A Long Post for our last LONG Run...

This morning's run was a doozy!

Now I suppose you can take the meaning of that last statement however you like. What I'll do here, just for the record, is describe the run as it unfolded for us.

Bryan, Susanne and I arrived at Bower's Mansion around 7:15 or so this morning. We began our run down old 395 and were immediately made aware of just how windy it is in that area. Since the temperature was about 40-45 degrees without the wind, you can bet I would have stopped had there been a vendor on the side of the road selling gloves for $100 a pair.

The old road was surprisingly quite populated (for that early in the morning) with cars and trucks, thus adding noise and even more wind as they hurtled by us. After about 4 miles we turned off the main road onto Franktown road and everything changed.

There were no cars to speak of, and the street was lined with a golf course and open fields to one side, and tall, magnificent pines on the other. And it was much quieter (except of course for the roaring of the wind through the massive pines--a beautiful sound if ever there was one).

As is usually the case when one finds one's self running through neighborhoods on a long run, we all began to feel much like Forrest Gump after drinking 14 Dr. Peppers--we had to go! And it didn't help matters that every few minutes we were running by babbling brooks and rushing streams. But--as is ALWAYS the case--the LORD provides! I spotted a construction site off the side of the road with the most beautiful little blue hut you could imagine. Things got much better.

I ran on ahead to meet Helen, Becky and Matty because we had started late and had already missed our appointed rendevous time with them. Now, in case you don't know already, Helen is not one to wait, especially in the cold, when she's on a mission. When I got back to the park, I saw her car, but she was nowhere to be found. After a few minutes, Bryan and Susanne came running up, and then, as if on cue, Helen and Becky both came over the top of the hill from their first 4 mile leg--perfect timing!

Also about that time (9:45) Matty rolled up in his car and got out..."Gosh, I was worried I was going to be late, but it looks like I timed it perfectly." (Psst...don't anyone tell him he was supposed to be there at 8:45). Not a problem--as I said earlier, the Lord always works things out.
Anyway...we all took off together back down Old 395 towards the Franktown loop. Conversation was a little difficult because the winds had picked up dramatically and traffic had picked up. In fact, the wind was blowing into our right side so hard that my right foot literally kept blowing over and hitting my left foot. And then, as if things weren't challenging enough, the sky was increasingly growing dark and threatening, and within about 4 miles it began to sleet.

Now we were all running at a nice, respectable 10:30 pace at that time, when suddenly, out of nowhere Becky (now known to her small group of running friends as "Flash") ran up beside us and announced, "I'm cold...and so I'm running faster to try and stay warm!" My mouth literally fell open as she continued to put distance between us--she had found her stride! As we turned onto Franktown road we all began to pick up our pace (the sleet was dumping down now and blowing right into our faces). It was really coming down hard and I looked at Matty who was running beside me, and he was literally wincing from the sleet hitting the top of his freshly shaved head. (It's not supposed to be funny...but it kind of was).

Oh...I forgot to mention that Bryan was running through all this in his bare Masai feet. (Ask him about God warming his feet up at one point--it's a cool story).

Once again I saw our little blue hut up ahead and so Matty and I detoured over so I could use it's gloriously welcomed services once again. FACTOID: You know it's cold outside when you go into a porta potty and it feels so warm and quiet that you don't want to ever come out.

Once back on the road, we noticed that Becky had pulled so far ahead of us that she was completely out of site--wow! Matty and I picked up the pace and before we knew it we were back at Bower's Mansion with only 4 miles left to go! We grabbed a quick snack at my truck and headed up a long hill (I think Bryan referred to it as "Hell Hill") toward our short "out and back" loop.

On the way back in, we ran by Susanne and Bryan churning up the asphalt with a look of determination in their eyes that I can't begin to describe here...but it was scary.

Finally Matty and I could see the last stretch of our run and we decided to "open it up" and run it strong. There was a large tree about a quarter of a mile up ahead by the side of the road that we decided we would run to, and then walk it on in the rest of the way. We raced to the tree and stopped, gasping for air (at least I was) and Helen, who was standing by her car at the "finish line" with Becky a few hundred yards away, began to wave her arms in the air challenging us to "come on." Of course, two grown men can never be shamed in running when we don't want to anymore....but we did anyway (thanks a lot Helen).

In a few minutes Bryan and Susanne came over the hill and joined our small circle of friends.

I must say...I am so proud of all of you. And I consider myself truly blessed indeed to have been able to share and overcome the challenges of this day with you.

Helen, Becky, and Matty: 13 miles
Bryan, Susanne, and me: 22 miles

Oh...and don't think I didn't notice that the wind quit blowing immediately after we stopped.

What a God we serve!