This was our third time running the Richmond Marathon, and as always, Kim and I kept up our tradition by meeting Natalie to run it together. Natalie had moved to Denver, CO, so we were especially excited to see her again.
At the expo, she shared that her training hadn’t gone as planned, and she was considering dropping to the half marathon distance. Kim and I weren’t having any of it, though, and we convinced her to stick with the full marathon. We reassured her that her longest 7-mile run in the high altitude of CO was equivalent to a long run back home in CT. Kim’s famous last words sealed the deal: “It’ll be an adventure, it’s going to be fun!”

We also met up with Suzy from the VT City Marathon, and all of us started together. However, Natalie and I lost Kim and Suzy early on. I stayed by Natalie’s side, keeping her moving and hoping she wouldn’t regret not switching to the half marathon. After 13 miles, she said, “I’m done, Jeanne.” But I encouraged her with every mental toughness trick I could think of, and we pushed through mile after mile.
We did some running but spent a lot more time walking. It was okay though—she was going to finish.
At one point, we even stopped for a beer with some college students, which was a fun little break. As we neared the end, I found myself walking with a group of women and Natalie. Every time I spotted a photographer, I’d shout, “Start running, ladies! Put your arms up and whooo!” They’d happily oblige, and once we passed, I’d tell them, “Okay, you can put your hands down now,” and we’d continue walking until the next photographer.
Finally, we reached the last mile, which was downhill, and we sprinted to the finish. When we crossed the line, Natalie gave me a huge hug, thanking me for sticking by her side the whole way. This sure proves that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. It might not be pretty, but Natalie ran her marathon that day. I hope she’ll forgive us!
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