Today was not pretty. Today Virginia finally hit a physical and mental wall. She almost fell into that black hole that no one wants to fall into. But she held onto the edge until her team was able to help her back up and she finished the 290^th km . She is now a third of the way to her 890km goal. Can she find the strength to “bring it” to Bruce again on Day 5 ??  I know one thing is for sure, Gin has teetered on the edge of much worse black holes.

So the Day 4 story goes….. She got up at 4am so there would be enough time for Jamie Gallagher to wrap her blisters and drive the half hour for the 5:30 start. In the beginning it was just a sore hamstring that bothered her and she was still being awed by Bruce’s awesomeness….

   

As you can see in the Owen Ridge video, she’s still having ‘fun’….

Then the terrain became a bitch (No offence Mother Nature, but sometimes you’re not so beautiful).  By lunchtime, at the 35km mark, Virginia did not look good.  Vel was on the phone updating trainer Cathy who warned that fluid retention can get dangerous.  But they soon found out that Virginia’s eyes were swollen because she had been crying for the last 6km!  When Rob noticed her tears, Gin told him “Don’t dare tell Velma” …Meanwhile, Velma is running behind Gin, drowning in tears of her own and telling Hannah “Don’t let Gin know that I can’t stand to see her in pain like this”.  Case solved!  I’m glad they sorted out those silly sisters. They can be such drama queens [says the sedentary sister as she sips wine while writing the blog].

She finished the day only one map marker behind her goal. Today’s powerhouse pacer team included once again Jamie Gallagher (+43km), Hannah (+23km) & Rob (+23km). We welcomed pacers Barbara Brake &, Virginia Houston (24km) who was handed the captain torch from Vel & Ray.  Velma (+26km) ran beside Gin for the last time. Vel’s four day total was 89km but the last time she was a “runner” was 20years ago in highschool. Seriously, she jogged 3 times the month before she met Bruce.  Apparently, milking 55 cows every morning and throwing hay in the afternoons, while chasing 5 kids is preparation enough.  With all due respect to ultramarathoners (> 80k races), Velma has since reported that she is now walking like a toddler with a full diaper.

…and through all this, is husband Ray, hang’n on the sidelines just being his chill’n handsome self.  **News brief, everyone** — being the partner of someone who plans & attempts any great feat is not easy. It can be fun but it can also be the twilight zone of black holes. The same can be said for anyone trying to help a loved one deal with mental health issues. For those of you who don’t get this, I’ll explain another time.

…Speaking of dark places. There are so many young people out there right now struggling with mental health issues. Right now, in your town, a teenage boy or girl has been planning their suicide. They are googling how to tie a noose or counting out the exact number of pills to get the job done. They want to be ready for when they can’t handle it anymore.  Sorry for being so blunt but the truth hurts …. And it makes people want to make a difference and donate.  So far $9500 has been raised. Would you believe, my husband & I finally donated today. It’s never too late. Tweet, text & tell all your friends. The Virginia vs Bruce team might inspire just one more dollar, that might ignite a mental health program idea that helps those very kids crawl out of their black hole.

Go Gin Go!!! Follow on live track tomorrow.

Vicki