LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/830178
Summer 2017 LOCALadk Magazine 31 LOCALadk Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the ride. Start your vacation sooner by hopping on a flight from Boston with easy connections through Logan Airport. It's fast, fun and surprisingly affordable. * Free parking Albany Boston Ogdensburg* Saranac Lake* capeair.com 800-CAPE-AIR I have run a number of races before, from 5Ks to marathons, but this was one of the most challenging. The terrain was difficult, with lots of elevation change. You are, after all, running through portions of the High Peaks Region. In 2016 the weather was unrelenting. This was one of the hottest and most humid weekends of the summer. The sun was punishing throughout Friday, giving way to threatening storms on Saturday, which eventually unleashed in a fury of thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. Sparse cell phone coverage made it difficult to communicate with the other van of our team. Remote stretches between populated areas made it hard to find adequate places to eat. Add to that sore legs and overall weariness from lack of good sleep, since we were six people crammed together in a van. There is a lot about this that doesn't sound appealing. But seeing the beauty of the Adirondacks from this pedestrian angle was special. There were many times when I looked around at the scene I was running through and just marveled at the beauty (through beads of sweat). And the sense of accomplishment was tremendous. To explain to others that our team ran from Whiteface to Utica sounded as amazing as it felt. Among national long-distance running relays, Peak to Brew is the longest. But maybe most surprising was the camaraderie that developed so quickly with a group of people I had never met. Over the course of just two days with these teammates, we laughed and cried and got upset and apologized. We saw each other struggle and shared in personal victories. We supported each other – massaging sore muscles, cheering each other on, and running alongside teammates who were beginning to fade. And we talked – sharing stories about running, family, goals, and hardships. Put simply, we did all the things that usually go into a special relationship, but we packed it into two days. So would I do it again? Yeah. I just put my name in the runners' tank again for this year's race. I'm waiting to see if I get lumped in with another group of 11 strangers…who will be sure to become special friends.