IT BEGINS
May 20, 2013
One could say I’m a goal oriented person. I’m a checker-offer. Nothing quite tops the feeling of accomplishing something you’ve worked hard for– something you’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into. And there is nothing like the feeling that you have put in all of that effort only to have that dream snatched away. It is devastating. And it leaves you feeling cheated.
The dream started when we were in college– my best friend, Kristi, and I always wanted to run a marathon together. We moved to different parts of the country after graduation, and after both moving back to Utah several years later, we knew it was time. We set our sights on the Salt Lake City Marathon 2007 and we were diligent in our training. After months of running, the goal was in sight! Our last long training run was a success and we could almost feel the finish line. But two weeks before race day, Kristi and her husband were terribly injured in a car accident when they were hit by a drunk driver fleeing from police. As the paramedics wheeled her into the ambulance, Kristi repeated “I’m running a marathon in two weeks! I can’t be hurt! I’m running a marathon in two weeks!”
While Kristi recovered, I ran the race alone, as she cheered me on from the sidelines. Since that time, we have run many half marathons together, and I ran another marathon alone. Through pregnancies and careers, the timing hasn’t been right for us to run a full together these past few years. But, it is now.
We have both been accepted to the St. George Marathon this fall. And, our training plan starts today. Gulp.
Our dream of crossing the finish line together is coming… I can feel it! She deserves to check this off of her bucket list. And I can’t wait to be by her side as she does it.
I’ll be documenting our training here. I hope you’ll cheer us on!
This is one dream that is meant to be realized. Here. We. Go!
*That photo is from the very first race we ran together– a 5K on New Year’s Eve at midnight, many years ago. A true friend is willing to run in -12 with you!
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[…] students at BYU, it has been on our bucket list to run a marathon together. Each time we trained, something would go horribly wrong but this was our race– we had made it to the starting line, and there was no turning […]