How many runners does it take to get me out of bed?

If someone cared to ask me what the hardest part of marathon training was, I would have to tell them that it isn't the 4 months of targeted speed work, or the Tempo runs that slowly increase in pace and distance...Or even the long runs that grow into the double digits and take hours to complete.

The hardest part of marathon training has been and always will be, the blasted early morning alarm.

It hurts my soul.

Luckily I have friends who are willing to suffer with me. Because I'll be honest, I'd probably miss a lot more of my long runs if I didn't have the knowledge that I was meeting someone I liked to run with.

I would never stand one of them up.  Not after begging them to run with me when they didn't actually need to get up that early to get their run in. Not if I want them to keep running with me:)

They also accept gifts.


This morning that awful noise woke me up at 6:30am.  That's when I also heard the rain on the roof.
15 miles...

Lucky for me I have many wonderful friends who are willing to help me get my runs in.  Randy, Drew and Amy were willing to run the first 8 miles with me even at the very early, rainy hour.

Randy texted me at 6:15am asking if I had anyone other than him running with me. Because he's a nice guy who didn't feel well, but still didn't want to leave me in the lurch on my run.  Luckily for both of us, Drew and Amy were still on the line:)

And luckily for all of us, the rain stopped as well as the headwind and it turned into perfect running weather!  It was warm enough that I had to ditch my running jacket within 3 miles.

I felt great! (Unlike last week).  I might have taken off a bit faster than was needful though:) I really like running with these guys.

I met up with Heather for the final 7 miles.  She's awesome:)  She isn't even training for anything AND she's expecting a little munchkin to boot!

At about mile 5 our luck ran out and it started raining again...but I thought we would be fine.  A little rain never hurt anyone.

Then the headwind started just as we headed up Capital Blvd. A local hill that lasts about a mile and half. It made the last push...a push.  But we did it:)  Having friends watch my back and help make my training fun, really makes me happy.  I have some of the best friends here in Olympia than I've had in my life.

So when I saw my friend Catherine running in the rain and wind that was now even heavier than earlier I decided to pay it forward.  That, and she is my friend after all.  I did make the deal that I would finish her run with her, if she drove me back to my car:)  Hey, friendship only goes so far!

Post run.  We were both very happy to be in her car:)