Like I mentioned at the end of yesterday's post - WE FINISHED! The 6 of us ran 182 miles from Huntington Beach to Mission Bay for 182 girls with Rett Syndrome.
Not only did we finish, WE WON! Yep... you read that correctly, WE CAME IN FIRST PLACE IN FEMALE ULTRA TEAMS (with an "official" time of 26 hours and 18 minutes)!!
**We came in 1st out of All Female Ultra Teams (1/12).
**We came in 4th Female Team overall (4/87) [including teams with 12 runners].
**We came in 7th out of All Ultra Teams (7/48) [including teams with males].
**We came in 47th overall (47/732).
And although those numbers are great and sound impressive, what is MOST important is that we helped to raise $54,000 in two weeks! This money will go directly towards Rett Syndrome research!!
Sure, we had fun, we ran some fast times, and we walked away with a WIN, but what REALLY matters are the girls. We ran because of the girls. We ran for the girls. We ran so that one day (hopefully SOONER rather than later), we will be able to run with the girls!
Mile 1: Chloe B.
Mile 2: Abby V.
Mile 30: Amanda H.
Mile 31: Hailey M.
Mile 32: Laura A.
Mile 33: Jayden M.
Mile 34: Mia C.
Mile 35: Rene B.
Mile 36: Brooklyn K.
Mile 37: Raegan M.
Mile 38: Korinna B.
Mile 39: Presleigh K.
Mile 40: Skylar D.
Mile 41: Catherine W.
Mile 71: Kaylee M.
Mile 72: Katy C.
Mile 73: Maddie T.
Mile 74: Ashley M.
Mile 96: Kya B.
Mile 97: Anna O.
Mile 98: Dominique E.
Mile 99: Seaira H.
Mile 122: Tori C.
Mile 123: Reagan L.
Mile 124: Oakley M.
Mile 125: Brooklyn S.
Mile 126: Annie M.
Mile 127: Emma H.
Mile 128: Madison P.
Mile 150: Juliana B.
Mile 151: Skylar P.
Mile 152 Eleanor F.
Mile 153: Avery Grace B.
Mile 154: Isis K.
Mile 155: Claire R.
Mile 156: Lexie P.
And those were just "my" girls. I received so many posts on my Facebook wall from the family members of the girls I was running for - telling me how much their daughters were looking forward to this, how they were cheering me on, how they couldn't wait to hear all about it, and how much of an inspiration I was...
Wait, what?! How much of an inspiration I was?! What about how much of an inspiration these girls and their families are?! It reminded me of a quick interaction I had before heading out on my second run of the race.
Some of the girls with Rett Syndrome and their families had met us at the Major Exchange. One of the moms was telling us how thankful she was for us to be out there running all these miles for their girls. I thought to myself, "Oh, it's no big deal" and as soon as the thought popped in my mind I knew how WRONG my thinking was. I mean, to them it wasn't just a big deal, it was a HUGE deal. Not only were we running for their child individually and for a cause that is near and dear to their heart but also we were doing something that their daughters could NOT do.
How easily we take things like running (speaking, using our hands, etc) for granted...
I need to take a moment to thank YOU! YOU are the reason we were able to raise so much money for these girls! Thank you for sharing the story, spreading the word about the cause, giving your time and resources towards this fight, and encouraging us along the entire journey. {And an extra big thanks to Sparkle Athletic for allowing me to join the team and run alongside these AMAZING women!}
I even had a friend (the amazing Joe - who I also call "my dad" thanks to a funny story involving Jeff Galloway and the WDW Half Marathon) who virtually ran all of my legs with me in Mississippi!
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| Source: @run8va's Instagram Feed |
Of course the miles were full of memories and magic, but even more important they were full of MEANING! I honestly don't think I will ever look at running the same... I believe I have always been grateful for the ability to run (especially with my fibromyalgia and crappy body issues), but now more than ever I am reminded how EVERY STEP is a gift!
Thank you so much for taking the journey with me! I will be forever thankful for this experience, for the friends I have made along the way, and for opening my eyes to the Rett Syndrome world.
What has been the most meaningful run/ race you have participated in?
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