Even in California, the writing is on the wall...and it says that Allyson Dunn is the real(tors) deal. (And reAlly annoying! Or not. I had to "fix" the poll and put in a second vote that was something other than "not annoying". Sorry Ally, but I had to make you wonder who the second negative responder was. It was just me, from a different computer.)
For those of you that don't know -- Allyson and I (Terry) go back for years, and in no way do I find her annoying. We just like to joke around with each other. And even if no one else found the poll amusing, I know that her and I did. For the record, Ally is one of my favorite people. And that's why I'm writing this.
An ode to Allyson Dunn:
Allyson is running her first marathon this coming Sunday in Philadelphia. Two years ago at this time, Ally had yet to run a race. Ever. To my knowledge her first ever running race was the Corporate Challenge in summer of 07. The following Tuesday a little running group called TERRY, uh, I mean, TRY met up for the first time. In the year and a half since, there have been a lot of great achievements from TRY group members. From Brad and Ally finishing their first ever half marathons last fall, to Aubrey finishing her first Corporate Challenge, to several people finishing their first ever Boilermakers, to Katie qualifying for the Boston Marathon this fall.
So many people have reached new achievements alongside of TRY that it is hard to choose one, BUT if I had to choose the star pupil of the TRY group, it would have to be Ally. Partly because she's been there both years, but mostly because of what she has dunn and the transition she has made as a runner. To go from never running a race to running a marathon within 17 months is amazing to me. She's always been very dedicated and always willing to listen to more experienced runners. And not only does she listen -- but she actually applies what she hears! Amazing.
So, best of luck to you Allyson. I'm sure you'll have plenty of inspiration running in the city where your mother grew up and where there will be plenty of Phillies references to make you smile and think of your mom and me. (I'm not sure about the cowbells though -- they might be sparse thanks to Tampa ruining the concept of the cowbell for the people of Philadelphia).
It sounds like you've trained reAlly well and reAlly smartly, but that doesn't mean that there won't be tough parts during the race. So when that tough stretch hits late in the race, remember that you're not running by yourself. You have TRY there with you. Think about Katie. Think about Timmy. Think about Amy. Think about Brad. Think about me. Think about all of us that you've trained with in the last year and a half. The freezing days last winter, the hot days this summer. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
I'm very proud of you and I'm sure many others are as well. So, do TRY proud. And do it with a smile on your face. If you aren't smiling and enjoying it, then you aren't being the Ally we all know and like. So, smile at the cowbells, smile at the Phillies shirts, and smile at yourself for such a great accomplishment. Remember, you have an advantage over 99.99% of the other runners -- you'll be Dunn before you even start the race. :-)
Good luck, kiddo. I know you'll do well!
T
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6 comments:
YAY Ally! GOOD LUCK at the marathon!!
Goooooo Ally!!! Good luck this weekend! We're all proud of you!
Mark and I are doing the 10K at the Jingle Bell Run this weekend, so when you get to mile 20 and you feel like a truck hit you, remember that we'll be running that last 6.2 with you, just remotely! :)
Ally,
I am so proud of you too and can't wait to celebrate with you next week when you are finished. You are going to do so great and remember when you are running this race that those who have gone before you are rooting for you and wishing you well. Don't forget soon we will be having our Martini Lunch together! Good Luck!!!!
Best of luck Ally....run smart...it's a long race! By the way, I want in on the Martini Lunch!
Awww, thanks Terry and the rest of you guys!! I'm very excited and I will be TRYing my best. Seems like just yesterday you, Krista, Brian and I were at Faegan's before the SU game and you were like you know Allyson, you're standing here with 3 marathoners...That does pretty much sum up my running career!! I was always that person that couldn't even run a mile and didn't understand how people could get up first thing in the morning and run before work and now...well I still don't understand how people get up and run before work but I've run a lot of miles. :)
So thanks so much for all the advice from all you previous marathoners and from the rest of you guys who ran with me too. It was great to get to know you and run with you guys all year.
I will definitely be thinking about TRY and glad you have a race too! Good luck! I can't help but notice you forgot to mention a couple specific people that I will also be thinking of Terry so a big thank you to Krista for organizing all the lunchtime running and advice and Brian who did the most training runs with me including all my medium-long runs and, in spite of my whining pushed me to run faster and well basically cause I pretty much think about him all the time anyway.
So...hopefully next time I post it'll be about how much my marathon rocked!!
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