Camp/Grand Junction

We woke before sun up and got into our running gear. We hydrated and had a banana.

The course director gave us the logistics of the endurance run and we returned our last bit of gear to the supply person, Nancy. (Fart sacks, sleeping bags, etc.-all sandy and wet!)

We ran 8 Missy miles. My only goal was not to walk at all. I saw Missy around mile 6.5. She said there was just a little chunk left. "Make a left at the highway and its about a mile." I threw up my hands and rolled my eyes. Did she mean a real mile or a Missy mile?

I went on auto pilot on the highway. The course director perpetuated the distance lies with a high five and, "Just a 1/4 mile downhill." I should have known. I could see for 1/4 mile in all directions and I saw nothing. It turned out to be more like 1/2 mile.

As I approached and saw the truck a little ways off, Jay (from another patrol) was coming up the road and he said I was very close so I turned on the thrusters and started to sprint. Well, it was a little too soon to be sprinting so I had to down shift again.

When I could clearly see the finish area I had one more tiny bit of energy so I picked up the speed again.

The only thing that kept me motivated was Filipides (or whatever his name was) the Athenian soldier that the course director had told us about. So as a fitting end to my run, I grabbed an outstretched hand as I came to the finish area and proclaimed, " Victory is ours!" and collapsed and played dead. According to Jamie, I wound up finishing in about 1:45.

Lunch was awesome. Nancy brought cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, cheese, bread, fruit salad, vanilla yogurt and homemade blueberry muffins. But the best treat of all was.....COKES & SPRITES!

Tom's group set the ambiance for the luncheon. We had a lovely centerpiece of flowers and rocks and a circle of insulite pads.

We did a quote and a lunch meeting. The course director spoke afterward and the staff cleaned up for us (yeh!) while we filled out course evaluations.

Then we regrouped again and spoke of totems. Each instructor presented us with our certificates and then we broke into patrol meetings to get our pins (totems) and discuss what the pins represented to us. There was much crying.

It was tough to say good-bye to Missy but another patrol leader took one last picture of our patrol so we wouldn't forget her. (As if we could!)

The bus ride back to Grand Junction was interesting. First everyone had a lot of energy, exchanging patrol stories. Then it got quiet as people started nodding off.

Of course, all any of us wanted to do was shower, shower, shower, and go to the bathroom on a toilet!

We met at 6:30 for drinks then went out to Old Chicago for pizza and beer. Everyone looked somewhat different since they were clean and refreshed. We went back to Cinnamon's at the Holiday Inn and had another drink and dessert. Then it was down the corridor and off to our rooms. It was very weird because we weren't saying goodnight, but good-bye....

I saw Dan and Jay in the lobby the next morning and we got a ride to the airport. My flight was supposed leave at 6:30 but was delayed because of fog in the Denver area.

I got to see Dan and Jamie leave. I waved as they went to their gate. Jay left from the same gate I did so we got to chat again before we said our final good-bye.

My flight didn't take off until 9:30. Its not that big of a deal though since I don't have to be anywhere at a specific time. I'm cool, calm and collected. I guess my Outward Bound pillars are taking over.

Me / Our Patrol / Our Fearless Leader / On the Way Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 Things To Remember / Outward Bound / The Anasazi

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