The Connection Runners

I will never leave a fallen comrade

My husband is the best running buddy I could ask for.

He is my sherpa. Its true, if you look at any longer distance races we've ran together, HE is the one wearing a fuel/hydration belt and I am traveling light. He'll carry enough water for me, and he'll hold my honey stingers. The only thing he has drawn the line at is tampons. Once, on a trail run, my hat became so drenched that I decided I couldn't run another step with it, so he ran with a bright pink hat looped in his fuel belt. That pink hat could be seen bouncing along behind him for miles.

Yes, I'm spoiled.

(and yes when I run alone I manage just fine. Ok... I miss my sherpa when I'm alone, but I manage)

Sure its nice not to have to haul a bunch of gear, but what really makes him the best running buddy is that he'll never leave me behind. This was most poignantly shown during Rock n Roll San Antonio 2010. It was our first full marathon. I went into that race injured but stupidly decided I'd cross that finish line no matter the consequence.

In the first few miles of the race, I was hurting. I encouraged him to run his own race, but he stayed by my side. When my knee gave out under me at mile ten, he was there to catch me. When I forced on and mentally started blocking out the world, desperate to ignore the pain, he was there to prompt me to fuel and hydrate. And when I finally lost touch briefly with reality, he steered me out of oncoming traffic.

I don't remember a lot of the end of the race. I have pictures such as this to remind me, I was hurting and he was by my side.

He stayed beside me for 5 hours and 20 minutes, a full hour longer than we ever dreamed we'd be out there. I was barely suffling along at points, but he didn't leave me. He had trained for a 4:15. It was apparent early on that I wouldn't make that goal, but he never left me to chase it himself. We crossed that finish line together.

Some of you may be saying, he stayed because I'm his wife. Partly that is true. But I believe he'd do that for any of his "Battle Buddies". Because that day, that's what that race had become, a battle of body and will, relentless to finish. And my husband lives the Solidiers Creed

He will never leave a fallen comrade.

A good husband, soldier and just plain amazing person, I'm lucky to call him my running buddy. I nominated Charles for "The Best Running Buddy In Texas" contest. I wanted to show how much I appreciate what he does for me as a running buddy. If you can spare a moment, you can vote for him just by clicking "vote" next to our picture HERE.