8/13/2015
I rolled out of bed, stretched my arms, and looked around. The house was completely silent. It was a great day for everyone to sleep in. I knew I didn’t have to run until 6:00pm. I could hardly believe that I had had company on the road for so many days in a row. The support started as a trickle but the steady movement forward had turned the trickle into a stream.
Crystal and I enjoyed another warm family breakfast with Ocean, Pa Der, and Alexi. They filled us with an abundance of sweet and juicy fruits, more protein packed egg burritos, and handfuls of almonds. Breakfast was brief. Unfortunately we had to bid farewell to Ocean once the dining was finished. He had to get to work. Crystal and I gave him a hug and then we returned to rest.
Our nap felt like only a couple minutes. Before I knew it, we were preparing go to lunch. We were taken to an ethnic enclave that comprised several very authentic restaurants. Our destination was called Little Szechwan the moment you stepped into the place you were greeted by a host straight from Hong Kong. We spied on the other tables trying to catch a glimpse of their food. We were more than pleased when we received our hearty mushrooms and large array of tofu. The pot had been divided into two sections which bubbled up within minutes. The spicy side shot into my nostrils but left the food flavorful and kicking. At one point when I tried to drink the soup, I began to cough from the kick in my throat. I loved it.
It seemed that the afternoon was a whirlwind as well. Crystal and I napped in the trailer close to Mears Park. Just as I closed my eyes it was once again time to go. A reporter from KARE 11 rang my phone and arranged to meet me before our group took off. I rushed to the park and walked into a crowd of people. The dam broke and suddenly the stream of support turned into a flood. I was greeted by kids, teachers, and the Hmong Marathon running group. I might have spent a minute talking to the reporter. The rest of my time was spent with the kids and taking photos until we hit the pavement. When we ran through downtown St. Paul, people on patios, pedestrians on the street, and motorists shouted cheers of encouragement and honked their horns in support. One of the runners made the comment, “I feel like we are in a marathon.” Without a doubt it was great fun. The kids running group, the running ninjas, ran with large smiles. Other runners joined us along the way and kept the enthusiasm high.
The nine miles ended strong. I was extremely happy we made the decision to run at a time when more people could join us. Tom and GL gave me a lift to the Holiday Inn Express in Golden Valley. I had planned to run there but figured downtown St. Paul was as good a spot as any to depart from. Crystal met me in the lobby of the hotel and we dined on mini pancakes before cleaning up and watching the news.
Sleep set in but an annoying alarm sounded. It beeped in a constant, repetitive rhythm. I tried my best to keep my eyes shut and I prayed that Crystal would hit the off button. It never happened and I ended up getting out of bed. It was probably a good idea for me to get ready for the day anyway. I Pa Der was returning for the third day in a row, MorChie was returning for the second day, and True was joining us to run through downtown.
The weather was overcast but the temperature was higher than the previous days. I felt great until we reached an area with a pungent scent in the air. I asked if there was a dumpster nearby. I guess there was a lot of trash being taken out of the baseball stadium. Of course the pattern of running away from the city didn’t deviate from the patterns of the past. We ran past projects, into suburbs, and finally countryside. MorChie had to leave us at the halfway mark so PaDer and I tackled the final miles and obstacles on our own. From there, the biggest dangers were the motorists that swerved into the running lane. One guy thought the running lane was his own personal road. I told Pa Der I was ready to push her into the bushes. She said, “Yes of course! Push me out of the way.” Defensive running was key on this journey. It was a relatively straight run and when we reached 24 miles Crystal brought news that we were staying in the town of Rogers. The Hampton Inn was only a mile and a half away. That was great news. We ended with 25 miles under our feet for the day and 53 over the course of the three days. True came out to pick up Pa Der and we all celebrated with a Mexican dinner. I felt relaxed and privileged to have had such great company.
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