The day I became one of the "girls"

In 1995 I was one of the coach/mentors for the Leukemia Society's Team in Training program which was just getting started in Georgia. We had a booth set-up at the Peachtree Road Race Expo in July where we were soliciting runners to join TNT. As I was working the booth 3 young women stopped by and spoke to the other person manning the booth with me and she introduced them to me. I asked if they would be attending the group run on Saturady and they said yes so I told them I would look for them then.

On the group runs I would usually start at the front then work my way back into the group talking with the runners and answering any questions or giving encouragement to new runners who might be struggling. On that Saturday as I worked my way back in the group I came across the 3 young women I had met the week before. I talked with them a minute then moved on.

Part of the training program involved a mid-week run of medium distance and on one particular Wednesday as I was running on a section of road popular with local runners close to where I lived I saw this group of 3 young ladies running together. We stopped and talked and I continued my run with them. At the next Saturday group run I saw them again and they asked me if I would come and run with them the next Wednesday and I said I would. This pattern continued for the remainder of their training.

After we had run together for several weeks the conversation between them changed from questions about training to conversations between them about work, clothes and other interests outside of running. I knew that I had become one of the "girls" the day the conversation changed to dating, men and other very personal issues.

When it came time for them to go and run the Marine Corp Marathon they were upset that I wasn't planning to go and run with them. After some excited conversation and near tears comments I agreed that I would go and run the race with them. In the photo below one of the young women can be seen on my right shoulder and another just over that shoulder but sadly the other young woman was on my left and the photographer did not capture her.

It was great being one of the "girls" and helping each of these young women to run their first marathon.