Day 146

Early to rise and quick to pray with my girls via Skype as they were cleaning up from a playful, humid evening outside with friends. Priceless, those calls...just love talking to them and finding out about school and anything else they want to talk about. I rolled back over and went back to sleep until it was my time to get up. Once I did, I got the added bonus of seeing and talking to Dorothy as she went to bed, too. "Skype...I gotta say...you're taking the edge off. I think Dorothy agrees, too." Afterwards, Dorothy and I exchanged a few messages where I compared this deployment to a 100-miler.

Sure, it's been a few years since my three 100-milers. Back in 2009, I ran my first 100-miler in the Kettle Moraine of southern Wisconsin followed eight weeks later by my 2nd 100-mile finish in northeast Ohio, and then ten weeks later I ran my third one in northwest Pennsylvania. I finished as "fast" as 25hrs, 39min and as "slow" as 30hrs, 49min. That third one? The hardest of all and I have the finisher's belt buckle right here in my CHU with me. It's priceless to me. The 100-miler is a beast and so very heavy on the mental side of things. Sure, you have to train to cover that kind of distance which I did. But in the end, if you don't have the mental fortitude, you'll most likely quit. Most "normal" 100-mile runners see two sunrises. They start on Saturday morning before dawn, for example, and finish after sunrise on the second day...without stopping. I've always said that finishing a 100-miler will change your life and apply to so many things you go through in life. It's about breaking the race into pieces and reaching little milestones. In the race, it's landmarks or aid stations where smiles and food awaits. You fill up and if you hang out too long, the good volunteer worker will kick your tail right down that trail. No hanging out! Oh how true it is in this deployment. Little milestones, little celebrations, and not staying long at any one point. Finish one then focus on the next and keep your head wrapped around it and keep moving..."forward relentless motion" is what I always tell people about running ultra-marathons. The same is true here...more so on the mental side. You've all seen me dip in and out of the mental trough. Back home in Kansas in my normal walks of life, I'd never bare my soul like I do here. This is a one time deal! I just hope now that those troughs are very few and far between...for not just me but for Dorothy, too. Our girls are doing really, really well and these little Skype chats and praying at bedtime are working really well for them. I really feel that they feel connected to me, thanks to technology and for that, I'm eternally grateful. As for Dorothy, technology and phone calls only go so far. For her, I just want to hold her...it's really that simple. That embrace is THE one, singular thing that tops every list....of course, hugs to Tin Man and Scarecrow seconds later. :-) That's my 100-mile finish line. For now, I'm in the middle of the night of my 100-miler...right around Mile 71 or 72. The moon is out, the trees are creaking, and while I feel totally alone in the middle of the woods, I know Dorothy is standing at the finish line with her arms outstretched. That, like the 100-miler, is reason enough to keep running. It's worth it all...every..last..step.

Goodnight, everyone.