Journey to IRONMAN: Sole Mates

"Running day in and day out with somebody is the quickest way to forge a friendship.  

For a start you're talking together for an hour or two each time.  

You see each other at your rawest, with no makeup or fancy clothes, just Lycra, 

sweat and sometimes tears.  There is no facade to hide behind.  

You're running, it hurts and by the end of it you're feeling fairly broken and laid out bare.  

How can you not become best friends after that?" 

~ Chrissie Wellington (IRONMAN World Champion)

I love this quote.  Over the past couple of months I have been reading inspirational IRONMAN books.  The woman who wrote that little ditty is a 4 time IRONMAN World Champion and not a newbie to the world of endurance.  

It made me so thankful for the many running friends that I have made over the past few years.  Every place that we have lived has brought with it some powerful friendships.  The crucible of training for a marathon,  however,  has forged 2 of the most lasting, best friendships and it is these women whom this blog is about.

Grace Jessup is my running sister from North Carolina.  The miles that Grace and I have run are pretty impressive.  While we became fast friends outside of the road, it was truly the hours spent running and training for a marathon that solidified that authentic, raw, honest relationship.  We truly saw each other at our worst....and best.  She now lives far away from me and the last time I ran with her was nearly 8 months ago, but those years of running day in and day out forged this lasting bond between the two of us.  She did her first marathon with me.  She will always be my sole mate.

Sarah Gallegos is a friend truly concreted through the miles of running.  Sarah is a high school friend of mine.  I reconnected with her once we moved back to Denver.  Over the past 3 years I have seen us both discover our own power and strength.  We have both had baby #2, naturally, and have discovered what its like to run with 4 children.  Our friendship has been forged not only in the day in and day out of running, but on the battlefield of motherhood and marriage. Sometimes its pretty, sometimes its not.  Tears, frustration are sometimes never far.....and yet, we always run.  In November she will conquer her first marathon.  I am so glad I get to once again be a part of something so big for a friend.  She is another of those lasting sole mates.

Today I have been hit with the reality that IRONMAN is not just about the destination, but the journey.  And with such a long journey ahead of me, there is no doubt that I will need the support of friends who will share in this crazy goal I have set for myself. I am excited to meet those soles....

but today I just want to stop and be grateful for the friendships above and the miles that forged them.