“I get by with a little help from my friends. I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
The lyrics of this song truly ring true in every way No, I’m not getting high with any help from my friends, so let’s just leave that line out. Anyone who has done something difficult most likely relied on some help from their friends.
It has been a daunting task getting my mileage in for the fast approaching marathon. 12 weeks from now it’s show time. This week I had 16 miles in front of me and knew I’d struggle alone. I knew it was time to reach out. Thankfully a running friend offered to meet up with me on Sunday during the run. Brilliantly she suggested meeting halfway through the run. She knew the second half would be the hard part, the part where a friend could pull you through. While I fell 2 miles short of 16 I still went further than I would have alone. I celebrated my 14 miles and look forward to the next one.
I’m really not sure why I hate to ask for help, but I know I’m not alone. Most people just don’t want to be a burden, or admit they need help. Yet, once they have it they quickly realize how great it is to have. My running club has the belief – no runner left behind. This gives me great comfort because it means that I am not doing this alone. Yes, I primarily train alone, but on those hard long runs, I have a group of people there for me.
I watched a video of an elite runner carrying his competition to the finish when he collapsed. He said that the other man deserved the win because he worked harder out there today. Videos like this demonstrate what the running community is primarily about. Supporting runners from all walks of like and encouraging others to engage in their sport are important. I’m so happy I found a new club after my first experience. I knew there were people out there who encourage and support each other. Thankfully I found them and you can too.
Who are your go to people when you need support? Please share your experiences below.
Reclaiming My Health 
I’ve always been a solo runner, with the exception of running with my hubs. But I think you are right, i think when the mileage gets up there–I might need someone to push me along! I have a friend who is running the marathon in November as well and we are going to do 16 together in a few weeks. I think we will each run 6-7 miles to get to Central Park on our own, and then we are going to finish the run together within the park. We will see how it goes! Congrats on 14! (I haven’t run that far yet :))
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Yes, that’s kind of what we did. My friend is not doing the marathon this year, but has done it. She suggested we meet half way so I did 7 miles and then we finished together. She literally was fresh as I was dogging those last 3 miles. LOL
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