my freakishly amazing posse ...

I know I have mentioned it before, but I have the most kick a** group of running friends. We are all borderline insane and would do pretty much anything to ensure that we all get our run in. Schedule changes. Multiple loops. Early start times. Late start times. Fast paces. Slow paces. We do what needs to get done. And we support each other, no matter how off the wall the plan may be.

Last Monday, I was still unsure about my running. I was feeling good after my one-armed 5K, but I was hesitant to rejoin the posse for a run - for multiple reasons, including the fact that I didn't know if I could keep up for 4 miles. If my arm would make it. Or if my lungs would make it, for that matter. So, instead of jumping right in, I did a four mile treadmill run to see where I stood.

I basically crushed it. 38 minutes. No sling.

Then on Thursday morning, I decided to meet everyone for a run (after ensuring that G would not leave me, no matter what). The run went well. G and I fell back from the group, but I was feeling good enough to run five miles.

That afternoon, emails started flying about the weekend's long run. I immediately knew that I was out for two reasons.

1. J was out of town, meaning I had 3 kids to worry about.
2. There was no way I could make it 10 miles.

No biggie. I wasn't really concerned. I replied to the conversation, saying that I wish I could make it but J was out of town and there was NO WAY I could push all three girls in the stroller (the shoulder's strong, but not that strong). Within seconds, G and SpeeDee (who had never pushed a stroller before) were throwing around ideas of how everyone else could push my kids in the stroller so that I could join them for five miles.

I'm thinking, "This is insanity. Do they realize how much my children weigh? Or how hard it is to run with a stroller if you've never done it before?"

They didn't care. Three single strollers had been secured. The route had been changed to accommodate a five mile pick up.

Game on.

The girls and I arrived and got them settled in the strollers (Yes, I realize that Dizzle is WAY TOO BIG for that stroller).

A few minutes later, the rest of the crew arrived (they ran five miles before we got there). We did a quick stroller run-down and headed out. Since everyone else was doing the hard work, I dropped back and snapped some pictures.

And then jumped in one myself.

Then ran ahead and took a few more.

It was so much fun. A freakishly awesome run with freakishly awesome friends.

I am beyond lucky.