My Support Team

   I receive a lot of comments from people about how disciplined and dedicated I am to running and athletics. And I am...to an extent. Yes, I've run a few 10-12 mile solo runs before. Yes, I'm the one getting out of bed at crazy hours to go run in 20-degree weather or ride in 95-degrees. However, about 85% of the time, I'm getting up at crazy hours to go meet the FTP crew, a group of East Nasties or, more recently, the Team from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to run with Dudley, though not as much as I'd like (awwww...). It just makes it SO much easier to have at least one other person out there - especially when the weather is bad.
   Which brings me to last night. We've had a lot of crazy weather in Nashville recently. Freezing temperatures one day, 73-degrees the next, and then a round of tornadoes just for the heck of it.

Seriously...this is how it's been.  

 
   So last night was the regular EN night. The temperature wasn't bad for running - in the low 40's, but it was WINDY. Rumor had it there were wind-gusts of 63mph, which I technically think would have blown me over so I'm not sure if that's true. However, it sounds bad-ass, so I'm going with it. The route was hilly, it was supposed to rain AND we had to run over this...

The infamous Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge

I have to say I wasn't all that excited to run under those conditions - especially the bridge part. I kind of pictured a "Wizard of Oz" sort of scene where a gust of wind just picks me up and blows me over the edge of the bridge into the Cumberland River. And if I had been by myself, I probably wouldn't have gone. But the East Nasties were not deterred. (For the record, they have NEVER missed a Wednesday night run since their inception in 2006. Rain, sleet, tornadoes, ice - whatever. They're running in it.)

   So off we went. And the run was a crazy as I thought it would be, especially the bridge. I got hit with a pretty good gust of wind close to the top that almost took me off my feet. However, the wind was my friend on the way back as we had a tailwind. It was like someone was pushing me up the hills. Nice!

   Unfortunately, the route was only about 4 miles, and I, along with Alicia, Bernadette and Sara, needed 5 miles. This is where the true support comes in. Even though everyone else stopped running, what did we do? That's right - we kept going. In the cold, dark and crazy wind. And, of course, it had started raining by this time. The last half-mile was uphill and against the wind. The rain almost felt like little needles against my skin. It would have been SO EASY to just say "screw this." But I couldn't. Not with those three with me. End result? 5.01 miles in 48:50.

    The players might change from workout to workout, but the fact remains the same. I would not be doing what I'm doing without my "team." So to my husband, the group at FTP and to my East Nasty family. Thank you. And if you don't have a team. Call me. I'd love to run with you sometime.

   Only a few more days until I give away the Dinner for Two at J. Alexander's!! Click here to help my fight against blood cancers! http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/nikewhlf13/kmylls