BQ x 2 (and Valentine's, too)!
In grad school I got in a pretty good habit of running and before I knew it I began to fall in love with the sport. I've never been the fastest runner, but there's something special about going for a run around my neighborhood, especially with my pup in tow. It became a form of therapy for me and a way to get away from a busy and stressful course load as well as just unplug from the world for a little while. By the end of grad school, I had begun running so much (short distances) that I would randomly enter 5Ks anytime I saw one available. Pretty soon I was running 5ks not only in my college community, but anytime I went on vacation as well. I loved these runcations! In fact, for the last spring break of my academic career, a couple good friends and I drove to South Carolina, spent the week with my sister, and ran a 5k together around the gorgeous Atlantic inlets of Beaufort. Fast forward a few more years and it wouldn't come as a surprise to learn that Casey (my fiancé) and I met at a running group called Project Awesome (read more about his version of our first meeting here).
The night we met was probably one of the hottest days of summer. Right smack at the end of June in Missouri. I'd recently read about a new free running/training group in town offered by Ultramax Sports called Project Awesome. Amy Livesay, the owner of Ultramax, described project awesome as a fun and daunting workout with the motto of "Why be normal? Be Awesome!" The vision for the running group came straight from the definition of the name of the group: Awesome- Adjective, extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration or fear. I received her email describing the launch of the group and found the idea of trying something "daunting and impressive" as intriguing. I wasn't so convinced to show up on my own, though. Instead, I wrangled my cousin and my close friend to go with me. Thankfully they gave in to my request and accompanied me to the Ultramax storefront in downtown Columbia. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by Amy and other athletes clad in bright neon running clothes and shoes. I immediately felt a bit intimidated by everyone but was thankful to have some close friends by my side. That nights workout consisted of a warmup jog to the trail where we quickly began the daunting part of the hour long workout. During this time we ran hill repeats up and down the switchback and for our "rest" sets, we did lunges, burpees, and high knees for timed intervals. Woah. Needless to say, by the time we did our "cool down" (ha...cool down) jog back to the store, I was spent, but proud of myself nonetheless. It was at the store that Casey first approached me. I remember him walking up to say "So, do you go to school here." I think I nervously giggled before responding with, "Um, no, I finished grad school a few years ago." I remember the conversation fizzling out a bit before I awkwardly walked back to where my friends were standing. My cousin smiled at me and said, "did you see those eyes... and his teeth..." Yeah girl, I saw them. He caught my eye, too. Every Wednesday I went back to Project Awesome to complete my workout and make new friends in the running community. It took several weeks though before Casey cornered me again, on the way back from a run by the library, and finally asked for my number. Fast forward a few more years and here we are, engaged to be married in 108 days (but who's counting).
Race expo in downtown Greenville, MS
Date night in Downtown Greenville, MS
That sweet man from the running group stole my heart and has run with it ever since. Running was the avenue God used to cross our paths and I'm so glad He opened that door for us. You can understand then, why it's so important to both of us that we continue to support each other not only in our life endeavors but in our running adventures as well. But unlike me, Casey is a badass runner. Not only can he run fast, but he can run fast and maintain that speed for 26.2 miles. What the heck. It's really crazy to think about how the body is capable of this sort of physical stress. But it is. And this weekend was no different for him. A couple months ago Casey signed up for the Mississippi Marathon with the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2019. We decided we would make it a little runcation and drive down to Mississippi, run the marathon, have a date night, then drive back the next day. We love exploring new cities and finding adventure in the simplicity of a date night in a new location.
Good thing I brought a hat! Rained the whole time we were there.
The morning of the marathon was quite different than our usual routine. Typically I get up when Casey gets up, I shower and get ready while he eats and preps for the race, and then we go down to the bag check and start line together. I love our ritual of a kiss on the cheek before seeing him cross the start line and begin his race. I then usually scout out places along the course where I can cheer him on and also check out local coffee joints. Most races I'm able to see him 3-4 times throughout the course, give him a high five or a cheer, and then enjoy a couple cups of coffee from a few different establishments. I really love this tradition and my alone time while still supporting my sweetheart. Then of course I'm always at the finish line ready for my big sweaty hug. This race was different though, it was a point "A" to point "B" style race, meaning this race started 26 miles away and finished right outside of our hotel. So unlike our usual routine, I didn't get to accompany Casey to the start line. Instead, I kissed him goodbye from the hotel and had a slow morning in the room while I waited the 3 hours for him to get to the finish line. I always do the math in my head a million times out of fear I'll miss him somewhere on the course. But this time I knew I just needed to be at the finish line a little before the 3 hour mark. About 2 hours out I walked down to the finish line and walked around until I found a place to eat. I found a cute little hole in the wall with a window facing the finish line. Not only would I get to eat a warm cooked meal, but I could also see the finish line from the booth I was sitting in. Which, as a bonus, provided the perfect respite from the rainy weather. About ten minutes to 3 hours I walked out to the finish line to watch for Casey. I knew his main goal was to qualify for Boston which meant that he needed to cross the finish in under 3 hours and 10 minutes. At 3 hours and 4 minutes I saw him running down the street. It always warms my heart to see him running down the road toward me. I know he's just following the course, but it's also such a great metaphor for life. And for this race, it was so much more than just a metaphor, it was real. The closer Casey got the more I could see the expression on his face, he didn't hold his hand out like he normally does for a high five, he held both arms out for a hug! This time, I felt like he was running toward me me. And that feeling was confirmed when he walked straight past the volunteers holding medals and found me in the crowd. I felt his resolve fall and saw the tears run down his face as he breathlessly expressed what he was feeling, "I just wanted you. All I wanted was to get to you. All I thought of for the past 4 miles was, 'Get to Corey, she'll be there, she's always there,' and I just kept repeating it. I love you so much. I can't tell you enough how good it feels to see you at the finish line and to know you'll always be there. All I want is you!"
26.2 miles
Y'all, if that doesn't get you in the feels I don't know what will. What I didn't tell you in this story is that the few years between meeting each other and becoming engaged were hard for us. Casey had a lot to emotionally work through in order to trust someone with his heart again and I had a lot to learn in the area of patience and understanding. But from the moment he smiled at me I knew that I wanted to meet him. And from the moment I met him I wanted to get to know him. And the moment I got to know him, I fell in love. And because of that feeling, I never gave up hope that one day we would build a life together. Trust me, there were plenty of naysayers that told me it wasn't worth it and that the situation was a lost cause. But I prayed about it often and I knew that if God placed it on my heart then it must be important, even if I couldn't understand at the time. I talked to my close friends and family about it. I cried. I laughed. My heart ached. But somewhere down deep I just knew God wasn't finished with our story. I'm so thankful for my friends and family that listened and supported me. They encouraged me to do what I felt was right while also taking care of myself. They encouraged me to keep praying. So I did. I kept praying, not for Casey to be with me, but for Casey to feel God's presence in his life. For God to help him heal and find happiness again. To help guide him on the path that He set forth for him. Then one day, God brought us together again, only this time it was to build a love to last a lifetime. I will never forget the moment that Casey walked to me after crossing the finish line. The moment where I heard the words that he's made me feel so many times in my heart... "All I want is you." What a most perfect gift just in time for Valentine's Day. Oh yeah, and about Boston... He qualified.
First place in age group, 8th overall, Boston Qualified!!