I met her for the first time in the Starbucks in the town I get to call home. She had just gotten home from her own training camp, and she had asked me if we could get coffee. We were supposed to meet for an hour, and instead I found myself leaving four hours later. I asked her all kinds of questions, and she didn’t tell me I was too crazy for the race. She encouraged me in a way that day that has given me a push on the hard days of the race.
Beth and I were both doing the race, her launching four months before me, and we lived in the same town. You have to meet someone if they are also crazy enough to sign up for the race and live close enough to “just grab coffee”.
Beth is now entering month 11, and for the first time, soon we will not both be on the field for the first time. It won’t be long and K-Squad will be going home, and P-Squad will remain on the field. She will be eating Chick-fil-a without me; I’m sure she’ll eat and remember the days that both of us just wanted some Chick-fil-a. She’ll walk into our Starbucks and ordering a drink surrounded by people who all speak the same language as we do. For the first time, I will be on the field without Beth on the field. Crazy to think that her race is almost over, despite feeling like she just left days ago. We haven’t been close enough to just grab coffee since August of 2014.
I’m blessed to know such incredible people who love Jesus so incredibly well.
Beth, I didn’t know I needed a friend like you until I day I met you. I didn’t know that I would need someone who added my team on Facebook, and encouraged me on the hard days. I didn’t know that you would be a breath of fresh air for me when you lived in Asia and I lived in South America. I realize that we might never live on the same continent again, but I am SO thankful for you, Beth Milam! Run the next season of your race well; I can’t wait to see you on American soil
