I began the day with a speaking engagement at Hopewell United Methodist Church. As I talked about how much it meant to have someone stand with you and run beside you, I couldn't help get emotional. God continues to place people with me when I need them the most. And it turns out that today was the day, I needed Sondra to be by my side. After I spoke, Pastor Mike Browder gave a sermon using Hebrews 12:1, and listed the 7 rules of running. The key phrase I got from his message was "Good habits on the outside, produce good faith on the inside." It reminded me of my own catch-phrase "Belief=action=belief" That's how I lost the weight and took the challenge of the 15in15. When I believed I could lose the weight, my actions followed (I tracked what I ate, exercised, etc.) which brought success, which boosted my belief, which led to more action! When you have the faith of a mustard seed, God will call you to action and when you see what He does in your life, your faith grows!
After the service, Steve turned the crew reins over to Josh and Michelle Orndorff, while he spoke at the late service and went home to get the camper. After the few miles on Route 1 yesterday, I didn't want to run 26.2 miles of it, so after consulting a map, we decided to head into Fredericksburg via Route 3. Not exactly a straight route from where I stopped yesterday, but the important thing was getting the miles in. Sondra followed us to the Center City Shopping Center where she left her car and we headed east. When we got 26.2 miles out of town we began the run back into Fredericksburg at mailbox 9233. This is one way in which God uses little coincidences to show us that He is in the midst of the run. 33 was Kelsey Orndorff's (Josh's sister) number. Kelsey was very active in TOP and, in fact, was the lead organizer of our intitial ministry in Fredericksburg. When Kelsey tragically died in a car accident, we were all devastated. But her spirit lives on in TOP. Our direct aid fund to help provide special needs such as help with rent or utilities is now named Kelsey Kares. And her spirit was with us today as we started the run.
While it rained when we were in the car, it seemed as soon as we started running, the sun came out and the temperature went up 10 degrees into the nineties. Because we had to travel from Hopewell, we didn't get started until almost 12:30, so we were running in the heat of the day from the start. It was hot, hot, hot! The second difficulty was the traffic. While it was 100 times better than Route 1, there was still a lot of it. You had to constantly pay attention, just in case a car or truck wasn't. There were also two sections of road where we totally lost the shoulder. We tried running in the grass next to the soybean fields, but that didn't work too well - it was like running in soft sand and took too much effort. There were also a lot of hills. Hills are okay, but hills and hot make for a long day. My back was really bothering me by mid day, and the heat was starting to take it's toll. I was grateful that we were stopping every mile or two, because I was really struggling. This was the hardest day physically for me, and that's why I was so grateful Sondra was there. At one point, I had her run in front and I just followed her footsteps. "Keep moving, just put your feet down and keep going." I felt like she was pulling me on.
At one point Sondra said she was going to start leapfrogging me. I thought she meant that she was going to run up ahead at a faster pace, and then wait up for me. Actually, the heat was getting to her too, and she wanted to stick with me until the end, so she took a couple of breaks just to cool off for a minute. She still ended up running at least 23 of the 26 miles.
It was beautiful out there in the country, but after a while it was more of the same. If you've seen one cornfield, you've seen them all. It was the first time I will admit to wanting to see some sign of civilization, because it meant the end was near.
At one point a grasshopper jumped on my thumb. Then a ladybug landed on Sondra and hung on for a while. So we became "Grasshopper" and "Ladybug."
Then, just when I was about spent, civilization came into view in the form of a Sheetz! We used the restrooms, and took our time getting through the air-conditioned store. As we began running toward town, a fellow asks us for directions. Like we know where we are! At the next stop, Lindsey gets out and we walk the last mile across the bridge and into town together. Another person asks us for direction! But then, out of the blue, we hear "SuSu!" It was Josh's dad, Pastor Randy Orndorff. What a pleasant surprise. Finally we hit the 26.2 mark and end at a cemetery! How fitting, since I am dead tired. And our running time? 5:33 - Kelsey was there at the end for us too.
We were blessed to be treated to dinner by Pastor Randy. I was blessed at Josh and Michelle's care for us which had to be for them a very long day (since they also took us out to Lake Anna before going home). And doubly blessed by Sondra who drove up all the way from NC to be by my side. It made the heat, the traffic, and the long road ahead all worth it.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
15 in 15 Run - Day 5 (Aug 21) - DC to Woodbridge
We stayed at Aunt Joan Jennings' house last night and had a wonderful dinner at The Village Wharf. Again, it had been years since we had seen her, and there was a lot of catching up to do. But for some reason, I had a really restless night. My legs ached a bit and I decided to take some aspirin, so I got up and rummaged around trying to find the right bag. Then I went in the bathroom and rubbed my special emu oil and bio-freeze on them. I get back to bed and Steve who has slept through all that is breathing heavy. Normally it doesn't bother me, but last night it did. I tried the tricks of bouncing the bed to get him to turn but that didn't help, so I got up again and went into the next room where there was a couch. I snuggled down on that, thought it was real comfortable and tried to sleep. "Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!" that was the loudest clock. I decided that heavy breathing was more bearable so I go back into the bedroom, after going into the bathroom to grab some toilet paper to shove in my ears. I'm laying there praying desperately "Please God, help me go to sleep!" and eventually I drift off.
When we drove to the Lincoln Memorial, we missed the turn that let's you take the bridge across and ended up having to go all the way to Spout Run before we could turn around. Finally, we got to the starting point and I was met by Heidi Vogelsong. The other runners, Melissa Roy, Vanessa Peterman, and her husband Jeff started from the airport and were going to meet up with us. After a few pictures we were off.
Heidi and I ran for a few miles before her phone rang, and we realized that we had somehow missed everyone else. Melissa ran hard to catch us and began running with us. We arrived at the end of the airport where there was port-o-johns and eventually the whole group got together. We realized that we were running at slightly different paces. I ended up running mostly with Melissa and we would make sure everyone was back together by the next crew stop. Everyone loved the crew! We were sprayed, given ice water and gatorade as needed. I think everyone got spoiled and wanted this to occur on all their long runs. Yay for the crew!
The heat was hard on everyone. While running, I was maintaining the goal pace, in fact from miles 10-17 we were running under goal pace, but the breaks were pretty long. Vanessa was struggling with the heat, in fact, we were concerned when she stopped sweating and was feeling shaky. She and Heidi decided to walk until Jeff, who had run back to the car, came and picked them up. I was so happy they could be a part of the journey. Melissa ran with me until Mt. Vernon. The hills were starting to get me and I ended up walking up many of the last ones. Melissa came back and tried to "pull" me up one of the hills with an imaginary rope.
After Mt. Vernon, I was on my own, but only had 9 miles to go. The trail continued on for a while, but eventually disappeared right before Route 1. When we hit Route 1, the first thing I had to do was climb a huge hill. Good thing I ate that Expresso Love gel Vanessa gave me before I attempted it! The shoulder got so narrow by the guard rail, that I ended up climbing over the railing and walking in the weeds until I could get to a better spot. This was going to be a long 5 miles. It reminded me of my Route 50 trip - at least this part was shorter. I walked the long uphills and ran the downhills. In another section where the shoulder disappeared, I had to peak around bushes, see if any traffic was coming, then sprint until I got out of the nasty zone.Finally, there was a paved trail to run on. At mile 25, Lindsey and Reba got out and walked the last 1.2 miles with me. We almost lost Reba, who told us to go ahead and have someone come get her, but after walking a little further we turned around (when we heard an icecream truck - rats no money!) and here she was trudging up the hill. So the three of us made it together. The Garmin and the car odometer obviously had different measurements because I ended up going 26.3 miles! The last 1/10th of a mile is sometimes the hardest.
We then were stuck in traffic on 95 forever, as we made our way to Hopewell where I will be speaking tomorrow. We had another enjoyable evening with our host family Pastor (and TOP board member) Mike Browder and his wife Susan. We also met the youth leader, Jesse, who might run with me on Wednesday.
Today was a beautiful but hot run by the river. Another day where the support of friends made the going easier. I was spent, but blessed, and maybe that's where we see God work the most.
When we drove to the Lincoln Memorial, we missed the turn that let's you take the bridge across and ended up having to go all the way to Spout Run before we could turn around. Finally, we got to the starting point and I was met by Heidi Vogelsong. The other runners, Melissa Roy, Vanessa Peterman, and her husband Jeff started from the airport and were going to meet up with us. After a few pictures we were off.
Heidi and I ran for a few miles before her phone rang, and we realized that we had somehow missed everyone else. Melissa ran hard to catch us and began running with us. We arrived at the end of the airport where there was port-o-johns and eventually the whole group got together. We realized that we were running at slightly different paces. I ended up running mostly with Melissa and we would make sure everyone was back together by the next crew stop. Everyone loved the crew! We were sprayed, given ice water and gatorade as needed. I think everyone got spoiled and wanted this to occur on all their long runs. Yay for the crew!
The heat was hard on everyone. While running, I was maintaining the goal pace, in fact from miles 10-17 we were running under goal pace, but the breaks were pretty long. Vanessa was struggling with the heat, in fact, we were concerned when she stopped sweating and was feeling shaky. She and Heidi decided to walk until Jeff, who had run back to the car, came and picked them up. I was so happy they could be a part of the journey. Melissa ran with me until Mt. Vernon. The hills were starting to get me and I ended up walking up many of the last ones. Melissa came back and tried to "pull" me up one of the hills with an imaginary rope.
After Mt. Vernon, I was on my own, but only had 9 miles to go. The trail continued on for a while, but eventually disappeared right before Route 1. When we hit Route 1, the first thing I had to do was climb a huge hill. Good thing I ate that Expresso Love gel Vanessa gave me before I attempted it! The shoulder got so narrow by the guard rail, that I ended up climbing over the railing and walking in the weeds until I could get to a better spot. This was going to be a long 5 miles. It reminded me of my Route 50 trip - at least this part was shorter. I walked the long uphills and ran the downhills. In another section where the shoulder disappeared, I had to peak around bushes, see if any traffic was coming, then sprint until I got out of the nasty zone.Finally, there was a paved trail to run on. At mile 25, Lindsey and Reba got out and walked the last 1.2 miles with me. We almost lost Reba, who told us to go ahead and have someone come get her, but after walking a little further we turned around (when we heard an icecream truck - rats no money!) and here she was trudging up the hill. So the three of us made it together. The Garmin and the car odometer obviously had different measurements because I ended up going 26.3 miles! The last 1/10th of a mile is sometimes the hardest.
We then were stuck in traffic on 95 forever, as we made our way to Hopewell where I will be speaking tomorrow. We had another enjoyable evening with our host family Pastor (and TOP board member) Mike Browder and his wife Susan. We also met the youth leader, Jesse, who might run with me on Wednesday.
Today was a beautiful but hot run by the river. Another day where the support of friends made the going easier. I was spent, but blessed, and maybe that's where we see God work the most.
15 in 15 Run - Day 4 (Aug 20) Sterling to DC
I was looking forward to this day, especially after yesterday's "on the highway" run. Today was going to be bike trail all the way in to DC. We started at the parking lot for the W&OD trail on Route 28 in Sterling. I was met there by Gwen Corley who would be giving bike support and Alan Sowards, an old high school friend, who would run with me for the first 10 miles. This was another blessing. Alan lives in North Carolina and just happened to be in the area on business. Isn't it wonderful how God plans coincidences like that?
Alan and I got caught up on the last 30 years of our lives since we graduated from Loudoun County High. We worked out a system with Gwen, who could bike ahead of us with a spray bottle, and gatorade if we needed it, then she would be ready to spray us down as we passed by. The miles went pretty quickly with someone to talk to, and no traffic to worry about (except at the street crossings). Alan finished the 10 miles and left with his wife, while Gwen and I moved on. Eventually we were met by BJ Freeman who was walking towards us from where she had parked. This was great! From beginning to end, I was going to have somebody to talk to.
Our crew was having more difficulties. While we were running a straight line down the trail, they would have to plot a course through the streets in order to catch up to us. Sometimes this meant that roads they were planning to take had construction detours. By the time they made it to the rendezvous point we had already run by. It was good that Gwen was there with the extra supplies. I was also wearing a hydration pack, which gave me more water, but it was heavy.
Gwen turned around to ride back to her car, but it wasn't very long before BJ and I met up with Jay Jacob Wind who was going to run with us into DC. I recognized him because he was the race director of the Potomac River Run marathon that I did back in May. He was a wealth of running knowledge and he also knew the trail and the city very well. We handed over the logistics to him and he communicated back and forth with Steve on where to meet up. It was another one of those blessings.By now I was hot and tired. I really did feel like they were pulling me into DC and it made the run so much easier.
At one point there was a detour sign on the trail. We decided that it was meant for bicycles only and decided to try to make it through. Not! Now we had to turn around and go back. Fortunately, it wasn't very far. When Key Bridge came into view I was very happy, we were almost there. We crossed into Georgetown and stopped at the Georgetown Running Company for some water. Then, I followed Jay and BJ down to Water St (since it wasn't the original route) which avoided the Georgetown foot traffic and gave us a nice shaded route until we ran the last 12 blocks down to McPherson Square. At the end we grabbed hands and held them high as we crossed the "finish" line. Our crew and the TOP DC coordinator, William Daniels, were waiting for us.
I did get one leg cramp after sitting on the curb a while, but was able to work it out and it didn't bother me the rest of the day. BJ treated us to ice cream, since the store just happened to be across from the park. What a great day of friendship. It reminded me so much that I'm not doing this alone. As the song goes "I get by with a little help from my friends."
Alan and I got caught up on the last 30 years of our lives since we graduated from Loudoun County High. We worked out a system with Gwen, who could bike ahead of us with a spray bottle, and gatorade if we needed it, then she would be ready to spray us down as we passed by. The miles went pretty quickly with someone to talk to, and no traffic to worry about (except at the street crossings). Alan finished the 10 miles and left with his wife, while Gwen and I moved on. Eventually we were met by BJ Freeman who was walking towards us from where she had parked. This was great! From beginning to end, I was going to have somebody to talk to.
Our crew was having more difficulties. While we were running a straight line down the trail, they would have to plot a course through the streets in order to catch up to us. Sometimes this meant that roads they were planning to take had construction detours. By the time they made it to the rendezvous point we had already run by. It was good that Gwen was there with the extra supplies. I was also wearing a hydration pack, which gave me more water, but it was heavy.
Gwen turned around to ride back to her car, but it wasn't very long before BJ and I met up with Jay Jacob Wind who was going to run with us into DC. I recognized him because he was the race director of the Potomac River Run marathon that I did back in May. He was a wealth of running knowledge and he also knew the trail and the city very well. We handed over the logistics to him and he communicated back and forth with Steve on where to meet up. It was another one of those blessings.By now I was hot and tired. I really did feel like they were pulling me into DC and it made the run so much easier.
At one point there was a detour sign on the trail. We decided that it was meant for bicycles only and decided to try to make it through. Not! Now we had to turn around and go back. Fortunately, it wasn't very far. When Key Bridge came into view I was very happy, we were almost there. We crossed into Georgetown and stopped at the Georgetown Running Company for some water. Then, I followed Jay and BJ down to Water St (since it wasn't the original route) which avoided the Georgetown foot traffic and gave us a nice shaded route until we ran the last 12 blocks down to McPherson Square. At the end we grabbed hands and held them high as we crossed the "finish" line. Our crew and the TOP DC coordinator, William Daniels, were waiting for us.
I did get one leg cramp after sitting on the curb a while, but was able to work it out and it didn't bother me the rest of the day. BJ treated us to ice cream, since the store just happened to be across from the park. What a great day of friendship. It reminded me so much that I'm not doing this alone. As the song goes "I get by with a little help from my friends."
15 in 15 Run - Day 3 (Aug 19) Trinity UMC to Chantilly
The day started off with a special blessing. Dr. Jeremy Busch, a chiropractor in Front Royal, had seen my post about my run and offered for his office to give me a massage and some dynamic stretching. It was wonderful and got me motivated for the day's run. He also sent me a link with some visualizations I can practice while running which would help with the Chi running technique, plus gave me a contact for Fredericksburg and Richmond. What a blessing! In typical Jennings fashion, we got a late start and left Trinity United Methodist Church in Paris, VA about 11:40am. That meant I would be running mostly in the heat of the day.The road began with a gentle downhill slope as I came off the mountain. Today I would spend the entire day on Route 50. The first few miles of the trip weren't bad. There was good shoulder, not too much traffic, and gently rolling hills. At one point, I had to go through a construction zone. They were taking a tree down, and right as I ran by, they dropped a good sized limb.
Unlike yesterday with the pouring rain, it was sunny and heating up fast. And although I started at about 800 ft and dropped down to 300 ft, the road was more uphill than down. I would run up, up, up, down, up, up, up, down. Upperville has these fancy stone shoulders that look nice, but don't really help runners because they are too narrow. At least they had a sidewalk in the middle of town. Between Upperville and Middleburg the hills seemed to get longer and longer. Finally, at about the halfway point we reached the middle of Middleburg. My crew was doing a great job of keeping me sprayed off and my bottle full of ice water. I told Reba to make me drink even if I didn't want to. At Middleburg, she left and Steve and Lindsey became my sole crew.
The next section of the road was horrible. Now we were into the afternoon rush hour traffic, about the same time as the shoulder of the highway became almost nonexistent. And I was still going up. Traffic was whizzing by at 70 mph, and even if there were no cars in the opposite lane, they wouldn't move over one inch, zooming by so close that I almost lost my hat a couple of times. I kept having to jump in the ditch to get out of the way. I began having a little pity party for myself "I'm hot, this is too hard, I hate this road, I want to quit" Then I gave myself a little lecture. "Listen to yourself. You're so focused on you and your misery that all you are doing is making yourself more miserable. Take your eyes off of yourself for a minute and think about why you are doing this, and the people who are supporting you. Run with endurance, the race set before you."
When I got my mental attitude in the right place I was able to focus more on getting the day done. In Aldie, we stopped at the Aldie General Store and they let me use the bathroom. Then it was the last push to the finish. The best part of the trip is when I went down by the Aldie Mill and ran across the foot bridge over the creek. Shaded, no cars - Ah!
The next challenge was the three round-abouts. I had to figure out how to negotiate around them and the traffic that was merging in and out. Plus they didn't build shoulders, they put in curbs instead. I was so focused on avoiding getting hit by a car, that I missed where Steve and Lindsey were waiting for me. Soon I was on the four lane highway. I had good shoulder for a while, but then they decided to put curbs there too!
When I hit 25.5 miles, Steve said I was 1.7 miles from the church. I told him I would go another mile and see how I felt. This mile ended at the top of a hill and I could see where the church was. "I'm going all the way." I said, and ran down the hill and into the church parking lot, where I was greeted by Leroy Jackson who was our host for the evening. He and his wife, Jane, fed us a wonderful dinner and we had a great time catching up over the past 15 years since we had seen them.
Today was a tough day mentally. The traffic bearing down on me just made it really hard to focus. But I learned when we take our eyes off of our self and focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, he gives us the strength to keep going.
Unlike yesterday with the pouring rain, it was sunny and heating up fast. And although I started at about 800 ft and dropped down to 300 ft, the road was more uphill than down. I would run up, up, up, down, up, up, up, down. Upperville has these fancy stone shoulders that look nice, but don't really help runners because they are too narrow. At least they had a sidewalk in the middle of town. Between Upperville and Middleburg the hills seemed to get longer and longer. Finally, at about the halfway point we reached the middle of Middleburg. My crew was doing a great job of keeping me sprayed off and my bottle full of ice water. I told Reba to make me drink even if I didn't want to. At Middleburg, she left and Steve and Lindsey became my sole crew.
The next section of the road was horrible. Now we were into the afternoon rush hour traffic, about the same time as the shoulder of the highway became almost nonexistent. And I was still going up. Traffic was whizzing by at 70 mph, and even if there were no cars in the opposite lane, they wouldn't move over one inch, zooming by so close that I almost lost my hat a couple of times. I kept having to jump in the ditch to get out of the way. I began having a little pity party for myself "I'm hot, this is too hard, I hate this road, I want to quit" Then I gave myself a little lecture. "Listen to yourself. You're so focused on you and your misery that all you are doing is making yourself more miserable. Take your eyes off of yourself for a minute and think about why you are doing this, and the people who are supporting you. Run with endurance, the race set before you."
When I got my mental attitude in the right place I was able to focus more on getting the day done. In Aldie, we stopped at the Aldie General Store and they let me use the bathroom. Then it was the last push to the finish. The best part of the trip is when I went down by the Aldie Mill and ran across the foot bridge over the creek. Shaded, no cars - Ah!
The next challenge was the three round-abouts. I had to figure out how to negotiate around them and the traffic that was merging in and out. Plus they didn't build shoulders, they put in curbs instead. I was so focused on avoiding getting hit by a car, that I missed where Steve and Lindsey were waiting for me. Soon I was on the four lane highway. I had good shoulder for a while, but then they decided to put curbs there too!
When I hit 25.5 miles, Steve said I was 1.7 miles from the church. I told him I would go another mile and see how I felt. This mile ended at the top of a hill and I could see where the church was. "I'm going all the way." I said, and ran down the hill and into the church parking lot, where I was greeted by Leroy Jackson who was our host for the evening. He and his wife, Jane, fed us a wonderful dinner and we had a great time catching up over the past 15 years since we had seen them.
Today was a tough day mentally. The traffic bearing down on me just made it really hard to focus. But I learned when we take our eyes off of our self and focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, he gives us the strength to keep going.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
15 in 15 - Day 2 (Aug 18) - Front Royal to Mt. Carmel
I woke up and thought, "What's that sound, someone taking a shower? It couldn't be...rain!" But it was. It was okay because I knew that in 15 days it had to rain sometime. Might as well get it out of the way early, especially since this was trail day. Steve had gone home the night before to take care of the dog, and pick up some things we forgot and didn't get back until close to 7:30. By the time we got to the Gazebo and organized the gear, it was close to 8 oclock. But I was off and running in the rain. It took me about 1/2 mile before I realized I hadn't turned my Garmin on! Oops. The first four miles were on the road going out of town and up to the trailhead. Up, and up, and up I went. My pace was pretty slow right from the start and my trail shoes were rubbing one toe the wrong way. When I caught up to my crew before I entered the trail, I changed shoes and got my pack ready.
The first part of the trail was fairly runnable, but not even a mile on the trail and I ran into a big tree down blocking the way. Crawling under, in and around fallen trees is all part of the adventure. Now I started climbing, and climbing. The rain was steady, but manageable. In fact it kept me cool, but it also slowed me down because I was being cautious on the wet rocks and roots. I really didn't want to fall down. Finally, after about 2 miles I reach the top of the ridge, and after a few technical (rocky) areas begin a nice descent. I made a pit stop at the Jim and Molly Denton shelter and after a long two hours came out on Rt. 638 where I met my crew. At this point I had gone between 9 and 10 miles and was already an hour behind schedule.
The next section of trail was a lot easier. I climbed up the ridge through the woods and emerged in a beautiful mountain meadow enshrouded in clouds. There, under a lonely apple tree, was a bench. At first, I thought wouldn't it be nice just to sit down and relax for a while. But the stronger impression was that it was pew in God's cathedral. I ran across the meadow and back into the woods to begin the descent. About 1/2 way down was a historical sign - apparently, John Mosby and his raiders roamed these trails during the Civil War. I reached Rt. 55, got re-fueled by my crew and headed up the next ridge.
I had a real blessing in the person of Colleen Snyder who came to run with me for a few miles. She arrived when I needed it most, as the next section was another long climb. It's amazing when you have someone to talk to how quickly the miles go by. That really lifted my spirits and got me over the ridge. I had to take a 1/4 mile trail up to the parking lot where my crew was stationed. By now it was 2 o'clock and I still had 10+ miles to go! On the trails I was only averaging about 3 mph.Reba, with her sense of humor, asked me if I wanted to be sprayed down! I think I'm wet enough.
As I left them, I descended down into the woods into a dark cloud. It was like entering a fairy land. I finally was able to get a good trail running thing happening and began to make up time. I was doing so well, that I beat the crew station to their next stop and had already run by. At this point I just wanted to be done, so I kept moving. I noticed that the run was going to be a little short so I took a side trail that went to a beautiful overlook, and added a couple of miles to the run. Good thing I did, else I would have beat them to the next stop.
At this point I was off the mountain and had one mile to go. I gave them my pack and took off down Route 50. I was running down the mountain on the shoulder of the highway and felt free to run, unburdened by the weight of the pack. Finally I make the last turn to my ending destination, Mt. Carmel church and my daughter and I walk the last 100 yards together. What a long day! Almost 9 hours in the rain. I was tired, but only had an hour to get showered and ready to speak at Providence Chapel, our home church. It was a wonderful evening and I feel so blessed to have them supporting me every step of the way.
Day 2 done.
The first part of the trail was fairly runnable, but not even a mile on the trail and I ran into a big tree down blocking the way. Crawling under, in and around fallen trees is all part of the adventure. Now I started climbing, and climbing. The rain was steady, but manageable. In fact it kept me cool, but it also slowed me down because I was being cautious on the wet rocks and roots. I really didn't want to fall down. Finally, after about 2 miles I reach the top of the ridge, and after a few technical (rocky) areas begin a nice descent. I made a pit stop at the Jim and Molly Denton shelter and after a long two hours came out on Rt. 638 where I met my crew. At this point I had gone between 9 and 10 miles and was already an hour behind schedule.
The next section of trail was a lot easier. I climbed up the ridge through the woods and emerged in a beautiful mountain meadow enshrouded in clouds. There, under a lonely apple tree, was a bench. At first, I thought wouldn't it be nice just to sit down and relax for a while. But the stronger impression was that it was pew in God's cathedral. I ran across the meadow and back into the woods to begin the descent. About 1/2 way down was a historical sign - apparently, John Mosby and his raiders roamed these trails during the Civil War. I reached Rt. 55, got re-fueled by my crew and headed up the next ridge.
I had a real blessing in the person of Colleen Snyder who came to run with me for a few miles. She arrived when I needed it most, as the next section was another long climb. It's amazing when you have someone to talk to how quickly the miles go by. That really lifted my spirits and got me over the ridge. I had to take a 1/4 mile trail up to the parking lot where my crew was stationed. By now it was 2 o'clock and I still had 10+ miles to go! On the trails I was only averaging about 3 mph.Reba, with her sense of humor, asked me if I wanted to be sprayed down! I think I'm wet enough.
As I left them, I descended down into the woods into a dark cloud. It was like entering a fairy land. I finally was able to get a good trail running thing happening and began to make up time. I was doing so well, that I beat the crew station to their next stop and had already run by. At this point I just wanted to be done, so I kept moving. I noticed that the run was going to be a little short so I took a side trail that went to a beautiful overlook, and added a couple of miles to the run. Good thing I did, else I would have beat them to the next stop.
At this point I was off the mountain and had one mile to go. I gave them my pack and took off down Route 50. I was running down the mountain on the shoulder of the highway and felt free to run, unburdened by the weight of the pack. Finally I make the last turn to my ending destination, Mt. Carmel church and my daughter and I walk the last 100 yards together. What a long day! Almost 9 hours in the rain. I was tired, but only had an hour to get showered and ready to speak at Providence Chapel, our home church. It was a wonderful evening and I feel so blessed to have them supporting me every step of the way.
Day 2 done.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
15 in 15 Day 1 - Winchester to Front Royal
After staying up late to get things ready, we were frantically running around the house in the morning, which meant that we were going to forget something. When we got to Winchester, we realized it was the water! Fortunately, Reba, my faithful crew member had brought water. Running with me was Rachel Carson who is heading off to college tomorrow and three cross country team members from James Wood High School. Also running with me was Kristin Bloodworth, from Braddock United Methodist Church. After the necessary pictures, we start running and make it a 1/4 mile before I needed to use the bathroom. So, first stop! We chatted and ran a nice easy pace. My crew had gone ahead to Sheetz to get gas and so we figured if we didn't need to stop we would just wave as we passed by, which we did. They are supposed to stop every 1 or 2 miles. Well we ran 3 miles, then 4 and the girls need to get taken back to their cars soon and no crew. Finally, they call. "We can't find you." Did I mention that all six of us were wearing bright orange safety vests? And there were five of them supposed to be looking for us running by? And they can't find us? At mile five, we finally get connected. Kristin continues on with me for another 3 miles. Once we turn off Valley Ave. and onto Springdale Lane the road is wonderful, hardly any traffic. But now we get the hills. Some of them were pretty steep. I remember passing a road to the left with no road sign and thinking - that sort of looks like the road we're supposed to turn onto. But because it isn't marked I figure it's a private lane. Steve takes Kristin back to her car and goes to a meeting. Here is where we learn Lesson 1 - make sure you have everything you need when the crew cars get separated. I'm running and running. We're supposed to hit Stephens City at mile 10.5. Well, we've passed that and now it's mile 11. Finally there's a turn without a road name, just a Route number. Eventually I end up on Germany Road and then hit Marlboro. I think that private lane way back there WAS our turn! So I run into Stephens City with 3 extra miles under my belt on a road that has lots of blind curves. There was a lot of jumping right into the poison ivy on the side of the road! Lesson 2 - make sure you bring the Atlas. I'm also developing some chafing issues, where my arm is rubbing against my shirt and umm, my underwear. But Steve still has the bag with the body glide. He also has the short sleeve shirt I was going to change into. Reba, bless her heart, buys some vaseline and I go into the bathroom of the Exxon station and lube up. Then I ditch the underwear (the tights were meant to be worn without them anyway) I'm feeling much better now. As I cross through the Food Lion parking lot, Reba drives ahead and buys me a t-shirt to change into. Except the first one was an XXL. She then turns around exchanges it for a medium. I just keep running. After a few miles, Steve shows up and with him the Channel 3 TV station. As they get their camera set up, I take time to stretch and rest. After a quick interview, I'm off again. Because of the extra three miles I've already run, I change plans and decide to run straight down 522 into Front Royal. Boy, was that an adventure. The shoulder isn't the greatest, but I could get down in the grass and farther away from the traffic in a lot of places. Trucks and cars whizzed by me, but for the most part pulled into the left lane if they could. On one section there was a hedge that grew out to the edge of the highway. I had to wait for a break in the traffic, run a few feet, then jump in the hedge when a car would come by. The other interesting thing in this section is that every step I took, 10 or 20 grasshoppers would fly up. "Just call me Grasshopper," was all I could think. Finally, we're on the outskirts of town and the going gets easier. All day, my crew waits for me in such places as a cemetery, a self-storage lot, numerous gas stations, or perched precariously on the side of the road. As I cross the final bridge going into Front Royal, I had already decided that I was going to run all the way to the Gazebo. But the bridge was long and by the time I finished crossing I was at mile 26. It can't be more than a mile... I'm running and running and mile 27 shows up and I'm still not there. Then, squish, I step right into some bubble gum. Ewwy, gooey! At the shell station, Lindsey joins me, then Reba and her granddaughter, Bethany, and we walk the final 1/2 mile to the Gazebo. 27Then we run up the steps while singing the theme from Rocky. I stretch and we wait for the Northern VA Daily reporter to show up with his camera man. After the interview, the camera man wants to take pictures of me...running. So I run three short strides while he gets his pictures. After he's done, it actually felt pretty good, and loosened me up for tomorrow's run! We had a wonderful dinner at the Dodd's home and a beautiful time of worship and testimony at Marlow Heights Baptist Church. They have very generous and giving spirits there. I'm tired, but don't feel too bad. Tomorrow's a new day, and a new adventure!
Monday, August 16, 2010
My Complete Route for the 15 in 15
Here is the detailed maps for my 15 days of running! I will be leaving at approximately 7:30am each day except for August 22, when I will be leaving around 1pm after speaking in the morning. If you want to run with me for any or all of a day, please e-mail me and let me know which day and where you want to meet up. I'm estimating an average of 12 minute miles, which may be slower or faster depending on how I feel, who's running with me, and the weather! And you can run 1 mile or all 26 miles; we will have a driver who can take you back to your car. The more the merrier!
Day 1 - Tuesday Aug 17 - Winchester to Front Royal. Winchester ministry focuses on delivering groceries in low income neighborhoods, and is a site for Impact the Valley. Front Royal is the headquarters for Impact the Valley. We have several active TOP youth groups in Front Royal. We will be leaving from the downtown walking mall, near the Court House.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/winchester/254128124101945590
Day 2 - Wednesday, Aug 18 - Front Royal to Mt. Carmel Church - Leaving from the Gazebo at 7:30am, running 522 south until we get to the Appalachian Trail, then running the trails to Route 50, and a short trip to Mt. Carmel. Mileage on this map is estimate, was hard to map the trail but I'm sure it will be at least 26 miles! This will be the most scenic route, but also the hardest! Mt. Carmel is one of three churches on the Paris Mountain Charge. Providence Chapel, where I will be speaking Wednesday night is my home church! So I'm home this day.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/front-royal/676128199324365795
Day 3 - Thursday, Aug 19 - Paris to Chantilly - Leaving from Trinity UMC and running Route 50 into Chantilly. Trinity is the third church in our charge. Ending at Pleasant Valley Church, the church where TOP started!
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/bluemont/243128128470811894
Day 4 - Friday, Aug 20 - Chantilly (Sterling) to DC - Leaving from the W&OD parking lot off of Route 28(Sully Rd). I will be running the W&OD trail until it intersects with the Custis Trail, then taking the Custis Trail into Georgetown across Key Bridge. I will end up at McPherson Square, one of the main parks where we do ministry in DC. A good run without much road to worry about!
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/sterling/424128147920978940
Day 5 - Saturday, Aug 21 - I will leave DC starting from the Lincoln Memorial, and running the entire Mt. Vernon Trail. The run will end on Route 1 as we head to Fredericksburg. Another scenic run (except for the last few miles), and mostly flat!
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/dc/washington/441128155212327983
Day 6 - Sunday, Aug 22 - After speaking in Hopewell, VA I will be shuttled back to Route 1 and will start this run in the early afternoon. We will be running entirely on Route 1 (ugh). This will be a afternoon/early evening run for those who aren't morning runners. I will be ending in Fredericksburg, one of our newer ministry sites - we are still trying to develop the most effective ways to minister in this city. This run is on the long side, we may add the miles on to Saturday's run if I'm feeling good.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/lorton/279128155253872551
Day 7 - Monday, Aug 23 - From Fredericksburg, we begin our journey to Richmond. The nice thing about this run is that it ends at Lake Anna State Park! I think a swim will be in order at the end of the day.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/fredericksburg/413128198178437770
Day 8 - Tuesday, Aug 24 - We'll start at Lake Anna State Park and make our way towards Montpelier, passing through towns such as Beaver Dam.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/spotsylvania/582128198272422000
Day 9 - Wednesday, Aug 25 - Starting at Montpelier, we'll be traveling down Route 33 all the way into Richmond, ending at Monroe Park, the central location for ministry in Richmond.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/montpelier/262128198984418847
Day 10 - Thursday, Aug 26 - Starting at Monroe Park, we'll leave Richmond and travel towards Charlottesville on Route 6. It will take several miles just to get out of the city.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/richmond/444128147570420632
Day 11 - Friday, Aug 27 - Starting where we ended, near Goochland, VA - we will continue on Route 6 for this leg of the journey and turn north on Route 15.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/goochland/157128147634352936
Day 12 - Saturday, Aug 28 - Starting on Route 15 below Palmyra we will run north, then snake our way to Charlottesville via some back roads. We will finish the journey into Charlottesville by coming in on Route 250 and ending at Lee Park, where most of the Charlottesville ministry occurs.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/palmyra/308128147728639026
Day 13 - Sunday, Aug 29 - Starting from Lee Park, we will head out of Charlottesville on Ridge St/Route 631, ending around Faber.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/charlottesville/946128199070788575
Day 14 - Monday, Aug 30 - We'll start where we left off and do a mix of back roads and Route 29 as we make our way to Lynchburg.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/-amherst/203128199113730297
Day 15 - Tuesday, Aug 31 - Last Day!! We will spend most of the day on Route 29, taking the business route through the towns and ending at Fort Hill United Methodist in Lynchburg!! Lynchburg is the home of our UNO ministry - Urban Neighborhood Outreach.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/-lynchburg/348128199194647935
Hope to see you along the way!
Day 1 - Tuesday Aug 17 - Winchester to Front Royal. Winchester ministry focuses on delivering groceries in low income neighborhoods, and is a site for Impact the Valley. Front Royal is the headquarters for Impact the Valley. We have several active TOP youth groups in Front Royal. We will be leaving from the downtown walking mall, near the Court House.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/winchester/254128124101945590
Day 2 - Wednesday, Aug 18 - Front Royal to Mt. Carmel Church - Leaving from the Gazebo at 7:30am, running 522 south until we get to the Appalachian Trail, then running the trails to Route 50, and a short trip to Mt. Carmel. Mileage on this map is estimate, was hard to map the trail but I'm sure it will be at least 26 miles! This will be the most scenic route, but also the hardest! Mt. Carmel is one of three churches on the Paris Mountain Charge. Providence Chapel, where I will be speaking Wednesday night is my home church! So I'm home this day.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/front-royal/676128199324365795
Day 3 - Thursday, Aug 19 - Paris to Chantilly - Leaving from Trinity UMC and running Route 50 into Chantilly. Trinity is the third church in our charge. Ending at Pleasant Valley Church, the church where TOP started!
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/bluemont/243128128470811894
Day 4 - Friday, Aug 20 - Chantilly (Sterling) to DC - Leaving from the W&OD parking lot off of Route 28(Sully Rd). I will be running the W&OD trail until it intersects with the Custis Trail, then taking the Custis Trail into Georgetown across Key Bridge. I will end up at McPherson Square, one of the main parks where we do ministry in DC. A good run without much road to worry about!
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/sterling/424128147920978940
Day 5 - Saturday, Aug 21 - I will leave DC starting from the Lincoln Memorial, and running the entire Mt. Vernon Trail. The run will end on Route 1 as we head to Fredericksburg. Another scenic run (except for the last few miles), and mostly flat!
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/dc/washington/441128155212327983
Day 6 - Sunday, Aug 22 - After speaking in Hopewell, VA I will be shuttled back to Route 1 and will start this run in the early afternoon. We will be running entirely on Route 1 (ugh). This will be a afternoon/early evening run for those who aren't morning runners. I will be ending in Fredericksburg, one of our newer ministry sites - we are still trying to develop the most effective ways to minister in this city. This run is on the long side, we may add the miles on to Saturday's run if I'm feeling good.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/lorton/279128155253872551
Day 7 - Monday, Aug 23 - From Fredericksburg, we begin our journey to Richmond. The nice thing about this run is that it ends at Lake Anna State Park! I think a swim will be in order at the end of the day.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/fredericksburg/413128198178437770
Day 8 - Tuesday, Aug 24 - We'll start at Lake Anna State Park and make our way towards Montpelier, passing through towns such as Beaver Dam.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/spotsylvania/582128198272422000
Day 9 - Wednesday, Aug 25 - Starting at Montpelier, we'll be traveling down Route 33 all the way into Richmond, ending at Monroe Park, the central location for ministry in Richmond.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/montpelier/262128198984418847
Day 10 - Thursday, Aug 26 - Starting at Monroe Park, we'll leave Richmond and travel towards Charlottesville on Route 6. It will take several miles just to get out of the city.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/richmond/444128147570420632
Day 11 - Friday, Aug 27 - Starting where we ended, near Goochland, VA - we will continue on Route 6 for this leg of the journey and turn north on Route 15.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/goochland/157128147634352936
Day 12 - Saturday, Aug 28 - Starting on Route 15 below Palmyra we will run north, then snake our way to Charlottesville via some back roads. We will finish the journey into Charlottesville by coming in on Route 250 and ending at Lee Park, where most of the Charlottesville ministry occurs.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/palmyra/308128147728639026
Day 13 - Sunday, Aug 29 - Starting from Lee Park, we will head out of Charlottesville on Ridge St/Route 631, ending around Faber.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/charlottesville/946128199070788575
Day 14 - Monday, Aug 30 - We'll start where we left off and do a mix of back roads and Route 29 as we make our way to Lynchburg.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/-amherst/203128199113730297
Day 15 - Tuesday, Aug 31 - Last Day!! We will spend most of the day on Route 29, taking the business route through the towns and ending at Fort Hill United Methodist in Lynchburg!! Lynchburg is the home of our UNO ministry - Urban Neighborhood Outreach.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/-lynchburg/348128199194647935
Hope to see you along the way!
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