Three years ago, when I started the C25K program, MFH (My Favorite Husband) and I ran together. \u00a0Every single run, every single step, every single race, he was by my side. \u00a0He encouraged me during a race when my spirits fell. \u00a0He danced along beside me and sang silly songs to help me on the tough hills. \u00a0He taught me absolutely everything he knows about running. \u00a0I owe him a lot. \u00a0He is the best! (and I really, really miss running with him)<\/p>\n
When we trained for our first full marathon, he told me at the beginning of the training for that race that this would be his last long distance race. \u00a0Not just with me. \u00a0His last long distance race period.<\/p>\n
MFH does not enjoy running for anything longer than an hour. \u00a0Even an entire hour is pushing it as far as enjoying the run is concerned.<\/p>\n
Everybody is different as to what they enjoy. \u00a0Running is not any different. \u00a0MFH likes 5K’s and a few 10K’s tossed into the mix but on the whole, he prefers the shorter distance races and training runs.<\/p>\n
This is where MFH and I differ. \u00a0We have been together forever. \u00a0We have a great deal in common, one of which is our love of running. \u00a0It’s the distances we prefer is where we differ. \u00a0MFH is perfectly happy to be done with his run in 3.5 or 4 miles. \u00a0I just getting started being warmed up at 5 miles. \u00a0Hmmm…<\/p>\n
MFH encouraged me to branch out on my own. \u00a0This would mean a LOT of solo running. \u00a0I had never trained all by myself before. \u00a0MFH had always been there with me.<\/p>\n
I remember my first solo training run. \u00a0It was a Wednesday~trash day. \u00a0As I approached the railroad tracks, the garbage truck met up with me. \u00a0The truck stopped. \u00a0The guy on the back said, “Ma’am, you running alone today?” \u00a0I replied that, yes, I was. \u00a0“You be careful, now!” was the response.<\/p>\n
Since that day, pretty much everybody within a 8-10 mile radius of my home know me and what I am currently training for. \u00a0They stop their vehicles often. \u00a0They offer encouragement. \u00a0They have stopped to tell me that they have tried their hand at running at well! They keep their eye out for me.<\/p>\n
So…what’s this about a running buddy, then?<\/p>\n
Somehow, I can’t really remember how, I met up with a lady runner from my town. \u00a0Her name is Bonnie. \u00a0She is a machine! \u00a0Everybody, and I mean everybody associated with running in Mississippi knows her. \u00a0Ah! \u00a0I remember now! \u00a0She sent me a FR on FB! \u00a0That’s it! \u00a0Anyway, she was training for a marathon and had heard through the running grapevine that I was training for an Ultra and was always on the lookout for somebody to join me on my long run days. \u00a0She was interested.<\/p>\n
We made a date and met for a run. \u00a0I was running 22 miles that day. \u00a0She was going to join me for 11. \u00a0We hit it off very well. \u00a0Had a great time! \u00a0She made a lasting impression on me that day. \u00a0I’m going to share a little bit about her and see if you come away as impressed as I was.<\/p>\n
Bonnie is 68 years old. \u00a0She is exactly a foot taller than I am. \u00a0I am 4’11”. \u00a0I describe myself as short and stubby. \u00a0Bonnie is tall and quite thin. \u00a0She has white, long frizzy hair that she always has pulled into this totally uncontrolled pony tail. \u00a0Comical. \u00a0The first time I met her, I knew her immediately. \u00a0I had seen her a races. \u00a0She kept saying to me, “How is it that I haven’t met you before now!?!” \u00a0I am a wallflower, I guess. \u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Bonnie used to be THE person to beat in Mississippi. \u00a0She walked away winning every. single. \u00a0race. \u00a0Not just for the women’s part of the race, I mean winning overall. \u00a0She was remarkable! \u00a0Then her time began to slow. \u00a0She was puzzled. \u00a0She was working hard at her running. \u00a0She was putting in the miles but her time continued to decrease.<\/p>\n
Other strange things started to happen. \u00a0She owned and operated her own dance\/gymnastics studio. \u00a0She found that she would teach a class and then have to sleep until time for the next one. \u00a0At the end of each day, she would be running a temp.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, she couldn’t brush her teeth anymore or turn the key in the car ignition. \u00a0This is because her hands just quit working! \u00a0They froze on her. \u00a0She developed, what she calls, “discomfort” in her feet and ankles. \u00a0Her husband was very concerned by this time and made her go to the Doctor.<\/p>\n
All this time, she was still running.<\/p>\n
The Doctor had some tests run. \u00a0The results came back the day before Christmas. \u00a0Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). \u00a0Her world crashed. \u00a0Everything she did revolved around being active. \u00a0She didn’t know what to do…so, being Bonnie, she went on a run to sort things out.<\/p>\n
This was some years ago. \u00a0She now goes in for IV treatments every other week(?) to help with her RA. \u00a0She’s on a boatload of meds. \u00a0She has NO cartridge in her feet\/ankles and she is my running buddy. \u00a0That lady is still running!<\/p>\n
What grit! \u00a0What determination!<\/p>\n
I asked her why she hasn’t stopped. \u00a0Her reply was, “What good would that do? \u00a0I would seize up. \u00a0As long as I can force this body to move, I’m going to do it.”<\/p>\n
Never once have I heard her complain about pain\/discomfort. \u00a0I HAVE heard her say that RA is “The pits.” \u00a0That’s about it. \u00a0She misses her days of being fast. \u00a0Of winning. \u00a0In my book she is a winner and always will be.<\/p>\n
Anybody who can pound out a marathon, running bone on bone in both feet\/ankles, that, people, is one remarkable person.<\/p>\n
That is my running buddy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three years ago, when I started the C25K program, MFH (My Favorite Husband) and I ran together. \u00a0Every single run, every single step, every single race, he was by my side. \u00a0He encouraged me during a race when my spirits fell. \u00a0He danced along beside me and sang silly songs to help me on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6,8,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2763"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2763"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2764,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2763\/revisions\/2764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w0ep.us\/TM\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}