April | 2022 | And Flow

Hi John, thank you so much for your hard work to put on the Zumbro race. I was a first time 50 Mile finisher and I barely made it. What a brutal course! It broke me absolutely sideways.

[Strava activity here]

On the start of the second lap, just after cresting the first hill, just before 5am, the light and darkness started to vibrate and I began to hallucinate. I had to stop running to re-center myself. I couldn’t run without hallucinating again. For 4 long, slow miles, I beat myself down. My self-talk was a downward spiral of negative. I was walking slowly.

I was giving up.

I was going to finish the 2nd lap, get into my car, and drive away without telling anyone.

Eventually, I waddled to the first aid station. The volunteer told us we still had time to finish. We could do it if we just kept moving forward. I realized that I could still make it if I just walked the remainder of the course… for 11 more hours. The sun started to rise. At the top of that next hill, I suddenly got mad. I cursed the course. How dare Zumbro punch me back and think it had won? I stamped my feet, threw a tantrum, and screamed into the woods that I would beat Zumbro just to spite it. I kept going.

11 long hours of hiking later, I sprinted as fast as I could across the finish line. A volunteer handed me a coke. I collapsed into a folding chair and started to cry. I bawled my eyes out, convulsing with agony and relief and gratitude that I had entered the darkest place earlier that night for those 4 miles. I had decided to give up. But my legs had just kept moving forward.

Thank you to the volunteers, thank you to you, and thank you to all the other participants. Every single runner that passed me wished me good job and good work and good luck. There was no way I could have finished by myself.

Thank you for pushing me to grow beyond my limits.

No, it’s not possible to capture the depth of a place in words. So why try? Instead, let most of the sand slip through our fingers until a few specks remain. New York City could be summarized as “people; lots of people.” But this would miss the incredible culture, diversity, and character of the city. At some point, we have to draw the line. We remember what we remember. The things that remain resonate with us. So, I’ve tried to describe the essence of the places we visited, so you’ll also be interested in going!

Monsaraz: “castle overlooking cobbles and local art”
Reguengos de Monsaraz: “families in the square”
Castelo de Vide: “wise souls wander the narrow streets”
Marvao: “castle in the sky”
Sortelha: “true medieval ramparts”
Monsanto: “rock village hospitality”
Tomar: “Christian Convent on the hill”
Fatima: “pilgrims in awe of God’s miracles”
Obidos: “history plus modernity equals quaint streets and tasty tapas”
Nazare: “big waves hit beach cliffs”
Aveiro: “gondolas, bike paths, and industry”
Guimaraes: “mountaintop over cafés in the square”
Coimbra: “discover deep wisdom here”
Lagos: “local vibe among touristy beaches”
Portimao: “best boats and best caves”
Sagres: “the edge of the world”
Sintra: “touristy fairytale castle”
Porto: “expressions of pure style on both sides of the river”
Lisboa: “the genuine experience, with a taste of San Francisco and spice from Barcelona”