COUNTDOWN TO BOSTON – 1 WEEK!!

One of Indianapolis’s most dedicated non-res runners is running the 2012 Boston Marathon to support Back on My Feet! Running Boston has always been a dream of Kelli’s and she is making it happen this year! We are honored that she has chosen to run for BoMF and are equally excited about her adventure!

We recently had a small fundraiser to help Kelli achieve her monster goal of raising $7,200. Thank you to all of our runners who came out to run with Kelli and support her in her efforts. We will be highlighting Kelli throughout the week to keep everyone up to date on what she’s been up to in the training process. Kelli has stayed faithful to blogging about her training and experiences with BoMF along the way.

Kelli and Keith

After each run, we always “circle up.”  This means that we all put our arms around each other to form a big circle.  It doesn’t matter if you’re sweaty.  We’re all sweaty.  This morning when we circled up, we found out that Shane had just celebrated 90 days of sobriety.  It’s hard for me to wrap my head around 90 days.  I know it’s eternity for Shane and that he has worked really hard for this accomplishment.  But 90 days also makes me think about how recently he was not sober.  Just three months ago Shane was in a very different place in his life.  I am so glad that he is doing well and that he has come so far.  I hope his next 90 days are as successful.

In the circle, Dave also said a few words to remind us why we’re here and what we’re doing.  (This is what I’m talking about!  Team Leader!  Someone giving a talk!)  Dave reminded us that the holidays can be a particularly difficult time for those who are in recovery from addiction.  The holidays are about family and gathering and eating, drinking and being merry.  For a lot of the guys, their addictions cost them their families.  The holidays can be a harsh reminder of what they no longer have.  Additionally, there are temptations to celebrate at every turn, so it can also be a time with a lot of triggers for the guys who may feel an urge to return to old behaviors.  I thought it was awesome of Dave to draw the attention of non-res members, like me, to things that are going on in the lives of our res members right now.  Things like this don’t necessarily occur to non-res members, and res members don’t necessarily feel comfortable bringing it up.  Dave made a great point by saying that tough times, like the holidays, are why our group exists.  We’re here to help and support each other, to hold each other accountable and form relationships that transcend these challenges.  Love.  It. – Kelli Morin

Are you interested in supporting Kelli? Check out her fundraising page!

Rodney grew up on the Eastside of Indianapolis and currently works for Roosa Carpet Cleaning. He has two kids, a son who is sixteen and a daughter who is eleven.

He moved to Progress House four months ago when he realized that his life was unmanageable and he needed to stop using. Soon after he moved in he noticed the Back on My Feet community joining together three days a week to circle up and run. He joined team Progress House in July and hasn’t looked back since. He has 100% attendance- hasn’t missed a single day since he started on July 7th!

He completed the Planet Adventure Eagle Creek 5K on August 7th- his first race!  This was a trail race and for those of you who have done any trail running, you know that this is much more difficult than running on the road! Rodney did a great job and even placed in his age group at the race. He had a blast running over logs and climbing the massive hills. When I asked Rodney about the race he said “It was awesome, you never knew what was coming next, it was a thrill ride, like life.”

Shoe Size: 10.5

Age: 37

Favorite Music: Heavy Metal, Typeo Negative

Favorite Athlete: My running partner Jeremy (Pictured on the left with Rodney below)

Favorite Post Run Food: Banana and Peanut Butter

Bucket List: Take a family vacation with both of my kids

Why did you join BoMF? I wanted to get in shape and thought the job training and incentives sounded like a good opportunity! I also thought it would help build my self-esteem.

What is your favorite thing about running with BoMF? Bonding with people, opening up and talking with who I’m running with. Hugging everyone.

Has running helped with staying sober? 100%, running helps. I’ve had times where I’ve thought about using and BoMF is the first thing that comes to my mind, it motivates me to stay focused. I would hate to lose the friendships I’ve made here. I enjoy running, it helps me clear my head and gives me time to pray.

What are your goals now? I have a lot of goals at this point. I want to get my GED, which is something I started a long time ago and now I’m ready to finish it. I am also training for the Back on My Feet 42K Relay and my first 1/2 marathon, the Monumental Half Marathon on November 5th. Prior to coming to live at Progress House, I earned my Commercial Drivers License, but ended up losing it due to some poor choices and that is something I would like to get back. Another lifelong dream of mine is to join the National Guard. I feel like it would be a good way to give back and also build my self confidence. Lastly I would love to take a family vacation with both of my kids.

What’s exciting in your life right now? I just talked to my eleven year old daughter for the first time ever and am really looking forward to building a relationship with her.

Name: Eric Arnold

Team: Progress House

Favorite Music: Country

Favorite Movie: Tommy Boy

Bucket List Item: To play on Augusta National

Favorite Quote: “Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain but I would have had to miss the dance”.

I moved to Indianapolis from Alabama when I was a teenager. I had a fairly normal upbringing, single parent household, a younger sister, went to school, average student, played sports etc. I had my first drink at 17, got sicker than I ever thought possible and swore I would never do that again. An oath I would continue to make years later. Alcohol wasn’t an issue for me in high school or college for that matter. I graduated from college, got a job and started my life. I got married and had two kids. I also developed an addiction to prescription painkillers following back surgery. This addiction cost me my job, my home in Fishers, my wife and the biggest loss, my children.

At this point my family stepped in and I entered The Progress House. This was almost three years ago. I got clean, got a new job and moved out of The Progress House after roughly four months. I was putting my life back together, or at least I thought I was. The truth was that I was only going through the motions. I had the job, I had the girlfriend and I lived in a nice house. I looked great from the outside but I was dying on the inside. Fast forward to a year and a half later, I lose the job and the house of cards I had built was in danger of collapsing.

That’s when I really started drinking. I didn’t want to go back to pills, but convinced myself that drinking was ok. Needless to say, it wasn’t. I spent over a year drinking, lost my girlfriend, the house, my friends and any self respect or respect from others that I may have had left. My bottom was waking up in the ER with a nurse looking at me telling me that they didn’t get many people as drunk as I was in there. I had broken three bones in my hand in a drunken rage. Brick walls don’t lose fights. I had nowhere to go and no one to help me. I called a guy I knew from AA and asked him for help. He gave me some advice and got the ball rolling. I came back to the Progress House and almost 120 days later I am amazed at what’s become of my life.

When I first heard about BoMF, I honestly figured that I could use it as a tool to get back into shape. Nothing more, nothing less. How wrong I was. From the first day this program has become entwined into my daily life. I have utilized it for the weight loss and getting back into shape aspects but also for so much more. It has given me a new set of friends in the staff and volunteers along with my teammates. It has instilled in me a sense of pride that I honestly have never felt, at least not about myself. It has shown me that I am able to commit to something, and if I apply myself and put in the required effort I will receive so much more in return. This program gives to me daily and only asks me to give three days a week. As for my future, well that is still somewhat of a mystery. I am working again and I am continuing to take my sobriety one day at a time. While I may not have a clear picture of my future at this moment, I do know that BoMF will always be a part of it.

Check out Eric Running his First 5K!