The other van was running legs so we leapfrogged ahead thinking we'd get a nap. We'll just drive our leg first and see how it looks Jill suggested. It looked like a hill. 5 miles of a hill. No flats, no downs. Jennie's fault. Jennie drew a four. OK, a hill. Sun now low behind us and night coming. First leg with reflective vests and headlamps. Matt comes streaking in from his leg. First time he's looked a bit gassed. 15 miles now for him and a lot of uphill there too. We tag up and start our climb. Moon now hanging where the sun was in the sky for our first leg. It's interesting what you think about on a run. Here you have to acknowledge the majesty of the mountains. You think abut things like gastrocnemius and soleus. Strong sounding names. They are winers. You watch the trees and the mile markers crawl by. Here comes mile two. Feeling pretty good. Then you notice the sudden increase in the effort of each step. Can't really see the subtle change in grade, but everybody that runs knows that feeling. Parkway telling you not to get cocky. Downshift. Run on. The valley floor is now dark, Visible only by the lights of the homes down there. Those folks don't see us clawing our way up our 5 miles. (Jennie's Fault, Jennie drew the four) The van leapfrogs us offering encouragement. My run partners are both hurt. They still started the leg. I am in awe of them. I am in awe of this whole crew. These students come for rotations to my internal medicine practice and are always well educated, but this is a side of the program I have been wanting to see for several years. What a great idea for a fundraiser! What a noble effort! Runners all know the camaraderie of runners. This is really evident in this bunch. Eventually 5 miles passes. Fully dark now. Josh and Christine take over again. 3 down. Two to go. What are those legs like? We have good maps and we can look. Maybe later.
Randy, Jennie & Jill
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