This week’s Member Spotlight features Charity Miles member Randi Lich! Randi, like many others throughout the Charity Miles community, calls Colorado home. “I am originally from Montana (and still consider MT as my home with my whole heart), but have lived in Denver, CO for about 7 years now… time flies!” For the last 5 years, Randi has worked as an accountant for a consulting firm in Denver.
When asked about her love for running Randi stated “Honestly, there's nothing else like running and the amazing feeling it provides me! It's my time. A time to unplug from chaos and get back in touch with myself. My quiet time is when I feel the most alive and connected to God. A time for random thoughts or to simply clear my head.”
Randi’s love for running began several years ago. “I've considered myself a runner since 2011; the year I ran my first race. I never ran track or cross country competitively in high school but found a love for running on my own when I had to quit all competitive sports in high school to work instead. I had to find a way to stay active, and running was the easiest way to keep myself occupied! Since 2011, I've probably run at least one race (normally a half marathon) per year, but always seemed to yo-yo from training for something, then taking lots of time off and not running at all.”
In the past year, Randi’s relationship with running began to change. “Starting in 2018 I decided to become a more serious runner. I got a running coach and set some more serious goals: running my first marathon in December and hopefully qualifying for the Boston Marathon, as well as looking towards more trail races and ultras as 2019-2020 approaches. I found that with these new goals, I needed another source of motivation and accountability, and Instagram fell into my lap. I started my Instagram page (@runitlikerandi) on April 18th of 2018 and have been so overwhelmed by the support this community shows!”
In addition to running her own page, Randi, along with close friend and Charity Miles member Margaret Spring, recently launched the Instagram page titled Women in Running. “I met my friend Margaret through a mutual friend on Instagram and we hit it off right away! We both live in Denver and decided to meet up shortly after being connected; we started Women of Running (@womenofrunning) in May of 2018. Our goal with Women of Running is to foster a community of empowering women who are willing to run for a cause.”
And a worthy cause they certainly have. “Margaret's ring bearer at her wedding has just been diagnosed with cancer, again… I immediately asked how I could help and she suggested I join Charity Miles and run for the ConnorMcStrong Team. We have used this platform to encourage our Women of Running community to join us in running miles for a good cause; it has been the biggest blessing to be able to make a difference so quickly and easily.”
In regard to using the app, Randi stated, “I began using the app a few months ago! I've always felt that running is intrinsically so selfish, so when I heard about an opportunity to do good with my time and miles, I couldn't help but get on board! I run 6 days a week and have a busy schedule, so the easy-to-use app really makes using Charity Miles appealing to me. I will generally start the app, then store my phone away and start my Garmin to track my workout for my coach to see. I'm extremely excited about the Garmin/Charity Miles integration that is coming soon. I think it's going to be a huge game changer and allow even more people to easily raise money for amazing causes. I am so passionate about giving back my time and resources, and this app has provided me with a way to do all the things I love at once. I also love how it tells the user exactly how many miles, and how much money has been donated to the cause supported. There is no guessing game, and everything is very transparent. Being that the app is free, I see no reason to not use it for physical activity!”
Randi currently supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, logging miles for Charity Miles team ConnorMcStrong. “We have been able to run 8,464 miles and hope it continues to grow!” To learn more about Women of Running, can check out their Instagram page or email them directly at womenofrunning@gmail.com.
Do you have an interesting Charity Miles story? Share it with us!