Tuesday, April 22, 2014

A Little Bragging and a little inspiration

Quite honestly, this post will probably get me in trouble because the person it is about is one of the most unassuming people you will ever come in contact with.  However, after watching her struggles and triumphs over the last several years I feel the need to share (hopefully she will forgive me) :)


You see, when I first got into this journey of running I kind of went into it blindly.  Quite honestly, I was just doing it to lose weight and as the months and miles passed it went beyond that.  It went to something that I actually did enjoy (most of the time).  Along the way I had a friend who encouraged me and supported me every step of the way.  My hair stylist (but before that she was my friend) Wendi is also a runner.  She would text me asking me how things are going, what I was training for, etc.  When I would come in to get my hair cut we would talk about everything under the sun but without a doubt the conversation would always turn around to running. Last year, in 2013, when I ran my first half- Wendi was a HUGE reason why I did not give up.  And last year, while I was running that half, she was running the Knoxville full marathon- 26.2 miles through the streets of Knoxville-which is definitely no easy feat. And while she was in the home stretch of that marathon I was walking back to the car with a friend and we got to cheer her in because we happened to the hit the intersection at the same time she did.  With that Knoxville marathon Wendi qualified for this year's Boston Marathon and was able to run on Monday.

I am so proud and honored to be her friend and to have the opportunity to cheer her on and encourage and support her as well (it has not been an easy road for her).  You can read a little of her story below:




Oh, and her final time 3:52.10!  Way to go Wendi!

And as an aside, watching the finishers was heart grabbing and has given me a renewed purpose (not for a full by any means but for a more focused training when I can get back at it).

2 comments:

Bill (cycleguy) said...

Never hurts to get into a little trouble from time to time. :) Good article. Please tell Wendi i said "way to go!"

Brooke said...

thank you for sharing your inspiration!