Friendship and Running....

What do you like to do with your friends? 

Me? Well, I like to run with mine. 

With Meredith at the Marine Corps Expo (2009)

With my awesome Danbury Stroller Strides friends at the Hartford Marathon Relay (October 2011)

 [Imagine picture with Kristin here - there is a serious lack of Julie/Kristin pictures because one of us has been pregnant for the last 19 months]

Running is not only a great way to stay in shape, but it's a healthy way to spend time with friends without distractions of t.v., people watching at Starbucks, or cell phones.

Meredith and I trained 'together' using the same plan in '09, but 300 miles apart. (NC to DC). Although we didn't get to enjoy the long runs together, we had an accountability to each other. (Accountability is a much better word than guilt, although that was more often my feeling).  After runs, we would check in, discuss hardships and brag about high points. It was nice to have someone going through the same thing, not to mention the fact that B was glad he didn't have to hear me talk about running so much!

Sometimes when I run with friends (J+K), I care about looking at my Garmin, but most of the time my pace doesn't matter. Know that old saying "run at a comfortable pace, a pace at which you can comfortably hold a conversation." Well, that only works if there's someone there to have a conversation with!

With B after finishing the 2007 MCM

I remember so many long runs when training for my first marathon with Ben, he would just look at me and say "talk, say something, anything." Needless to say, he doesn't love running the way I do, and he needed the conversation to pass the miles. I say, whatever works!

Run, run, Mum!