Over the past few years we shared about a hundred "Go Dan!", "Alright, Angela!" call-and-response greetings as we passed each other in various out-and-back and loop courses. It was probably the third or fourth race I ran with her when I started to think, "Man, that lady runs a LOT of races! Who is she?!", and even though we never formally sat down and chatted with each other, we quickly learned each other's names and cheered for the other like we were family. Of course it didn't take long for me to realize that Angela had a HUGE family in the running world. Her infectious smile and positive vibes naturally brought dozens of runners just like me into the "Fans of Angela" world. Her positivity was so resonating that when I saw her name listed in the results for random races that I didn't even run myself, I still smiled to myself and said, "Check out Angela, gettin' it done! Good for her!"
In the past few years Angela ran over 300 marathons and ultras, including a bunch of 100 milers (3 of which I had the pleasure of running along with her). She also achieved the special goal of running a marathon in all 50 States (plus DC!), which is good, because that means every corner of this country had a chance to see her smile.
In the end, Angela's fight with cancer limited her running, but not her spirit. In her own words:
The best thing about my three miles a day routine is that I get to be outside. It makes me feel better mentally to be able to still move although I am incredibly slower. It’s raining and very cold today, but I don’t care. I’m still a runner at heart, so a little wetness and coldness are not going to scare me off. I’ll still be outside on a beautiful, rainy, and cold day, dressed like I live in Alaska, lol.
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| Rest in Peace, Angela. |
5 comments:
Thank you for that wonderful tribute to a person that I really wish I could have met. Angela will inspire me tomorrow and many days after.
I'm so sorry, Dan. She sounds amazing, I'm glad you knew her spirit.
Thank you for posting this tribute, I just found out the news today. I had a chance to run with this sweet lady in 2009 at Rocky Raccoon. She kept my friend and I company on and off for many miles. She had some funny stories to share with us through those miles. God Bless you Angela.
-Bret
Thanks for sharing...I miss my Friend4Life very much...she taught me the real meaning of the word "ENDURANCE". She always told me that we don't compete but we always complete. -Glendon
Right on, Glendon. She is still missed every day in our community. Thankfully all of our memories still keep her spirit alive and kicking (and running!) along race courses all over the country.
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