Mile two is for the other crazy people out there with me during a race.

They are teammates and competitors and some of the most awesome and crazy people I know.

Like I mentioned yesterday, part of the thrill of a race is the number of people out there yelling for you. The other part is the number of people running WITH you.

There’s something almost therapeutic about knowing that these runners have put in the miles and the sweat and the tears and in some cases the blood to get to where you both are standing. They are the ones who nod to you as you pass them on the road.

They are the ones who will stop and ask how your run went when they see you wearing a race shirt, or the ones who will say, “Hey, I ran that one too! What did you think of [random part of the course]?”

Just last week, they were the other person on the elevator, sweating and trying to catch her breath just like I was.

Runners have made this sport great. They’ve made it an event filled with adrenaline and endorphins and high fives and commiseration over that one hill that made you want to die.

They’re the ones you see out in absolutely crazy weather running like it’s any other day, the ones who you know have sat in front of a computer screen filled with a training schedule and weather forecast, making sure all the workouts were doable.

They’re my comrades in arms, so to speak. They make these races special.