MFH (My Favorite Husband) and I traveled 10 days total during our adventures in going to Grandma’s Marathon. When we pulled into our driveway at the end of the trip, the car said we had driven 3232.20 miles. That’s a lot of driving!
It was so much fun!!!
Today I am going to try to introduce you to my old/new friends. People I have know online for quite some time but met for the first time IRL while MFH and I were on the road.
The first lady we are going to meet, well, we have to backtrack to 2014!
In October 2014, I ran my first Abbott World Marathon Major. It was the Chicago Marathon. What a fun, fun race!!! A lady friend of mine, we knew each other from a FB running group and are FB friends. We were in the same starting corral so we decided to try to find each other in the corral. Hahaha!!! #EpicFail
That corral was so incredibly crowded and I am sooooo vertically challenged. Needless to say, we did NOT meet at Chicago.
You might have picked up on the fact that I spend my fair share of time on social media. When MFH and I travel, I post the “Welcome to_____” signs of the next state. It kind of lets people know where we are.
Well, this lady noticed we were getting close to her area and she messaged me. “How are away are you from _____?” As we messaged back and forth, we realized we could actually meet! As in face to face, in real life, meet!!! How awesome is that!?!
She drove an hour from her house to a little truck stop diner. MFH and I met her there. We had dinner and talked non-stop for an hour or so and had a ball!!! *and yes, we ARE wearing skunk skin caps on our heads.
It wasn’t until we were in Duluth that we met up with the next old/new friend.
This sweet lady, well, I knew her from my running coach. He has a FB page where we can discuss our training, etc. Last year, he was coaching her for a race so we knew each other from there. We are also FB friends.
This past winter, she was on a cookie baking kick. Not a day went by when it seemed she was posting more pics of the most wonderful looking cookies! I swear I gained weight just looking at those pics.
She promised me some cookies when we met at Grandma’s Marathon. See, she was running it as well and her entire family (hubby and 4 kids) would be coming with her. I would tease her every now and then about cookies, but that’s the kind of thing I do~tease.
The night before she was due to come to Duluth, she tagged me on FB and posted a pic of cookie dough. “Look what I’m baking! See you tomorrow!!!” How awesome was that!?!
We met up on Friday before she went to the Expo. MFH and I were able to meet her and the rest of her family. What nice people! What totally delicious cookies, too!!!
Just to refresh your memory from yesterdays post, I met with another lady from my coach’s FB page. We had a few minutes to talk before the race started. It’s amazing how much you can talk before a race!!!
Back in the winter of 1984/1985, when MFH and I were engaged, we knew this man from Iowa State University. MFH was finishing up his second degree from ISU and the man was working on his PhD. Nice guy!!!
After MFH finished his second degree, we ended up moving to Chicago for a few years but this man got engaged and married. I remember meeting her a few times either when they were engaged or right after they were married. It’s been a little over 30 years ago so my memory is allowed to be a little foggy on the details.
MFH had posted that we were in Duluth for the race. The man (who lives in Fargo) replied that his family was in Duluth for their vacation as well! Small world!!! We HAD to get together! The night after the race, we all got together for dinner at a restaurant I had run past the day before during the race. How funny is that!?! They had their two adult daughters with them as well. It was so much fun catching up on old times.
It was time to leave Duluth and travel south through Michigan. The people I met in Michigan are going to have their own separate blog post.
After Michigan, it was Indiana. We were heading toward Mississippi and home. It just didn’t seem right to drive within an hour of where my coach lived without meeting the guy! We met and had lunch at a little Mexican place there in Indiana. We talked and talked and talked….about running. After lunch, we got a pic. *yes, I AM standing on a step almost 2′ high.
After a quick trip through Georgia, we finally we entered Alabama.
I was bummed when we entered Alabama! They were doing construction and the “Welcome to Alabama” sign was down. Instead of posting the Welcome to Alabama sign, I posted about the sign being down. I was a sad panda about that sign!
However, I had a big surprise! A FB running friend and Twitter friend (multi-tasking!) asked me, “How far are you from Birmingham?” I told him. He said, “I’ll meet you for lunch.”
How cool was that!?! He found the restaurant, saved the seats and everything! MFH and I came in, sat down and we enjoyed some of the best burgers I’ve had in a very long time…accompanied by a very nice coffee/oatmeal stout!
We talked…about running. Hahaha!!! You noticing a theme here? We all talk about running. Well, we ARE runners after all and it IS our favorite subject!
After lunch, we stepped outside the burger place and MFH took our pic.
It was so much fun meeting all of these terrific people all across the United States. Great people! Terrific runners!
I have to admit, though, walking through my front door to see this face? It was THE. BEST. We were missed. What a happy puppy!
There’s no place like home.
#IRun4Aiden
#teamZensah
#AbbottWMM
#OiselleVolee
#ChafeX