It was all worthwhile

As upset as I was with myself for getting hurt & not really finishing the marathon, the following made it all worthwhile:

That's my mentee, Carmen about to cross the finish line of her very first marathon after running for almost 7-1/2 hours. If I hadn't been hurt & diverted to a shorter route, I never would've been there to see her cross the finish line. I couldn't have been more proud of anyone. She was truly a delight to train with & thanks to this whole wild, wacky, roller-coaster ride, I got a fantastic friend out of the deal.

Bad-ass Carmen post-marathon

Carmen surprised me the other day by forwarding the following email to me. She'd sent it to the director of Team in Training:

I would like to take this opportunity and commend you for having a GREAT group of people working with you. The coaches and mentors of Memorial are an unbelievable bunch. They helped me get that finish line in so many ways. I know that without them I would not have been able to cross that finish line on Sunday.

Walking with Emily those few miles helped when I was in pain. Seeing Bill at mile 10 and telling me that I looked great pushed me to run when I was getting lazy. Anne, Carissa and Ginny literally got me to the finish line. Even though I was in serious pain Ginny got me to run across the finish, it is a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The feeling that I got when I saw Erin and Adrienne cheering me on is unexplainable, it still brings me to tears. These are moments that have forever changed me, I have become a better person, physically and emotionally.

All of them have made a real impact on my life. I truly love these people, and it's a love that only another person that has gone through this wonderful journey understands. What makes this even more precious is that they do this out of the kindness of their hearts. They do this season after season, year after year knowing that they don't get anything in return, but what they got this time is my eternal gratitude. Everyone has inspired me. They have inspired me to become a mentor and hopefully pass off the feeling of pure joy to at least one other person.

I know signing onto join Team in Training was the best decision that I have made and can not wait to share this experience with others.

Thank You Very Much!!!

GO TEAM!!

Carmen

That bitch made me cry! You see... this is why I continue to do this. It's one thing to do something for myself, but when you see things like this, it gives you a whole different sense of accomplishment. It's been amazing seeing her progression from start to literal finish & to see that joy in her face. It feels good to know that I had a part in that. :)