Today started out like most mornings lately since I am
training for the Chicago Marathon and Tremont Triathlon, 5:00 a.m. the alarm goes off. I groan. The dog moves. I
hope it is profusely storming so I can cancel. It isn’t. I smell the coffee
that is on auto-brew. I stumble to it. Poor a cup and go sit in the bathroom
for 10 minutes wondering what in the world I am doing. I come to. I get my
running clothes on that I have laid out the night before. I get more coffee.
Take the Garmin off the charger. Strap my iPhone on. Grab the keys, my
hydration bottle, and head out the door to meet one of my running partners.
Thank god for them.
I am blessed with many running partners and on most days I
don’t know what I would do without them. A reliable running partner helps you
succeed and provides safety in numbers. How do you measure the value in that?
They help you achieve your goals. They push you through hard physical and
mental journeys. They provide stability.
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| Heidi |
On Mondays I always run with Heidi. We run 4 miles and talk the
whole time. It is a welcome relaxed run. We try if schedules allow to run later
in the week, too. Heidi and I completed the Spartan Sprint together in October
and she completed her first ½ marathon in April. It was a nice run today and even our friend Trinity joined us today, too!
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| Carrie |
Oftentimes, Carrie joins us. That is unless her son is
puking. That is the only way we let her off the hook. Just kidding, friend.
Carrie is my yes girl. I text her throughout the week and generally we
swim and run, two to three times a week. She is my rock. She even completes the
long double-digit runs with me. She completed her first ½ marathon with Heidi
in April. She is deciding which full she is going to do in the Fall. While she
decides she will be completely ready for it as she is training with me. These
girls are awesome!
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| Stephanie |
I also train with Stephanie. She is so much fun! She talks
and tells hilarious stories all the time. She will complete her first full
marathon in September. She is an awesome training partner! Please pray for
Steph as she has had knee problems lately and I want her to recover without a
hitch. She is a determined gal and I seriously doubt anything is going to get
her down.
Bekah, well I think you have heard about her. ;) When that
girl is not juicing she is right there with us. She has even offered to watch
my kids for me if my husband can’t so I can get the long runs in. Honestly,
thank you does not cover it.
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| Bekah |
I guess I am rambling on to say that if you are considering
running or training develop a core group of reliable friends to run with. It
makes training so much more enjoyable. If you have a family, develop a family
plan and make sure your family is on board with your training. My family knew a marathon was on my bucket list since I was a teenager and they helped me pick out which marathon was the best fit for me to do. Chicago here I come! My family and
friends are a huge contributor to my training success and I know that I will be
thinking of them every meter that I swim, every mile that I bike, and every step
of my marathon. Thank you to all of you.
Cheers,
Danyelle
“To the world you may be just one person, but to
one person you may be the world.”
- Brandi Snyder
You are awesome, friend. I'm so thankful for you. I'm happy to see you reach your goals and if I can help you get there, well, that works too. :)
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ReplyDeleteWow! Love this! I think you have a great group of gals to keep you running and on track! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteYou are so lucky to have rockin friends!
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