11/17/2015
For some, vacation is a time to catch up on exercise, visit a new place, or hit the town. For me and Crystal, it meant food, sleep, vegging out, and more sleep. The Westin was the perfect spot for our mini-vacation. Moments after we stepped into our room, a doorman brought a surprise platter to welcome us to Seattle. Cindy Breen had arranged a variety of treats for our gastric pleasure. There was plenty of protein to replenish my muscles, and a rainbow of fruits to refresh my body. I enjoyed some wonderful chocolate chunks and a handful of nuts. I stared out at the city lights from the seventeenth stories above. I thought about the different roads I had travelled and some of the obstacles I had conquered. I pondered the wrong turns, the mistakes, and the missteps. Somehow they were all lessons and blessings that brought me to that moment. The sounds of the city were muted by our luxurious surroundings. Moments later the comfort took hold and I let my consciousness drift away.
Over the course of my expedition, I learned much about balance and waves. I anticipated waves of support and good times after lonely patches of road and rough terrain. The first day of our break brought such a wave. Our feeding bonanza began with omelets made to order and a gourmet breakfast buffet. I put away cantaloupe, oranges, pastries, potatoes, and yogurt. If I was lacking any nutrient, the buffet replenished it. The rain and cold of the prior days had gotten the best of Crystal and she was under the weather. We held off on seeing the city in favor of enjoying our room. Sleep and television was all we wanted.
Eventually we pulled ourselves out of our lethargic state. At that time it we were in between lunch time and dinner. The culinary delights continued downstairs when we entered Palamino. The dark wood furnishings of the restaurant and large bar gave the establishment a very posh feel. The staff was excited about what we were doing and they donated a meal for us to take back up to the room.
We returned to our room with an ample amount of food and hardly expected another set of treats waiting for us. Cindy had sent up a platter of all vegetarian protein dishes. We didn’t even know which piece of food to begin eating first. The wave continued when Tracy called to tell me he would be getting off work shortly and that he was going to pick me up for a meal. I figured I would just have a beverage and chat with him while he ate. That didn’t happen. Tracy discovered a cool Mexican joint where people were waiting for a table. We circumvented the process and sat at the bar. Young professionals chatted about their jobs while couples enjoyed a few drinks. I failed my attempt to abstain from eating. Crunching on tortilla chips with spicy salsa ignited my appetite for something filling. I ended up with a quesadilla. We conversed a lot about the journey and we made plans to go running the next evening. The evening was cut short due to work the next morning. I would take the time to give the legs more rest until we met again.
The following day, Crystal and I stayed in our room till the very last second before check out. Afterwards we took in the sights of Seattle. We walked through Pike Place and I visited Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee’s graves. It was a chilly day and the weather seemed to make Crystal feel worse. I could tell that I would be solo when I went to meet with the Green Lake running group.
Tracy and I reached the meeting spot early. He thought that maybe nobody would show up. That was definitely not the case. Runners of various age groups and levels met up for their Tuesday run. I was happy to have a light evening since I planned to finish up my final miles of stage three on the next day. We ran through the dark night through some areas that seemed hip and happening. When we finished our seven mile loop, we ran into John. He had gotten to the group run late and had to run the miles on his own. I was glad we ran into him though. It was time for us to meet some friends and have some pizza.
I didn’t really rest on my final day of vacation. My day started with an early appointment at the Viewlands Elementary School. I was scheduled to speak with Ms. Ottisons Kindergarten and first grade classroom. The kids were expecting me and had even seen some news clips about my journey. It was exciting to hear them all tell me about what they were writing. Of course I enjoyed sharing my journey with them.
Afterwards Crystal had to drive back through the winding roads to pick up our trailer. We wanted to get our vehicle early because I was planning to finish my miles and visit another gravesite. It was the place where my dear friend was buried. I had only left the road one time since I began running and it was to fly to his memorial. It was hard to believe a year had already passed.
I anticipated that I would blow through the miles at a six and a half minute pace. I forgot about the roads with prickly plants and no running shoulder. I also didn’t realize I would hit Novelty Hill. Regardless, I still made good time and we reached Suk’s burial site before the sun went down. As luck would have it, the Hampton Inn by the airport called that morning to tell us we had a place to stay. They just happened to be a mile away from my friend.
The end of stage three was fantastic. I fell to sleep early because I had to start stage four with a warm send off. We were returning to the Westin so a group of their staff could help see me off for the final stage.
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