Triple digits!!! Today was a great day and we were all running a bit quicker having felt we truly accomplished something. 100 days on the road just sounds amazing and I could tell the guys were just as excited about reaching this milestone as I was. Ken kept yelling "triple digits" for most of the day and we all reminisced back to earlier days on the road.
I want to talk about so much since I haven't written in almost three weeks but I am currently at a public library sharing a computer. I only have 16 minutes left until I am going to be asked to get off the computer so I will try to get in as much information as possible before I run out of time.
Last night was the first time camping out that Ken was not freezing during the middle of the night. His sleeping back is only 35 degree compared to Durkin and my 20 degree. However, the temperature did not drop below 60 and we all slept great. That was until about 1am and again at 5am when a train came rolling passed our tent. We were camping maybe 50 yards from a railroad crossing and we could hear their horns as they cleared the way. It wasn't the best way to wake up but we made due.
After the second train woke us, we slowly started getting up and packing up our gear. We planned on starting early this morning, as well as the remainder of the run, in order to try and beat some of the heat we will be experiencing. We eventually started running around 6:30am and all three of us were in shorts and t-shirts already - except Durkin. For some reason he wore long pants and his hooded sweatshirt and I made sure to mock him for this. It wasn't long before he joined us in the proper attire.
We all were in great moods as we headed down the road and Matt hooked up Ken's Ipod for us to enjoy. This only added to the fun as we were all dancing around in the middle of the street. Over the last 3 days we dropped close to 4,000 feet in elevation and today was more of the same. The road was gradually down hill, probably dropping 25-30 feet every mile, finishing the day right around 2,300 feet. I am glad we are continuing to go down because it only means the ocean is just around the corner.
As we started running I could tell my legs were feeling a lot better. They are still sore but I was telling the guys that I think tomorrow they will be close to 100 percent and ready to go. Durkin has been feeling great since we left the Grand Canyon and Ken is about a day or two ahead of me. He is almost 100 percent as well and we all joked that once our friend Rick joins us he is in for a world of hurt (just kidding Rick, we can't wait to see you).
6 minutes left...
The road and surrounding scenery was one of the greatest we have experienced thus far, at least for me. I was in such a great state of mind and truly enjoying being out on the road, something I have not had in a few days. All around us were mountains painting the horizon as we ran across the flat desert floor. There was hardly any traffic besides the motorcycles that drove passed us looking confused and we were able to run three wide for most of the day. We talked about a lot of things today. We talked about our futures and what we thought the finish would be like. We talked about music and youth baseball. Ken told us one particular story when he used to play. His team was in the championship game down by one with the bases loaded. He was up with a full count. The pitcher threw him, as he put it, one of the nastiest curve balls he has ever seen and despite his best efforts, Ken went down swinging. Just like Mighty Casey.
With about 4 miles left in the day we experienced a small set back as one of our tires started to loose air and again spit out green slime everywhere. We were able to travel a few more miles before all was lost and we had to replace the tube. For the first time in 100 days Matt Durkin decided it was his turn to help replace a tire. He has sat back and watched all trip as Ken and I have changed wheel after wheel but today was his time to shine. He knew what to do in theory but actually applying these skills was another thing all together. However, I must admit he did a fairly decent job for his first attempt and we were back moving again within 15 minutes.
As we approached the outskirts of town we came across a biker bar called The Coyote Lounge. We stopped in for a bit to eat and to get out of the heat. Ken and I tackled club sandwiches as Durkin manned up and ordered a double bacon cheeseburger with no tomato. Everyone was fully satisfied as we exited the establishment looking for somewhere to call home for the night. We ran into a public library where I currently sit. Ken and Durkin are walking over to the fire station to see if we can stay inside with them. If not, we all agreed that camping out again won't be the end of the world as the weather is perfect for such a thing.
It was a good feeling to be done with our day just after 12 and we are going to try and continue this trend at least for the next few days. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and we would like to be the first to wish all our mothers a great day. We are sorry we can't be with you guys but we love you for allowing us to attempt such a crazy idea over three months ago. Without your support we would never be where we are today, staring down the Pacific Ocean. Thanks for everything you do for us and we all can't wait to see you guys in San Diego.
I just got 15 minutes extended time, lucky you...
Finally, I want to quickly tell you about our movie night a few days ago. While in Prescott with Betsy and Kirby we watched the movie Into The Wild. Ken and Matt have never seen this movie before but this was my second time viewing it. I know we recommend a lot of weird movies and TV shows to watch but this is one that everyone should definitely see. About four years ago I read the book for the first time and it was a huge turning point for me. It wasn't the main reason but it was a large reason why I have wanted to run across the country and live out my own "Alaskan Adventure". Only mine was a voyage westward. Although the movie ends in tragedy the message is clear. Live your life the way you want to and above all follow your dreams. Don't be afraid to walk to the beat of your own drum. I was so glad we got to see the movie while still doing this run. I know we can all relate to it and personally it has given me a second wind to finish on a positive note. Taking everything in that I possibly can.
Thanks for reading. TRIPLE DIGITS!!!!
-Andy
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