Say What?: Week 7 - The Best Mile #a4a52weekchallenge

It is hard to believe that I am writing week 7 already when I feel like I just wrote week 6! By the end of the weekend I will have a blog about the vacation, with pictures! Photo of Darth Vader to help you understand vacation was epic!

But first, the best mile.

I want to believe that every mile you move forward is a great mile. I am not an athlete, or at least I don't consider myself an athlete. I have a lot of athlete clothes, and a lot of athlete hear, but I am not in the best shape, I need to lose weight, I need to be stronger at using my will power. I need to be stronger.

The first mile I ever ran as an adult was a 20+ minute mile. It sucked. It hit me in the gut and made me realize that I am not an athlete.

Well, I am not much better than a 20 minute mile runner now. But one thing I do have is an attitude that I can do it.

I look at my run keeper and since 2011 I have run over 300 miles! It sounds like a lot, but that is 300 miles over 4 years and well, that is not a lot, but it is better than none!

I used to think running alone was my favorite thing to do. I loved the music in my ears, and no one to tell me what my pace should be. Well, I was wrong.

I have had a few running partners, but none got me quite like my running partner now. We just click. I would say the first mile I ran with her was the best mile. And it wasn't even when we started as running partners.

Almost 2 years ago Steve said, "Hey, want to do the CVS 5k with me? It is for Adelaide." I said ok, and forgot about it. I do that a lot, and then dates sneak up on me, and then I get nervous, and then I back out. I almost backed out on this day. The day before the race I said "hey, I will still do that race." Because I hadn't been training I didn't think I could do it. But I tried.

I had my best mile ever that day. But that wasn't even the point. It was the first race (and I think only race) Steve and I ran together. He stayed with me. The man who has no patience for almost anything stayed with me through the race.

I remember being so jealous of Chelley as she ran off at a great pace and there I was sucking wind like it was through a milkshake straw!

As I have grown to know her, as our friendship has grown, I realize my jealousy was misplaced. She has worked her tail off to have the pace she has. She has worked hard to be where she is at. She is not someone to envy, she is someone to learn from, to grow with, to see as a teacher and an example.

We are running partners.

We run together.

We walk together when one of us is struggling to run/breathe/live in the moment.

We have braved cold, and snow, and even a blizzard to run.

I will run in any weather, if I know I have someone counting on me, and we have become each other's balance. We know we are waiting for each other, so we run. No matter the weather we will be out there as long as it is safe!