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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Tuesday Memorial service Tuesday for homeless Ashland man Ashland's Iron (aka Pioneer) Mike statue needs a recast, expert says Ashland Gallery Association First Friday art walk Grizzlies claim speech championship Education Grizzlies claim speech championship Levy backers eye final push Neal Simon: This is a test Grade-school philanthropist Ashland, Scenic win Brain Bowl competitions Environment Stopping fire in its tracks Some trails, roads remain closed due to controlled burn Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. 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Dems call GOP Homeland Security strategy a political blunder ... Kerry tries to dampen fuss over Israeli PM's speech ... 30,000 marchers in Moscow mourn slain Putin foe ... Dems call GOP Homeland Security strategy a political blunder ... Forging friendships through running Shelly and I have been friends for eight years, but only recently started running together. Now our friendship is laced together tighter than ever. Comment By Kim Cowart, Deseret News DailyTidings.com By Kim Cowart, Deseret News Posted Mar. 16, 2015 at 2:05 AM Updated Mar 16, 2015 at 4:10 AM By Kim Cowart, Deseret News Posted Mar. 16, 2015 at 2:05 AM Updated Mar 16, 2015 at 4:10 AM » Social News Sitting in the car with the heater and seat warmers on full blast, I look out the window at a chilly scene. The wind is howling. The sky is gray. The water on the lake looks as choppy and uneven as my self-cut bangs in third grade. Awake since 4:30 a.m., I’ve already taught a strength training class, thrown a load of laundry in the washer and herded the girls to school. It’s always tempting to drive home and crawl under the covers, but I never do. No matter how tired I am, no matter how treacherous the weather, Friday runs are special runs because these aren’t solo runs. These are my run days with my BRF (best running friend) Shelly. Peanut butter and chocolate. Popcorn and Coke. Black and white. Fresh laundry on a rainy day. Alone, each item is fine, but when paired with its mate, these items shine more brightly. Running and friendship is an easy add to that list. How can two acquaintances move to bosom buddies in a matter of miles? Why are friendships forged on the run laced together with the strongest of bonds? Shelly and I have been friends for over eight years. We’ve traveled together, worked out together, but only recently have we begun to run together. Every Friday after school drop-off we meet at the same spot for a 10-mile run. We’ve ran in hail. We’ve ran in torrential rain. We’ve ran into a wind that has literally knocked us off our feet. That pre-determined time together is so sacred we’ve arranged work schedules and travel itineraries around our Friday runs whenever possible. It’s not as though we couldn’t see each other at any other time. For many years we’ve met for lunch, gym appointments, bike rides, and weekend getaways. But there’s something about those 10-milers that are as necessary as food and water. Maybe it’s the sheer exhaustive effort of running that forces us to let down our guard. Maybe it’s the warm sun on our shoulders that makes a dark mood brighter. Maybe because we’re looking ahead, unable to make eye contact that we feel more secure to say what’s on our mind. Whatever the reason, those runs are the most restorative part of my week. Issues that have been rattling around the dark recesses of my mind suddenly find their way out into the light when I pour my heart out to Shelly on our runs. We talk about our successes and failures as moms, job woes, hopeful plans, and a weekly favorite topic - food. In the span of 90 minutes we mourn together, vent, celebrate and cheer each other on. We can have an in-depth conversation on navigating through the choppy waters of our teenage girls’ lives one minute, and the next be dissecting the plot twists of the latest episode of Downton Abbey. Any filters we have in place in our daily lives disintegrate a little more with each footfall. Short of my husband, Shelly knows more about me than any other person on earth. Thank goodness we’re friends because she has more dirt on me than a pig in spring. Before we began running together, we biked together. Years ago Shelly, our friend Tonya and I took up cycling. During those long rides and steep climbs, our mouths were as busy as our legs as we talked our way through many a mile. It’s amazing how we never ran out of words during those six- to eight-hour days. By the end of every ride our legs weren’t the only thing about us that was stronger. But unlike cycling, running doesn’t take as much concentration. I’m more relaxed and willing to let my mind wander. It’s not therapy, but it’s pretty close. The hills, both physical and emotional, never seem as steep when I’m climbing them with a friend. I’ve mostly been a solo runner. I love time alone to mull over my thoughts or to completely zone out and leave my brain at home. But these last few months running with my friend have been some of the best runs I’ve ever had. I finish each one feeling stronger, mentally, if not physically, than when we started. We’re both a little lighter at the end after unloading on each other mile after mile. If Friday runs were the only runs I could ever do for the rest of my life, I’d be just fine with that. And that’s why, no matter if my mood is as dark as the clouds outside, when that familiar black Subaru pulls up beside me, I put the phone away, slip the car key in my pocket, take one last sip of water and step outside and start moving forward. Because a run is so much more than a run when you run with a friend. She’s the Ben to my Jerry. The Calvin to my Hobbes. The milk to my cookies. Thanks, Shelly! By Kim Cowart, Deseret News DailyTidings.com By Kim Cowart, Deseret News Posted Mar. 16, 2015 at 2:05 AM Updated Mar 16, 2015 at 4:10 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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