The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward
An Epic Run across America, as summarized by Dr. Dennis Godby, ND, Founder and Runner
Imagine, two older men drinking beer in a western Ohio bar, being inspired and quickly becoming emotional and raising their hands to give a “high five” as if their favorite team just scored a point- all to show their enthusiasm and support for The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward! These men got “it” – how desperately it was time for the American people to take their health into their own hands and DO SOMETHING about it and how encouraged they were that 4 men would run across the country to promote health and natural medicine!
Scenes like the two men above were typical across the country, whether it was a small business owner in Nevada, or a college student in Ohio, or a high school kid working at an RV campground in Utah, or a 20 year old pregnant waitress at Pizza Hut in Kansas, or the other thousands of people we encountered on The Run, people were genuinely moved by the very idea of running 3,100 miles across the USA. A 30 mile per day pace raised eyebrows everywhere across the country in our effort to transform America’s health through lifestyle change and natural medicine.
The American public clearly demonstrated a thirst for preventative healthcare solutions that likened our arduous thirst for water as we ran through the Nevada desert. We consistently observed an overwhelming acknowledgement that America is too dependent on drugs – pharmaceutical drugs!
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, or I should say, smooth running. We definitely had our moments over the 124 days – when we were unsure if our bodies and traveling “home” (motor home) would make it all the way to our ending point in Bridgeport, CT. Just a few of the vehicle problems we encountered were:
- three tires blowing out on the freeway before the run even started,
- breaking down at night in a Pennsylvania pitch black night, what I called the local “Bermuda Triangle,”
- or our hole in the gas tank gasoline spill in a parking lot that required a local fire department to clean up for 4-6 hours,
- or how about the time the tires locked up while we were climbing and descending curves in the Rocky Mountains?
At one point in Media, PA, we got stuck, literally between a “rock and a hard place.” Oh, just one more for fun, the fuse on the radiator blew out just as we were ready to climb one of the steepest sections of the Appalachian highway. But, the bottom line is, we kept determined and MOVING: pulling resources together and kept our eye on our goal. With tremendous support from generous Americans across the country, we reached our many destinations and our final ending point for this run in Connecticut, as we received a tremendous welcome and celebration at the University of Bridgeport!
Possibly the greatest accomplishment of The Run, was not killing or injuring each other after “living” together for 124 days (71 nights actually sleeping together in the motor home) in an old RV that was, literally, falling apart. There were no “comforts” such as electricity, WiFi, water for showers, safely refrigerated food; mechanically, we were just waiting for the next “shoe to fall” never knowing when or where the RV would break down next, or what interior gadget would break next. Our support/recovery specialist, Michael, ended up disconnecting the battery cables each night to better ensure the RV would start the next morning! After a while, we just had to laugh. Our modest shelter (RV) was leaking so badly a few times, that one night before bed, I said my goodbyes to Michael, “in case we all float away, it has been wonderful working with you.”
Did I mention the wild lions, wolves, tigers, bears and monkeys that were on the loose just a few miles from where we were running – seriously – this was a world-wide story from Zanesville, OH, on October 18. You can Google it! Another day, we were running along a Utah highway, minding our own business, when a high speed chase ensued, with, literally, cops chasing the robbers, until the “bad guys” crashed and were captured in front of our eyes.
But, as the saying goes, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger!” Among all of the bumps and struggles along the way, the little nuisances we endured paled in comparison to: the joy we felt for the many amazing experiences we had, gratitude for the people we met along the way and the relationships formed. There were so many out-stretched hands and homes to provide a warm shelter and meal, it would be impossible to forget and too numerous to try to mention.
The Run was, and will continue to be, a grassroots effort to transform America’s health. All activists must understand that, as Gandhi said, “the minority leads the majority.” The minority of NDs who seized the opportunity to get involved in The Run in whatever way that they deemed appropriate, I was completely impressed, and I couldn’t be any happier about their support. They stood up and asked to be counted on behalf of spreading the word about naturopathic medicine. Quite a few NDs told us they didn’t know how to organize an event, who didn’t see themselves as activists, but are now completely hooked by The Run, and were completely overjoyed by their participation and new sense of empowerment!
Anybody who got involved in The Run is a hero to me – regardless of the outcome of the events, or how they participated. Because of space limitations, it is impossible to acknowledge all the event planners. Jessica Patella (event in Dayton, OH), and Mandy Corwin (event in Richmond, IN) are from North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. They organized an event 800 to 1,000 miles from where they practice to support The Run. The Run team was blown away that they would travel so far to help spread the good news!
The Run received significant media coverage on the internet, television, radio and newspapers, and had incredible opportunities to educate in close to 100 towns and cities along the route, ranging from an audience of 250 grade school children in Delaware to the offices of 25 members of Congress in Washington, DC. (where we were very warmly received and given the opportunity to discuss the national healthcare crisis, natural and preventive medicine).
The Run was also presented with proclamations from governors in support of natural medicine in the states of: Colorado, New York and Connecticut, and Board of Supervisors and mayors of the cities of: San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Louisville, Colorado. Herb Schultz, the region IX director of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, expressed his 100% commitment to natural medicine in our struggle for a healthier world.
Countless people through the media, and thousands of people that we talked with directly in the 16 states and Washington, DC, heard the story of why an old guy (me) and three young men, Jonas Ely, Isaiah Godby, and Jeremiah Godby, (ages 18-21) would run 30 miles a day for 4 months across the USA. Lives were changed as a result of The Run and we are determined to carry this mission forward. The Run will continue. Currently, we are working hard to figure out exactly what The Run will look like for the coming future. If you would like to help make The Run movement even more effective than The Run 2011, please let me know!
On behalf of The Run leadership team, Rebecca Asmar, ND, Meghan O’Hara, RD, Mary Rita Ely, MA, Holly Lucille, ND, and myself, we would like to acknowledge and thank the many individuals and institutions, such as: AANP, naturopathic universities and the naturopathic state associations, and our corporate sponsors, Metagenics, Bioresource, Professional Formulas and Nordic Naturals, who had the vision to support and participate in The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward, to transform America’s health through lifestyle change and natural medicine.
Please check out www.TheRun.org and sign up for our email to keep involved and updated!
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