4 to 4 run Day 2,253

 

4 to 4 run: 12-hours and 19-second   55.31

 

         The night before I couldn’t sleep. I was up until after 10 trying not to think about what I planned to do. I was planning on running for 12-hours or a 100K, but without being overly confident I really thought I would be able to do the full 100K, but I ended up doing around 89K (55.3 M) in 12-hours, which is a full 15 miles farther than I had ever gone before.

         My infant daughter was up around 2 a.m., so my wife put her next to us in bed, and I gave her a baby hug before I got up a little before 3 a.m. I wasted no time in finalizing the last few things I had to do. I had food in a cooler that I brought to my yard, which I had planned to be kind of a staging area throughout the day, so I could easily run in my back-yard and get needed supplies.

         I put all my water together in my vest with my food, my camera, my headphones, my Chapstick, my phone, so my wife and family could live track me and off I went. I also included a printout of directions because I had never taken this route to the Arch before. I was pumped to do a new route and have my longest run ever.

         I started strong and ran easy not looking at my watch. I ran by Ted Drewes on Chippewa, by Lorussos on Watson. After that, I remember running down Arsenal by Tower Grove Park. I decided to run in the park for a little while, not really thinking too much about it. It was dark in the park even though I had my head lamp, I couldn’t see my feet. SLAM. I had run over a divot in the path and tripped and fell hard catching myself with my hands. For a moment I just lay there, annoyed with myself for letting this happen. I got up looked at my hands and saw the blood and just silenced my mind and kept moving. It was just pain nothing serious, I told myself. I would clean it out when I got home in a few hours, no big deal, only 11-hours to go, I joked with myself, and took Grand to Russel, so I could run by the water tower and the street where my wife used to live.

         Once on Jefferson I could start to see the Arch, which made getting there seem easier. I ran by Busch Stadium where a guy asked me for money, “sorry I don’t carry any cash on me, but best of luck to you man.” I told him trying to be as nice as I could. It is hard not to feel sad when you see people suffering. I tried to smile and wave to everybody else I saw, and I got some positive responses, but it felt so small. BAM there is the Arch finally, and it looks amazing! I got there right at sunrise. I had my lunch by the steps and felt part of something special sharing the moment with about a dozen others on the steps; we all watched the sunrise together.  

         I took some pictures and headed back out. I ran by the construction for the new soccer stadium and on to SLU’s campus and the Samuel Cupples house. I love that house so much; my wife and I took our engagement pictures there. From SLU I went to the Central West end one of my favorite places in college. I was feeling better seeing all the familiar sights not even thinking about my hand. I was now in Forrest Park on a path I had never taken before comprising of some scenic bridges, one going over a highway, one over a pond. In Forrest Park I found a working water fountain and was able to drink a few cups of water using my collapsible cup. Now I was heading away from the park past Turtle Park heading to Mcausland to see the historical Amocco sign. From then on it was getting a little hot and the path was getting a little boring. Cars zooming by me and already just thinking about being back home to refill water and change clothes.

         I was home and immediately poured alcohol on my hand and put Vaseline on it after that. I then guzzled some cold coffee and ate an apple. I prepared all of these almond butter sandwiches, but I couldn’t eat them. I ended eating very little on the run. I felt revitalized and headed back out, but I quickly started feeling bad. It was that cold coffee. I shouldn’t have had so much caffeine. stupid stupid stupid, I thought. I headed back towards home to make some changes. I decided I would have to run closer to the house and carry less. Once home I ate some chips and salsa, which I was craving and drank some carbonated water and ate a banana. I went back out not feeling really much better, but resigned to keep moving. I took my vest off and change it out for my FlipBelt and changed shorts. I was walking some now and was doing the math in my head. I was almost at 32 miles and was at pace to finish the 100K at 12-hours, but I knew then that it probably wasn’t going to happen. I just wanted to stop running. I felt so bad, but I just kept moving, and then my brother showed up to run with me. He arrived with his two kids and his wife and they became my cheering section along with my wife and daughter. It was the boon that I needed.

         I told Ben how I was feeling, and he just told me I looked strong and whatever I wanted to do was fine. At this point I was just running laps around my neighborhood. I couldn’t convince myself to go too far from my house, so that was all I was doing. We ran some laps for a while and then I was feeling good enough to venture out to Webster where I did a familiar path and was really running more. The time started to fly by. I hit 50-miles around 10 and a half hours. I knew a 100K wasn’t going to happen, but I could still run a double marathon and maybe a little more than that, so I kept moving.

         My sister-in-law, my niece, my nephew, my daughter, and my wife were all there at the finish line they made. I picked up my daughter and ran with her at the finish. She was smiling and laughing and it was over. I looked at my hand now still red and revolting, I don’t have time to bleed. I thought and laughed to myself a little.