4/17/2015
We determined that rain wouldn’t deter us from pushing forward. The clouds were still above us but there was no rain. While I ran, the back roads of Virginia grew increasingly narrow with each step. At times I ran on a slant. Next to me were plants that looked as if they were tabacco. I had no idea what the actual tabacco plant looked like but I made the assumption based on my location and the color of the plants. Thirteen miles later, I took a break at a church with a large parking spaces. Crystal pulled up and suggested we eat breakfast right there in the countryside. It was a quiet spot that compelled me to take a nap. I hadn’t seen many places where trailers could park so we took advantage.
There wasn’t much activity around those parts. When I got back on the road I passed plenty of forest, a couple rivers, and the occasional country house. There were empty houses that looked as if a tornado had blown through them. One house stuck out because it had some rusted antique items hanging on the outside wall. At that point I had just eight miles left to run. My legs felt fresh and I let them run free. I knew I would cross the Appomattox River in two places. The second bridge signaled two miles remaining for my day’s mileage.
I discovered Crystal waiting in a nook that entered a forest. I thought it was a perfect place for us to spend the evening. The trailer was filled with the aroma of grilled vegetables. She was planning to add it to pasta with pesto sauce. The meal was filling and it caused me to fall almost comatose. Just as my eyelids were shutting, Crystal informed me that an officer of the law had just pulled up. We were fortunate that he was very cordial and friendly. He told us that someone had called about our trailer. It was obvious that he didn’t want to tell us to move. He even tried to help us find a spot to park. We found a spot a few miles back that was more spacious and further away from the road. They say when one door closes another one opens.
That evening our trailer was like an icebox. We piled on every blanket in the trailer to keep warm. Of course all the weight was a bit suffocating. The sleep was peaceful though. We got an early start to the next day but, the back roads became the back back roads. This meant the little bit of running lane I had become non-existent. I ran mostly on the road facing traffic. Any time a car came towards me, if it didn’t look like it wanted to give me room, I ran into the other lane. I zig zagged my way through the country until suburbia finally popped up. I arrived at a big shopping center and entered the trailer to find Crystal applying make-up. My first question was, “Are we eating at Chili’s?”
She was not amused that I knew her surprise. We were fortunate that the manager, Tammy, was very interested in what we were doing. She made sure we had great service and of course we knew we would have a great meal. I ordered a Guacamole black bean burger, a side of spinach queso dip, and a mango Arnold palmer. I must have guzzled a couple glasses of the refreshing beverage. I was embarrassed to ask for too many glasses. It was the perfect lunch break.
The suburbs turned into city. The beginning of Richmond was beautiful. Right after crossing the James River, I stumbled upon the confederate museum as well as a war memorial. Just past that it felt like I was surrounded by cyclists, runners, and students of all sorts. My destination was the Zacharias Ganey Health Institute. I had called them earlier to see if they would allow me to have a hot shower. The phone was answered by a Ms. Erma and she sounded very happy to inform me that a hot shower would not be a problem. When I arrived, and after I had cleaned up, I met several generous individuals that donated to our cause. The Health Institute even contributed bottle water to keep us hydrated. We were delighted and of course always grateful. Even after thirty miles, my body felt alert and charged. No doubt I had John and Bob to thank for keeping us running strong.
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