I’m Running For The Sister I’ve Never Met

28 Feb

This winter has not been a good one for training. I can take the cold and even the wind, rain and snow. What I can’t do is run when the roads have been narrowed by all that snow. The ice has been a nasty bitch threatening to take me out with every step as well.

Properly getting ready for a half marathon, well it just hasn’t happened.

In a little more than two weeks I will run my very first half marathon, something I’ve been toying with for quite some time but always thought I’d have more time to get ready for.

Why would I run a race that I’ve had so little time to train for? Why would I run a race that my former running coach advised me not to run? Why would I race a distance that I have no idea what it feels like to run?

I’m running for Glo!

Gloria is a beautiful, young mother who just happened to get a sinus infection back in early December. Really long story a little shorter, Gloria started having seizures and had to be put in a coma. Now warning, no way of knowing this was coming her way to try and take her away from her husband and two small children.

She missed Christmas, New Year’s, even her own anniversary. Most importantly she missed all that time with her family and the people who love her.

The good news is that Gloria is on her way to being able to go home. Gloria fought like hell to find her way back to her family and every single day she improves.

If Gloria can fight so hard for survival surely I can run 13.1 little miles. 13.1 miles is NOTHING compared to what Gloria and her family have been through.

I’ve never actually met Gloria in real life. We’ve chatted on Facebook and I’ve talked to her via FaceTime exactly one time for only a matter of minutes. Her and I have a little something in common though, both of our husbands have a passion for turfgrass AND an even bigger passion for all things tech. Gloria and I are joined through the Turf Lifestyle and I think of her as my sister.

THAT is why on March 16, 2014 I will push myself further than I’ve ever gone and I will ask my body to do things that it has never done before. I will run as part of Team Glo. It is one very small way I can show Gloria and her family they have my love, support and prayers for a full recovery for Gloria.

I invite you to join me on this journey. I’ll be posting photos of the race (before and after, not during) to my Instagram account.

Have you ever run a half marathon? What wisdom can you bestow upon me?

Finally, I encourage you to take a look at the blog Gloria’s husband Jason has created to document this entire process. His words are beautiful and his love for his wife is the kind that I only thought existed in the movies. You don’t have to know Jason and Gloria to be moved and inspired by their story.

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