2 1/2 weeks ago, we our first crazy Chemo Is Harder adventure with. What an adventure it was! Now that the body is healing and I am starting to feel like myself again, it is easier for me to think back and reflect on the whole experience.
Reflection #1: WHAT DAY IS IT AGAIN?
While on the road doing the same thing day after day after day, You start to lose track of what day it really is. More importantly, it doesn't really matter because the only goal for the day is to get to the next stopping point. Soon enough, your brain goes into "migration mode" and nothing really matters except eating, drinking, moving, and resting. It is an amazing thing to not know, not need to know, or care what day it is in this fast paced, hectic world.
Reflection #2: AH...IT FEELS GOOD TO NOT MOVE!
This trip cam down to putting one foot in front of the other over and over and over again. Sometimes there would be an interruption in cadence such as: stopping to add a layer or remove a layer of clothing (usually rain gear), digging into the cart to get some food, changing batteries in your MP3 player, adding sunblock, or using the bathroom...however, all except the latter could still be done on the move. So what you have is 6-10 hours of running and walking for 14 days. Dang, some of those days it just felt good to sit on the side of the highway and not move!
Reflection #3: STOP AND SMELL RUNNING SHOES!
The little things are really what made this run what it was. Guitar Hero in Meadow, ventriloquists in Reva, double cheeseburgers in Bison so big you have to eat them before they eat you, surprise stops from complete strangers giving us cookies and donut holes on the road, Pete...our road killed buddy, farmers spreading manure just on the other side of the fence from us...up wind from us of course...mmmmm, visitors who covered TONS of miles with us on the road, the support from EVERY little town on the way, new friends who traveled 60 miles round trip to deliver us bags of us ice Ipswich, and on, and on, and on, and on.
Reflection #4: MY RETURN TO NORMALCY!
I loved everything about the road. The physical challenge, the isolation, the loneliness of the road, how every now and then a song came up on the MP3 player that IS your song and perfectly explains how you are feeling, the sun beating down, the rain beating down, the feel of the stroller, and the satisfaction of crossing 430 miles, a WHOLE STATE, on foot.
However, as much as I love all of those feelings, there are things in a "normal" lifestyle that I sure did miss and am happy to be back to. There are so many things that got cut out of my life while I was training and getting ready for this run that I am really happy I now have time for again. Sunday morning breakfasts (why does it taste so much better on Sunday morning?), running the dogs, spending time with Kaylee, flying my power kites, going to work in the morning with my brother and dad, finally having time to get into my new whitewater kayak, geocaching with my family, laying on my couch, riding motorcycles with Kaylee and Doug (her dad), and the list could go on forever. I love adventure and everything that goes with it, but after an adventure, I love getting back to normal just as much.
Reflection #5: CHEMO IS HARDER IS EVERYWHERE!
Chemo Is Harder is everywhere! It's not about 2 guys running across a state and spreading a message! It's about the cry you and your wife have when she comes home from the doctor and says she has cancer. It's about the the feeling you get when your mom tells you she IS going to die of cancer. It's about watching 5 of your brothers and sisters all die of cancer. It's about watching your Dad go through something that none of us, unless we have gone through it ourselves, can even comprehend, and you get to stand on the sidelines and watch chemo RIP HIM TO SHREDS! It's about giving an assembly in a public school and watching a very dear new friend openly cry because she truly understands that Chemo is Harder. These (and many more) were all stories or things we saw while on the road.
Chemo Is Harder isn't about strollers, gear, web pages, t-shirts, running, sponsors, money, or any of these things. Chemo Is Harder is about DOING SOMETHING, because something is better than nothing. Truly, for me, it's about putting your life in perspective and enjoying how good you have it, then passing on that idea down to the next person you meet.
Reflection #6: THIS THING JUST STARTED!
We thought the work was on the road, and boy were we wrong. This Chemo Is Harder thing just started. Soon we will be posting on how much money was raised (YOU WILL BE AMAZED) and what foundation or research group we will be partnering up with and contributing to. Last but now least, stayed tuned for word on what the next Chemo Is Harder adventure is going to be.
RUN LONG, RUN STRONG, AND GROW EXTRA TOES...
Nolan
