Better together.

Two years ago my husband couldn't run.

Not at all.

Steve was determined to get in shape. So, he began by shuffling around our small 1 km block.

It was all about baby steps.

Little by little. Week by week. Month by month.

One of the first times he attempted a longer run (he decided to go uphill -whaaaat?) and he came back practically hyperventilating and it took him over an hour to began breathing properly.

The girls were like, "Is Dad okay?" "Should he be doing this?"

Even still, I watched him put on his running gear and get out there and pound the pavement week after week. 

It sure as heck wasn't overnight but all of a sudden, so it seemed, he became a runner.

That first winter he ran through was cold, icy and frigid. This past winter was the one we'll always remember as the polar vortex.

It all came down to commitment, grit and perseverance.

Before he knew it, he had lost 35 pounds and got into the best shape of his life. At 40. 

In his second year of running, our friend Tim who's also a runner joined up with him and told him, "if you can run 5 km, you can run 10 km".

Before he knew it, he was running 10 km alongside Tim.

When they got to 10 km, another friend Corbin joined them.

This time Tim said, "if you guys  can run 10 km, you can run a half marathon."

In what felt like no time, the three of them were training for and signed up for a half marathon. 

Wild.

The day of the half marathon came. It was September 27th and it was a beautiful fall day. 
Spectacular. Sunny. Bluest of skies.  Golden.  Crisp. 

The race was through the country roads at the bottom of the Niagara escarpment - roads were lined with corn fields and grape vines. A feast for all of the senses.

There were also two massive hills.

At  the 16 /17 km mark, Steve broke down. His knee was killing him. He didn't know if he could go on. The three of them started to walk.

It didn't take long until Steve told Corbin and Tim to keep going. He didn't want to hold them back. Tim and Corbin ran ahead and Steve slowly began to run, albeit it a ways behind them.

Then the unthinkable happened, Tim turned back.

Corbin's wife had been induced that morning (he was about to become a dad for the fourth time) and naturally he keep going. He needed to finish the race and get to his phone and see if there were any updates :)

Tim came back to Steve.  "We trained together and we'll finish together."

I saw Steve at the 16/17 km  mark and knew firsthand how much he was hurting and struggling. So when I saw him and Tim crossing the finish life stride in stride, I could have cried.

Finishing together. Isn't that true for all of life? We need each other, right?

Life is better together.

Better in teams. Friendship and community is what makes life rich and sweet and sometimes even bearable.

Those very words gave Steve the push and the confidence to finish what felt like impossible.

As I sat with my small group last week, I was reminded of this and thankful for honesty and safety in friendships and thankful that we don't have to do this life alone. We are made for connection. We are made to be known.

There is an African proverb which says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go further, go together"

Here's the first time we saw them - around the 5 or 6 km mark.

The travelling cheering squad.

Coming across the finish line.

The three amigos:

So proud of this guy. Look at his smile - sign of pure contentment.

P.S. Corbin's wife Julia had a beautiful baby girl later that evening. The guys still had time to grab some pizza and wings and celebrate a bit. Quite a day for Corbin. It's not everyday that you run a half marathon and have a baby. Whoa.