Girlfriends

1 year ago, many of my girlfriends ran in a race. I wasn't a runner so I didn't really pay much attention. I would hear little bits about training here and there, but, really, since I wasn't a runner, I did not pay much attention. Really. Until...

Until the night we had bible study at our house and my girlfriends who had ran the race that morning came in wearing their shirts from the race. I read the front and started getting teary (I know. A shocker.)


The words on the shirt were such a wonderful description of what a good girlfriend is. And my girlfriends mean the world to me. Right then a seed was planted.

That seed grew and not even a week later I was already planning. Planning on running the race the next year. An entire 1/2 marathon stared me in the face and I thought it would be not only a wonderful challenge. A test. But, above all, a way to celebrate the blessings of such amazing girlfriends.

Little did I know that I would fall in love...

In love with running.

Little did I know that it would awake something in me that I didn't know existed. Little did I know how the sounds of a race would draw me in. Little did I know that a 1/2 marathon would only wet my appetite for more. Little did I know that I would not just train for the 1 race, but would find something that I want to be able to do for the rest of my life. Little did I know.

My amazing friend, Amy, flew up from Phoenix yesterday. She will be running the race as well. She is one of my closest girlfriends. We met in college when our husbands were roommates. We had our first double date when we drove through a snowstorm from Flagstaff, AZ to Bryce Canyon. Had we met sooner, she would have stood beside me when we got married. I was there to stand in hers. In 2002, she and her husband Tripp moved up to the NW and lived here until 2007. As we drove by a parking lot today she told me that it will forever remind her of the time that I had bought some pregnancy tests for her and we did the pass off before I had to rush off and pick my son up from preschool. I would later get in my car after picking him up and hear a message from my friend who was freaking out. Stopping at Starbucks, I picked up a Pumpkin Spice Latte - Decaf, of course, to take to her house while she took in the surprise of another baby. We have shared many laughs and she is a treasure. I miss her here. She loves me in spite of all my annoyances. In fact, I remember saying, "We may drive each other crazy sometimes..." To which she cut me off and said, "you never drive me crazy!" She loves me for me. I never worry if I'm annoying her. I never worry if I call too much. I never worry if I'm too needy. We can talk everyday or go days in between. Thank you, Amy, for being such a treasure of a friend! Love you!

We picked up our shwag bags today. Cute little bags, a vest (instead of a shirt), our numbers and a few little goodies. Can you spot the difference in these two pictures??

Yeah. Hers is personalized. Mine is not. Apparently that's what happens when they mess up. So, I had to get a little ghetto and put my own name on. Yeah. I'm cool like that.

The vests seems great. Ours are both too big, but we're hoping to exchange them on race day.

And do you want to hear something REALLY ridiculous??

Not only was I a bit irritated that my name wasn't on my bib, but I was also a little irritated when we noticed the huge discrepancy between our numbers. Oh, it's because mine was messed up and late. Only bugged me because I hit submit at the exact time registration opened. I was NOT the 2,296th person to sign up. Yeah. I'm uncool like that.

I can't wait for Sunday to get here. A day to celebrate my girlfriends. A day to celebrate the gift of running. And a day that will hopefully give me the PR I'm hoping for!

And because I'm such a good girlfriend I'll post two pictures of the two of us. One where I look better and one where Amy does. Love you friend!