Saturday, October 24, 2015

That one moment!



That One Thing!

The question from David at Endurance Buzz:

Could you share the detailed story of ONE specific moment during your Arkansas Traveller 100 adventure that made a special imprint on you?


I'm at a loss on how to give a detailed story of one event.   What an assignment because there are so many and so many are so very important as well.

My family being"out there" has to be one of the highlights of my life!  Kim and Chris, daughter and husband, aren't runners, they don't understand this epic ultra thing we do.  This lack of understanding makes their support a true gift from the heart.   There has only been a few times I have had the privilege of having family at the finish line, on the course or any such thing.  It was a fabulous lift of spirits to see them twice, outbound and back.
My family and friends run the Pumpkin Patch Aid Station at miles 22.1 outbound and 93.7 inbound.  Chris agreed to keep the aid station responsibilities in the family for this year.

They spent the duration of the race near the HAM radio operators listening for news of #100 making it through the next cut off, the  last of these awful beasts being at Electronic Tower, mile 91.4 at 10:15AM Sunday morning.  I made it through that last cut off by 4 minutes.  Elaine Gimblet, my pacer, and I hobbled our way down the mountain to The Pumpkin Patch.  My family was waiting for me out on the road.  Seeing them, hearing their cheers of joy and relief brought a flood of every emotion I had kept reined in tight throughout the earlier 30 hours of barely making those time limits.   My heart soared as I heard the voices I love most cheering me in, crying with me, laughing with me and then telling me to get my butt out of the aid station.  It was a roller coaster ride of the heart for sure from complete desperation to jubilation as I hugged and hung on to those precious anchors for dear life.  It was hard not to show distress, as if being at mile 93 in and of itself doesn't show distress, when Chris happily kicked me out of the aid station with pie and a smile.  I hope they will let me do it again next year!

Photo Credit: Kim Morton

Photo Credit: Kim Morton

No comments:

Post a Comment