So Hard To Say Goodbye

This isn't the most flattering picture of me running but it means a lot to me. This was my last run with my neighbor Tami Fenn on August 6. She moved later that day.

I asked Tami if she would want to run with me last December at our kids Christmas recital. It took me weeks to get the courage because I knew she was a really fast runner and because I was asking her to get up at 6 am in the dead of winter. I was amazed when she emphatically said yes! I thought for sure once she started running with me that she would be ready to dump me after the first week but instead she not only stuck with me but encouraged me and helped me improve. I was always convinced that I would be a slow runner so I was in total shock when we ran 3 miles at a 9:14 pace after only 3 months running together.

Tami was a great running partner! She was diehard. We ran in snow, wind, and extremely cold temperatures. We decided 9 degrees was our limit but we ran many many times in the teens and twenties which at times was almost unbearable, especially with our regular windy mornings. I was always amazed when I stepped outside on a frosty morning and saw her walking up with her headlamp on, ready to go. She was always happy and enthusiastic and amazingly chipper in the morning. It was almost a relief on the rare occasion when she wasn't so chipper and that was always due to a late night or a head cold. She never canceled on me, although I canceled a few times, and she never complained about anything whereas I complained a lot (possibly every five minutes or so).

But consistently running with Tami two times a week throughout the winter and spring helped me get stronger and faster and for that I will be forever grateful. I am so sad she moved but we keep in touch and she's still encouraging me. I've learned a lot from her and I'm determined to keep running through this winter, even if it means dragging a new neighbor out there with me. :)