Paying attention to my inner thoughts during the run, I told myself the following: I calculated how many miles I had completed ; I calculated how many miles to go by comparing it to some of the training runs that Secretariat and I do. For instance, I thought of one our 15 mile loops, then a 10 miler, followed by a 5 mile loop. In other words, I broke up the remaining distance into different, similar and familiar running segments. I also paid attention to the discomfort in my Achilles tendon. Sometimes it felt okay, and other times it did not. For me, it seemed better to acknowledge the discomfort than to pretend it was not there. I also repeated this mantra “I can and I am going to do this.” Further, I told myself, that I was going to run from point to point and then walk from point to point at other junctures on this course.
At some place on the fifth loop, Secretariat said” I want you to beat that man in the green jersey and that is your goal.” So I made sure to keep and stay in front of that green jersey. A few times, I asked Secretariat to look behind to see if the green jersey was in view. I was pleased when he said “I cannot see the green jersey.”
Mark Richtman passed a few times and I remarked to Secretariat that he did not look good as his head and body seemed more out of whack. The last time he passed us, we looked at our watches, and it became clear that he was not to break the record today.
On the fifth loop, we were walking on the Wyatt Bridge, and youngster Mark Falcone called out and referred to us as soft as he passed. He was a ride and tie competitor, a Tevis Cup completer, as well as a Western States 100 buckle owner. Shortly after that, Greg Soderlund, race director for the Western States 100, called out “It is still Saturday.” Thanks guys for your humor.
On to lap six the final lap and I was not unhappy about that. Secretariat again ran ahead as he was on a mission for another beer. Unfortunately, the cute volunteer had left and he was disappointed. Not only did he not talk to the cute girl, he was without a second beer as well. Poor guy! From Secretariat: It's tough being a pacer, I need beer!!!
To be concluded tomorrow.
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