That said...
I'll be the first to admit that "training" for the D.C. Ragnar was the last on my priority list as this late September team race approached. With a new season beginning, there were other "distractions" that kept me from preparing to really race as I have enjoyed in the past.
Nonetheless, race day came, I left work a little early, hopped in with fellow "Unified Yogger" (our team) crew members of Van 2 and hit the road for... West Virginia!
A few hours and "road trip" tunes later, the sun went down, and it was time for my first leg of the relay to begin along the Potomac on the Maryland side. Had it been light, it would have been a visually beautiful run, however the darkness his the view of the river and all the surroundings aside from the pavement before me. I was slightly nervous to hop on a trail that would consume the entire ten miles of the leg, absent of regular locations for my teammates to check on me along the way. Note: I typically don't like running on closed-in trails alone, especially in the middle of the night ;) .
With assurance that the trail would not be sketchy, thanks to a fellow runner, it turned out to be peaceful, as hoped. About 4 1/2 miles in, my teammates surprised me on the trail with their headlamps and motivational cheering. They had found a place to pull over and access the path. It was awesome. I was feeling great, keeping good pace, and they energized me even more.
As I passed about 5 miles, I began to get an unfamiliar side ache. Trying to defeat the pain with my regular breathing tactics, they all proved to be ineffective. With no success in all my efforts to alleviate the pain, my mind began to flood with reminders of my dark and isolated surroundings. There were no opponents in sight, my team had headed to the exchange point, and I had about 5 more miles still to conquer... Alone. Recognizing now that the battle was now not only a physical but a mental battle, it became apparent that I was not going to succeed on my own unless my strategies were changed.
Recalling the experience of Alma and his co-missionaries as they were given strength to move through their afflictions, rather than having the afflictions taken away, I prayed to ask the Lord for a similar strength that was beyond my own. With the aid of a kind and gracious Father in Heaven, I was able to complete the last 5 miles, with increasing speed and strength as I neared exchange point. I can't claim the pace that my legs kept as my own.
As the night continued, we had sporadic sleep, despite the comfortable space in our full size van and 2 hour pit stop at a luxury hotel. Approaching my second and third legs, the acute pang in my right side would not seem to leave me alone. Nevertheless, both legs were triumphant as I felt an added measure of strength with prayers on my side.
The theme that continues to paint peace throughout these mini adventures in life is that we have a loving Father in Heaven who is anxious to share eternal lessons of truth with us whether it be through the scriptures or running a race.
Ryan, Tom, Coulton, Destiny, Jenny, Travis, Katie, Kari, Jenni, Michael, Michelle and Justin (not in picture)
Unified Yoggers of the Greater DC area: 4th in the Open Mixed Division, 22nd overall
