Posted by Gail Marino on December 03, 2004 at 08:50:48:
In Reply to: RACE ACROSS AMERICA-Louis Rodriguez updates posted by Gail Marino on August 02, 2004 at 09:02:43:
RAA DAY # 42 FRIDAY 7/23/04
It is a very cool & windy morning as we leave Belleville, Kansas to our destination in Marysville, Kansas for 54.6 miles with a cutoff time of 15 hrs 36 min or 9:36 pm. The dark clouds are saying that it may rain, but it feels as though a storm is approaching. The starting line is missing Don but Raul, Russells friend is a visitor today. Raul is here to run with Russell. The lineup is Bob, Olivier, Russell & Raul then Luc then Kaz, then Lou & Taka & then Don. I guess because Raul is a visitor, Lou's journey runner rules do not apply to him. I find this quite amusing that one can be a visitor as many times as one chooses & there are no restrictions (& the $2,000 entry fee was not paid). But the journey runner, who became a journey runner from injuries, paid an entry fee & has restrictions.
By 8:30 am, it was 68 degrees. It will be a long day along the rolling hills, no turns, just straight ahead. Lou stayed with Taka, helping him to find his pace. "Is that your new adopted son", remarked Don to Lou. "Well, I know how it feels to be out there alone", replied Lou. Then Don continued to tell Lou, that Lou doesn't know anything, because he (Don) had been out during these runs for 63 or 64 days without anyone there for him, before he quit. Although I find this statement highly believable, we did not find any comfort or satisfaction in it.
Lou ran the 1st 11 miles with Taka, helping him to find his pace & encouraging him to open his stride. If we had to encounter heavy rain, heavy winds & heavy mileage alone, without having to deal with the extra emotional turbulence, we could continue on as everyone else did, but we were not given that opportunity. So Lou stopped running at 11 miles, but we stayed with Taka helping him through this long day. We were able to leave our pamphlets in convenience stores & some mailboxes through the small towns.
The last 2 1/2 miles, Lou ran with Taka in the dark. We were approaching 15 hrs & it was clearly obvious, that Taka was getting tired & we were all getting hungry. We finished at the motel Super 8, & Kaz, Satoko, Olivier & Dario were there to cheer them on. Russell & Raul finished in 10:42, Olivier in 11:19, Kaz in 12 :07, Don 13:57, & Taka 15:08, just 28 min within cutoff. Lou ran a total of 13 1/2 miles but we were out there for the 15 hrs 8 min, along with Taka, ensuring him another day to continue on. Till tomorrow, Lou & Agnes