Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Congrats Michael and Rachel!





Michael Lawson writes:

Rachel Cole and I ran the marathon together. During the early stages of our relationship, we decided to register for Chicago(prior to the group being organized.) While she helped bring faith back in to my life, we heard about Don Williams and starting a marathon training group. This is where my journey with God merged with my journey to Chicago.
Throughout the course of training for the marathon we grew closer and closer. I knew I wanted to spend my life with Rachel. I loved her with all my heart. I also knew that if I was going to ask her to marry me, I wanted to make it special. Then it hit me...The finish line. How awesome would that be to start(and finish!) the marathon together and then ask this incredible woman to share our lives together.
I picked out the ring, told my plans to the lady at the jewelry store and struggled to figure out the logistics behind this. I ended up using a jewelry bag(the box was definitely NOT fitting in my running shorts!) and placing it in my zip up pocket. Yes, I was going to carry the ring the entire marathon! Mind you, I double and triple checked the pocket for hole's and to ensure it was zipped numerous times before the marathon and continued to check on the ring about every half mile or mile. The great thing about running 26.2 miles is that you have plenty of time to figure out exactly what you are going to say. I poured over my words and had it all planned out. Then it happened; we finished. My heart began to race as we maneuvered through the finish line area to our rendezvous point with her parents and brother and sister in law. As we shared hugs with one another and took a couple post race photos, I realized it was the time. I removed the ring from my back pocket, cautiously dropped down to one knee, only to have Rachel remind me that I need to stand up, I was going to get sore because we just ran a marathon!
It was at this point that my entire speech I had planned out disappeared from my head. I knew there was thousands of people around us because I could hear some cheering and applause, but I was only focused on Rachel and I. After finally saying those magic words, "Will you marry me?" she said Yes. Well, not at first, she was in such shock that I had to ask her a second time because she couldn't even speak, but she did say Yes!
We embraced, and even more cheers came from the onlookers and her family.
To cap it all off, there two women that were sitting on a curb that had congratulated us. Rachel ran in to them at the hotel as we were waiting for our car from the valet. They recounted the story and how they were teary eyed and talked about it the whole way back to the hotel. What a great weekend! I had to chase her for 26.2 miles, but I caught her :)
I think the most inspirational part of the race was around mile 16.5 when I was really struggling with my foot. Her dad ran along side of me for a few hundred feet and kept telling me, "Remember what you are running for!" As I had told him the details of how I was going to propose. Definitely kept me going!

2 comments:

  1. WOW!!! That is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATS, what a cool story!!!

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  2. congratulations guys - that's so awesome!

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