Each year, our running club honors a member based on their service to the club and their personal race results. To be chosen, the runner has to volunteer at numerous races as well as be an accomplished runner. This year's recipient of the Quality Runner Award was Matt. Apparently, I'm not the only one smitten with this boy's charm.
Matt missed this year's awards party so I accepted the award on his behalf. As Marlene read off his race results, I realized that most of that string of unimpressive 50K times were races he had run with me. A bubble of pride rose up in my throat.
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| My first marathon (his third), in 4:58, a few days before our first wedding anniversary. |
The more runners I meet, the more
I've come to realize something: A lot
of people run fast races but it is rare to encounter one of those
speedsters willing to sacrifice his training and ego to race the long
stuff like marathons and 50Ks with you, let alone plod along on training runs every
single day. I'm
so lucky to have someone like that in my life. Quality runner and
human, for sure.
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| Our first 50K, in 7:15. |
In fact, we met in a very similar way. On a crisp October evening twelve years ago, I finally gathered up the courage to join my university's running club. My fears were realized just a mile into our run when I could no longer keep up and was left alone in the dark. I watched as the group pulled away without so much as a backward glance. Defeated and humiliated that my thirteen minute mile wasn't fast enough, I decided to head for home. Just as I was about to make the turn, a friendly runner face appeared through the darkness. He introduced himself and we became friends. A few years later and on a very sweaty April afternoon in Michigan, we went for a run on our favorite trails. Overlooking a small heart-shaped pond, he stopped, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. The endorphins made me say "yes", but his quiet, humble ways pulled me to the altar.
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| Trinity Alps run, October 2014, Mark S. photo credit. |
Twelve years later, he's still the guy that will keep pace with his slowpoke wife on most of his training runs. I would not be the runner I am today without his patience, encouragement, and understanding. He applies this same care to his own running and volunteer efforts within our club and it hasn't gone unnoticed. I'm proud to call this year's Quality Runner my husband.
11 comments:
Awwwwww, thanks Honey :)
MKK
love this - you are both pretty special, and perfect together :)
(and I almost forgot! bit congrats to Matt!!)
Aww! This is such a sweet post. Matt sounds like an incredible guy - congrats to him on what sounds like a very well-deserved award!
Congrats to your sweet hubby! Loved your story about how you two met. A match made in heaven! :)
That's the sweetest story ever.
How sweet.
He sounds like an awesome guy.
So glad he won the award.
Wow, wow, wow, big congrats to Matt, not only for winning the running club award but for being the kind of guy that he is (and for having the good sense to marry you, lol). Love that you guys run together, and that he runs at your pace. That is truly an exceptional quality (I found one myself, at least most of the time).
P.S. Love what you said in your previous post about being more comfortable talking with people while running. I am totally the same way. It's as if running opens up barriers and I know longer worry about the social awkwardness I normally harbor. Plus, runners are just cool people, no? Cheers and have a great week.
That was a great story! We are glad you two are so happy. Yes, he is definitely a quality guy!
This made me tear up. You two are really special people! I am so glad I have been getting to know both of you. And I promise not to leave you alone when the boys trot off into the distance.
Perfect story for an almost-Valentine's Day post. I'm such a lucky girl, aren't I?
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