Posted by Gail Marino on September 17, 2004 at 16:26:11:
In Reply to: RACE ACROSS AMERICA-Louis Rodriguez updates posted by Gail Marino on August 02, 2004 at 09:02:43:
RAA DAY # 28 FRIDAY 7/9/04
We leave Craig, Colorado (6186 ft) to Steamboat Springs (6728 ft) for 45.7 miles with a cutoff of 13 hrs 3 min. The morning started out at a cool 50 degrees, as Lou & Taka kept each other company along hwy 40e. Through the small towns, we were greeted by women interested in the runner, running for breast cancer. This was a perfect opportunity to hand out our pamphlets & reinforce the importance of early detection. There were many mailboxes along the route to be found.
Taka was feeling well this morning & encouraged Lou to run at his own pace, but Lou decided to stay with Taka until he was confident, about how well Taka was feeling. We knew that Taka was proud & didn't want to hold us back. After 12 miles out, we felt safe to move on, besides Ryota would let us know if Taka needed help. During a water or aid stop as I waited for Lou, a jeep pulled up along side of me. The 2 women in the vehicle saw the runners throughout the day & when they noticed me pulled over waiting, they inquired about the runners & who is running for breast cancer. We spoke for a while & I learned one of them is a survivor of ovarian cancer. They waited for Lou to arrive, to thank him for extending his athletic abilities unselfishly for women. Of course, we later meet this woman in Denver, as we walked into her store looking for running shoes. We just picked this store out of the phone book. We never exchanged names or anything on the road, but we walk into her store, that she owns. She recognized us right away. Was this a coincidence or fate?
Because we are not racing, we can stop & take in some of the sites. Sometimes it is good to stop & look around & appreciate all the beauty that does surround us. Although Colorado is cool in the morning & at night, it is a truly beautifully colorful state. Capturing the breathtaking sites of purple, snowcapped mountains with encompassing greenery, is postcard picture perfect. There were many cyclist sharing their bike path road with the runners. Lou finished in 10 hrs 32 min, & Taka finished with 9 min within cutoff. Till tomorrow. Lou & Agnes