"So... what are your hobbies... what do YOU like to do on your free time?".
Thinking that I would most likely never go out with the guy again anyway, I told him about my racing. I saw the confusion, awe, and the "wtf" face all at the same time.
"People actually run more than 26 miles at a time?"
Two months later, he began crewing me at my races. 9 months later.. he was toe to toe with me at the starting line at his first 50K.
I was a little nervous about starting this race, because I was thinking of every scenario possible.
1. He would tear his knee
2. He would hate me so much and dump me.
3. He would fall off a cliff.
4. He would quit after mile 2.
5. He would be FASTER than me and win.
I've only ran a race with one other person, which turned into a total nightmare. It was more about stroking an ego than actually enjoying a race together, and the race was completely ruined for me. However, I learned a lot from that race, and was thankful for the runner I was turning out to be. I wanted to give back and show someone that they could accomplish something that seemed impossible. With a little push.. Pete agreed to do this as long as I was with him every step of the way.
We started the race feeling really good. The first part of the race was a single track trail, which was pretty easy to run. Pete was doing great. We ran the first 9 miles feeling good and energized. After a couple aid stations, we began to take selfies and goof around. I wanted to keep it as light-hearted as possible, as I knew the day was a little intimidating.
We got to the bluffs, and took pictures. We also ran into Tom and Katie, who was another ultra running couple. We really enjoyed talking with them for a bit, as they really lifted our spirits.
It was starting to get really warm out, and I knew we were about to run in an open, meadow section. I did the 50 miler last year, and I remembered how awful the section was, but I also remembered it being SHORT. I was in for quite a surprise.
My brother Dylan and my friend Ray were running the aid station in the meadows, and were doing an AMAZING job with all the runners. Ray wanted to surprise me, so I was so touched seeing that he was volunteering.. to the point that I had tears in my eyes. Giving up a whole day to cater to other people for free.. just means to much to us runners.
I realized they changed the meadow section to 3 miles.. to 7. My stomach instantly dropped, as I knew this would be extremely mentally draining. I tried my best to keep him laughing and to keep the conversation going, but I knew the sun was just beating us down. Pete's leg was giving out, so we were power hiking at this point.
We finally got out of the meadows, and back to Dylan and Ray. Pete was feeling horrible at this point, and we still had about 10 miles to go. I finally made him stop and stretch out his legs, as I was getting worried about his limping. He was getting testy, so I gave him some space to digest his thoughts. We finally reached the last aid station, and I knew he was breaking down.
We finally had our first blow out around mile 28, when he yelled back at me after I told him he needed to stretch again.
"Frayah, I am not an ultra runner, get off my ass!"
As soon as he said this, my temper began to flare. I finally said:
"You know what, we can just quit. I mean, its the easiest solution right?"
When I said this, I saw his face getting red, and I knew I might of really pissed him off. Sure enough, he was started getting as far ahead as me as possible. We went a couple miles with him not saying a word and looking like was about to explode. However, he really picked up the pace. We finally hit mile 28, and I got closer to him, as I was really worried about his leg. As soon as I approached him, he stated on how worried he was that he was disappointing me and his family/friends who were here to watch him finish. He stated on how sick he was of the hills and he just wanted to finish so badly. 
"So many people thought you were crazy for even attempting this, and most didn't believe that you could finish. I am beyond proud to be by your side right now, and I know for a fact that you have made your family and friends so proud. I don't care what pace or place we are at, we are finishing this thing because we can. You impressed the shit out of me today, and we are so close to finishing it".
His knee completely gave out at this point, so I had to help him at the hills, and keep him aware of his surroundings. I was worried that if he ran into a rock, his knee would get worse. We finally heard cars, and knew the finish line was so close. I could see Pete's face lighten up as we finally got out of the woods, and we could see his mother and friends waiting. We crossed the finish line with so many hugs and tears.
I have never been so impressed and proud of anyone in my whole life.
I really enjoyed this race, not only because of getting Pete to the finish line, but because I got to see so many runners who I love so much. It was nice to have little conversations throughout the race with runners who I rarely get to see. I love technical and hilly courses, which is why this is one of my favorite local races.
The thing I respect the most out of a runner, is the inability to quit. Placing is impressive, but what really fascinates me about ultra running, is how mental this sport can be. The most frequent thought a runner has is to quit. You have to really mentally prepare for a long, draining, stressful, and painful day. However, the finish line makes it all worth it.
