Going the Distance: Sole Sisters

As I am writing, "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance," I am reuniting with treasured memories of my sole sisters who have been with me throughout this amazing journey.

I first met Deborah through her husband Tim through an on line dating running site. We often joked about how we met. Tim, Tom and I were training for the 2009 Boston Marathon. I met Tim in person at the Hyannis Marathon Weekend in 2009.

Deborah and I became on line and in person friends. I was so blessed to provide her with support and encouragement as she set goals not limits. We had so much fun running the Tufts 10K in 2010:

And then we ran the Hyannis 10K together setting a PR on what we ran at Tufts despite slushy and snowy conditions. You can read all about it in my Race Report.

We've been FB friends through the years and as I posted about remembering our runs together, she is now considering the possibility of running the Hyannis 10K again!

My sole sister Jess Lanzoni has been such a cheerleader and supporter of my journey through the years. She joined with my intention to set a PR at the Bill Rodgers 5K for Prostate Cancer on Facebook the morning before the race and was there in person at the finish line to get me to my PR at the Tufts 10K in October of 2014.

Race Directors Geoffrey Smith and Charlie Breagy are keeping the tradition alive of the Hazelwood 5K, the oldest women's road race. Ever since the October snow fall several years ago that cancelled the Super Hero 5K (or at least our running in it), my sole sisters Laura and Kerry and I have been looking for a race to run together. I think these 3 sole sisters have found it. We have championed each other on and off the roads.

Although we have never met in person, one of my cherished on line sole sisters is Nicole. She was training for her first marathon in Houston and I was training for my comeback Half Marathon in Bermuda. Shortly before our races we realized that they were on the SAME DAY! It was such a joy to share those final training moments and taper madness together. We'll be doing it all over again this year as we return to our respective races.

The list goes on and on!

Sole sisters is just one of the many reasons I could not possibly give up my running career after a serious knee injury in December of 2014. As I look back on the journey through writing "Going the Distance" I see clearly how running is such a vital part of my life. How blessed am I loving and living this amazing journey sharing it all with my beautiful sole sisters.

To your health and wellness!
Mary