Running with Friends!

I have blogged several times about the power of running with good friends.  This weekend I was reminded, again, just how much I enjoy it. 

For Christmas, I bought my friend Anne an entry into the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll ½ Marathon.  This was for multiple reasons – primarily because Anne spent the last 6 months of her pregnancy calling herself fat and lamenting the fact that she couldn’t run to keep the weight off.   This would give her 5 full months to start/finish training for the ½.  If she can finish the ½ in June – we will register for the Honolulu Full Marathon in December.  So, last weekend I told her I would begin training with her on Saturdays to get her back into it.  Our good friend, Loretta, asked if she could come along, as well.  She plans to do San Diego with us, as well. 

Since running last weekend, Anne ran twice during the week (on her own), and again Saturday morning with Loretta and me.  In fact, she cut 3 minutes off of her two-mile time in merely one week!  It is wonderful to see someone totally motivated to get healthy and train hard.  That’s my friend, Anne. 

Dunkies - always our post-run treat!

This morning (Sunday) marks one week from the start of my 6^th marathon.  As I mentioned in last week’s blog, I was hopeful my friend, Brent, would feel up to hitting the pavement with me for my last ten mile run.  Additionally, my friends, Lora and Thuy, asked me mid-week if they could come out and try to do some of my last run with me, too!  And, to be honest, I had no idea who would show up on my doorstep at 6:30am to do ten miles through the hills of Ahwatukee.  I was hopeful at least one of them would show.

Low and behold, it was as if the gods were aligned – in walked Lora, Thuy and Brent at 6:20am ready to push out my last long run with me.   As some of you may remember, Lora and I completed the full marathon last year holding hands across the finish line.  Thuy and I were running buddies for the year that I lived in Tempe.  So, with the exception of Brent (who can pull 8:30’s on an everyday run), Lora, Thuy and I run approximately the same pace.

As we head out the door, Thuy confesses to me that she’s only been treadmill running, lately, and hasn’t really done much over 2 miles in the last several months.    Lora tells me that they are going to try to make it to the first loop’s ½ way mark, before taking a break.  Thuy and Lora admitted that they may not run the whole thing with us, but they would try for as much as they could handle.  Brent just smiled – barring any Achilles issues, he planned to complete all ten miles, just as he had in October, one week prior to my last marathon.

The four of us headed out in the dark, bobbing and weaving through the streets.  Thuy talked and talked and talked – she was as funny as ever.  Lora took a backseat and we could occasionally hear her in the background singing to a tune she was really enjoying (it’s truly adorable).  Four people running through the streets of Phoenix/Ahwatukee presents some interesting issues – not once could we all fit together on the sidewalk and occasionally we hand to run single file – but the talking never stopped and the amusement carried on. 

Lora hung back shortly before mile 6 to adjust something on her Camelbak and we knew she’d likely continue in time.  Thuy, Brent and I continued to the water stop at mile 7.5 when I looked at Thuy and said, “you might want to trace our steps and see if you can find Lora,” because like a jerk, I assumed ten miles were out of the question for someone who had only been running 2 miles here and there on a treadmill.  There was a pause in the conversation until I uttered, “…or you could simply finish the ten with us.”  In her most adorable Vietnamese accent Thuy said, “I finish the ten with you.” 

And so she did!  She wasn’t all that pleased when mile 8 to 9 was up the toughest hill all morning, but she made light of it and enjoyed the descent from mile 9 to the finish line.  Brent and I were both so impressed with her stamina.  I also assured her she might feel like crap tomorrow.

As we rounded the corner to my house, Lora was sitting at her Jeep reading the local newspaper.  She made it the 7.5 miles to my house and waited the boring 20 minutes for us to finish.  She looked pleased with herself – and she should have been!

I love my running community and the friendships that have blossomed out of my love for the sport.  I just adore all three of them – and the two from the morning prior.  I would never prefer doing anything else, if I had the choice. 

Post-run breakfast for 4 very accomplished people!

So, next weekend, my good friend, Kris, and I will line up at the starting line of the PF Chang’s Rock ‘n Roll Marathon, here in Phoenix, with ten thousand other runners.  As much as I enjoy running alone – I think I enjoy running with friends just as much, if not more.  Thanks to all five of you – Anne, Loretta, Brent, Lora and Thuy – for another truly memorable running weekend!  I hope to see all of you out there, next weekend, to cheer Kris and Me on!