Answered Prayer 9/9/16

Redwood Regional Park

      Last week, on Wednesday, I ran 14.2 miles (22.85 km).

       In the wooded mountains of a re-gional park located on the skyline of Oakland.  In that time, forty-three stories were climb-ed. Yes, forty-three.

       The goal was a run of 10 miles (16.09 km).  The week before I ran 8.5 miles at Lake Chabot.  The extra 4.2 miles run on Wednesday hap-pened because I got lost, turned around.  The twisty paths in the forested Oakland hills caused that.

      At the beginning, after the first fifth of a mile, I no desire to run.  But the following quote inspired me:

"In the conflict between the stream and the rock that lays within, the water wins.  It overcomes the stone, round-ing it.  Not by brute strength but through perseverance." 

       Motivated by this truth, I chugged ahead, ignoring the exhaustion assaulting me.

       A harrier once again.  A folded map of this regional park was in a pocket of my shorts.  The rangers said the distance of the planned trek was eight miles.

        My Fitbit, using GPS declared otherwise.  After running and climbing hills for three+ hours in a trip that I thought would be shorter, I was wiped out, physically.

        I had a 4:30 p.m. session with a client.  My calculations for my time in the park were wrong.  During the journey, I became disoriented.  And hot, thirsty.

Canyon Trail.  It goes straight uphill.  Ugh. 

       Part of my journey included the Canyon Trail. An uphill climb of two miles.  No, thank you.  I had completed 8 miles (12.87 km).  Phy-sically drained, I took a "short-cut."  I ran out the entrance of Red-wood Park, going further up Skyline Road.

       It was a mistake.  A dangerous one, too.  Cars whizzed by this twisty curvy road.  They did not expect a crazy man to be running on that road, especially during the hottest portion of the day.

        I pushed on.  I would hear the roar of a car zooming up the moun-tain, behind me.  When the squealing wheels reached me, I'd stop.  I climbed the inclined dirt shoulder of the road.  Like a bullfighter, I watched as the car scrape by, making sure the car did not catch my hip.

       The astonished looks of the drivers---as they confronted me, con-veyed, "What are you doing??"  Their looks met mine, filled with fear.  I dreamed of flying.  But, soaring because a car smacked into me was not the way I envisioned.  That day I did my best to not be roadkill.

Not only believing, but in having perseverance.

       Being a greasy smudge on the street or leaving my mark in this world as a pressed image, grounded into a road above the city of Oakland had no ap-peal. Even though weary, I came to my senses.

      I reversed course.

      The run was sap-ping my strength.  I hadn't run ten miles in more than ten years.  The 91 F. (32.77 C) degree heat made matters worse.

       I had to return to my car.  This was not like running around the block.  I was seven miles from where I started.  Re-entering the park, I ran through the hilly woods towards my car.

       I prayed when reaching the intersection of Skyline and Joaquin Miller.  "God, please help.  I need a ride," I pleaded.  "I can't run much more."  I had miles to go after already running 13.95 miles.

       I was behind schedule.  No way was I going to make my appointment.

       After my peti-tion, I ran 565 steps, more.  One-fifth of a mile, uphill, accord-ing to Fitbit.   Then it happened.  A car pulled over.  Its lights flashing.  The back door opened.  A miracle!

        I pumped my arms wildly, breathing rapidly, as I raced to the car. I pulled the door wide.  A woman was stepping out.  Her husband was dropping her off at work.  No miracle, here.

        I was mistaken.  My heart was not only beating wildly, but crushed.

        The couple was Hispanic.  I spoke to them in Spanish. The woman said her husband would help.  I was relieved better than having a cool drink of water on that blistering day!  He took me 3.1 miles (5 km)---uphill---to where my car was.

       

This can happen even when you are running. 

      My misun-derstanding why the car  pulled over and had its lights flash-ing paid off.  God answer-ed prayer.  I was thrilled to sit in an air condition-ed car.  It was heartening, God working on my behalf when I was at the nadir of my despair that day.

       Since then, I ran a race Sat-urday, 9/10/15.  It was a 5K, 3.1 miles with hills. My consistent running---190 miles (305.7 km) a month, in the hills---since May, paid off.  I came in fifth, beating out others in their 20's, 30's and forties.  I passed two in their twenties, in the last thirty yards.

       I got a medal.  I'll fill you in with the details when there's time. Many lessons learned while racing in Concord, California.