5/30/2015
The Hemlock Grove Campground provided us with a tranquil evening of sleep. Something about clean air helps my resting cycle. The lush greenery of the grounds surrounded our trailer like cradle. It also helped sooth the soul. Of course the miles I log everyday have something to do with getting good sleep as well. With the end in sight and a few scheduled rest days, I felt little pressure to exert myself. I chatted with Jim and Audrey before I left the site. My legs began to move around noon time. Crystal stayed behind to tidy the trailer. I weaved through construction, ran up hills, and of course down hills.
I took a couple of hydration breaks on the road and reached South Portland relatively early. Crystal had found a Chipotle, gave away a few stickers, and arranged for a few burritos to be donated to the cause. I thought to myself that I was very lucky to have her on the road with me. I had run twenty-three miles and my tongue was hanging out of my mouth. I needed liquid desperately. I guzzled plenty of water from the fountain. After wetting my mouth I was ready to eat my sofrita burrito. It was like a tofu filling with a touch of spice. Of course I stuffed it with the perfect combination of beans and rice for protein and carbohydrate. The town seemed like the perfect place to relax. While we had plenty of daylight remaining, we decided there would be days ahead where we would really need to push. The idea was to preserve the body for the moment.
The next morning the journey started early. We ran through more small towns and the advertised lobster prices seemed to drop after every mile. The sun blazed for the first ten miles. I found Crystal parked at a church a few miles before the town of Freeport. I wiped down my sweaty body while Crystal whipped up a couple of sandwiches. I had grown fond of taking naps at the breaks and I managed to slip into a deep sleep. Two hours had passed and the sun had fled. It was replaced by a dark cloud that blanketed the entire horizon. A few drops of rain trickled and I decided to run. After one mile the rain began to grow stronger. Out of nowhere a downpour of epic proportions fell hard. I took shelter under an awning without realizing Crystal had pulled over to wait for me at the gas station next door.
Part of being on the road has been an exercise in patience. We waited an hour for the rain to pass. Every time the precipitation seemed to lighten up I would put on my shoes, step outside, and get rained on. It seemed like Mother Nature had her own sense of humor. We called it a day and began to look for shelter. We chose to grab some food at the grocery store. We carried a couple bags out of the place to find the sun had decided to return and its rays were piercing through the clouds. I didn’t want to try to get back on the road after already changing out of my running gear. After all, I wasn’t a runway model; I didn’t like changing in and out of clothes. It was a better idea to complete the remaining miles the next day and have a strong finish to stage two.
I ran past trickling streams en route to Brunswick. In one swift breath I streaked up the coast. I bolted past street construction and thought about how lucky I was to be on foot. The taste of victory was sweet. As I scanned my surroundings I thought of all the people that helped me reach that destination. I earned a breather and I would savor the upcoming days of relaxation. Of course I remembered to treat my victory the same as my defeats. I analyzed what worked on stage 2 and what didn’t. There were things to change and things to remain. The most important thing was to keep the focus sharp.
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