We did it! I’m so proud and happy that the goal I’ve been dreaming about for the last five years has finally been realized. The weather was basically perfect in the 60s and cloudy for most of it, before the sun came out in the afternoon, causing the temperatures to climb toward 80. But after heat warnings all week, this was a total godsend. Besides my family, a bunch of friends from the running club showed up to join me, bringing with them a welcome energy that made the day less daunting. The first 11 miles I had people to run with which helped distract me with great conversation. Those first 11 miles actually felt easy and built my confidence.
Then I ran about 2 miles alone after my friend Kelly finished her 11. There I met Reece who was close to finishing up his 16 miler. We stopped, talked and stretched for a minute or two while he filled me in about his run. Seeing him on his way to run farther than he has since a doctor told him a year ago he’d never run more than 3 miles Overwhelmed me with gratitude and pride. The energy boost from that encounter was awesome.
Shortly after that, I encountered the first big hill, which I decided to walk and check messages. There were so many words of encouragement, waiting for me to read. Then I noticed the fundraiser had received over $700 since I started running which brought tears to my eyes from the generosity. As I crossed the hill, I was filled with gratitude and certainty that I’d finish no matter what. I knew all along this run would be worth all the training and planning and effort, but right then it truly hit me that I was doing it and I had so much support. The fact that I was on a beautiful road along the river surrounded by God’s amazing creation made it that much more satisfying.
Eventually, I met Paul by a beautiful waterfall where I refueled, stretched, and snapped some pictures. He decided to run a few more miles with me, which really helped boost my energy and kept me running. We then ran into Bryce at mile 24 of his run. He was doing great and was excited that he would reach his goal of 31 miles, but he was starting to feel the effects of not really training. Despite that he still ran 31 miles in 4 1/2 hours! It’s impossible to describe how proud I was of my family at that moment.
When we returned to the van, I took a few minutes to foam roll and use the massage gun because my legs were starting to seize up. I honestly don’t know if I would’ve finished the run without that tool. I relied on it a few more times in the final miles and it truly loosened me up.
Before setting out again on my own, I grabbed my first solid food, an almond butter granola bar, to eat as I ran. Up until then I had been subsisting on energy gels, water and electrolytes. I was at mile 18 and finally craving food. Paul drove back to the tent to check on Bryce and make sure he finished safely.
It was such a beautiful road. There was no traffic besides a group of cyclists, a few motorcycles and a four wheeler. The woods were gorgeous, the river sparkled and looked so refreshing, and the vegetation was extremely lush. It was the perfect road for those reasons and the fact that it was dirt and completely shaded. It was not hot yet either, which I was truly grateful for. The sky was cloudy and it was in the 60s most of the morning. Even when it reached 70, the clouds remained, and I found lots of shade on the road.
I headed back to the tent and really started to tighten up, but I was also encouraged because I had 20 miles under my belt. I knew, however, that every subsequent step would be unknown territory since my furthest training run had only been 20 miles. But mentally I was feeling great. I wasn’t tired, only stiff and I was still enjoying myself.
When I arrived at the tent, Paul’s friends from work were there cheering me on. It was such a nice feeling. I took time to chat with them, refuel, roll, massage, and stretch. The boys were there to recap their runs which made me so happy. We devised a plan for my last 9 miles and off I went.
Unfortunately, the sun decided to come out and join me. All I had left was an out and back on the road I run all the time, so that made it sound doable. All I have left is River Road I kept telling myself. I put my earbuds in for the first time and cranked out some metal. It really helped those first few miles because the music fired me up, my legs locked into the tempo, and I knew I was almost done.
But then it got hot. There were stretches without shade, which immediately zapped my energy. I walked a little bit every 5 to 10 minutes and eventually I ran out of water. Discouragement settled in for the first time. I wanted to run, but everything hurt. My glutes and hamstrings screamed in protest from the tightness, then I started worrying about the heat. Thankfully, my family showed up in the van just in time with cold water and supplies which worked wonders. After some encouragement, I slowly started again. The perfect songs played on my playlist and I settled back into a slow run.
We met up one last time with one and a half miles to go. My spirits were lifted and once again, I was excited to run. We made a plan so they could run the last half mile with me. As I ran my last solo mile, gratitude overwhelmed me. Flyleaf’s version of How He Loves came on just in time. As it blasted in my ears, I gazed at the river and the fullness of the trees, thought about my family and everyone who showed up, and the fact that I was truly almost done. Goosebumps broke out all over my body, flooding me with joy and appreciation. I’ll never forget how connected I felt to God in that moment.
As I approached the tent, our friend Scott was there waiting with his dog, which fired me up once again. He pumped us all up as the boys put their shoes on, then we had it out for the last half mile together. We were all hurting at this point, but it felt so special to just be moving together. And just like that my watch hit 34.18(I needed a little extra for the Strava tax.) I let out a huge sigh of relief. I immediately sat down, took off my shoes and socks, and tried to let it all sink in. My family presented me with a beautiful hanging basket to commemorate the finish. Then we smiled in celebration at what we accomplished. They all hit big milestones with their individual runs, and I couldn’t be more proud. At one time or another they were all told by doctors that they shouldn’t or couldn’t run and this just proved that miracles still happen.
To top it off, we raised over $2000 for Heart Support. People‘s generosity blew me away. I’m so grateful for all the support and encouragement from everyone over these last few months as I worked towards this goal. our bodies and minds really are miraculous and resilient. I hope my journey motivates others to set audacious goals, and to go for it, even if you don’t feel capable. And the most valuable lessons are learned in the weeks leading up to it when we realize so much about ourselves and what truly matters. Thank you all for helping me along. Stay tuned — I’m already dreaming up the next big challenge!
