For Those About to Run, We Salute You

We are a nation of runners.

If Paul Revere hadn’t had a horse, I’m convinced he would have run cross-country to tell the news.

I was reminded of our nation’s love of running tonight as I found the treadmills at the gym more crowded than usual this Monday night.  And I mean really crowded.

Then it dawned on me. It's the day after the women’s World Cup championship game. And not just any World Cup game. One of the most exciting series for the U.S. in recent years. Not since Brandi Chastain ripped her shirt off at the Olympics have Americans been so in awe over women running up and down a field. Everywhere I went this past weekend, people were abuzz and impressed by the sheer athletic ability of these women – specifically their running endurance, which was on full display. And that’s the thing about professional athletes, they inspire the best in all of us.

You don’t have to be a championship athlete to run. People run every day in this nation. In fact, it’s truly the people who keep this place running and I think it’s high time we salute them. The soldier returning from war with one less leg to run on. The first-time runner. The student athlete. The FedEx guy delivering that special package from Mom. The fireman who runs into the building, not the other way around. The mother of four running her first half-marathon. Just a few of the people who make this nation great.

To the U.S. women's World Cup team, you have the salute of an inspired nation. Welcome home. You make us proud. And more importantly, you make us want to get out there and run.