Believe to Achieve

Hope to Hobble 22.5 miler (per garmin). Elevation gain 2000 feet, oh yah!!! First 11 miles is quite the workout. Then comes the real challenge of focusing on footing while picking up the pace so as to not crash and burn. Oh yes we all fell. First, I fell in the dark around mile 5 while grabbing for my water and didn't see the rock, ouch!!! Landed mostly on my left side. My left hand and arm broke my fall, almost broke skin on my chin. Luckily one tiny scrape to show for it on my left pinky. Melanie offered a prayer before we ran so I guess I was looked after. Didn't think so at first. Could have been a lot worse. Later (mile 9ish), Kim and I, hollered ahead to Melanie that we were taking a potty stop, Melanie, not seeing us stopped briefly she told us later and took off from us. Never to see each other again until the finish line. We stopped for almost four minutes here. When nature calls one must answer. Anyway, we made it to the crest in record time for me (Kim's first time), a whole eight minutes faster than last year!!! I thought I was cruising last year. Wow. We stopped to take a gu for just about 2 1/2 minutes. NO sign of Melanie, yet we did see her "tracks". Careful footing starts here, lots of rocks to maneuver. About two miles down as I picked up the pace from the 8:12, Kim was worried about going fast she later told me and then suddenly a yell came from behind me. I turned around in time to see Kim on the ground holding on to her knee. I walked up to her asking "is there blood?" and she yelled back "yes" and then I saw her leg and oowyy!!! and her elbow and both her hands. It was not a pretty sight. Her white shirt dusted with dirt. She did a rollover. This dampened Kim's spirits, it would mine too, having just recovered from a much more minor fall. The sting gone for me now. We stayed together for the next few miles, took another potty stop. Water gone by mile 15, totally parched. Took three gus the whole way. Without water for one. Not good but helped my muscles. I pushed ahead to find Melanie. I knew I was hot on her tail as I could smell her sunscreen at times. This sensitivity comes in handy. I could find a dead person in the woods. I am tracker. Oooo I sound vampire-like. Anyway, off the subject. So I get to the road and turn right thinking Kim should know to turn right, right? Find out later she really is directionally challenged (she had to re-inform me). I was going to build her a cairn (rock pile to show the direction or about five rocks that blocked  her from turning left but I thought for sure she'd know since we looked right for the valley views the whole time. She second guessed herself and turned right and then left. I called out to some bikers, have you seen a girl in yellow shorts (Melanie), "no". You've gotta be kidding there is no way she already done. I decided the biker was delirious on her uphill she didn't take notice of her surroundings. Then I spotted a runner going uphill. She said Melanie was about 1/2 mile ahead. I told the runner to tell Kim where I was at.  She did.  So I picked it up and wondered, Kim would know to turn right? Oh great maybe she doesn't I should  I turn back? No I will just get Melanie to drive us up to get her. I was almost to the end. It took 3 hours and 23 minutes of running time, a little under Melanie's time except she didn't stop so she was waiting a few minutes at the end. She had a large gouge in her hand and some good scrapes on her thighs and a bruised hip. It was all good now. We all fell. What a dirty bunch of girls we were. Kim came in as her friend Stacy went up on her bike to greet her. A nice coincidence as Stacy was chatting with Melanie at the golf course. Poor Kim. She had it the worse in scrapes and desires never to run this again. Melanie and I plan on running it every year. Next year with biker gloves and knee pads for the way down. Then we can really fly. Better wear a chin pad too. And we won't forget to pray : DDDDDD PS I ran this 12 minutes faster than last year. Yee haw. Still loved the run. 22.5 miles in 3 hours 23 minutes. Burned a million calories. Gonna eat and eat : DDDDD