The sun is setting on Day 1, and I once again find myself at the Standish Motel. It’s a modest place on the north side of town, owned and operated by a very nice East Indian family. Each time I’ve been here, the small office has been filled with the smell of strong exotic spices. Unfortunately I’ll never know the source, having to settle instead for the soggy Subway footlong I’ve been carrying in my pack for the last mile. Nonetheless I’m grateful for the clean, comfortable room I have in which to enjoy it. Staying here has become a tradition for me.
These traditions I’ve formed over the years are special to me, and one of the many reasons I love this run so much. But it’s so much more than that. It’s the new experiences that happen each day, even on the same old stretches of road. Today I met a kind, generous woman named Sue. She just happened to be stepping out of her pickup as I passed by her driveway on M13, not far north of Pinconning. I’m sure I must have looked a mess after 8 hours of running in the hot summer sun. Regardless, she stopped me as I ran and offered me a cold bottle of water. After fetching it from inside the garage Sue inquired as to why I was out there, and where I was going to. I explained to her that my friends and I were actually racing each other, and somewhere back there were at least a few more (I wasn’t quite sure my position at the time). She told me she kept a supply of water in the garage just in case someone was walking by, and promised she’d keep an eye out. If she saw any of them, she’d make sure to offer them water as well.
She also told me she’d talk with them a good long while. It’s a race after all, and she wanted me to win.
Day 1
43.17 miles
10:35:17 / 14:43 pace
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