I was in Van 1. The frustrations from running in the hottest part of the day yesterday were eliminated by the fact that we left a lot earlier! The women at Epworth UMC started making us breakfast at 4 am so we could each by 5 and get on the road at 530. They joined us for our dedication circle and heard our chant. Cathy, one of the women there, is battling thyroid cancer. A friend of hers asked us to run for her today.
Once we got started we were fast! The road we took from Fallon to Ely was route 50. It's a historic route - The Pony Express! To think that we ran the same road (except ours is paved whereas years ago it was dirt...) that mail was transported on is amazing! A horse runs faster than us though.... This is me and my running partner, Maeve, by the sign:
Today was hard! Our van did very well though; everyone stayed positive and encouraging of one another. The 13th mile today led us up the mountain in Austin, NV. That was killer! Then we had 3 miles to finish our days running and it was downhill.
Upon arriving in Ely, Susan and I went out to find food. We got four pizzas and Lala found some wraps from a diner. Tonight we also had a team "pow wow" in which many tears were shed but we grew closer as a team and stronger as a family. I think we are all very sore/tight right now and there needs to be a lot of stretching before heading out again tomorrow at 530! Im currently drinking a bottle full of electrolytes...Today's run was dedicated to Leon Eydel. Leon is the grandfather of one of my Alpha Phi sorority sisters. Here are the words Esther had to share about him:
My grandfather, Leonid Eydel, passed away from lung cancer on January 14, 2012, only two months after his diagnosis. He was 80 years old, but his love for life made him a young man at heart. He taught me the true meaning of positivity, optimism, and never giving up hope in the midst of life’s struggles. He was greatly loved by all who knew him as his radiance could light up any room and his charm and cheerfulness could brighten anyone’s bad day. He remained positive and hopeful until the very last day of his life and demonstrated by example that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. In honor of his great life, I would like to live mine exactly as he did: deliberately, doing only that which brings happiness, and never taking a moment for granted.
Esther- I will always be here to support you. Everyone- even when people don't know you, they are there. This morning when I told my team who I was running for they all were able to have Leon on their minds. There's one girl on our team that's never known anyone with cancer. She's a great example of a stranger that cares. Never give up hope. Always stay strong.
Love you girl! AOE
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