Robinson Mall

Day one is underway!

     Our day started out a little slow, as we woke up about 45 minutes later than we wanted.  Jack's aunt and uncle, along with his 93 year old grandma, met us at our starting point to see us off!  Once we arrived, we got pictures with the 'Welcome to West Virginia' sign and ceremoniously ran the first hundred yards together as a group.  From there, Brian took the wheel for the first stretch.  Jack and I ran the first 5 miles which ended at a Curves.  There was a man at the convenience store attached to it that offered us slushies, but we politely turned them down and continued on our way.

     Jack took over driving for the second section.  Our second stopping point was close to an on-ramp to the highway.  After stopping for a few minutes and helping a lady with directions to the airport, Jack and Brian set off on the next stretch.  As I drove, I tried to look for a shady spot to stop and pull over.  After stopping, I had a driver pull over with me and ask if I needed any help - and I just told him that I was waiting for a few friends.  He said, 'Are they joggin'?  Ah - they're coming soon!'  After that 5 miles, Brian had a crick in his neck, but luckily it was his turn to drive. 

     I took over running with Jack from there.  He was starting to feel dehydrated about part of the way through, but we made it to Brian as he stopped at an Exxon station.  We decided that with it being 2pm, we were at a good place to break for lunch.  The internet tells us rain is on the way, so hopefully the storm will pass quickly and we can finish up in dry weather.

     We're currently sitting at the food court at Robinson Mall where we've enjoyed a nice Subway lunch.  The weather appears to be worsening, so we're grateful to have coverage, air conditioning, and people to watch.  To this point, we have completed 20 miles!  According to our goal for the day, that leaves us with 10 to complete before darkness.  What's nice about that is that we have some time to relax and let this storm blow over before we head back out on the roads.  It was relatively hot as the afternoon wore on, and we searched for any shade we could find along the way.  Nobody has fallen ill, gotten lost, or has been injured, so we feel that we are successful thus far!

     Thanks for the well-wishes and support!  Look for an update once we reach our overnight location tonight. 

Tim