A Warm Welcome Home

Coming home from Hawaii after finishing the HURT 100 has been a little surreal. I thought about so many family, friends and colleagues while I was out on the trail that it's been hard to convey to everyone just how much their support during my training and throughout the race has meant to me.

I can never adequately thank all the friends who ran with me and Sarah while we were training for HURT, or sent along words of wisdom from their hard-earned experiences. My colleagues have been so kind about asking how my running is going, and supported me when I wanted to take a vacation day to get a long run in. Friends and family told me before leaving for Hawaii that they'd be checking the live race site to check in on me while the race was happening, even if they couldn't be there in person. That meant so much!

I have already been the recipient of so much kindness and support that I was completely overwhelmed to return to work this morning and find my desk decorated, and a banner hanging above my computer:

My colleagues had all signed it. I couldn't believe it - what an amazing gesture of support. I am so lucky.

Then, as if that weren't already more than I could ever ask for, I came home to a long mailing tube on our doorstep. What was inside? This awesome banner from my cousins (Christi and I had to cut it in half to hang it on the wall since our house is little):

Is that amazing or what?! I am so lucky.

Thank you, everyone, for your support, and see you on the trail!