I had the pleasure for running another 10k marathon! This time it was “Run for a cause” to support autism! Here are some of the runners ..
Our team of 50 runners all put on a blue shirt. Most of the members of Autism Mena ran the 10k for the first time solely for this cause, while others (including me and my sister) ran and and raised awareness at the same time. I felt the need to “run for a cause” to support a farely unknown issue in the Middle East, “Autism Spectrum disorder” . I know some autistic kids, and I really want to see people treat them with love and patience.That’s why I ran.
I have done two marathons before, and each time I love it more and more despite being exhausted after the race . This article is about my first marathon experience and some nutrition advice for runners. Although training for a marathon can be little hard the first time, good training with proper nutrition can guarantee good results and can help avoid injuries or dizziness during the race.
Why did we wear blue
There are so many theories about why blue was chosen for Autism. One theory is that autism affects boys more than girls. Also, blue is the color of peacefulness and calmness, meaning that autistic kids are not harmful as some people believe. However, in my opinion, it’s better to focus on helping the autistic families, rather than focusing on the color blue and the puzzle logo. The puzzle might not be a good thing since it refers to autism as complex, mysterious, and hard to understand.
Run for a cause
Running for a cause can add meaningfulness to your running competition.
race. It’s also a great opportunity to:
- support a network or community.
- develop self-motivationfor running.
- collect money and donate it to a charity organization.
- raise awareness for a diseaseor other public issue that you care about.For me, I chose to support Autism.
In this video, at 1:23, you can see me passing the 7k . I was so tired back then, but so determined to finish the race! In the video, you can also see the puzzle on my shirt, and how I slowed down a bit due to the hot weather. Even though it was warm, it was such a fun experience!
Autism
Autism is a mental syndrome and a spectrum disorder, where children face difficulties dealing with social situations, struggle with verbal and non verbal communication, and experience delays in growth compared to the kid peers. I will write another article talking more about autism and how nutrition can help children with Autism.
AMENA
AMENA is a non-profit foundation in Jordan. Their vision is to improve the quality of life for families and their childrenwho are on the autism spectrum. They intend to help autistic children through awareness, education, training, and knowledge/research.
Amena organizesdifferent workshops for students, community members, parents and/or professionals to teach them how to deal with autistic kids, focusing on early intervention and early warning signs of Autism.
Check out their Facebook page to know more about their events, especially if you work in a field where you interact with autistic children.
Next time you are running a marathon , consider “Running for a cause”. It will feel a million times better!
