Training for 26.2 — through the eyes of the hubs

Hi everyone!!  It’s Scott. I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for joining Jess and I on our marathon journey. I have really appreciated the words of encouragement that you have given us! It has meant the world to us!  I would like to thank all of the virtual run sherpas out there who joined us on many of our runs.  We could feel your presence and your prayers as we trained for this amazing accomplishment. I wrote Jess this open letter to let her know not only how I felt about this journey but how I feel about her.

Hey baby….

For someone who knows me better than anyone, you know that writing my thoughts down is not my strong suit. I wear my emotions on my sleeves, my actions speak much louder than my words. I would rather show you than tell you. With that being said, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for not only encouraging me to go after my dreams but for joining me on this journey.

Our latest journey, marathon training, has cemented my belief that we can accomplish anything together.  When the two of us set a goal there in no goal we can’t reach together. God gave us a tremendous gift — each other — and I am so proud that we have taken that gift and made it blossom. We have challenged each other, pushed each other, supported each other throughout our relationship and by doing so have made each other better. You make me a better husband, son, brother, and friend. You make me a better person.

I have enjoyed our early morning runs so much. They have given me time to reflect, time to think, time to be with you virtually uninterrupted.  We may not speak for miles, our eyes may not meet for hours but our breath and our footsteps are in sync. To take a moment and listen (which I spent the majority of our runs doing) I was astonished at how connected we truly are. We have a CONNECTION that no one could possibly understand and I find  that very hard to put into words. When I’m with you I feel no pain — even while running 20+ miles — no anxiety on what the next mile brings, no pressure to be someone I’m not, and no sadness for dreams that have not yet come true. Instead I feel unconditional LOVE and with that comes the truest form of HAPPINESS!

You have been OUR motivator. You have been OUR nutritionist! You have been OUR alarm clock. You have been OUR strength.  Without you WE could not or would not have been able to accomplish this. YOU are OUR Sherpa!  WE are going to Chicago! WE are going to complete 26.2 miles! WE are going to kiss at the finish line!

We did it! And we did it our way, the Sutera way!! We trained for a marathon and enjoyed EVERY minute of it. We did it with a smile, we did it with laughter, we did it TOGETHER.  That is the Sutera way!!

(editor’s note: this series of pics epitomizes our relationship — love, laughter, friendship, trust, adoration…<3)

<< Editor’s note #2: To say that this guest post left me with tears in my eyes is an understatement. As Scott said in his own words — he has a hard time putting in writing how he feels sometimes…which has always struck me since he is SO open with his emotions otherwise. So to see his emotions in words — versus written all over his face — well, it touched me in a very different way. Add this to reason #4, 567 why marathon training has been a true blessing, a gift, an experience I will not soon forget. ❤ >>