We ran to Houston. Still trying to wrap my head around it! These last few days I've found myself wondering, "Did that really happen?!", "Is it already over with?!", and "When can we do that again?". Whew!
I had every good intention of documenting the journey as we went, but it just didn't seem like a top priority at the time. So, first, here are a few things you may be curious about. If this bores you, fast-forward to the next post to see some pictures and highlights of our 240 miles. Enjoy... we sure did!
TEAM.
To begin with, meet our team. These guys were absolutely stellar. Our 5 hour early arrival time certainly proved that, but aside from quick feet, this crew was incredibly adaptable and enjoyable to be around. It's pretty incredible what can be accomplished when people combine passion and talent for a worthy cause, and I was certainly honored to be invited along. We met up at 6 PM on Thursday night (several of us meeting for the first time!), went over final details, loaded up, and headed to a site on Lake Ray Hubbard to kick things off.
Jeremy, Will, Jared, Nathan, Gretchen, Allison, Chris, & Russell
LOGISTICS.
While we planned as much as possible beforehand, a lot of the relay was simply "see how it goes". Our friend Roy drove the church van, decked out with tarps and blankets, while my roomies Rachel and Amber drove a second vehicle. During the daytime, the current runner was dropped off at their start point, and then we all drove ahead to the next exchange to have the next runner ready to go. At night time, the car and "runners on deck" tailed the entire way (for safety). The van with the other half of the team drove ahead a few hours in an attempt to get some sleep. Once half the night legs were completed, we swapped places and continued on til daylight.
ROUTE.
Most of the route ran along the feeder road of 45, although there were several points in which we had to jump onto 45 itself. The 4th round of legs proved the most difficult. Hills, hills, and more hills. And I'm not talking about gradual inclines. I'm talking up-and-down, never-ending, steep climbs. Pope claimed these hills would rival ski slopes! Everyone ran 6 legs, ranging from 3-6.5 miles (30 miles total), and then we all shuffled through the final mile together.
GOALS.
Our planned arrival time was 10 AM Saturday morning. However, 5 of our guys consistently ran 7:15-7:45 minute miles and ate up the pavement much quicker than expected. While the hills slowed us a bit, we ended up averaging around 8:40 mile pace as a team. This allowed us to finish the 240 miles in just under 34 hours! We arrived at Lake Conroe around 5 AM Saturday morning. Aside from completion, our main purpose was to raise awareness and financial support for The Mercy Project. And that we did! Totaling around $5,000, we were overwhelmed with the support of friends, family, and complete strangers. It was awesome to know that every step of the journey meant one step closer to rescue for our friends in Ghana.
You can still help! Go to www.mercyproject.net for more information!
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