It has been some time now, since I last posted on this blog. It is intimidating at times because I wasn’t nearly as close and didn’t know Tyler the way many of you do. However, that is not to say she didn’t have such a large impact on me as an individual.   During the time I got to know her, we often talked about why we ran so much and what it meant to us. Now Tyler, being as outgoing and adventurous as she was would go on about how sometimes she ran to clear her mind, sometimes to get in better shape, and most of the time just to explore and spend time with Milly (as if she ever left her side anyway). As for me, running is an outlet.  I use it as a tool to take a deep breath and clear my mind from the sometimes unbearable stress that comes with everyday struggles in life, struggles coping with loss of loved ones, or  any other bump in the road. I had a saying which is on the shoes shown above that says “RUN TO ESCAPE” Tyler knew all about this message, as I told her how long I had considered getting a tattoo of it and how important it is to me. She admired what that message stood for to me, and continuously encouraged me to push myself to run farther and faster (but not too fast bc she wouldn’t want me to be able to beat her). My point to explaining all this, is because that message for me carries more meaning than ever. Today is Pete Sowells 26th birthday. For those of you who don’t know Pete, he was a great friend of mine who passed nearly two years ago from Type 1 Diabetes. Tyler listened to me carry on about how hard it was to cope with his death. She was always willing to listen and I think that is yet another quality which most people lack today, but one we cherished about her.  When I run now, I mostly think of Pete and Tyler. They are my greatest inspirations and I have Tyler to thank for pushing my running to the next level.

One thing that I will leave the readers of this post with is a quote I strongly believe in. “The greatest things in life are not seen, they are not heard, but they are felt” Tyler may not be here physically for us to see or hear, but she is everywhere around us in spirit and can be felt everyday. She rests in our hearts and continues to lift us up while watching over. Cheers to you Tyler, and may we live our lives in celebration for the time we had with you here physically and continue to enjoy life knowing you will always be with us spiritually.

 

Tommy Tomlinson