Seriously! This guy rocks!
Just because I talk a lot online (Me? Talk a lot? HA!) I put out a post yesterday about today’s run.
See, I had 20 miles to run this morning. It was supposed to be another warm and humid Mississippi morning…that meant another 1:30 am run for me. (79* 89% humidity when we hit the road this morning)
I’ve grown fond of these dark o’clock runs! Seriously! It’s so peaceful. Quiet. You can see the stars out in the country where I live. It has turned into some very lovely runs!
However:
It also gets a little lonely.
20 miles is a looonnng way to run in the dark by yourself. This brings us back to my pitiful FB post.
The post read: “20M 1:30 am. Last 5M fast finish. Anybody want to tag along?” knowing all good and well what the answer was going to be…and that was the answer I got, too!
“No Way!”
“I have a date with my pillow.”
“Are you nuts, woman!?!”
Except for this one guy. Shobal. He has come to our house for running group once. Last week. I didn’t get to meet him because I was helping at the Triathlon. MFH (My Favorite Husband) ran with him, though, and really liked him and had told me a bit about him.
Shobal replied to my post. Sure! He would try to be there! 1:30 am? No problem. He’d try not to over sleep.
My alarm went off at 12:05 am and I stumbled out of bed, trying not to wake up MFH. All in all, I had managed about 3 hrs sleep. MFH had gone on a run after I’d gone to bed and then done our grocery shopping after our run. He’s awesome! That also meant that while he was gone, Paxton wanted out. Then back in. Castro wanted in. And then back out….you get the idea. 3 hrs sleep. HA!
I was up and pretty awake. Made a slice of toast and a cup of coffee. Fiddled around online while I finished off my breakfast and then got dressed to run. Right at 1:30, Paxton started barking.
Shobal was here! Right on time!
How wonderful!!! I wasn’t going to have to run by myself today!!!
It was like Christmas morning! Such a treat!
Mind you, I’d never met this guy before. MFH had and had said glowing things about him and I had chatted with him online. I didn’t have any reservations about running with him. I was looking forward to it!
We got started and were chatting. He is a super fast guy!!! Holy Cow! 17 minute 5K’s! 1:30 Half Marathons! Here he was plodding along beside me at my mind numbing pace.
Bless him! What an angel! Not one word of complaint from him. He just chatted along telling me about his family. His job. His degrees and how he is planning on working next towards his PhD. Impressive stuff!
He hasn’t run past 13 miles this year and that was at the Half Marathon that I also ran back at the end of March. I was a little concerned about this. I didn’t want him to get injured!
While we were running, he admitted that his legs were getting tired. The legs weren’t really happy about how far were were running this morning.
We were running on a new stretch of highway that isn’t open to traffic yet. We would be getting back to the house at 17 miles then I would have to turn around for a short 3 mile loop. I encouraged him to call it a day when we got back to the house. He took me up on it! HA!
We stopped at the house and had some Gatorade. He hopped in his car and drove home. I went out a finished the last 3 miles. Those last three were dreadful! I got so spoiled having someone with me! Hahaha!!!
Got those 20 done, though! He made them fun! The miles flew by! Can’t thank him enough.
What a lovely way to begin the day!
