Inspired by Friends

I know I am not the only one who asks themself sometimes what keeps us going, what makes us want to be a better person, and who do we look to for motivation. Yesterday I was hit in the face with inspiration. My friend and half marathon coach, Dave, competed in a Half Ironman yesterday at Joran Lake for the Duke Liver Center. What that means is he swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, and ran 13.1 miles. Can you even imagine? As I prepare to yet again just run the 13.1 miles, I can not wrap my head around those distances. Isn't the body amazing for being able to handle such activity. But...even more what I felt yesterday was the power of the mind and spirit. My spirit was swept up in Dave's desire to push himself to such a place. He didn't quite meet his goal of doing it under 6 hours. The gravel and grass run aggravated his achilles and ate away from the lead he had made on the other two legs of the race. I was in awe.

I was and am so thankful that he is my friend along with Laura and Holly who were there with me cheering him on. Who can be so fortunate to have good friends and then have those awesome friends inspire us to be better friends, parents, and athletes. I am amazed and find it very surreal that I have found a group of people to connect with on so many different levels. My sister in law is rocking out these amazing times on her runs too. I love having something new in common with her to add to the great things about her I love.

I guess having just had a birthday and not feeling older but noticing that I am getting older as my children grow in front of my eyes, I appreciate being able to push myself physically and attain such goals. I appreciate the inspiration I get from friends, my family, and even strangers. Yesterday, I got all choked up watching a boy run the last 50 yards with his father to cross the finish line. He made a memory with his Dad that was fun for him and huge for his Dad. Just an amazing day...and I got to share it with my girls who cheered for strangers, saw a friend accomplish a huge feat, and saw how important it is to support and be loyal to those most important in our lives!