I think this photo is awesome! Yes, that’s Bear Grylls on another mission. But what does it have to do with my run today? Let me first tell you how things went. We gathered a little later today for a start at 1:30, and I felt a little off before we set out. Maybe I just didn’t eat the right things for lunch. But I settled into a nice groove as we got into it, and enjoyed chatting with my teammates, as well as checking out the old neighborhood where I used to live. After messing up several mile marker locations on my watch, I decided to quit checking the pace and just focus on maintaining a consistent effort. I remembered something that I’d read about keeping a consistent effort, and not try to keep a consistent pace up the hills.
That seemed to be working well, until after the water break and some jelly beans, and somehow that idea let me loose sight of conserving a little for the long haul. By not checking my watch, I had started to go too fast. Lesson one: I’m not a big fan of running these kind of distances on my own. Pounding my way up Bellefonte, I had given in to a jog pace and was seriously considering walking. About that time Greg, David, and Mike caught up with me. Instead of giving in to the urge to walk, I found myself picking up the pace with them. Lesson two: It’s much easier to dig deeper when others around you are digging deeper. The four of us finished the 11.28 miles in 1:50:00 which is a 9:45 pace.
So that brings me back to the cool photo. Bear Grylls is an inspiration, pulling off tremendous feats. But I’m reminded that these adventures are not just solo accomplishments. They are the results of teams of people supporting each other. And so, again I want to thank my teammates. Great job again! But also, I want to thank all of my generous donors to the St. Jude cause, as well as all of my friends and family. All of your encouragement is greatly appreciated!!
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