#Run4Rob (August 2017)

#Run4Rob  #Run4Him  #Runforthosewhocan’t

Shortly after Rob was diagnosed (Jan 2016), I decided I needed to be stronger so I can take care of him. 

Plus, Rob will never run again, but God gave me the gift and the ability to run, so therefore, I should run. 

I used to run - in a different lifetime ago… but, I battled 6 months of bronchitis/walking pneumonia in 2015, and still had some lung issues that were slowing me down…and I really felt the need to get my lungs back in shape.

I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that I couldn’t run 3 miles without stopping to catch my breath (or cough for 10 minutes).  So, I set a goal to be able to run 3 miles without stopping.  It was slow going, getting in shape, because my lungs protested.  Every time I was around anyone who coughed, I would instantly feel my lungs tighten up and a cough would settle in to my chest.  It was a long, slow, haul, healing those lungs back up.  But, I signed up for a 5k in early June 2016, with the goal of running the entire length without stopping.  I mostly made it…there was one hill that gave me some trouble, but I did it, and I ran it much faster than my time goal.

Then what?  I didn’t have a goal anymore, and it was hot out, so I didn’t always like to run during my lunchtime workouts.  I started slacking off…and I didn’t want that.  So I signed up for a 4-mile night run the end of the summer.  I had to stay in shape enough to at least finish a 4 mile run.  I am not a fast runner.  But I can fight my way through and get to the finish line.  It takes me at least a mile to get warmed up and into a rhythm.  But…I managed to run the 4 miles.   My goal was to run it in 46 minutes (12 min/mile – slow, but I’m old and “broken”).  I was able to cross the finish line in 41 minutes!

Well…I no longer had a goal to work for.  So I wanted to end the winter in the same running shape as I entered winter…so I tried to incorporate running at least once per week to my workout routine.  It was fairly hard in the winter.  But I needed to be able to run 3-4 miles by spring, so I could then build upon that.  To force myself to work hard on my winter running, I made set 2 crazy goals.

 

Goal 1) turn my June run into a 10 k – I mean – I know I can run 4, right, so I just need to add another 2 and keep going.

Goal 2) I signed up for a 23 k (15 miles) trail race in the mountains.  Surely, I could do it.  I usually walk 3.5-4 miles per hour, so I thought I should be able to cross the finish line in 5 hours at the worst.  Yup.  I’m nuts.

I’m insane…BUT, it forced me to do much more running over the winter and early spring than normal, and roll into spring in relatively decent running shape.   There were a lot of days I didn’t want to run, but I knew I SHOULD run, because I CAN run…I needed to Run for Rob. 

Let me reiterate…I am not a good runner.  I am slow.  I am old.  I have many broken joints, ligaments, tendons, etc. But, I can honor God and my husband by just going out and doing it.  I put in my headphones with either praise and worship music or one of my favorite sermon series (Confessions of a Happy Sheep, Philip DeCourcy, Know the Truth Radio - https://www.ktt.org/broadcasts/confessions-happy-sheep) and just listen and pray.  I don’t think about the running.  After the first, painful mile, I finally get in a “zone” (slow zone, but zone), and plod along without thinking.  My brain is focused on the Word and the One who made me.  It’s a chance to “be still” and focus on God (even though I am moving along, “picking them up and putting them down” as Rob would say). 

Goal 1 - June 2017 rolled around, and I ran my first 10k.  I didn’t do as good as I wanted.  It was hot out.  I was dehydrated.  The sweeper kept talking to me, and I was like, dude, I’m trying to breathe, here!  But I did it – a little slower than I wanted, but I did it.  Then I went home, loaded the wheelers and took everyone riding, which was fine until I got a migraine waaaay up the mountain.  We had planned to swing through Helena for a cousin’s graduation party, but the migraine won.  It was interesting, but with meds, I got back to the truck and everyone home.  As usual, bit off more than I could chew.

Goal 2 - August 2017:   my goal for the race changed a little, as I spent most of July in Alaska.  I would be happy finishing the race, 5 hours would be great, but…I wasn’t sure I could do it or not.  I did manage to get up and run (with bear spray) a few mornings, but I fully expected to do a substantial amount of walking on my race.  We arrived home from Alaska 2 days before the race.  I went to work for 1 day, ended up working late trying to catch up, came home, and headed out with the truck to spend the night in the mountains so I didn’t have to get up super early the morning of the race.  Unfortunately, on a mountain pass, the truck started shaking and wobbling and I knew I had tire trouble.  I checked the tires several times, and they all looked okay, but the wobble would start as soon as I drove down the road.  It was getting pretty late and the wind was blowing hard, so I didn’t want to drive too far out into the boonies and blow a tire.  So I rolled off the mountain pass and into the nearest town. Of course, everything was closed, so…I didn’t have anyone to help me.  I knew a few people in town and tried to contact them, but no luck.  So, I decided to drive all the way back home going 35 mph on the backroads so I didn’t blow a tire on the interstate or mountain pass.  I got home very very late, crawled in bed, got up very VERY early the next morning and took my car up into the Elkhorn mountains to run the HURL Elkhorn 23k (15 mile) race.

I was far too tired, and not hydrated enough at the beginning, but I popped in my headphones to zone out and just started putting one foot in front of the other.  The first few miles were pretty easy.  And then….the hills.  The course includes over 3,280 feet of elevation gain.  There’s a lot of downhill, too.  I kept thinking, “I hope I don’t have to run over that mountain ahead of me”, only to find out that I did.  But, it was in some absolutely stunning and gorgeous country!  I wished Rob could see it, and was sad that he never will, because it is a non-motorized trail and he is unable to get that far back in the mountains.  So I did stop to take a few pictures here and there along the way to show him.  I was not keeping on pace as well as I had hoped, because the hills were steeper and there was more scree fields than I had anticipated.  At one point, I just wanted to stay in front of “the laughers” – a group of ladies happily laughing and chatting along the way.  I mean – really?  But I needed more food, but couldn’t really eat while I was running.  I was able to get a gel pack in, so that was good.  Then down into the valley and back up the mountain on the other side. 

Every time I thought it was getting tough, I remembered it wasn’t as hard as anything Rob is going through as his body slowly shuts down.  The laughers eventually caught up with me when I stopped to take some pictures for Rob, and I made the mistake of pacing with them for the next 3-4 miles.  I should have stuck with my own pace and pushed a little harder.  I thought my time was still on target, but when my phone said I was 12 miles in, I still had more than 3 miles to the finish.  When I got to the second aid station, I didn’t take any food or water, because I was still sucking off my camel back, and the fruit looked a little marginal from sitting out all day…  Another ½ mile or so down the trail and my camelback was dry.  Great.  I was desperate for some food and water, but just couldn’t stop to deal with it, so I kept plodding on. You learn all kinds of new things when you try your first long distance mountain trail race.   I could hardly pick up my feet, but could hear shouting in the distance from the finish line, so I managed to break into a decent pace.  I finished in 5:17 – so 17 minutes over my goal time.  Shucks.  BUT – I finished!!! Praise the Lord!

I’m insane to even sign up for it, but I feel like I need to continue “running for Rob.”  It was beautiful, horrible, terrible and amazing. 

So…what’s up for 2018?

Well, I’m trying to continue running a little.

I’ll run both the 10k and the 23k again this year, barring any injuries.  I hope I can finish the 23k in under 5 hours.  I’m scared to set a goal of 4 ½ hours, but I think that’s what I am aiming for – as long as I can keep my food and water intake up a little better this year, I should be able to do it.  After all, I need to #Run4Rob, #Run4Him and #Runforthosewhocant.