The Text...The Visit

     

     Last night turned into a visit that was two and a half years in the making.  When I started this journey I came across a podcast episode from Runner Academy Podcast that featured Rik Akey and Ada Wong from the Fat to Finish Line Documentary.  They both told their stories of how they gained and lost the weight and how the Ragnar team and the documentary came together.  I knew nothing about Rik before this, but his story really struck a cord with me.  Just listening to him gave me hope that all of this was possible.  I must of listened to that episode thirty times to keep that fire inside me alive as I worked to meet the same distance and time goals in roughly the same time frame as Rik did.  I used what he accomplished as my goals like a compass pointing a ship to its port.  It would not be an exaggeration for me to say he is my weight loss hero and that he unknowingly saved my life.  It was always my goal reach out to him and thank him and even meet him one day.  

     In this day of electronic communication, Facebook made it rather easy to reach out.  I wrote him a long message thanking him for everything he had no idea he did for me.  Rik was so nice when he wrote back and even graciously offered to come run my marathon with me.  Unfortunately my race was the same day as a race he was already signed up for, so we took a rain check.  Well that race was going to be the Indy Mini half marathon that I was also running with my SoleMates for our reunion, but sadly I had to back out due to a work scheduling conflict.  I kept thinking I was never going to get to shake his hand little lone run with him, that was  till I got the text.  Just as I was walking in the door from work my friend Katie, from Runs for Cookies, texted me that Rik and his wife made a spur of the moment visit and asked if I wanted to come up and hang out.  I changed my clothes and literally headed right back out the door, because it's an hour drive from my house to Katie & Jerry's.  If you are a regular reader of Katie's blog you would know that Katie had another weekend house guest, Andrea, who was also a member of Fat to Finish Line team. 

     It was so much fun to just sit back, relax and listen to the three of them reminisce about their Ragnar Key West adventures and the documentary.  We talked about our up coming races, and Rik and I still plan to run a marathon together.  Rik is working on his goal of running a marathon in all 50 states and he still needs to cross Ohio off his list so we plan on getting together for that one.  The time seemed to just fly by and before I new it was past eleven and I still had an hour drive home.  We said our goodbyes, took a few pics so the rest of my SoleMates would be jealous; just kidding!!!