What a blur!

This weekend flew by! It was almost like a dream. I didn't get much accomplished, but I did run 6 miles on Saturday and attend a ball with Husband. I would post the pictures on this useless blog, but since other people are in the pictures, I will respect their privacy. (If you know me, you can see them on my Facebook page.)

So, this week is the end. The end of how things are and the beginning of how things are going to be.

Two of my really good friends are leaving this week. These two ladies are amazing in their own way. Both are strong, competitive, smart, funny, determined, inspirational, witty, but, most of all, willing to put up with me and my shit. When I met these ladies, we all had a goal in common- the 2009 Tokyo Marathon. Although, one of them did not run the marathon because of personal reasons, she was with us through all the training and hard work. There is no doubt in my mind, she IS a marathoner.

Through 6 months of 5 AM runs through the streets of Japan, we developed a unique friendship and respect for one another that will last forever. We have been there for each other to push, and to inspire, to make it 20 miles together. We never failed to accomplish what we set out to do. And we always did it together. We accomplished it together.

As I've mentioned before, the friends you run with while training for a marathon are the best friends you will ever have in your entire life. When you wake up at 4:30 AM to run 8 miles, you are tired, scantily clad in short running shorts, tank tops or tights. You reveal your whole self, your inner self. Your running buddies see you beat down, exhausted, and sick, but they never let you quit or feel defeated. They carry you the way with their words, their actions or their lies. And you do the same. When they are too tired or too exhausted, you tell jokes or stories to help them focus on something else other than the pain of running 20 miles. When your hips ache and your knees scream with pain, you hide it and tell them everything will be okay. You tell them that soon it will be over and a dream will be accomplished on a Saturday morning when most people are still asleep.

The friendship we developed during marathon training is an amazing one I will always cherish. Even though they are leaving, and I may never live in the same city with them again, it doesn't matter. The friendships we created while marathon training will last forever. They will always be with me where ever I go. For that, I'm grateful.