Run off the Road in North Carolina
Good Sunday from North Carolina, rain soaked North Carolina. On our call to QMFM on Friday I was boasting that it was 70 degrees and sunny after they told me it was a typical Vancouver morning, filled with low clouds and heavy rain. Yesterday we woke up to low hanging clouds and heavy, with even heavier rain this morning. Luckily we’re on a rest day and sheltered at another KOA, so all’s not too hard to take.
What was hard to take yesterday, and for the last 4 days, are the crummiest roads we’ve run on to date. We thought parts of Manitoba were tough because of no shoulder, and NY and Jersey because of heavy traffic. However, the last few days have had us on ZERO shoulder with the added bonus of people driving cars and massive SUV’s not used to making any room for 2 runners.
Yesterday was by far the worst though, as it was raining, as well as Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Saturday 1st day of the Christmas season craziness out here on U.S. Route 17 South. We were forced over to oncoming traffic so we could make sure WE saw what was approaching. On too many occasions we literally had to jump off our little oasis beside the white line because someone wasn’t paying attention and crossed out of their lane, onto the shoulder.
Or, the one “jack-bleep” who smugly drove as close to us as he could, forcing us to use our best ninja moves to reach safety, as he sprayed us with water. We called it a day at 3:00pm very glad to leave this holiday weekend traffic train.
We do have more amazing, incredible “wow those kids at that school rocked” tales for you. Plus, a very special night we had with new friends, Amy, Bill and Elizabeth Jackson in Chocowinity, North Carolina. Amy (our newest road mom) read about us in the local paper and has a daughter, Victoria, who is a nationally ranked runner and understands from these experiences what it feels like to be on the road and not with family.
So Amy got in touch with Steph and asked if we could stay at her house for a hot shower, good southern food and new friendships. After thinking for about 2 seconds, Steph replied with a “YES PLEASE” and we were off after another double marathon day, to their amazing home here in North Carolina. Amy even spread the word to some more friends who stopped by to share in Amy and Bill’s southern hospitality! Thanks Amy, for the great rain shower (massive shower head from above), grits I now crave and for believing in our cause.
I must also go back to earlier this week, November, 25th to be exact and fill you all in on another incredibly special school we visited in Hertford, North Carolina. Another “local hero”, 5th grade teacher, Karen Copeland Pritchard was in touch with us a few weeks ago wondering if we could visit her school? After making some route changes we were able to get to Herford Grammar School before their Thanksgiving break? And was it ever worth it! O yea!
The energy, engaged, eager spirits from almost 500 students and teachers was so inspiring for Steph, Simon and I. We felt like mini rock stars as we asked, “who wanted to come up and take the Action Challenge”, and were met with screams so loud, I thought Miley Cirrus must have entered the room! It was our Action Challenge though, which really rocked. My cartoon character, “Ed” had fun too, picking out “sparkly peeps and pee-ettes with sparkly Stephanie” to help with our presentation.
Some of them even went door to door around the neighborhoods getting pledges filled out! After our presentation, we were blessed to spend another awesome hour receiving pledges and sharing goofy, Ed, Matt, Steph and Simon times, snapping pictures and making lasting memories. We even found ourselves taking part in the schools after school program, just so we could spend some more time with these amazing kids!
It’s these continued energizing and inspiring times we get to spend with kids that confirm for us, this is truly where we should be and where we need to continue for the duration of the tour. And when we return, build the tours Legacy of Action primarily around inspiring and teaching kids to be the change we need and to “teach their parents and teachers, well’er”. Sorry grown ups, this is a secret tip #10 we have with our mini-peeps and peep-ette’s. For you, it still remains to, “teach you children well”.
So long from rain soaked North Carolina, with a fresh coffee brewing at another sponsored KOA campsite.
This blog is now my most recent “Tweet” on Twitter! I can be found on twitter.com as Run41Planet.com. Happy Running! Shaunah
Comment by Shaunah — Tuesday, December 2, 2008 @ 12:44 am