Day 3

April 17, 2007
My wakeup call rang at 7am. I had toast and peanut butter with coffee for breakfast. It was still windy and overcast with a slight drizzle. Same as yesterday. I had made up my mind to keep going and went back to my room to pack up my stuff. I left knowing I would probably have to spend tonight in my tent. It was still 101 km to Clarenville.

I asked a couple of people where the next service station was but didn't get any definate answers. My goal was to reach Bellevue Cove by tonight weather permitting.

I started down the TCH. I've never run in these kinds of conditions before. The wind is so wicked at times. Sometimes you come over one of these hills and around a corner and the gusts of winds are incredible. It seems the wind and mist changes every 10 minutes. You can never be sure what its going to be.

People driving down the road kept waving and honking and that would encourage me to keep going and keep me company at the same time. There was pretty much nothing for the next 42 km. It was time to find another sheltered area to pitch my tent. It was starting to get late and colder. The mist was changing to freezing rain.

I was running up a hill and there it was. The perfect spot. It was off to the side of the road. A flat spot protected by some trees out of the wind. Perfect. I thought i shouldn't have to worry about my tent blowing away tonight. I got everything setup and settled in. I changed into dry warm clothes and ate a few snacks that I had.

Here I was again. Snuggled in my sleeping bag and I wasn't going to move. I could hear the wind howling and racing above me but my tent barely moved. All I had to do was get through the night.

A few hours passed and the winds started to intensify. There was freezing rain blowing off the ocean. I had to go to the bathroom. It was the only time i got out of my sleeping bag and tent. The wind was blowing all around, above and over me. I listened to the drops from the trees hit the top of my tent. I prayed to God that the trees wouldn't fall on me. I had never heard wind like that before and there was very little noise from the highway. I started thinking about my family and how much I love them. About the fun we have when we get together, especially with my sisters. We laugh ourselves to tears. I wished I was with them. Thinking about them comforted me and I fell in and out of sleep. I thanked God for my shelter and that I was warm and prayed tomorrow would be better.