Hang in there everyone who is following this blog. I will finish my 85 mile adventure on the next writing. God's word reads be patient!
Chuck

CONTINUEING THE STORY OF 85 MILES ON MY 85TH BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE

I should have written this earlier, (Yes Kim) because I am having trouble remembering what took place during the run in November, especially for the last ten hours.

                                   This is shirley peeking out of the door during on of my aid stops.

OUR COLLABORATION:

Some of this might be redundant but it will help to fill in some of the gaps in my account of the story.
I am including the notes that Shirley wrote during the ADVENTURE.

 Chuck left at 9:00 am with Dick on his first 10 mile leg. the weather prediction for the day was, wind and rain at 90%  with a storm coming in the late evening. Kim is taking pictures of the start of the run. 

While I was on the first leg of the run, Dick came back to the aid station at 10 :58 and said that chuck had about an hour to go. His friend Steve came and said he would run with Chuck for about an hour and then he would have to go to work at noon.

My food on my first stop was, Egg sand., refilled water , changed clothes, crackers and peanut butter  and broth. 11 MINUTES ON THIS STOP

Kim was ready to go and came to the motorhome and she left with Chuck at about 11:51 am.

Many people are driving by and looking but not stopping. The are wondering what is going on.

The Director of the Sequim Food Bank,  Andra and a volunteer came to cheer on.

The two women are at the right of the picture. The one on the left is director. This is the start of my 3rd leg of the run. Philip is now going out with me. It is 2:51 pm. The wind is starting to blow stronger and it is raining sporadically. Not enough moisture to get us wet. Gary Huff continued to go with us on the 3rd leg. 30 to 40 miles, third loop.

  Shirley wrote, Kim fixed Chuck's watch on her charger and I sent a full camelback with water and fixed him some cheese pieces, dates, fig bars, He ate 2 ravioli, a cup cake and hot chocolate while at the stop. Chuck forgot his dates, fig bars. Dick is riding his bike to deliver them to Chuck and Philip. the wind is blowing harder now.

                           

 Home, cold,  ready for coffee and an egg sandwich. Chuck was still running 7 minutes and walking 3 minutes on this last leg. Kevin, our friend came and was going to go with Dick and I on this leg. 40 to 50 miles, leg 4. Chuck was in at 5:38 at the aid station. Dick fixed water bottles for hand carrying and extra bottles on the bike. The aid break was a little longer as Chuck took his time eating and changing his top layer of clothes. Kim loaned him her wind breaker. The wind would be gusting up to 35 mph during the night. Chuck was ready to go at 9:27 pm. In for aid about 27 minutes. Boy those break times add up for total time! His meal was a bowl of chicken and rice soup, egg pancake sandwich, coffee. The temperature is 42. Wind starting to blow stronger. I used a hand held charger to keep my garmin watch charged to keep a record of the distance. But after this loop on the run I gave up on carrying and charging the watch.

Dick is talking to Kim about his next leg which would be mile 40 when completed. Mike Church would run with us for several miles. At about mile 4 on this loop Philip stopped in his car and asked if I needed anything? I thought and said bring me a latte. That really lifted me up for a while. It was wonderful, wonderful!!!!!!

Shirley wrote that Philip was taking a latte to Chuck. Philip came back and started up the RV and he is going to bed for a couple of hours. Kim will run the next shift at about 12:00 midnight. Philip will run again with Chuck at about 3:00 am. It is windy and rainy. Then Dick and Rosaura will run the 6:00 am loop, Wednesday for 10 miles
Chuck came in at 12:20 for aid. He was in the RV for 40 minutes. Food was Chicken Soup, Egg Pancake Sandwich, Mustard for cramps and several cups of hot coffee. His back was starting to hurt.
I put Salonpas on his back and left leg. He left with Kim at 1:00 am. They had been out for about 1/2 mile when they were joined by Twyla. She is a fellow runner who had run with Chuck for about 10 miles on his 80 mile Birthday Run. Twyla can get very loud talking when she is excited. And she was excited to start her long, long adventure to the end with me. Kim told her to use her quite voice because it was 1:00 am and she was waking up the people in their houses as we passed by. I thought it was great. My back was starting to really hurt at about mile 6 on this loop.  Philip brought me a pair of walking sticks thinking this might help. It did a little. The pain just kept on getting stronger and stronger.

Philip just came in and told me that he could see Kim's and Twyla's lights so they would be here in a couple of minutes.

I arrived at the RV at 4:08 am.  We found out two things on this run. ONE, we missed one loop for 1.6 miles, bummer, and TWO, Melissa would be coming over on the Ferry at 5:30 am. Hooray. that makes up for the lost loop. She is also a live wire, Meaning she is loud and full of life. He came to the RV at 3:40 am. Chuck's left leg and ankle are swollen. I put on more Salonpas and took 2 Aleves.

We are now at mile 58.4 

Continued

I ran 6.31 miles today. I started at the Jamestown, Skallam buildings on highway 101. 3 miles of the run was uphill. I started at the parking lot by the restrooms and ran on the North Olympic discovery trail to the road that goes to John Wayne Marina. It seemed like it was up hill on the way back too. I am training to run the Tulip Run 5 mile race in Mt. Vernon. The race is on Saturday, April 7. Hopefully very little rain.

MY SECOND LEG OF MY 85 MILE RUN. NOVEMBER 14-15, 2018

This is my continuing essay on my 85 mile run. I should have finished my running story months ago. Oh well, I can blame it on old age!!!!  This was my aid stop on my adventure. I was just a step or two from the side of the road. And it was easy to get my aid. Shirley was a great in getting my egg sandwiches, hot drinks and other foods that I would need to keep me from bonking out. I had figured that I would need about 10,000 calories for the 85 mile run. So far I was doing great with the calories I was eating.

I finished my first ten mile leg with Steve and Dick at 11:30 am. I went inside of the RV where Shirley had soup and spinach ravioli ready for me and hot chocolate. I was in the aid station about 10 minutes. I put on a dry long sleeved shirt. refilled my camel back with Nuun and was out the door ready to run with Kimberly my next support person.

Kim and I with Dick in the background.

Kim is setting her watch to time our 10 mile leg. We  are running in a clock wise direction on this leg. The weather was still mild with the temperature at about 45 to 50 degrees. 

This is what the day looked like when we went out on our run. A cloudy, breezy typical November day in Sequim. But thank God, no rain yet.

We walked and ran together on this leg with no incidents. The Sequim Food Bank had some of its staff cheering Kim and I when we passed them at six miles on this leg on this leg. We finished this leg in about 3 hours and 30 minutes. It was still light when we finished and I went into the
RV for my food and drink.I was not having any difficulties so far. No mind playing games or physical pains.
Before Kim and I finished our run together a runner came out and introduced himself. His last name was Cooper. I forget his first name. He said that he had run in the Irrigation Festival 5K with me in May. He must have run about 8 miles with us. It was good to have his company.

      

It was getting dark when we finished this leg. I was ready to replenish my energy. I was in the aid station about 10 minutes.
And now it was Philip's turn to run and walk with me on the 30 to 40 mile leg.

..The wind was starting to blow by now and it was getting colder. We had gone about 2 miles into this leg when I asked Philip if he would carry the camel back. I should not have carried it on my previous legs on the run. I was about at mile 23 when I began to struggle to keep on my running goal. My mind began its whispering that I could not keep on going and that I should stop. My mind began to urge me to stop. I began to feel terrible. I had gone only 33 miles and I was ready to quit. I  struggled with these thought that kept on nagging me as I struggled to keep a walking pace. I drank water and had a few snacks and kept on going. I wadded through all of the negative thoughts that my mind was throwing at me, struggling with every step. But I kept up my walking and at the end of the run I WAS THROUGH THE MUCK AND MIRE OF NEGATIVE THINKING. I was back at the aid station feeling 100 percent better. I was ready and eager to continue on with my adventure..

Next leg 40 to 50 miles. It was starting to rain and the wind was gusting to about 35 miles per hour.

I was Dick's turn to start the next leg with me. It was about 8:pm now. Raining and windy. I borrowed a light rain jacket from Kimberly and began this leg. We had gone about 4 miles when a friend, Mike Church came and ran with me for the next 6 miles. I was just finishing the 5 miles of this leg when Philip drove by in his car and asked if I needed anything. What a life safer. I said yes, bring me a latte. Boy did that ever taste good. We made it to the end of this leg and rest and food in the RV. Oh, I forgot to mention that Steve came back after his work and ran with me for a couple more hours.

CONTINUED