Hey Glo,
How are you doing? How is the missionary work in Santa Rosa going? How are your investigators doing? Did you have many at church yesterday? How are things with your companionship?
I hope all is well. Mommy and I pray for you every day. You are so strong, I don't always remember you are having a hard time with your trio but I pray for your well being and spirit and safety every day.
I am doing pretty good. I just had a great Sunday nap. It was too long, so I probably won't be able to sleep tonight, but it was nice because I slept and didn't wake up worried or stressed out, like I so often do. I think part of it was that I was so tired. I slept ok last night but I ran the Air Force Marathon yesterday and it really tired me out.
It was a crazy running day. I got up at 5:15 am, got ready, I was staying at a hotel about 25 minutes away. I drove to the Air Force museum and there are three gates you can enter to park, and then there is one gate only open to VIPs till 8 am. But there is a neighborhood across the street from the main gate and we have parked there several times because you can walk in and the start line is pretty close to that gate. The problem is, last year they closed the whole road down to that gate. So, I wasn't sure if I should try to do what I normally do each year to enter in by that gate. I drove to the place where I had to make the decision and thankfully I tried to get to that gate because once I got on the road to that gate it was completely open, I drove to my special parking spot and parked right across the road and walked in the gate no problem. So, I got to the start line about 6:15 and it is always such a relief because it is often the most stressful part of the day parking and getting to the start line on time. When I got there, I was walking around and stretching and looking for some water, and there was none anywhere which is rough because most of us need to hydrate. Also, it is important to empty your bladder and bowels before the race so you don't have to do it during the race, but I was just not feeling it. The race was supposed to start at 7:30. A 10K was starting at 6:30 so that started, and I was still waiting around. And then, about 7 am it started to rain lightly, that was a drag but not too much rain was coming down, and then right around the time the race was to start at 7:30 it started pouring rain. I ran to the food tent because that was what was close by. It is the tent where people go to get their food when they finish the race. Obviously no one was finished with the 10 k yet so we were in the tent on the fringes, and these volunteers were yelling at us to move. By this time it was sheeting rain and I was not going to move, neither were a bunch of other people. About 100 yards away there was another big tent, but it was full of people and I did not want to start the race with soaking feet so I stayed. Finally, the volunteers were harassing us so much, we ran over to the other tent. I did not get too wet but it really bothered me that they kicked us out of an empty tent to get wet rather than let us shelter there.
So, eventually the time for the race came and by this time the rain was basically stopping. So, in between bathroom breaks, I went to my starting corral. I was in B corral or bomber corral. It was kind of cool because they had bathrooms by the corral. I know it sounds kooky but parking before the race, going to the bathroom and getting something to eat are major hurdles at a marathon. So, I was glad for the bathrooms in the corral, because then they started to delay the race due to lightning. Each lightning strike meant 10 more minutes of waiting. By this time there is no room to stretch or move around as we are in our corrals but at least there were bathrooms. Another cool thing was that they had fireworks for the start of each race and they had colored smoke which was cool. So, finally at 8 am the race began.
I have to tell you I was worried about this race, like all marathons, but more because I was having right knee pain for the weeks leading up to it. In fact, I barely ran the entire week before the race because I was worried about exacerbating my knee pain before the race. So, I was pretty worried about it all week and then the day of the race came and it did not feel too bad. But, I had not been running all week. So, they started the race and I started running and my legs felt kind of weak, but I got going and ran. It was cloudy so though it was warm and muggy it was not too hot. Interestingly, they reversed the entire course this time. We used to go up this giant hill but they changed the direction of the race and so we did not go up the giant hill and went kind of opposite the direction we had always gone on the course. I ran, and ran. Even though I had stretched before and done all my achilles tendon exercises, my achilles started hurting pretty soon into the run. I ran and ran, and I drank at all the aid stations because I had not had much to drink before. I hate to say it but I was feeling kind of tired even after 5-6 miles. I wasn't in terrible pain, but I just felt tired, but I kept going. I got to 10, 13 and 15 and my right knee started to hurt too. At one point I tried to bend my right knee and it would not bend past about 30 degrees, but then I checked and the left knee wouldn't bend either. My left knee was hurting some too. It was kind of rough. At that point I was running and walking, but even though I was running slowly, I could run faster than I or those around me could walk. So I kept going as best I could with this kind of very slow running. So, I get to 24 miles and me and this group of runners around me are running, walking and passing and getting passed by each other.
By the way, while I ran for about an hour I prayed, then I listed to conference for an hour or so, then I listened to the book of Mormon for an hour or so. I talked to Mommy as she drove to the temple, I talked to Cheese for a while. I talked to my dad for a while. It was helpful as it passed the time. Anyway, so I am at the end, and I am listening to RUSH, two of my favorite albums at the end, and it is nice, because I have to admit, since all this stuff with the hospital has gone down, I have rarely listened to music while I run because I need the comfort of the scriptures so much, I haven't really listened to music. So, I am running and listening and me and all these same people are passing and getting passed by each other. All of them are younger and thinner and healthier looking than me. So, at 1.2 miles left, with a long visual distance to go, I decide I am not going to walk any more. I keep running my slow, knee pain, achilles tendon run and I pass all of them up and keep going. At this point, I am by the Air Force museum but I am running down an air strip and I am sure some of these young people will pass me but I don't care, I just keep going. I round the first corner about .3 miles from the end, then I round the last corner by the line of airplanes and I am by myself and no one has passed me. I just don't want a bunch of those people passing me. So, then this one guy comes flying by sprinting about .15 from the finish line and I am fine with that, and still by myself and I keep going and cross the finish line. I was so relieved. I told the announcer it was my 21st Air Force marathon and he announced it and I got my medal.
So last year, when I got done, I went and laid down after I was done and could not get up for about an hour. So this year, I got my medal, my bag of food which consisted of 3 bottles of gatorade, two bananas, some halves of cheese bagels and that was it, ugh, not great food. Anyway, I just started walking slowly to my car because I knew if I laid down, I would be stuck and I had to check out of my hotel. So as I am walking to the car, I see a nectarine on the ground which I picked up. Later when I ate it it was nasty so I threw it away, but it looked good when I picked it up. Ha ha. As I got close to the gate, a woman stopped and asked if I wanted a ride to my car and I accepted and she drove me to it and I got out and got in the car. I was fine driving my car to the hotel. I tell this story, because after that was when I started having trouble.
I went into the hotel and though I had requested a late check out they said I had to leave quickly. So, I went to my room and got ready to take a shower and when I was in the shower I started feeling super sick and woozy. So bad that I literally got out of the shower all soapy and just went and laid down on the bed all wet. If I hadn't I would have passed out. But, I felt pressure to get going so I got up shortly thereafter and thankfully tolerated the shower and got ready and though I still felt a little woozy I left.
Driving home I was really tired but I did not feel sick and I drank lots of my gatorade and water and ate my bagels and bananas and finally got home. On the way I got Mommy and me Schlotzkys as it was on the way home. That is an interesting story too. So, I am driving home and Mommy is still in the temple and you know me, once I am driving I don't want to stop. I was low on gas but did not want to stop and have to get out of the car. So, as I am driving I get a feeling like I should get Schlotzky's and though I don't want to stop, I just thought I need to get Mommy Schlotzky's, so I get off the exit, got across town and get the sandwiches and drive home. As, I am driving home, I get a call from Mommy and she tells me what a rough day she has had in the temple with different people interactions. And, I realized it was Heavenly Father that was telling me to get Mommy Shlotzky's. She had such a rough day while serving in the temple. So, I got us sandwiches and got home and that is the story of the marathon and the inspiration to get mommy her favorite sandwiches because she had given so much service in the temple and had a rough time.
I love you Glo,
I am thankful you are a missionary.
I am still waiting on jobs to say if I am in or not, but I think something will work out. Keep praying for us to get a job.
I love you and hope things are going better for you.
Love,
Daddy
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