“Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.” - Jesse Owens

It was February 27, 2005. I was returning home from a weekend in the mountains with my camp girls and excited to see my husband-to-be. Kenny greeted me at the door of our apartment in Haddonfield, with the eyes the likeness of a small child who has just seen a shiny new toy in a storefront window. He handed me a paper and said "I'm going to do this." The "this" on the paper was the Parvins State Park Triathlon on June 25, 2005. He went on in a hurry to explain that he would need to train to swim one quarter mile, bike twelve miles, and then finish with a 5K run (3.1 miles). I hugged him and joined in his excitement, and promised to do my best to help him train for the swim, pick out a bike and cheer him on for the run. I remember being so enamored by this man I was going to marry in just 7 months. He had always been an athlete in my eyes and a track star from his high school days, but years of architecture school and cubical life had made us both slower, older versions of our once fit selves, and this was certainly not a challenge to be taken lightly.

It was probably only 3 hours later, that I turned to Ken and asked if he thought I could do it too. I remember so clearly, the way he said without any hesitation, "Of course you can," and really, the rest is history. I was 25 pounds heavier, and had not run in nearly 5 years, but Ken stood by me, and we trained together everyday. In the chaos of planning a wedding, it was nice to find quiet time to be together, whether on our bikes, or while hoofing along the streets of our quiet town. And on June 25, we earned the right to call ourselves triathletes. I was so proud of Ken that day, finishing strong, and in a respectable time. He waited for me at the finish line, one of very few people left, as I was the last person to cross the finish line. But I finished, and that moment will stay with me forever.

Since that fateful race, we have completed 7 more sprint triathlons, nearly 2 dozen 5K's and our first half century bike ride. I never thought we'd come this far, across so many miles. And we're not done yet!

After 2 great runs on Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday's 8 mile run, was a big test of will and determination. My toes were hurting and my breathing was shallow due to some upper respiratory issues I had during the week. At the beginning of our team runs, someone always shares a mission moment and this week, I shared Casey's story. She was with us all for 8 miles as Ken reminded me of our mission and coached me through the tough miles with support and loving kindness.

So, as we train for this half marathon, I can't help but think of all the people who have helped us to believe in ourselves along the way. Our friends and family who have cheered at the races, shared their homes, called to see how we're doing, and shown their support through donations and time. We would not be here, at mile 8, without them.