Looking ahead

The new year means a lot of things to different people: a fresh start, resolutions, breaking resolutions, and for us new couples and new stories of love. Our couples have some of the best stories and we think you’ll enjoy reading about them. This year we will periodically be posting our favorite proposals with stories from the betrothed themselves, we hope you enjoy.

When we first heard about Mike & Lauren from their wedding coordinator, Courtney Arnold, we knew that we were going to be a great fit. After we were officially booked to film their upcoming nuptials, we asked for a little back story on their journey to the altar. When Lauren first responded she linked us to Mike’s blog post (found at the bottom of the page) and asked him to recount the tale. When I read his story I knew it had to be shared!
Thank you both for your enthusiasm, we are stoked to film the next chapter in your story.

~Casey

From the Groom:

Running has definitely played a big part in the story of Lauren and I. We first “met” at a run in August 2010 down in  Columbia, SC. We were both seeing other people at the time, but I vaguely remember talking to her, and there is a photo of us chatting, with her dog, Millie, lying between us. We next met at a Thanksgiving Day race in Charlotte in 2011, but neither of us remembered the Columbia meeting until a few months later.

This may have not been the best time for Lauren to meet me. I was in the midst of a series of demanding races, running races of 50 miles, 31 miles, 13 miles, 40 miles and 26 miles before we had known each other for 3 months. Lauren began accompanying me on some of my training runs, but our enthusiasm for spending time together during the runs might have been too much, as she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her leg in February.

Obviously, we were both bummed about this injury, but Lauren remained upbeat and positive, and continued to motivate and encourage me during my races. This was when I knew that I had someone truly special, because she was willing to travel to Virginia Beach to see quick glimpses of me running a marathon, or the mountains of North Carolina on a cold February morning to watch me stumble through aid stations in a 40 miler.

This was what made me first think of proposing at the finish line of the 2012 Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Half Marathon. It was Lauren’s big comeback race, and this was more than just a finish line for us, it was the kickoff in our race to officially start our life together.

Thanks to a friend from college, I was able to arrange for a spot right at the finish line, so that I could surprise Lauren. Her parents and I designed a shirt “Lauren, Will You Marry Me”, along with “Yes” and “No” shirts for her to choose from. The shirts were then hidden in my bag that I would pick up at the finish line, and I tucked the engagement ring into my race shorts, ensuring that even if I couldn’t find anything else after the race, I would have her ring.

I’ve run a number of races at half marathon length or longer, but I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous, or less capable of sleep before a race. I was awake for a few hours finalizing my speech, writing and rewriting it, while knowing that I probably wouldn’t remember any of it when I saw her cross the finish line.

For the actual race, I was pacing a runner that I coached, which helped take my mind off the proposal and my nerves. It was probably one of the smoothest races I’ve ever run, with no major issues, and a very consistent pace. I knew I’d have less than 15 minutes from my finish to Lauren’s, and possibly less than 10 minutes, so once we finished, I sprinted to get my bag, and luckily ran into some friends who offered to help.

We ran back to the finish line, organizing shirts and a change of clothes for me to put on, all while I was clutching the ring. We had arranged for one of the official race photographers to take pictures of the proposal, but the local TV station was filming the finish line, and asked if I wanted to get it recorded as well. And so, as I watched Lauren cross the finish line, I found myself surrounded by cameras and microphones, ring box in hand, proposal shirt donned, mouth drier than a dessert, and heart pounding like I was crossing the finish line with her.

Somehow, I manged to cover nearly half of what I had written down for my proposal. Of the three recordings that we know of, only one actually got the words, the rest have too much background noise. But all that matters is that she said “yes”, and that I didn’t break anything when she collapsed/leaned down to hug me.

What I love most about our relationship is that while we are both runners and athletes, this doesn’t define who we are, or all that we love to do. We could wake up tomorrow, unable to run, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world. What matters most is that we’re going down the road of life together, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us.

Check out Mike’s Blog post’s about leading up to the proposal and the day to the race below:
http://www.roadlabeledamazing.com/2012/11/04/the-amazing-finish-line/
http://www.roadlabeledamazing.com/2012/11/10/the-race-to-the-finish-line/