runlindsayrun

Day Four

Today started with another amazing breakfast. It's such a good thing that we ended up in a good breakfast hotel... Geoff and I are both pretty serious breakfast people, and it's a nice start to our days here. Today, we ended up at a table with Brad - the Global photographer on this trip - and his wife, and a girl named Christine from Ontario who is running tomorrow and has arthritis herself.

From there, we set out on a capital-A adventure to go find the Marathon Registration building on the outskirts of Athens (I was registered with the JIM group, but Geoff registered himself - so we needed to go pick up his race kit on our own). All we knew was that it was called the Olympic Complex sometimes, and sometimes the Hellinikon Centre, that it was close to a blue bridge, and that the Olympic fencing event had been held there in 2004. And that it *might* be blue. Awesome. We tried out the tram for the first time and actually found it with no problems at all. It helped that - once we got close - we just followed the giant mob of skinny people in white running shoes. It was about a 45 minute ride each way, and almost half of that was along the Aegean Sea shoreline, past beaches and palm trees and waterfront cafes - and all kinds of wonderful things that we totally don't have at home.

From there, we came back to Athens and hopped on the metro to go to the National Archaeological Museum. It was a very big building full of lots and lots of really old stuff, excavated from all over Greece and dating back to around 7,000 BC. Geoff was totally enthralled by this bronze gear mechanism thing - technology that looked as intricate as a wrist-watch, and it predated Jesus by about 80 years. I think what impacted me the most was how NORMAL all their stuff was. These people thousands of years ago went about their everyday lives using tools that we still use today, and jewellery that seriously did not look that old or strange. And the dedication they showed to their art - the intricate details coaxed out of clumsy materials that would have taken years to complete.

By midafternoon, yesterday's busyness - and this week's jetlag - totally caught up with me and I was DONE. We headed back to the hotel so I could get a quick nap in. Totally didn't happen because SOMEONE who shall remain nameless fell asleep before I did and snored so loudly that sleep was not an option for me. Argh. It gave me time to go over my speech and make sure my hair was cute. But SERIOUSLY.

:)

At 4.30, more than 100 of us met for the official Team Canada picture, and from there we headed into the Hero Celebration Dinner (pasta party). As always, it was so good to meet more of the team, and it really focused the whole group on why we're here and why it's so important. All the people who have raised more than $10,000 for JIM so far were honoured, and I was a little surprised by my total - $22,500. Amazing. We've come so far since these projects started in 2001, and it made me so grateful for all my family and friends who've been such an incredible support. Our team in Athens raised $671,000, and JIM has raised more than $23 million since it started in Canada in 1999. It's amazing what all our small accomplishments add up to. I know that $23 million has made a HUGE impact on arthritis research in this country. I wish that all of you could come along on a JIM trip to see all of this happening first-hand, because it's incredibly difficult to explain what it means.

At the dinner, I got to share my story, and - ARGH - I cried way too much again. I blame the jet lag.

And then came the evening's special surprise - a pep talk from Jeff Galloway (very, very cool if you're a running geek). He had lots of insight on the course itself, and on the historical significance of this race. I still think it's creepy that the messenger guy DIED at the end, but whatever. I'm sure tomorrow will be fine :)

So after a Team Manitoba meeting, we're winding down for the day (it's around 9 pm here). Feeling not-so-great about tomorrow - I'm in lots and lots of pain today and pretty tired - but I know it's about getting up, putting on my shoes, and doing my best. My worst fear (finishing dead last) happened in Lausanne, so I feel like there's nothing to lose tomorrow. Plus, Yvonne's here from BC (Mom knows what I mean), and I'm pretty sure I can kick her ass :)

The 10K starts at 9.30 tomorrow. I know it's the middle of the night there, but I'm sure if you say a little prayer for us today, the message will get here.

Labels: Greece, Joints in Motion, My Life, The Boy, Travel

posted by Lindsay @ 1:43 PM