I purchased a new pair of trail running shoes, Montrail. The arches were a little higher than I was used but the shoes felt the most comfortable. Golden Harper at Runners Corner helped me fit the shoes properly. He was also scheduled to Pace Brian starting at Brighton around 1 am in the morning. High five and it was great to talk to him about running. He thought I might have some trouble keeping up with Pam. He obviously doesn't think I'm much of a runner if I can't keep up with a runner who has been running for 75 miles and up for over 20 hours.
I arrived at Brighton aid station and asked about Pam's status. She was still on her way. It was a cold night and I worried about my hands getting too cold. I sat next to an elderly gentleman, Lauren Cook who gave me his gloves. He was truly generous and I appreciated his kindness. I tried to return his gloves after the race. I called his house but his wife said to keep them too. I get the feeling he might be somewhat famous like Hugh Nibley. I'm just trying to tie up loose ends and return borrowed items. I sat next to Andrea Martinez and she mentioned Amie. She was on her support crew waiting for her. I introduced myself and who I was pacing.
When Pam walked in she looked a little rough. She told me she had just threw up. I mixed up a Recoverite drink and a hot chocolate drink for her. We started running in the cold night air and ended up running up a fork and had to return to find the correct trail, oops.
We ran in the darkness and for the first part I talked her ear off. I changed the subject often and talked about how great it was to be out running. I was surprised at how much energy I had and that I felt awake and alert. The course was very challenging requiring frequent climbs and descents. As we met other runners, they would recognize Pam and tell her how inspiring she was to them. She mentioned that she didnt like too much attention focused on her. It surprised me when she said that she didn't train, just ran the races. She had completes Ironman Canada 3 weeks ago. She was feeling rough but was determined to finish the race.
We looked forward to the sun rise. It finally appeared as a pink line along the sky. The continuance from night to early morn was beautiful. This was the first time I had run for so many hours. It was a slow halting grind going down hills until my quads burned and I welcomed any change. Pam asked me to run ahead so I ran ahead just enough so that I could see her coming. The last 3 miles were the toughest for me. I hit my wall where every step was painful and I didn't want to run anymore. I kept running so that Pam wouldn't leave me behind. It came down to a mental surrender to just keep running despite the pain and to follow through with my commitment to the very end. It was a controlled run always moving along in first and second gear pushing, grinding up and down hills. One runner who ran past described it as a meat grinder.
Crossing the finish line, Pam was congratulated by the race director. I got something to drink and talked to some of the other runners. Pam promised to send me a copy of her book, An Extra Mile. I look forward to reading it. I really enjoyed running with Pam and it was like running with a long time friend. I wish her well in running across America. It is an awesome goal that I would love to help.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneThe Extra Mile
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