Days 2 & 3!!!

Sorry it has taken me so long to post these blogs ~ I haven’t had much service up in the mountains these past few days!

Day 2: (June 17th) Yuba City, CA –> Red Bluff, CA

Team Miles: 109.3

Personal Miles: 9 miles

Running Partner: Jackie Katz

Today was HOT! The heat index got up to 103 degrees, which is nothing like what I’m used to in Milwaukee or Aurora! We ran first in a 3 mile leg, followed by 3 two mile legs. Once the temperature started to rise we definitely started to get fatigued but we finished our miles with lots of laughs, smiles, and sweat stains! I really enjoyed my time running with Jackie – she is truly the best and we shared lots of laughs and almost a few tears when I had to pee and could barely make it to the gas station bathroom! After running our miles, we stayed at an amazing church with a wonderful woman who provided us with enough salad to feed us for days (seriously we still have leftovers 3 days later). After we filled our bellies with yummy salad we took a nice walk as a team to get ice cream at Scoops! I I got Butter Pecan and Mint Chip and it was SO refreshing after a day in the hot Cali sun!

Day 3: (June 18th) Red Bluff, CA –> Burney Falls, CA

Team Miles: 120.2 miles

Personal Miles: 9 miles

Running Partner: Evan Massa

Today was by far my favorite day so far, but also the most difficult. I was in Van 1 so we started running our miles pretty soon after leaving the host. My first 3 miles were AMAZING. It was cool and windy out and the road was pretty flat. The next 6 miles (done in 3x2miles) were a struggle. We had a 10,000 ft elevation gain that was completely uphill the entire time – which was a major test to my body. We finished off our miles in Lassen National Volcanic Park – for sure one of the most beautiful places on Earth. We spent our last two miles walking a path and chatting with people about what we’re doing along the way.

After our miles, Evan, Robert, Erin, Tyler, Krystan, and I went to see the waterfall at Burney Falls. Boy was this a fun time! Since our legs were all sore, we decided to jump into the 48 degree water to cool off, kind of like an ice bath. Erin and I went in together and had a bit of a struggle getting out with the waterfalls undertow, which is funny now but scary looking back on it! I guess I can say I’ve saved a life now :). Following the waterfall we were provided amazing mexican food by those who attended the church we were staying at and fell fast asleep on the gym floor!

Day 2 Photos:

Day 3 Photos: