Mama Kitty in Des Moines

This blog post is taking form somewhere between Des Moines and Atlanta. Once we land we will have one more short flight to Greenville then its off to the Vinings to run into the arms (paws?) of my kitties. Leaving them at home this week was tough, but my mama kitty duties were needed elsewhere…

It’s been a very tiring and emotional week, and not just for the Americans who competed at USAs, but for me as well! This is not because Aussies are soft as Coach Gary may like to suggest from time to time, but rather because being a ‘helper’ aka ‘slave’ for four wound-up, anxiety driven runners during competition week is tough. Despite being on a down week and only putting together 40 something miles, my time was exhausted with the role as videographer and making sure Jack was handed his water bottle on demand.

Now that I’ve mentioned Jack, I also want to mention a quote from him at USAs that really stuck with me. We were sitting in the stands waiting for Nicole to start her final and he said, “The last couple of years after leaving Wisconsin, I really missed the feeling of being genuinely invested in the races of my teammates. It feels good to be able to have that feeling again with Furman Elite.” Nine minutes and 44 seconds later we were up on our feet together and so proud to have one of our athletes become a US National Champion!

This is what happens when you join Furman Elite. Just when you think it was an individual sport you were pursuing, you realize that you are so emotionally involved in the races of your teammates that no matter what the results – good or bad – you are affected. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a “crier” (although my boyfriend might disagree), however watching the races by Furman Elite brought me to tears on more than just one occasion. Luckily for me no one noticed in the stands as it was 1000 degrees out and I was dripping in sweat from head to toe.

Although the week in Des Moines had some extreme highs and some extreme lows, I have come to realize the amount of support that exists between everyone in this group. Despite the heartbreak and disappointment that comes along with this sport, there is also so much tenacity that exists in its athletes.

I am very proud of Nicole ‘badass over achieving bag lady’ Bush, Jeff ‘boyfy with short femurs’ See, Jack ‘panera lovin’ princess’ Bolas, and Cory ‘looks damn fine in Nike blue’ Leslie. All are incredibly talented and dedicated athletes, and I can’t wait to see their hard work pay off as they race around Europe.

Much better things to come.

Meow.