7/19/2015
If a tornado had struck, we would have been in the middle of it. Drops pelted the trailer the entire night while clouds swirled and lightning flashed. The thunder resonated through the air and caused our metallic home to vibrate. Before we fell to sleep, Crystal asked, “If the trailer gets struck by lightning will we be safe?” It was a good question. I thought the rubber tires on the vehicle would keep us from harm but I just didn’t know.
I didn’t have much breakfast. I found out that I had an interview to give and that it was eight miles away. I slipped on some light shoes with bright colors and prayed for good weather. I hit the wet ground and kicked up mud as I ran along the street. Again, I recognized familiar roads. I soaked in the sights while I ran and my clothes soaked up mud and rain. The water came down in spurts. My shoes sloshed as I ran up to the location. I was on time to get interviewed by Miss Jasmyn Durham at a park in Fort Wayne.
When we finished shooting the video I took off towards the town of Columbia City. As I ran, I discovered the rain had created a river that flooded one of my paths. I had to make my way through a mile of tall grass to reach an area that let back out to the street. Luckily the rain had decided to take a break. We took a little break at Staples on the outskirts of town. I had to send out some products and Crystal needed nourishment. Her stomach was growling from skipping breakfast.
Just around the corner we reached the backroads and farmland. A break from speeding traffic was beneficial to my health and sanity. We ran until we reached a large building with a quiet parking lot.
The weather had calmed. The population of Columbia City was small. The next morning it took me a short time to run through their town and get back on the thirty. The sun’s rays felt strong. I ran against traffic which provided me with gusts of air. The sound of the traffic muted most other sounds and the power from big rigs pushed me backwards. I battled many forces as I made my way to the town of Warsaw. The Warsaw Park campground was located lakeside. We were given a large space. I wasted no time running to the showers to cool myself and relax. It was necessary to rest as much as possible any time we had comfortable surroundings.
The days grew hotter and hotter. Day 311 was warm and we found ourselves with no lodging in place. I blasted my through twenty-eight miles because I wanted to give my legs time to recover for the following day. It was a good thing I did since my friend Trace had planned to run with me. He was a friend I made on my run across the United States. He and his family had welcomed me into their home when I was a weary traveler. This time around they had planned a fundraiser and arranged to put me and Crystal up in The Serenity Springs Resort.
Trace picked the hottest day of summer to run with me. To top it off, he wanted to meet me on a route that added three miles to my day’s total mileage. I felt like a meatloaf in an oven as I took down mile after mile. I found a little park, in the town of Walkerton, with sprinklers and water toys. My feet carried me to the play area and I let the cool refreshing water run all over my body. When Crystal and I finally left the park, we were ready to fuel our bodies. I just wanted crisp cool veggies to keep my body light. We decided on having a couple veggie subs from subway.
Obstacles kept me from running straight to my destination. An overturned semi-truck forced me to run by train tracks for a mile. After lots of heat and many detours I met up with Trace. He was on fresh legs. As the heat continued to beat down I found myself pushing forward. After thrity-three miles I felt like collapsing in front of the La Porte Courthouse. But, the day was not yet over, there was still the matter of a newspaper interview to finish. It was nice to be busy but it was even nicer when we reached our getaway. A Jacuzzi with bath salts awaited my tired body.
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