When we were looking at places for our son to go after Wilderness, one of the appealing aspects of the treatment center we chose was their Cross Country 5K Running Team. From our point of view as parents who participated in athletics as kids ourselves, this was a big draw to the RTC/School we chose. Most of the boys at the Ranch are on the “team” and it provides a positive activity to do as a group, and also a focus on one’s own individual goals, strengths and challenges. The unknown was if our son would be interested in taking a risk and trying it out! He was not a typical “sports” kid while growing up.
We were pleasantly surprised when he approached us about buying him the team uniform, a few months ago. We asked about his commitment level and if he really planned to follow through with it! He responded with a big, “YES”. (Thank goodness for positive peer pressure!)
“Okay, let’s give it a try!” we replied, keeping our fingers crossed. We didn’t want to show too much excitement in order to avoid jinxing it!
The team holds one on campus practice a week, followed by three to four days of off campus running and drills. In order for our son to get the most from the team, he had to earn his Level 2 back.
I am happy to report that after almost four full months, he regained his Level 2 in April! Besides going to the Music Room to listen to music for enjoyment, getting an extra hour of free time daily and the ability to stay in a hotel with us on future visits, a real biggie was about to occur! He entered an actual RACE and finished! And now has TWO races under his belt. One took place in Salt Lake City and the other in Provo, UT a few weeks later. His therapist sent us pictures of our son at the finish line (via text) and we were thrilled and amazed! What an achievement for a kid who hasn’t done a lot in the way of sports. What a victory for him to try something new! What a great way to start believing in one’s self. And who knew? but he’s a pretty fast runner too!
The boys on the team have been told by the coach and others at the Ranch that the 5K runners have a high success rate of staying clean and sober when they leave the RTC. Our son repeated that stat to us more than once in our recent Skype therapy calls. Step one for him is to believe it himself. He now runs regularly, which produces endorphins for his body! The exercise he is getting will start to feel good to him, inside and out! It’s just a matter of time!
On race days, the boys get up very early to reach the start line by 7am. For the race in Salt Lake City, they arrived just in time for the start, but didn’t have time for their normal stretching. It all worked out and the sweat on his brow was “glowing” in the photo we saw. Another side benefit was the smile on his face that is now a common facial expression of a boy who was in a dark, sullen and reclusive environment just a year ago. It’s been a transformation and renewal of a whole body, spirit and soul. We are so proud of his participating and of his many self-improvements.
Yes, there is always more work to be done, but don’t discount what positive change has already come to him! He is at Level Two, working towards his Three. He shared that he likes the feeling when he’s done with a race. He is in a new place! In fact he is “Ready to Run” just like in the Dixie Chicks song! I am very happy to report this exciting news to all the readers of this blog! Stay tuned for more! We are heading to Utah this week and for an adventure in MOAB and the beautiful desert! Until next time……
Peace,
WARRIOR MOM