6/17/2011
I got my butt up pretty early. There was nothing to eat but luckily, I had stocked up on breakfast bars the day before. They would have to suffice. I mixed them with peanut butter, chewed quickly, and packed my things even quicker. Mark arrived right on time to take me to the starting point. I didn’t realize it was the start of a very fun day.
Stage one consisted of Mark running and chatting with me for a couple of miles. He had been called the previous night by Amy to help guide me on a trail starting at Wicker Park. It is the only geography of the area I remember at this point as the rest of the towns passed so quickly.
In a couple of miles, we reached Amy and Tracey. Amy would guide me on the next leg so that Mark could take car of his day while Tracey would drive up a couple of miles and meet us. While running, I was able to explain the purpose of my run. Our conversation led to the topic of weight loss, diet, and motivation. I find myself discussing this topic often. Well, it wasn’t long before Tracey joined us for a couple of miles. I was feeling very lucky Amy was able to contact a couple of friends to run with me. But, there was more in store. Since Amy had a graduation party for her two daughters to tend, she managed to recruit others to keep me on course.
Enter, Tim, John, and Connie. We stopped for a quick picture, and the mosquitoes stopped for a quick bite. Within minutes, we were all fleeing from the mosquitoes. A few meters along we’d reach the point where Tracey and Amy were parked. We said our farewells and again the group fell into a nice groove. The Calumet Regions Striders were giving me a great welcome into Indiana. Connie even offered to push my stroller. It was so awesome to run with free hands once again. I had almost forgotten the feeling.
I continued to recieve great running support. I almost felt like a baton in a relay race. But, the conversation stayed fresh for the entire morning. We reached Brian and Jim. Jim would help drive a support vehicle while Brian would run with me for eleven or twelve miles. He too would help push the stroller. We zigged and zagged hitting some nice trails as well as some awfully patchy pavement. At times we had to fight for our piece of the road with oncoming traffic. Then I found out in this state, cars have the right of way. Good thing the trails in this state are beautiful.
Along the way we would pick up a second Jim then end the day with Dan, Tom, and Norm. Really I couldn’t believe Amy was able to reach everyone on such short notice. They really made my day. I owe Amy a big thank you for pulling it together on such short notice. It was the best first running day of any state yet. (And she did it while planning her daughters’ graduation party. Amazing.
Noon time hit and my stomach was angry over the skimpy breakfast. I ate quickly then headed into the town of Charleston. I had nowhere to go so I stopped in the Chamber of Commerce to see if I could find something. There I met three kind ladies June, Heather and Mel . They arranged for me to have a shower at the Y and said I could camp out at the middle school where there was a relay for life happening. Now I’m at the park where there is a Wifi connection. I’m happy to be caught up on my daily adventures once again. Let’s see what fantastic events will happen tomorrow.
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