Running Friendships
The second half of the Galloway half marathon was just one of those runs that made me say "I hate running". I even said that I wished I hadn't committed to a hotel in Columbus so I could skip out on the Red Nose Half. Sometimes running just sucks, ya know? Now that it is getting closer, I am excited. So many runner friends will be there! I realized that even when I hate running, I love the comradery. Running has brought so many wonderful people in my life.
In 2014,I ran my first half marathon in New Orleans. I was by myself, I don't really remember a whole bunch about it...it was humid, it rained, it felt like it took forever.
My second half marathon was Hotlanta ; I ran it with Kim. Kim and I met through the Breast Cancer 3 day but we only vaguely knew each other. We come from different back grounds, work in different fields, aren't close in age (she is younger than my mother but I am about the age of her son) we talked the whole time! The miles just flew by. I still remember when we hit mile 8 and asked, "is that right" "are we already more than half way". Kim and I have run several races together since then.
As 2015 approached, I met Lizzy. We met through a Dopey training facebook page. I don't think our lives could be more different from each other but it was pretty clear early on in the relationship that we were sole sisters. We've trained in some of the worst weather, gotten speeding tickets, bribed cops with donuts, laughed so hard that we've cried, and knocked out several races together (and she'll tell you that I tried to get her killed in a corn field).I met Sarah/SID at the start of the Dopey Challenge 5K. It was such a cold morning and we had to stand around for hours. I was in a dress with no sleeves and was shivering; she wrapped her arms around me to warm me up. We ran the 5k, half marathon and most of the marathon together. We separated for about 5 miles but I waited for her at the 26 mile marker so we could finish together.
I met Cindy at the blood bank (at work). I don't even know how we started talking about running. But I was just really inspired by her! She has done so many amazing races. She also does such a good job putting it into perspective for me. I often complain about my performance at a particular race and she says "but you did it" or "you're awesome" and it just kind of brings me back to reality. 
In 2017, I went on a road trip with Mandy, Colleen, Wendy, Tamara, Lavern, Nicole T. and Cozette. We ate delicious food, slept in a fire station and ran various distances. I ran about 13 miles with Nicole T.(we also ran Galloway 2018 together and I was so thankful for her company/support) and walked another13 with a woman named Tawanna. Gosh, I don't even remember how many half marathons she had run at that time but now she has done 131!! Nicole and I never seem to have a shortage of things to talk about and Tawanna amazed me with her life story and all the races that she has done.
Recently I met Kim (well actually we realized we had met several times) through "swimming". By swimming I mean we breast stroke and talk about 1400 meters then practice acrobatics on the ropes that enclose the beach area (sometimes we can even convince Kathy and Dana to act ridiculous with us). Our running goes about the same as our swimming but by golly we shorten our Laurel Ridge hike time every visit!
Over the years I have had numerous great runs with Lavern, Lara and all the ladies of MRTT! I went to Tennessee, slept in a van (down by the river ;) and ran 200 miles with a team of strangers. I met Danica for the first time in a grocery store parking lot at 5am and rode to South Carolina to run a half marathon with her. I have watch Jill evolve from someone who had no interest in running a half marathon into being a Boston Qualifier! 
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