Who ever knew that nurturing the growth of other runners could be so immensely rewarding?

 It all started with “yes.” Would I be interested in co-coaching the Gazelle Sports Safari Half Marathon and Marathon Training Program group? Absolutely! The journey began at the East Grand Rapids High School track on the first of a series of beautiful summer evenings. Molly, Bill, Sarah, Tim, Kim, Kurt, Erin, Katie… 30 eager faces and fit bodies. These people were not new runners. They were runners with new and bigger goals; they wanted to complete their first half or full marathon.

 Our coaching challenge was to properly prepare, both physically and mentally, these exceptionally nice folks to do something extraordinary by running a distance that they, heretofore, thought impossible. Over the course of 16 weeks, we evolved – as a group – into long-distance athletes, PLUS good friends. We sweated, strained, pushed, laughed, learned, cajoled, groaned and even cried occasionally with the pain or frustration of injuries. We were a team of people joined by a common passion and goal… and it was a marvelous adventure.

 

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But nothing in the coaching experience could compare to the grand finale… cheering for our new friends along the course of the Grand Rapids Marathon. For the first time, I was on the other side of the fence; this wasn’t my race to run, but to support. It was akin to watching my children at sporting events; this (parent) coach was bursting with pride as I screamed and yelled as our Safari members ran by me. I thought about each of those uncomfortably fast workouts on the track and those beastly hot long runs when things didn’t always go right for all of our runners. But now, there they were… runners who dedicated themselves all summer to the pursuit of this longer distance. They were now reaping the rewards of perseverance. The smiles on their faces, not pain, spotlighted the enormity of their accomplishment on that special day.

 We all stay in touch. There is a bond, an intimacy, that develops when you tackle a half or full marathon together. Taking turns, someone from the group arranges a long run every weekend. Running friends forever. No, friends forever. I am honored to know them, and I am thankful for the positive impact they made on my life.