What an adventure! I'm reminded of Nephi's statement (1 Nephi 4:6-7), "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth...". Larry called yesterday to say Jolene got into the American Fork 5K at the last minute and he was going with her. Kevin was hiking Mt. Timpanogos with his family. Wayne and I decided on a 12+ mile run up Provo Canyon. Last night Wayne called to say a couple of things had come up and he wasn't going to be able to make it. I was left alone. I didn't feel settled about running alone up Provo Canyon. Just before bed I looked up how far it was to the finish of Jolene's race at AF high school...7 to 7.5 miles. This morning I considered again whether to do the solo run up Provo Canyon, or head to AF and share some time with my friends and a bunch of other runners. Canyon...unsettled. AF & friends...peace. I decided on the AF run. I figured I'd run the 7.5 miles there, maybe run a little more while there, and then probably ride back with Larry and Jolene. Even though I was planning on the shorter run, I felt some promptings to prepare for a longer run. I ate some bread, peanut butter & honey, a banana, and hydrated well. I put some leftover shot bloks in the pockets of my running shorts. I lubricated for a long run. I put on sun screen and SPF chapstick. I packed a water bottle filled with ice and water. I carried my cell phone. I didn't pre-plan any of these things, but felt prompted to prepare with each of these things. It was already in the low to mid 60's at 6am, but there was a comfortable breeze. I quite enjoyed the run there, averaging about 9:13/mi. I got there just as the 5K was starting. I jogged around a bit looking for Larry with no luck. I eventually located myself at the intersection (about 1/4 mile from the finish) where both the 5K and half marathon runners merged. I enjoyed watching the leaders come in and cheering on the runners. When I saw Jolene come by I ran with her and her niece Angie for about a block. She said that Larry had decided to go to Provo Canyon and meet up with Wayne and me. Oops. I quipped I was hoping to ride home with Larry. She said I could ride with them, but they were stopped at Kneader's for breakfast, then I split off as they headed towards the finish. I pondered what to do and quickly decided to head for home on foot. I knew it would be hot, but I had my cell phone and could call for a ride at any time. I ate my shot bloks, took a good drink of water, and headed out. I avoided State St. and headed east on what ended up being 1100 N in PG. I eventually bumped into a bunch of runners, walkers mostly, at the tail end of the Strawberry Days 5K. After getting past the race I headed due east again. I knew I had some uphill to do sometime before I got home and decided to do it sooner rather than later. My 10:00-ish pace slowed to 12:00-ish. As I got more tired, the sun got hotter. I sought out shade where I could find it, and tried to stay hydrated. At about mile 14 my water bottle was empty and I was feeling really hot. I found a water fountain at a small park near a church. I drank a half a bottle then filled it again. The sprinklers were on so I walked through them before continuing my run. The temperature was probably in the low to mid 70's at that point. It was about 80 degrees when I finished 2.5 miles later. I felt some chills during those last few miles so I started walking for stretches in the shade I could find and trying to stay hydrated. I had called Larry before I started back and left a voice mail. He called my when I was at about mile 15. We talked about him looking for Wayne and me up Provo Canyon, and then he offered to come pick me up. I figured I only had a mile or two to go so I declined. When I finally reached home I was beat by the heat...and the unplanned 16.5 mile run. Besides being very hot and very tired, I actually felt pretty good. I caught my breath, recovered a little, chatted with Karen, then soaked in a very cold tub. I'm grateful for this morning's experience, and for the promptings to be prepared for it. I enjoyed a beautiful morning, picked up a couple of discarded bottles along the highway, cheered friends and fellow runners, saw three different races, helped catch a big friendly Husky dog who wanted to play and didn't want to go home, survived the heat, and successfully finished a 16.5 mile run. I feel like it was a tender mercy from God. As I've learned more about seeking and hearkening to the Spirit of God, I've learned that we can truly receive guidance often, and about all kinds of things, including Saturday runs. It was just a little sad to get home and realize that most of my family was still in bed. They don't know what they're missing. Overall: 16.5 @ 10:10/mi
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