18 miles

So 18 miles...
I walked with Donna and Teresa (from TNT days) for the first 3 miles or so, wherever the 2nd water stop was, and then had just told them that I was going to leave them at said water stop in order to be able to do my 18 and finish about the same time as Donna, who was told to do 16, when Coach Jason found us. He asked how Donna was doing, and then what my excuse was for not running. =0) "Funny thing" I said, "I was just telling them that I was going to leave them at this next stop." So we had our little break and then Jason ran with me for quite a while until Nikki and Casey passed by on their way back (they are MUCH faster than I am). He asked what splits I was doing...2 and 2 I said...to which he was very appreciative, because the last ones he was running with had a much longer run and same walk time and he was getting a bit weary of that. He too did not sleep well the night before and so Saturday was not a good day for him, but encourager that he is, he just keeps trucking along.

I was really enjoying the runs, but happy when he left me so that I could walk an extra cycle because I was getting tired. I like that trail though, after I passed the 16 mile marker from two weeks ago there is a river right along the trail way and the trees create this beautiful canopy of green. There's even a great place to have a picnic right along the river where there are some logs that have fallen across it (or been put there) and the "shore" is a bit more extended so you can walk down on it, kind of like a delta area. On a sunny day, it would be a lovely spot for lunch. And it's right at a road crossing with parking spots! I think it's Tempo lake Dr and Steadman. Anyway, it's also a part of the trail that is not heavily trafficked, so then thoughts run through my head like "if someone wanted to, they could hide in these bushes on my left and jump out and tackle me and I don't know that I would have enough energy on my own right now to fend them off. Then they could just toss me in the river and get away with no trace of them ever being there!" Aren't those wonderful thoughts??? I didn't really feel threatened at all, but it could happen. However, I know that Jesus would send a biker or runner angel along right then so I'd be alright. I started to talk to God a bit more during that thought process. When I reached the turn around cone, I decided since I was the last one to go out that far, that I should just bring it back to the road, so Jason and Anna could pick it up easily. I did get a few funny looks from bikers who passed me by, but they were going to fast to really care I think.

At one point, about mile 10 or so, I was still by myself, and the road sort of leans to the right which I did not notice on my out. And I being weary at this point am think, "is this what it feels like before you collapse?...I wonder if this is how that woman felt last week before she collapsed at the finish?...perhaps I need something?...maybe I should have eaten those pretzels at the last water stop?...I wonder if I need salt?...okay Jesus, I need your legs right now!" About the time I got my salt out and took some the road levels out again. Hmm... I was an odd feeling though. I think it was during that stretch that I was getting really weary and so began to talk to the Lord again. I told myself this is where you have to dig down deep and find that strength that is in you, but rarely gets to come out because we so rarely do things that cause us to really see how much stamina we have. (Perhaps fortitude is a better word. That stuff in us that only sees the light of day when we have to do something that is beyond our capability to accomplish. Everyone has it...not everyone knows it. Pioneer stock.) I remembered my friend's words about blessing God from the night before (actually that happened earlier around the river area, but they came back here), and just began to sing (as much as one can sing while running) 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. That helped A LOT!!! Suddenly I had energy again. And Jason found me again. It's always nicer to run with someone for a while, but I do have to say the alone time is where you find out what you are made of. I am a complainer, who is trying to become a praiser! Pray for me there. I think overall I am thankful, but when I am weary it is sooo much easier to complain and grumble than to see what God is doing in the midst of whatever. Oy! Stupid sheep we are! Braying 'cause the water is too noisy and we are thirsty! Forgive me Lord.

Well, during that section that Jason ran with me again, the road sloped again, so I confirmed that with him and settle within myself that I was not about to collapse and did not lack anything need to finish well. He asked how I was doing at this point and I told him I was just weary and my IT band was tight again, but overall OKAY. Do you know he clocked me at a 13 minute mile during that section???!!!! I think he said we were at mile 13, and he was totally amazed that I could maintain such a pace at that point in the race! WOW!!! He even pointed out that I had tangible improvement I could hold on to, because there is ONE UGLY hill on this route, and 2 weeks ago I had to walk down it because my knee hurt so bad (not to mention my feet), and this week I ran down it faster than he did! God is truly amazing! (all the time, not just when we can see it.) As we met up with Linda and Cassie, who had chosen to do the first 4 1/2 miles twice instead of doing the full course once, Jason wanted to pull off and run with them, but knowing I was weary, he wanted to make sure I didn't need any further support to get to the end. Knowing I am a complainer by nature and that I have the umph that it takes to finish waiting to come out, I looked him in the eyes and assured him that "it's in there...I'll be alright." Besides, Donna was only half a mile ahead of us, so surely I would catch up with her soon.

Nope! Since my knees were talking to me (rather loudly at times) I think I slowed down a bit, walking more than running between water stop 3 and water stop 2. I think I would have caught up to her because I saw her not too far ahead of me, but I took a two minute break at water stop 2 because I just needed to sit down for a minute, rest my knees, and enjoy some pretzels before heading out again, which gave her enough of a lead that I just couldn't catch up. It is not the most pleasant thing to get up and keep going when you stop at that point. Your feet doth protest too loudly, until they realize they still have a few miles to go and no choice about it. =0) I did catch up enough to see Donna and Anna in front of me, but I just could not muster any speed to actually catch them. Next time.

I'm sure there is something I have left out, but overall GOD IS GOOD, and it was a great accomplishment. Oh, we got to run along a squall line for a while. That was odd. It was raining on the right side of the trail, but not really on the left. Just stray drops and blue sky over there. Made me think of Hawaii when we would play outside in the warm rain and sometimes it would rain on one side of the street, but not the other. Oh yeah, and there were two strange occurrences out there. First, there was a man and his two boys that Donna and Jason encountered who had decided to help themselves to our water bins. They were filling up their own bottles when Jason and Donna came along. Jason told them that this was for the runners out here who are doing 18 miles and they really are going to need those resources, to which the man responded that he and his boys had hoped to do 50 miles today (on their bikes), but had also thought about running 18 or so (YEAH RIGHT!!!!). No remorse, no "I'm sorry for stealing your stuff", just oh, well we were going to do that too...! When Jason and I passed them, they were huddled under the trees waiting out the shower that had commenced a few minutes earlier. No acknowledgment of wrong doing in their eyes or demeanor at all. Makes you wonder. There was also this odd fellow at the third water stop. Donna said as she was approaching it, he had pulled his truck over, gotten out, and mosied on over to it, kind of checking it out trying to see what was in it. His passenger stayed in the car, and as Donna got closer the man went back to his truck. I passed him too at that stop. He had taken his plaid shirtjack off and had it wadded up in his hand and was headed back to his truck from the direction of the bin as I came by. I thought it rather odd that he would be around there, since he obviously wasn't using the trail. He got in his truck and left that time. Donna said at lunch afterward that she had memorized his license plate "just in case." People do weird things don't they. Anyway, by the time everyone was back in, Jason was rather eager to go get those bins. We have been very fortunate this season that none of our things have been stolen. Well, except our last run in Tacoma, when a homeless man decided to help himself to the Gatorade, pretzels, and paper towels in one of our bins. He did leave the water, so that was nice of him, but I had been looking forward to those pretzels for half a mile. Oh well. I guess the TNT team has lost a lot of their stuff this season.

Overall, a very enjoyable way to spend the morning and early afternoon. After the run we all went to Shari's for FOOD!!! and my Mom met us there. Poor Jason though, did not realize there were two Shari's restaurants, so after he picked up the bins, he texted Anna to say he was at Shari's but he didn't see us. That's when he found out there were two! We had all finished eating by the time he arrived, and I had to get going because I was supposed to be at work by 4 and it was already 3pm and I had not brought a change of clothes with me. I felt like just going to work in my running attire and staying in the back room for the evening, but knew better than that. There is casual, and then there is work appropriate casual. Somehow I don't think spandex shorts and a bright red sweatshirt that says "VANCOUVER" or "VICTORIA", or whatever it says, would have been acceptable. So dash home, change, inform the puppy that I was not staying long, dash back.
My IT band is still tight and was speaking to me from about mile 10 and onward through today, but if that is all that hinders me I am GRATEFUL!!! That is only a temporary pain. My feet did not hurt like they did during the 16 miler, though I do still have pain in the ball joint and will have that checked out tomorrow at 11:30am.

So now you have the novel of the events of yesterday.