14 Miles

5:30 Kilarney Station. 

 

We set off in the pitch dark, on a path under the trees.  The only light to see was provided by my headlamp, reminding me of an old home movie (or the Blair Witch Project lol).  It’s so quiet and peaceful, the moon and stars were still out and there were very few sounds of human activity.  The air was think and heavy, as it usually is before the sun rises.  Michelle, Kate, Jen and I ran along the trail.  The sound of foot steps and heavy breathing the only noises.  It feels like a dream so early in the morning, even my mind feels half asleep.  Very little thoughts come to mind, aside from observing the things around me, hearing the noises of my companions and thinking about one foot in front of the other.  It must be tough for Kate to run at our pace because she soon sped off in front of us, swallowed up by the darkness.  She went from full view, to where we could only see the reflectors on her shirt and shoes and then disappeared entirely into the darkness.  I wonder if she enjoys running in the dark alone.  I think I would be afraid. 

 

We’re running down the path with old tall trees forming a canopy overhead.  My key caution is to watch for dangling spiders from the trees and at one point we all passed beneath a giant web, inches above our heads.  I thought it best not to mention it to the other girls.  The humidity made it difficult to breathe, let alone carry on conversation.  We were sweating like crazy within the first several minutes.  I tried to pay attention to where my thoughts go during running, but it actually took effort to think about thinking.  I realize, I don’t think I ‘think’ at all for most of my run.  I zone off into another space and my mind simply enjoys the quiet.  We went past houses, with dogs barking at us, went by a luxury retirement home, looked out over fields of grass, and as we came to a clearing I thought how lovely it would be to watch the sunrise this morning.  The song of birds changes gradually as the sun rises – from several roosters crowing in the dark distance to a few small birds singing and gradually the trail becomes alive with sounds of human and animal alike. 

 

We arrived in downtown Winter Garden, which is 5 miles into the trail. It is such a cute little town with old looking shops and lots of locally owned places (my favorite).  Every time we run here, I think about how I’d like to come hang out in the town one evening.  I’ve yet to accomplish that.  Robyn and Michelle were just beginning their run when we passed them.  They’d gone along the trail to set out water for all of us, which was greatly appreciated!  I’d like to teach myself to need less water, like Dinah, but I’m not at that point yet and the more water stations available the better.

 

 

 

No sooner had we gone through downtown, we entered into a rolling fog.  It was like walking into the Twilight Zone and so much for watching the sun rise.  For the next two miles out and back, everything was covered in a thick, heavy fog.  We ran past West Orange Station, winding up through a field and could hardly see the houses on the other side.  Arriving at the next station at mile 7, we stopped for water and returned back through the fog.  Jen and I ran together today.  For a little bit, Kate was with us as well, but after mile 9 she was off in front of us again.  Michelle fell a bit behind because her knee wasn’t feeling so hot.  The hills on this side of the trail were actually one of my favorite parts.  Lean forward and fall into the hill.  It’s exhilarating and helps me to pick up a lot of speed. 

 

Running with Jen was good for me because it kept me running when ordinarily I’d stop.  The back of my legs (hamstrings) was still in serious pain this week, but it hurts worse to walk which encouraged me to continue running.  Jen and I chatted a little, she’s very sweet and we keep about the same pace.  I wish she was doing the early start with us because she’d be a great person to keep time with.

 

We ran back through the West Orange Station and once into downtown Winter Garden, the fog lifted.  The humidity died back as the sun continued to rise.  The breeze was cool, although it was still warm out.  I enjoy people watching as others run by and I wonder what I look like to them. Do I look like I’m struggling through a 2 mile run, like I’m approaching mile 10 and going strong or like I’ve just started running and haven’t even broken a sweat?

Another thing I realize I think about while running is things that make me angry.  When you’re brooding over something that makes your blood boil, it takes all thought off the pain, the breathing, the distance… it pushes you to go harder and stronger.  Although I end up more angry at the issue than I should be, I realize I thought about angry things for at least a few miles during the run.

 

When we passed West Orange Station on our way back, we came up to a lady driving an electric wheel chair down the trail.  How awkward!  Not only are we stuck with the dilemma of whether to pass the wheel chair, but also distressed by the fact she keeps passing us!!  Every time we stopped for water, she passed us by.  One time, I saw Kate come up to pass the chair and hesitate for a while on what to do.  It is very uncomfortable!!  I guess the wheel chair lady got well in front of Jen and I at some point because around mile 10 we saw her stuck in her chair on a dirt road to our left.  We stopped to help her pull the chair out of the sand and then continued on our way again.  It made me feel better for all the times I ran past, but boy was that chair heavy!

 

The last two miles are the most difficult.  It’s easy to give up and want to walk.  Jen and I tried talking, but we were both struggling to keep going.  This was when I began to think about the jiggle effect – I feel the wind in my hair, the wind on my face, my eyelashes moving, my cheeks bouncing, my arms moving, etc… over and over until we finally reached the finish!  My legs were in so much pain afterwards.  My hammies felt like they were ripping with each step to the car.  I really hope I feel ok for the race.  The rest of my body felt pretty good though, so at least there’s that J  2 weeks to marathon!