Monthly Archives: April 2012

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Ecclesiastes 9.7-12

 ⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. ⁸Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. ⁹ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

 ¹¹ I have seen something else under the sun:

   The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

 ¹² Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come:

Judges 18:6
The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’s approval.”

My hour had come…my time to finish the 2012 Boston Marathon. My journey or next mailbox was getting ready to be complete.  The Lord paved the way with His approval.  He had given me a peace early on that day that I was ready for the 26.2 miles. My training was under my belt and I would do this!

Joshua 24:17
It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.

The Lord brought me here. He provided amazing signs along the way.  As I approached the Citgo sign, I knew this journey was coming close to completion…I also knew I was close to my family.  He had protected me this far and would protect me to the end.

As I approached the Citgo sign and the 1 mile to go sign I saw my niece, Lane and my adopted niece, Amanda.  They were taking photos of everyone running through the fire hydrant spray.  It felt soooo good! I was so excited to see them!  I yelled at Lane where are they(meaning Mike and the rest of the family)…she said “down there!”  She pointed and took off running to them. I am sure she was running faster than me. 🙂 I found them and made a quick B-line to hug and kiss my family. This was the extra juice I needed to push the final mile. 🙂 It was priceless.  I had a kiss from my honey and hugs from my family…I was ready. Off I went.

The last mile was truly the sweetest.  After seeing my family, I knew I could and would finish.  I took it all in. The people cheering “Go Trish!”, “You are almost there!”, “Yes, You Can – Go Team Hoyt!”  These cheers from the crowd truly put me on cloud nine.  Overwhelmed by emotion, I put one foot in front of the other. I was headed to Boylston Street…to the FINISH of the 2012 Boston Marathon. God was with me in every step.  He was behind every cheer.  He was truly the wind beneath my wings as I floated to the finish.

Once I turned on to Boylston Street and could see the actual Finish Line…time almost stopped.  I couldn’t believe I was actually here. So many months of hoping, praying and waiting led to this very moment on April 16.  It was about to be finished.  In a way, I was ready because I was hot and tired.  But on the other hand, I had been working for this moment since I signed up for my first qualifying race on April 13, 2011…one year earlier.  Did I really want it to be done? (We will get back to this in a bit.)

For the moment, I ran ready to finish…ready to complete God’s journey to Boston…ready to complete my journey to the next mailbox.  He brought me this far…let’s finish strong. 🙂  So, that is what I did! I was so excited and so happy to be fulfilling His purpose for me. One He started orchestrating many, many years. 🙂

Deuteronomy 2:7
The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

My prayers were answered that day. I was able to run THE Boston Marathon. Not alone…but with a Team! Team Hoyt and Team Trish(if you are reading this…you are part of Team Trish!)  The Yes, You Can attitude was all around.  My Team Hoyt members were phenomenal.  Their stories inspiring. Their attitudes contagious.  They hearts open.  Their love never-ending.  Their finishes unbelievable! It was truly magical! My Team Trish members were unbelievable.  Their prayers felt. Their love unconditional. Their arms open.  Their faith real.  Their friendship priceless.

All I can say is WOW! Blessing abound! I was blessed to have a team of friends/family that helped pray me and fund me to Boston. I was blessed with an inspirational team that helped me run a HOT and brutal Boston. Blessing also came from my team of family who met me at the end to pick me up(literally) and celebrate after my joyous finish, 20 minute crash and burn and then my return to a joyous celebration.

Mark 11.24

²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

God was with me every step of the way. I really can’t put into words the emotion that I experienced once I crossed the finish line. Relief, thankfulness, humbled, grateful, awe, disbelief, shock, pain, excitement, and the list goes on! God is so good! He had me on this journey for a reason. It is not over! He planted seeds along the way. I may never know what this journey has meant to others…but, I truly hope you know what has meant to me. He has changed me. He has opened  my eyes to the power of a team of believers. He has renewed my faith in others…friends, family and strangers alike.  He has shown me the power of prayer.  He has shown me that without a doubt I am a better person because of HIM and because of you!

Proverbs 27.17

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron, 
   so one person sharpens another.

I am still learning from the journey and will truly never know its impact until I am in His presence.  God is so good…all the time! Thanks for joining me on the journey to Boston.  This is not the last of the mailboxes He has out there for me.  I will continue to write and continue to enjoy how God is working in everyday life.  Thanks to this journey everyday life is sweeter! The next mailbox is yet to be determined. 🙂

Project Mailbox will be detailed in another post…but here is their website if you are interested: www.projectmailbox.org

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Plan B is on…and guess who shows up? God! How did I do it?  He helped me every single step of the way. I knew each step was being prayed for all day. Check this out…

This sheet and knowing so many others were receiving AT&T athlete alerts and praying as well carried me to the finish line…literally!  Also as I said in the last post, I broke my race down into a run.  A 2 mile run…13 different times. 🙂 I couldn’t look past the 2 miles.  So, I looked in between.  I took it all in.  I noticed my mailboxes (and literal mailbox) along the way.  Here is what I was able to enjoy on my 26.2 mile jog(or 26.53 if you are going by my Garmin) from Hopkinton to Boston.

• 1st 5 miles were downhill – you could see the runners ahead of you going down, down, down. (no wonder my quads were so sore)
• From the start there were people cheering every single step of the way. AMAZING! You know when you come to the finish of a normal race you typically speed up because of all the cheering toward the end. I had to rethink this because there were cheers from the get go.  Focus change…slow!
• The roads were country roads winding through country towns.  I felt like I was at home. The woods surrounding us became port-a-toliets for many. (not me!)
• A Team Hoyt jersey is the best thing to have on…everyone LOVES Team Hoyt…you feel like a celebrity.  I did a lot, I mean A LOT of fist pumping because of the screams and yells for Team Hoyt. (my arm is still sore from the fist pumps and high fives along the way)
• It also helps to have someone write your name on your arm. 🙂 The first time I heard someone scream “Go Trish” I jumped. Then I remembered…my name is on my arm. 🙂 Yay!  Great tip for any of you planning on running a marathon…wear your name! They will yell! It is an amazing feeling to have someone scream for YOU!
• Oh, did I say it was HOT? Well, the neighbors along the way in town came out in force with water hoses, sprinklers, cold water, oranges, popsicles, fire hydrants and anything else that might cool us down.  ICE! This is how we survived…zig zagging the course running through wet refreshment every step of the way. Boy, was it nice!!! The spectators were the best!
• On the course there were many sources of entertainment…runners dressed like a bumble bee, Robin Hood, a ballerina…all running in the heat in their crazy costumes.
• The Lord also had messengers out there…Scriptures were all around…taped on runners backs and written on signs
• Philippians 4.13 – I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
• Hebrews 12.1 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
• Boston College and Wellesley College students screaming their lungs out for each and every one of us.  Giving us HIGH fives along the way…this is where the arm started to feel tired…and really loose.
• This is also where the 1/2 way point hit…so to have the energy of the college coeds helped start the push for the Newton Hills from mile 11 to 20.  I am happy to say I ran every HILL…YAY! It was like running the hills of Tennessee.
• My memorable hill was Heartbreak Hill…why? Not because it was hard…but because I knew I was hitting my 500th mile for the year 2012 on this hill.  I also knew that my every step was being prayed for all the way to the top.  Pizza was also on my mind…pizza…hmmm…some of you will get this and others just know that pizza is a great pre/post race meal. 🙂
• At the top of Heartbreak Hill was the last 10k of the race and a TEAM HOYT water stop.  My ears perked up as I heard them yelling Team Hoyt…over here….so off I went for the best slice of orange I have ever had.  The best cup of cold water I have ever downed and the best picture with my newest British friend. 🙂
• 
• From here I knew that I was getting close, real close. Next stop was my family and the Citgo sign.  But God had a surprise in store….
• The Red Mailbox! There he was…waiting for me. At least, I thought it was for me. I mean really, why in the world would a person be dressed like a red mailbox??? God sent him to me.  He was with me all the way…but He sent me this visual.  He knew I needed to see the next mailbox to know YES, I CAN AND YES, I WOULD! (and yes, I did!)
• I had made it to the next mailbox Boston…now I was to make it to the finish line.
• That itself is the best part of the story…so for now…know mile 25 and beyond will come soon…very, soon. 🙂
• Here is the sign that we are almost to the end – 1 mile to go…
• Until then…God blesses those who love HIM and live for HIM no matter how many miles are left in the journey.
• I will share the real story behind the red mailbox next post as well. It is a Godincidence FOR SURE!

Recovering blessed!

Trish 🙂

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1 Corinthians 9.24 –  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Isaiah 60.19 – The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

Psalm 116.1 – I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

God showed up in many ways on race day. I am going to do my best to recap it all…it was quite a day!!!

Butterflies were in my stomach at the start.  Sweat covered every inch of my body at the start! The sun was baking each of us at the start.  People were excited and ready to go at the start.  Then right on time – 10:40 the gun went off.  It took me about 8 minutes to get to the start line…not too bad. 🙂  My time was officially being clocked from this point on. No turning back for me!

As I started, I knew today was a day to run and not race. I knew today was a day to truly experience the RACE.  I knew today was a story in the making.  I knew today was the completion of a journey…a God-given journey.   I knew today was going to be special! I really had no idea how special…He had a prepared a way!

Exodus 23.20 – “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you

along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

The way He prepared was lined with spectators EVERY step of the way.  Every inch of the 26.2 miles had someone on it yelling and cheering us on.  Due to the heat, the cheering alone helped all of us put one foot in front of the other.  We moved slowly but steadily toward Boston.  Hopkinton is where it started and Boston was our goal.

Hydration! Cool focus! Yes, You CAN! Make it to the next mailbox! All of these things were going through my head as I started my journey.    I had to remember if Dick can push Rick in this heat…I can push myself!!! Rethink the plan…Plan A was to PR and Plan B(in 90 degree heat) – Survive!

Plan B was to start slow and try to survive all the way to the finish line.  It worked.  How? My mailboxes became water stations.  I had to stay cool. I had to stay hydrated.  My new plan…run 2 miles…make it to the next water station.  At the water station…drink Gatorade, drink water, dump water on my head and go again. Run 2 miles…arrive at water station…drink Gatorade, drink water, dump water on my head. Repeat until I reach the finish line.

The heat was God’s way of slowing me down. It was the blessing I needed to give myself permission to enjoy the run…to experience the run…to soak it all in(even the sun).  Here is how it played out once Plan B kicked into place…

To be continued…

Marathon Heat Proves to be a Heartbreaker!

Hotly Contested!

Nothing by (VERY) warm memories!

Marathon heat a heartbreaker!

These were just a few of the headlines in Tuesday’s Boston papers.  Brutal was the word used most frequently as I talked to other Boston 2012 finishers.  We were all very thankful for the finish line and for the opportunity to tell a story of survival.  One of the photos I shot on the way to the start line captured most of the runners race strategies for this day – “Old goal – PR; New goal – Survival!”  This is how I finished.  This is how I persevered.

Yesterday’s story is one of FAITH, LOVE, PRAYER AND TRUST.  I had FAITH to live out my dream. I had the LOVE and support from SO many people around the world…literally! I felt the PRAYERs of so many…every step of the way.   I TRUSTed my training…it held true and finally I TRUSTed my Lord to get me to the final Boston mailbox and HE did!

Boston 2012 will be remembered as one of the hottest on record. A year where the Boston Athletic Association(BAA) warned runners about the potential heat dangers and gave the option to opt out because of the looming high temperatures.  The meteorologists were correct on this day! It was HOT! It was BRUTALLY HOT!  The temperatures were in the 80s topping off officially at 89 but on the pavement it was in the 90s.  Crazy!

The BAA urged those of us who chose to run to not RACE but experience Boston 2012.  Experience it, I did!  The heat predictions allowed me to strip all expectations of a PR(personal record) and just run to run.  I knew my body was well prepared for the miles and maybe some of the heat…but I wanted to make sure.  Over 2100 runners were treated in medical tents.  Over 4300 didn’t show up to run…some of them took the deferment, some did not.  Did I say, it was a brutal day…but the words Beauty from Ashes…are quite appropriate.  Beauty was present even amongst the firing heat.

Here is how God turned the FIRE into BEAUTY:  Boston 2012 “experience” recap…

• 5:15 am – We met Team Hoyt in the lobby.  Everyone was fired up and ready to go.  We took pictures with Rick. We wished him and everyone else good luck.  We were ready to go.  We hung out with our families one last time before take off.  We received our last-minute good luck hugs and kisses as we headed toward the bus.  Off we went…
• 6:15 am – We loaded the bus after Rick and Tim…our two wheelchair participants. We sat and waited to embark on our journey to the start line – Hopkinton, MA.  We discussed race day strategies…which turned to survival strategies…especially after they had the heat on in the bus.  The air conditioning was not working.  I guess they were preparing us for our race outdoors.
• 7:00 am – Off we go…we pull away to waves and “I LOVE YOU” hand sign(by Mike) as well as a Good Luck Team Hoyt banner. We are on our way!

• 8:00 am – We make our way 26.2+ miles to Hopkinton.  We are in our chartered bus and we pass school bus after school bus with regular runners.  We were blessed…all except for the heat. 🙂  We exchanged great conversation with one another.  I had the privilege of sitting next to Dennis who was the first Team Hoyt member to cross the finish line. (and he did it pushing Tim in a wheelchair)  He was from Oklahoma…we talked about Arkansas and where my parents live.  Across the isle was the sound guy for the film crew following Dick and Rick. They are making a film about their story.  I enjoyed showing off my mini camera that I recorded my journey on.  I told the camera guy I had a better deal…mine was much lighter than his. 🙂  The best part of the exchange with the camera guy was when he told me not to use my music during the run.  He said to take it all in and that God would be talking to me along the way! Amen!!!! He was so right. God was with me every step of the way!
• 8:15ish- We exited the bus and walked to the start line. Dick, Rick and Uta had an interview scheduled with a local news station.  We had the privilege of standing on the start line before the race ever started. What an awesome moment it was! We cheered for Team Hoyt, Dick, Rick and Uta on the news. We stood proudly supporting our inspirations as they celebrated their 30th running of the Boston Marathon.

• 8:20ish – Once we were done watching the interview, Uta gave us a pep talk. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate….ice, ice, ice….enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! She told us to have cool focus. To take in the experience and be careful. We needed to listen to our body.  She would be waiting at the finish line!!! (and she was…that was a very sweet moment…a hug from Uta Pippig, a 3 time Boston Marathon winner…my coach!)

• 8:30ish – As a team we made walked to our private home at the start line.  One of our team members met this gracious couple a couple of years ago.  The last two years they have opened their home to Team Hoyt.  If you all know anything about road races, you usually need to use the facilities often before you start…call it nerves, over hydrating…whatever it is, you need the loo.  So to have our own private house and facilities was incredible.  We also had a massage therapist at our disposal.  Pre-race massages are the best.  We hung out at the house hydrating, eating and chilling until the race started.  We got to chat and get to know each other even more.  I also had the chance to recharge my phone. Imagine that…it was dying by 8:30.  I was SO glad I put my charger in my race bag. 🙂
• 9:30 – We watched the wheelchair start which included Dick and Rick as well as Dennis and Tim.  It was awesome.  Turns out the winner of the wheelchair division set a world record with a time of 1:18:25.  He was flying.  Mike and I had the privilege of meeting him in our hotel this morning.  We chatted with him a bit and congratulated him.  Pretty cool!n Then, we watched the elite men start their trip to Boston.  Wow!
• 10:00 – We headed to the bag drop in athlete’s village(school buses that were driven to Boston from Hopkinton) and then joined the thousands walking to the start line.
• 10:30 – We made it into our corral.  Corral 3 Wave 9 – the last of the last. 🙂 We took it all in and congratulated everyone and wished everyone good luck!!

• 10:40 – Gun went off and off we went….running the Boston marathon in 84+ degree heat!
• 10:47 – I crossed the start line and official timing started…I am off! 🙂 God’s journey and the next mailbox was in reach – 26.2 miles away.

• 3:22pm – 4 hours and 35 minutes later I crossed the finish line of the 2012 Boston Marathon! There were so many God things…Godincidences along the way! So many, they warrant a post of their own! Stay tuned…

2 Timothy 4.7…I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!

 HUGE GOD THING…on the course there was a many dressed like a red mailbox!!! No lie…He was sent there from above to help me make it to that mailbox! 🙂 It was awesome!!!

Today was a God day! A day I felt prayer like any other. It was hot! The heat was brutal! I knew starting out I was going to pull back and run to experience the journey.  My mailboxes became the water stops.  When it truly hit me how hot is was…it didn’t take long…I decided to run to each water stop…HYDRATE…soak myself and then run again to the next water stop.  So, all I had to run was 2 miles at a time.  Doable! It worked!

I will go into more detail tomorrow…tonight I am tired. 🙂 The amazing journey of the day and the heat wiped this girl out. 🙂  But, I wanted to say a few things tonight:

• I could NOT have done this without my Lord Jesus Christ giving me the strength and mental capacity to take step after step. I ran for HIM! 
• I had an amazing TEAM here and all over the world.  Team HOYT is the ONLY way to go…more tomorrow! But, such an amazing duo…so privileged and honored to be a member of their team.
• I can’t put into words what it meant to have Mike, my mom and dad, and my three nieces here with me! What an incredible day!!!!!
• I also can’t put into words what it meant to know so many of you…family, friends, strangers, students, teachers were praying and cheering for me.  That is what cooled the temperature down…or maybe it was running through the many, many spraying garden hoses. I COULD NOT have put each foot in front of the other…without the mental self-talk that was fueled by your prayers.  Iron sharpens Iron!! 

Well, it is here. The night before Boston, the Boston Marathon! Wow!! God has blessed us beyond measure. It has been an unforgettable day. I am ready. God is with me! I feel your prayers!

I have received MANY texts, emails, calls and Facebook messages! I truly have been blessed by your kind words!!! Thanks for being with me every step of the way!!

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV84)

This has been my life verse. My hopes are being fulfilled in so many ways!!! My life support….my family made it to Boston!! They are here cheering me on! I wouldn’t be here without them.

The Lord blessed me beyond measure with my family, my friends, and my team! I am ready to put my feet to the pavement and let God finish the work He started a long time ago! 🙂

This is my prayer!!

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. (John 17:4 NIV84)

I am writing this on my phone. So it is short and sweet! I am off to prepare my race day gear…until next time!

Running blessed and as a soon to be Boston Marathon finisher!!

Trish 🙂

We are on our way! Boston Bound! We are fulfilling a dream…my dream anyway.  Mike is just the most amazing husband and supporter of my dreams.  He is so gracious to listen to me talk and babble on and on about my dreams…especially this one. BOSTON!

Today has lived up to be a Tragic Trish kind of day! For those of you that don’t know, a couple of my many nicknames are Tragic Trish and Queen of Chaos.  I call it living by faith.  Others call it chaos. 🙂  But for starters, I took the day off to spend with my precious new granddaughter and daughter at the hospital.  We had no idea Camdynn would come so quickly, so I planned to have today to be there just in case.  God was orchestrating it all. He knew how chaotic today would seem to us and He knew we needed the whole day to prepare. So here is how it all worked out…His perfect plan!

Mike went turkey hunting. I slept in.  (Boy, I needed the rest!) Once I got up, I started preparing for the trip. While clothes were washing, I blogged.  I slowly…remember the word slowly…started packing.  I also started to finish printing out our travel documents.  Mike came home and started mowing the lawn.  I kept packing, charging electronics and making mental notes for weekend.

Finally, I decided I could probably check-in for our flight.  So, I went to Delta’s website to do so.  This is when things went from slow to really fast!  On the itinerary it said our flights had been changed and we would miss our connecting flight to Boston.  Now understand, we were supposed to land at 10:10 am on Saturday and be at hotel by 11:00 am for our first team meeting and brunch.  No time to miss our flight!!!

Panic mode sets in.  I call Delta. Mike walks in.  I tell him you might want to start washing clothes.  He says why? I say we may be leaving tonight. Aaaaahhhhhh!!! So, we zip it into overdrive.  Delta changes our flight to Friday night at 636 pm.  Now, we have to change the hotel.  Thankfully, that was a piece of cake!! So, hotel booked, flight changed, we are ready to go.  Well, almost.

We still have to go hold our precious granddaughter.  We have to say bye to our daughter.  We have to go to the bank.  We have to say bye to our son.  Oh my! We have to eat lunch.  Very important…lunch! Off we go.

I can say we finally calmed down a bit once we got all this done.  Though, I still hadn’t eaten my Wendy’s chili for my lunch.  It was cooling down in my bag. I did eat a wrap and was waiting on my chili.  We headed to the airport.  We arrived at 5:00 pm.  Our flight was to take off at 6:36 pm.  I would have plenty of time for the chili. Right? Wrong!

We tried to use the self check-in and it would not allow us to.  Why? Because our flight had been delayed and we were going to miss yet another connection. Yes, patience was wearing thin by this point.  I had just told Mike, we both need to remember who we were representing this weekend….God! At this point, I quoted Romans 8:28 out loud.  I needed my own words quickly!! Thank you, Lord!

Earlier when we were trying to book the 6:36 pm flight there was a 5:35 pm flight as well. Remember, it is 5:00 pm now.  I then ask if there is a possibility of getting on the 5:35 pm flight.  She says if we can get my checked bag on the airplane.  Thankfully the baggage guy had just left and was able to turn around and come right back.  So, we made it on the 5:35 pm flight.  We literally rushed through security, putting things back on as we rushed to the gate.  And, my chili made it through.  Did I have time to eat it? No. Flight was only 31 minutes long to Atlanta.

We took off. We landed, chili in tow.  We made it from Concourse C to Concourse A in Atlanta in record time. We bought Mike dinner…because I still had my chili.  We boarded the plane and we waited.  We waited long enough on the tarmac to eat our dinner…chili and a sandwich.  🙂  (Can you believe after buying the chili in Soddy Daisy, driving to Women’s East in Chattanooga and flying to Atlanta…my chili wasn’t cold.)  🙂 The simple things in life!

We are now in the air. We are headed to Boston.  It is a beautiful evening to fly.  We have met several well-wishers and Boston natives along the way.  All of them being very nice and wishing me well.  The chaos has turned into calm.  God made a way unlike our way.  His plans are so much better than ours.  We will arrive a little after nine. We will get to the hotel at a decent hour. We will get a good night’s rest.  Then we will wake up and hit the ground running again. 🙂 God’s perfect timing once again!

Oh, and how could I forget…my special surprise.  Actually, I had two of them today amongst the chaos.  First, my husband’s birthday surprise arrived. My official Boston Marathon jacket.  It is with me and will be worn once I complete the race.  Woo hoo! He was so excited as was I!!! Love that guy!

Second, I received an envelope from the Bayside Run for God group last night. I had the privilege of running with them one last time before my trip.  They have strengthened me and encouraged me in so many ways. I was instructed not to open it until I was Boston bound.  I followed my instructions.  As we took off from Chattanooga, I opened my envelope.

ghost writer! : ) Ha Ha…I let Mike hold the computer for a minute.

Once I opened my envelope, I pulled out a booklet of letters and pictures. They were so thoughtfully put together to encourage me and sharpen me as iron sharpens iron…Proverbs 27.17.  I am SOOO glad I brought tissue on the plane.  🙂  I cried my way through the most amazing set of letters and pictures ever. God is so good! So amazing! He has blessed me beyond words with my running angels.  Thank you Bayside Run For God! I will make you proud on marathon Monday! I am running for HIM with your scriptures, words of encouragement and prayers in my every thought and with every step!!

God has this all thought out. He is already there. He wanted us in Boston early so we would not stress on that end of the journey.  Our stress is over and we are chilling with water, Diet coke, peanuts and cookies. Life is good!

Running Blessed (and tragically chaotic at times),

Trish 🙂