The last leg

I have had a busy weekend. On Saturday morning I did what locals refer to as the Grouse Grind. It is basically a hike up a mountain. Three grueling kilometers that at certain points (I kid you not) were almost an eighty degree angle upwards. There were signs posted along each quarter mark and by the time I hit the 3/4 mark, I just about sat down and had a little cry. I didn't think I could do it. But my friend was there with me and we basically encouraged one another up the last leg of the mountain. After an hour and a half we reached the top and thankfully took the trolley back down the mountain. Ahhh...the sweet moments of elation and sense of accomplishment were worth the perseverance.

Then, this morning I ran in the Turkey Trot; a 10k race starting on Granville Island and looping around a very scenic route along the Sea Wall. Again, in the last kilometer I thought I wasn't going to be able to make it. My chest felt a little tight, my head hurt and there was a persistent stitch in my right abdomen and the last leg of the race felt the most punishing of all the kilometers before. But yet again, I had a friend running beside me the whole way who could have easily outrun me but stuck with me through the entire race and coached me through it.

I am quite certain that if I were in either of these situations alone, I might have quit. The temptation was certainly there in both scenarios but the reality of actually bunking it in full witness of my friends greatly decreased my odds. Having companionship when things are at their most difficult can really make a world of difference.

So, the moral of the story is this: be an encouragement to your friends, to your leaders, to your children, your parents, to friends and to strangers...Especially when they are running the hardest leg of the race because you might make the difference in helping them to finish strong and not quit!