About a year and a half ago, when Ty and I had decided to train for the Portland Marathon, we attended a Saturday morning free group run out of Fit Right NW, a local shoe/running store. That day, we met Megan. Two Saturdays later, we went back to meet up with Megan again and also met Krista - and immediately the four of us hit it off! Since then, I've been regularly running with Krista's Saturday morning running group. She sends out an email the week before to around 50 peeps (not sure on that number - totally guessing!) with the meeting place and route. They are usually out and back routes so everyone can start together and pick their poison for the day.
It was through this group that I was lucky enough to meet Faith and Jody - my training partners for the Eugene Marathon and, now, the Austin Marathon. Over the past year and a half, I've met a lot of amazing people through this group. Runners come and go as the hectic-ness of their lives and the distances in their training plans vary. We saw Jody leave us for Eli's graduate work in Austin and today we're about to wish Luke a great 8 months of working in Alaska (at least he'll be back soon!).
Luke is one of the more unlikely members of our group. A regular smoker, his fabulous new-ish girlfriend has inspired him to become more healthy. He's battled some knee pain but still managed to make a lot of the runs. Luke usually ends up finding a place right behind the girls and he's had to endure many a conversation about poop, periods and other topics that I'm confident he'd rather not know exist! My absolute favorite run with Luke ever was an out and back from Fit Right NW up to the top of Terwilliger Hill. As we were descending, I heard a crinkle-crinkle behind. I turned around and Luke was munching on a candy bar!!! Technically, I think it was a Power Bar or something along those lines but still!! A Gu is about all my stomach can handle on a run and here's this guy eating a CANDY BAR?!?! Amazing... I am going to miss you, Luke!
I'll miss you too Jess, and the rest of the group as well. But I'll be back in time for your summer runs... and maybe even a half marathon.
ReplyDeleteYES - we should plan to do a summer half together. Helvetia will be in mid-June, if I'm remembering correctly. That's a really fun one with burgers and beers at the end:).
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your training in Alaska...