Distance traveled: 96 miles
Personal running distance today: 8 miles
Total personal miles to-date: 106 miles
Today's dedications: Jack Lazzarini and Diane Brennan
My running buddy: Mo and Taylor
Weather: Sunny, 70s
We woke up in Turner House at Idaho State University this morning to a huge spread of breakfast cooked for us in their dining hall. We seriously had everything we could ever want...so I'm pretty sure all of us ate way too much, considering we had to run soon after eating.
I was in Team 1 today for the first time in a long time! After gassing up our vans, we started in Pocatello. Today I was with Mo again, as well as Taylor who is recovering from some knee issues. The three of us made a great team! Mo and I both felt much better with our leg/hip injuries today. We were actually able to get a good amount of gentle running in today, and it didn't even hurt too badly!
We actually started out our day running through Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho. Plus, it was along the OREGON TRAIL! How awesome is that?! It was really cool to see some of the stuff there. One of my favorite things was a sign painted on the side of a big metal....thing. I'm not sure what it was, but I loved the quote.
Since Team 2 had driven up and started their miles closer to Wyoming, they actually made it to the border a lot sooner than we did, so unfortunately we weren't able to get an entire team photo at the state line this time. However, Team 1 took a great photo of our half.
After we unloaded everything, we were thrilled that the Pearl Street Market offered to donate us all dinner of endless soup and salad. The woman who donated it to us is a 6-year cancer survivor and was so impressed and proud of what we are doing this summer that she was thrilled to provide dinner for us! She couldn't stop smiling the entire time and frequently walked around to check in and make sure we had everything we needed. She was such a warm, happy woman, and the dinner was so delicious.
When dinner was over, we all split into groups to explore the town. There are a ton of awesome shops where I want to spend way too much money, so we decided to check them all out. Sarah and I stopped into Dali's jewelry shop and the worker there was one of the nicest guys we've ever met. When he learned what we're doing this summer, he immediately told us our team could have 30% off, the local's discount, for anything in the store. Sarah and I were already grateful for that (and we bought matching turquoise earrings), but the guy also gave us tips for great places in town to go to and an awesome hike to take on our rest day tomorrow. He's an incredible photographer (whom I now follow on Instagram) and he showed us some of his shots from the adventure we're going to take tomorrow...spoiler alert, it includes jumping off cliffs into Phelps Lake!
After purchasing our earrings and thanking the guy who was working, Sarah and I headed to the Town Square Tavern where they have happy hour even on Sundays...that's my kind of place. A group of girls met up with us there, and we all spent a couple hours out on the patio in the mountains as the sunset with a couple delicious drinks. I tried more local beer, as per usual, and was quite impressed.
Day 16: REST DAY - Jackson Hole, WY (Monday, June 30)
Personal miles today: 6 on a hike in the Grand Tetons!
Total personal miles to-date: 112
Weather: Sunny, 70s
My alarm went off on our free day at 7 a.m. so that I wouldn't waste the day away and could actually be productive. Me and a few other girls headed to Cowboy Coffee, a local coffee shop, to catch up on blogs, posting photos, emails, etc. It was great to finally have a chance to sit down and get some work done. After this, a local restaurant donated 26 breakfast burritos for all of us to eat and they were SO yummy!
Today I spent a good amount of time driving back and forth taking 3 of our 4 vans to get the oil changed. The main event of the day, though, was the two different activities our team did. Half of the team decided to go whitewater rafting. From what I heard, they had a blast. However, I chose to go hiking in the Grand Tetons...especially because we heard that there was a cliff you could jump off into a lake. The hike had the best scenery I've seen this whole trip. I am constantly amazed at God's creation all around us in the world, especially in such breathtaking places.
Another new development today was that we added another mail drop for friends and family to send us mail! And that new location is Kappa Delta in Columbia! If you're interested in sending a package or a letter, here is a list of our remaining dates:
Day 20/21 - Boulder, CO (Arrive by Sat. July 5)
4K for Cancer c/o Natalie Rooney
1421 Spruce St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
Day 28 - Columbia, MO (Arrive by Sat. July 12)
4K for Cancer c/o Natalie Rooney
Kappa Delta Sorority
606 E. Rollins
Columbia, MO, 65201
Day 33/34 - Louisville, KY (Arrive by Fri. July 18)
4K for Cancer c/o Natalie Rooney
930 West Chestnut St.
Louisville, KY, 40203
Tomorrow we are heading to Lander, WY. I'm excited to get to spend more time in this beautiful state. But for now, I've got to go change over my laundry.
Run happy,
Natalie