My stomach began to twist as I stood there looking around.
I couldn't take it.
My eyes began to hurt and my legs shook.
I was sick as a dog.
I wanted to walk away, but couldn't bare to do so.
This was just too big.
We live and die together.
Last time, we conquered together.
But that wasn't the case this go around.
I wanted to with everything in me, but just couldn't.
I was torn.
I wanted to feel every emotion, every pain, every pleasure.
The crowd gathered as the speakers blared.
Rollerbladers first.
Wheelchairs second.
Runners behind.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BOOM!
And they were off…
I stood to the side and prayed even as my body made me feel like a failure.
I was in turmoil, however I was so proud.
It was Dusty's first half-marathon ever.
Daniel and I had reminisced for over two years about the day we would 'do it again'.
I simply wanted to be with my boys.
Not this time.
At least I could stand in as their marathon cheer section, right?
For some reason, that still wasn't enough.
I was sick because I couldn't.
Due to a hyperextended knee, my body told me, 'no.'
I mean, I could, but rather shouldn't with a 500 mile hike immediately following.
However, if being sick once wasn't enough, there was more…
The plan was to return for the grand finish,
to celebrate hardcore.
Dusty blew me away and ran at a pace of 8:55 a mile.
He finished in 1:57,
…just before I got back.
Once again, sick.
I missed it.
I missed the culmination of what he had been working for at Triumph Fitness.
He busted his chops and killed his goal by miles,
and I wasn't even there.
I hung my head, disappointed that I let him down.
Sick.
Absolutely sick.
As sick as I may have felt,
I realized that it was all part of life.
The day was low and it was epic.
That's just the way life is sometimes.
At one time or another,
we will all face mountain-tops
and crippling realities,
but one thing I know –
…we won't quit on one another.
We may miss a few things in life
and we may even let a few people down,
but when we find the grace to hang tight and fight for one another,
we conquer together.
Even through the sickness, it couldn't have been sweeter as Dusty later told me,
"Do you realize that none of this would have happened if it weren't for you?"
However it may look at times, on either end, we know that we're in it together… all of us.
After much thought, I realized,
what better way than to adopt the attitude of Christ and say with our lives,
"I'll do whatever it takes for you"?
Dusty shattered a half-marathon in 1 hour 57 minutes.
He came into it having not trained one bit and had only run 7 miles at once prior.
Daniel finished strong in the full-marathon at 3 hours 51 minutes.
He beat his old personal record by more than 30 minutes.
Justin rolled through the full-marathon with Daniel in 3 hours 51 minutes.
His goal was to finish at least half, being that he had to drop out of his last, but sprinted to the end.
