outside”.
And so while my fellow volunteers and I are quite literally “An Outside Force”, the truth of the matter is that my body could easily remain at rest every Tuesday and Sunday morning if not for the motivational “Outside Force” provided by my sisters at TCF.
We are all An Outside Force.
August 27, 2017
An anecdote from this morning’s run…
While running laps around our figure 8 course within the compound, we heard several sirens blaring from the surrounding streets on “The Outside”.
Without breaking stride, a nearby runner looked at me and said —
“You’re my alibi. I didn’t do it … this time.”
November 23, 2017 – Thanksgiving Day
An anecdote from this morning’s run…
A type of workout that runners often do is called “intervals”, comprised of a series of relatively shorter distances run at a fairly rapid pace with rest breaks in between – also often referred to as “speedwork”.
As our group was heading out to our figure-8 “track” to run this morning, I overheard a young lady saying to her friend …
“Today, I’m going to do some speed.”
With a smile, I caught her attention and said, “Uh … you might want to rephrase that … how about speed-WORK?!?”
“Oh, right … speed-WORK,” she laughed.
“Doing speed is what got me here in the first place!”
February 11, 2018
“Running has taught me to believe in myself and how to set goals. I have learned that it takes many steps to reach the finish line, and running has taught me to persevere and be patient. I am ready to help others and do great things.”
The young lady who shared these words with me during this morning’s run at the Topeka Correctional Facility is set to be released this week.
Her story is one of many that I have heard during my time as a volunteer at TCF, and I have no doubt that she will use the lessons learned as a member of the Running Free club to move forward in her life and to give back to her community.
