I completed a 14 mile run with the VR group this morning. We headed up to Riverview Rd from Lock 29 and then ran out to station road bridge on Riverview. It was actually a pretty straight forward route as we were going to catch the towpath back to lock 29 and call it a day. Well after talking for a minute most of us decided to head back on the roads to avoid the ice and have a little safer run back.
I was about 10-11 miles into the run when a group of 4 vehicles was coming our way. There had been a lot of traffic with the ski resorts running but it really isn't an issue as there is a pretty good berm on the road and you just have to watch things around the corners. So I tucked in diagonally behind the runner in front of me, slightly closer to the oncoming traffic but that way I could see. Well the four cars were pretty much bumper to bumper as the front vehicle had obviously been slowing down as they past all the runners ahead of me. So as the first two cars swerved around us this green pickup truck behind them, at the last minute, moved towards the berm as if he was trying to get a view around the cars in front of him. So while I tried to get out of the way I realized in that split second I was going to take on the trucks mirror. I threw up my hand just in time and luckily the truck had one of those break away plastic mirrors. It must have made one hell of a loud noise as the runner 30 yards in front of us turned around to see what had happened. Wouldn't you know it the ass never even slowed down to see what had happened. No way he didn't hear me slam his mirror and fold it against the truck.
So in a second I went from tired to pissed off and ready to run.... This leads to the less exhilarating portion of my run. About 10 minutes later just as I was heading up the hill towards the 271 bridge over the valley my phone rings. My grandmother was put in the hospital Tuesday and has gone from just breathing difficulties to ICU to Hopis care. I just had to stop as my mother informed me that she had passed early this morning. It wasn't unexpected but it still didn't change things any. My grandmother was the kindest person I have ever met or known in my 32 years on this planet. She was crippled as a child due to Polio, went from braces to crutches to finally being able to walk by the time she was in middle school. Never complained or wanted for anything and had given away just about every possession she had as she reached old age. I don't know if I will ever know someone has kind as her but maybe its up to me to strive to follow after her and carry on. So I stopped what I was doing, and sat down on the guard rail along the road under the bridge (making sure to be on the outside of the guardrail so as not to get hit by a car. I must have spent 5 minutes there watching the river, looking at the towpath and the view from the vantage point before getting back on the road back to my car.
I don't think I will ever forget this mornings run. I guess it's right that I was out doing what I love when I got the news as it is what she would have wanted.
