Tennessee

That's impossible.

For all but maybe 10 people in the world, the hope of winning a thousand kilometre race is impossible. I tried to ignore it.

Curiosity won.

The child in me was gleeful reading about a bunch of runners going after a Gingerbread Man with vultures flying overhead in an attempt to munch on whatever they could.

Next to curiosity and glee were facination and wonder. All I knew of races were gloating, shame, and hyper competitiveness. Here, everyone was cheering everyone on, in the same breath as saying, "Wow, there are so many finishers, you'll be one too! Then maybe you get to do it again!"

What? Not so impossible that people were doing this TWICE?

Then someone posted asking if anyone else was planning on finishing August 31st, the final day. Planning on finishing last? What?

Was it impossible really? JUST 5 miles a day? I wonder....

It's 10 weeks into a 16 week challenge. Thus far I'd be a curious, gleeful, fascinated Oliver still sad, on the outside looking in. Not offically a part of the runners. Yes, probably impossible. But I've 6 weeks. I can try.

Curiosity became amazement as we walked 16 miles a day in July. Amazement became motivation and pointed forward. "Look. August has two weeks of vacation. I bet you can do a lot, cut the mileage down to only having to do 10 miles a day once work starts again."

It all spun around to glee again as we realized our limits were higher than that. We could do a lot more.

31 days.

My wife and I managed to walk or run 635 miles or 1022 km in the span of 31 days, the length of Tennessee Great Virtual Race.

--- text stolen from my wife's writings. Shortened and edited by me.