Keeping Pace: Boston Here I Come! Thanks To Some AMAZING Friends!

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Boston Here I Come! Thanks To Some AMAZING Friends!

This past year has been a mixture of the highest highs and the lowest lows.

The highs? I finished my 100 marathon quest, ran my first 50 and 100 mile trail race, ran for 533 days straight and qualified for the Boston Marathon (on my 95th marathon).

The lows? I went though the hardest time emotionally since 9/11 and on top of it, I got into the wrong insurance plan (for me) and even with paying for health care, I could not afford to go to go to the doctor and my medical and dental bills left me in debt that I didn't anticipate.

To make matters worse, I was informed that my rent would be going up $200 per month, thus pricing me out of my already overpriced apartment. I have to move. I am drowning.

I took a second job and I had been trying to put away what little money I could to save for my first Boston Marathon. I was lucky enough to work for a great company that sponsored my entry fee and friends that are hooking me up with a place to stay, but even with those things covered, coming up with deposits and moving expenses were going to take even more than I had saved and Boston started looking like it may not happen. I just could not see how I could make it work without going further into debt and I just could not swing that.

I called my sister crying in frustration. She told me not to worry and that she would help me think of a way to raise the money. She works in fund raising and was going to think about it.

A week later I received an email with a link to a GoFundMe page that she had set up, asking our mutual friends to help me get to Boston! She did not tell me about as she knew I would have stopped her. Boston is a dream race, but it is also an expensive trip that not everyone can afford, but ask for help and people get weird. I have seen people get raked over the coals for doing the same thing, I for one would not welcome that, but it was done and out there.

While I was mortified at first, I was touched that my sister loved me enough to do something like that for me. I was even more touched to see how many people donated and the comments left made me cry. While I cannot thank you enough for the donations, the love and support you have shown me is so sweet, I just can't believe it!

My good friend Galen said to me once, when someone gives you a gift, don't say things like "you should't have", just say "thank you". So with that advice I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my Boston dream come true!