06.16.2014
Day #2: 120 team miles
Monterey-Morro Bay, California
Today we started our run with some crazy curvy mountain roads. They had stunning views of the California coast but had rather narrow shoulders and at times it was a little bit frightening. It was you, narrow shoulder, guardrail, and steep cliff/ocean. My running partner for the day was Kelsi, so we ran mostly single file for safety. *Anytime a runner doesn’t feel safe or a road isn’t suitable for running we are picked up by the pick up van and taken to the next safe running area – so we kept this option in mind but felt secure enough to face the roads and took extra caution. Thankfully we moved on to better roads as the morning continued and we enjoyed Highway 1’s scenic beach views. Kelsi and I lucked out and had a three mile leg where we passed three different sea lion viewpoints! We made a quick stop for pictures and a closer look before continuing on past a light house and lots of California wild flowers.
Today I ran for Kennedy, her family and all those who knew this sweet young woman. She passed away in December of brain cancer at the age of 14. One of my friend’s used to work at the daycare where Kennedy went when she was younger. In her memory and honor I dedicated my run today.
Team 2 (my team for the day) finished our miles before team 1 and we had some extra time before we could check in with the host so we walked around the waterfront district of Morro Bay. Morro Bay’s most identifiable feature is a giant rock that sits between the bay and the Pacific Ocean so we had a nice vantage point of that as we headed into a small local restaurant with large windows that faced the bay. While there we managed to catch the world cup USA-Ghana game (US won 2-0!) and I met an older lady who shared her story of surviving breast cancer, she was very inspiring and interested in our journey! I told her I would dedicate my run to her the next day. Finally, we checked in with our host which was a church that had once been a school building. They fed us a delicious pot-luck dinner (yay for not having to ask for food donations!) and then we split off and went to our host families for the evening. These were church members who offered up their homes to us for the night and to whom we were supremely grateful. Maelyn and I stayed with a wonderful woman who is in the military and had a very cute little son and two adorable dogs who lived in nearby Cayucos.
beccaruns4k 