better together

story by | cammie wright

Leia Bohl and Jamie Traynor have an agreement. The more miles they run together, the more they can indulge in cheesecake and Tutti Frutti.

It’s a win-win for the friends and running partners.

“It’s nice to have someone holding you accountable and waiting for you to meet them and go running, otherwise, it is too easy to say, ‘I will go tomorrow,’” Jamie explains.

The two get together a couple of times a week [weather permitting] for runs, and what started out as short treks has turned into considerable distances.

“We started out running short distances,” Jamie recalls. “And the better friends we became, the more stories we had to share, and the longer our runs became.”

“Our friendship didn't start out as running partners, but we enjoy running and we enjoy each other! So we just kind of got into a routine, at least when the weather cooperates,” Leia explains.

And as the weather starts to cooperate more and more, the duo has turned up their training as they prepare to run the Fargo Marathon’s half marathon race May 18th. They will, of course, be running it together.

“I am really hoping and praying for 50-degree weather and no wind for this year’s marathon, so that my running partner is happy and fun to run with for 13.1 miles,” Jamie says with a smile.

“I am a fair-weather runner,” Leia confesses. “On 20-degree days with lots of snow, I opt for treadmill time at Courts Plus. But that’s not nearly as much fun as with Jamie!”

This year’s Fargo Marathon half marathon race won’t be the first time Leia and Jamie cross the finish line together.

“The last half marathon, we were coming up on the last three blocks or so, and my calf cramped up. I stopped and stretched it against a curb and told her to keep going,” Leia remembers. “You won’t believe what she did—she waited for me at the end so we could cross the finish line together.”

Because sometimes the best part about finishing a race has nothing to do with your time, and everything to do with your company.

To learn more about the 2013 Fargo Marathon events, and to register, please go online to www.fargomarathon.com.