Never thought I would do this

This past week, I flew to Texas to visit my childhood friend Andrea. She's marrying one of the greatest guys this July and I'm a bridesmaid in their wedding. To say that I had an incredible time would be an understatement. While there, we went bridesmaid dress shopping (found a great one), tasted some of the most delicious wedding cake flavors (I fell in love the champagne cake), got a mini makeover at Bare Essentials (makeup finally looks good again), saw the church and reception hall (two of the most beautiful places), assembled wedding invitations (and we're still friends), and we went running. Never, in a million years, did I think that I would run two miles in Texas and especially never with Andrea. Andrea has been active her entire life. She's in phenomenal shape and I just never thought I'd be in a position where I could run with her.

Without a doubt, I continue to discover all of the amazing ways running brings significant moments to your life. For me, running next to Andrea (and behind Barron on his bike) was one of those.

The hours leading up to the run were interesting. We had been in the car, driving from one wedding bakery to the next. I had used my phone to check-in for my flight while Andrea was driving. With all of the cake I had consumed (I take my bridesmaid responsibilities very seriously), I started to get nauseous ... very, very nauseous. Once we got back home, Andrea's mom gave me a little white pill (Dramamine) to make me feel better. Without even asking about the side effects, I swallowed it. At that point, I would have done anything to make the nausea subside. Well, I didn't realize that it caused drowsiness. I became so incredibly tired (we tried dancing to Tone Loc but it didn't provide the energy that any Tone Loc song obviously provides), and I just became a bit loopy (my body is not use to over the counter medications - I'm afraid I'll become addicted and end up on "Intervention" but that is a story for another time). I knew we had to get in our run since I have my first 5K on Saturday, but was becoming afraid that it just wasn't going to happen. Once we got back home, Andrea encouraged me to put on my running clothes and to see how I felt after 10 minutes into the run. I'm just so grateful because it really was one of my best runs yet in the most gorgeous weather (ran each mile in a little over 11 minutes).

As soon as we started running, Andrea made me laugh. I knew I was in for a challenge. As much as I love to laugh, I don't remember ever combining it with running. So, as we ran, we laughed and we talked. Andrea provided tips that she finds helpful when she's running: When the right side of my stomach started to hurt, she explained that it was a "stitch" and the best thing to do was just "push" through it. She explained that Adam should run along the outside of the sidewalk closest to the road to keep me safe (she did it while we were running), breathing to a rhythm helps when the run becomes harder (count to 4 as you breathe in), run from your heel to your toes, especially when the run becomes harder, and to find a stationary object to focus on. The last piece of advice changed my running perspective. I had been looking primarily at the ground, and once she offered that "pearl" of advice, it helped tremendously. I found a target, ran to it, and then found a new one. It made finishing the run feel possible.

That's become the greatest part of running. I'm gaining new experiences that are changing my perspective and appreciation for something I never imagined I'd do. To think, all I needed was a pair of shoes.