Week 13--What a Week!

At Week 13's practice, this is what the runners saw when they got to the finish line. My daughter came with me. She made signs and brought clappers to make noise as the runners came in from 10-11 mile runs! I know they all enjoyed her energy. I couldn't wait to get to the end to see her!

I ran 10 miles today...it wasn't easy for some reason. I was hot. I had really bad hair...what's with that?! Maybe the humidity got to me. Here's a "too much information" caution. Ready for it--okay, so I will NEVER wear the cute gray skort again! I bought it because it looked cute, had shorts that seemed long enough, and was made by Nike. I always think exercise/sport type companies know something I don't. Anyway, the CHAFING was incredibly awful. At mile 5, the inside of my thighs started to feel uncomfortable. Miles 6 and 7, and my thighs were on fire. I thankfully ran into Jenny and Howie at mile 8 to take my mind off of the burning underneath the skirt! I ran like I just got off a horse for the last 2 miles. I'm actually surprised that my hips don't hurt from the unique strides I was taking.

Have to add some bragging to my blog this week. Look at that kick, would ya? Sarah graduated to her brown stripe belt. The next time she will graduate on a stage and receive her BLACK BELT! She is one tough cookie. She chose my father, her Papa, to present her with her new belt. My dad is an incredible man. During the school year, he took her to Karate every Wednesday. She looked forward to seeing him every week; they have a special relationship. Lucky girl! He wasn't the only one there, though. She had my mom there, her Nana--who made time in a very busy day to make it. I'll have to blog about their special bond on another day. Suffice to say...two peas in a pod! My sister and her husband came--What a nice surprise! And, her special crazy friend, Julie the Coolie, also came to share her special day.

Right after she sweat her butt off at karate, we drove to Sarah's Stride to benefit the Ronald McDonald house. The run was a 5K. It was 81 degrees and sunny. Sarah was totally pooped at mile 2. She, in fact, didn't know how she would make it back to Hart Park. That's when inspiration showed up. Inspiration came in the form of a dad. His name is Daryl. We met him at mile 2, and he shared the story of his son, Walker, with my daughter. You see, Walker is at Children's Hospital. He is very sick and cannot walk, much less run. Sarah promised Daryl that she would use the legs she had to push it to the end.

Angels come in all shapes and sizes. I don't know exactly who was the angel on Saturday during that walk--was it Daryl? or was it Sarah? I guess it doesn't matter. They were there for each other on Saturday and I had the absolute privilege to be a witness.

We finished the race. My baby girl and I.

This week was filled with wonder and friendships. From getting a few more donations to walking with a great friend during Relay for Life to meeting that angel in H(e)art Park to running with my TC friends at the lakefront. I know this is getting so sicky sweet, but how can I not take time out to say thank you!

p.s. thighs still sore today. Got red, puffy dots lining my inner thighs. Glad it's cool, so I can wear longer pants. Oy!