By Sandra Long Weaver
Tribune Editorial Director
The caravan of trucks was still behind me.
I was two and a half miles into the 8 Tuff Miles race on St. John, Virgin Islands and I was the last walker in the race. I could see three other women ahead of me but they weren’t close enough for me to talk with. And besides, I was breathing so hard as we went up another hill, I couldn’t talk. I waved to the driver who stayed at least five feet behind me to let him know I was not giving up. He gave me a thumbs up sign.
Keep going, I thought. Where were all the other gray-haired people with whom I started the race? They had all passed me. There were children and race teams among the more than 1,300 people who participated in the race on Feb. 22, 2014. I was moving slowly but I was not giving up, not yet anyway. Is this what climbing the rough side of the mountain is like? I certainly learned first hand why it’s called “tuff miles.” You climb hill after hill after hill. I trained hard for the race but needed more training going uphill.
This was the 18th year the grueling race that wound through the hills of St. John from Cruz Bay to Coral Bay. Just after mile 4, you reach the highest point in the race, 999 feet above sea level. And you do feel a sense of accomplishment. I was determined to go on.
I forgot to mention the rain. It poured for about 15 minutes at least four times during the race. It made the route slippery but it did keep us cool as we climbed those hills. And when the sun came out, butterflies flew across my path.
For the first 4.5 miles, the race route winds steadily uphill. It flattens out a little and then winds uphill one last grueling time. It was that last hill where I almost gave up. And two women rushed over to help me keep going. “Take one more step,” one said. She was walking back from the finish line to the start line and proudly wearing her medal. How was she doing that? “It’s right around the corner. It goes down hill from there. You can do it,” she said.
The trucks had stopped. I could get on the rescue truck. I had done almost 5 miles. That’s respectable, I thought to myself. But the push from the women and the offer to help me and walk with me gave me the inspiration I needed. And besides I wanted that medal.
I pushed through and I made it up that last hill. I caught up with the other women and came in fifth from last.You feel a sense of accomplishment when you reach the highest point, 999 feet above sea level.
The views of the bay below dotted with sailboats are incredible. And the scenery is remarkable. So lush, so green. But there was no time to really stop and take pictures. I didn’t want to lose momentum.
By the time you get to mile 5, you are starting to go downhill. Now you have to control going downhill using a different set of muscles. But it allowed me to catch up with the other women. I ended up 5th from last in the race. I came down the finish line by myself, slogging through a muddy field. I had made it! It felt so good to have the medal hung around my neck.
It took me 3 hours and 17 minutes. Annie finished in 2 hours and 36 minutes and Debra in 2 hours and 51 minutes. They laughed and smiled as I crossed the finish line.
It was Annie who talked me into doing this race. “What are friends for?” she laughed. She had done the Music City Half Marathon with some other friends and me in April 2013. Now it was time to do 8 Tuff Miles with her.
We decided to turn the race into a mini vacation and arrived on the Thursday before the Saturday race. Annie flew from Maryland on U.S. Airways and Debra flew from Boston on JetBlue. Flights were fine. But our condo at Sapphire Beach Resort and Hotel did not meet the standards that we expected. We smelled mildew when we walked in. And continued to smell it when the air conditioning was running. We stayed there because it had easy access to the 6 a.m. ferry from St. Thomas to St. John.
Annie coughed during our entire five-night stay. I sneezed and Debra complained of a headache.
But the rest of our trip was wonderful. The daily temperature averaged about 82 degrees. No snow or freezing rain or bitter cold in our thoughts.
Annie did all of the driving. She had lived and worked in St. Thomas for several years and found the adjustment to driving on the left side of the road easier than Debra or I. She also took us to places where the locals go.
We spent Sunday afternoon on Magens Beach, Annie’s favorite place. They did some snorkeling while I read and watched the pelicans go after fish.
We also visited the home of one of her friends whose yard was filled with avocado trees where iguanas blended in with leaves. There was also aloe, lemon grass, bay leaves and plantains. We spent a cool afternoon there.
Our favorite restaurant was Havana Blue, which has a beautiful view of the bay and a great offering of seafood. We ate at Fish Baits on our first night and had a fabulous Sunday brunch at Mafolie which also had a great view of the island. We also enjoyed a lunch from the Off the Grid Food truck which was at the top of the hill from our condo. The barbecued ribs and chicken were excellent.
And let’s not forget the shopping. We spent several hours hunting for souvenirs in the shops in downtown St. Thomas and the market set up in Emancipation Gardens.
After the race on St. John, Debra and I bought dry clothes in the Mongoose Shopping Center. We also had a great lunch in St. John at Ocean’s Grill.
But Zora’s was one of my favorite shops. Her boutique, which has been there since the 1970s, makes customized leather sandals. Annie did a fitting for sandals while there. Watching the process was fascinating.
Annie took me to the Mango Tango art gallery, which sells beautiful work done by local artists.
On my last day before catching an evening flight back home, we ate at Victor’s Restaurant. It is a place frequented more by locals and tucked up in the hills through an industrial area. Again, the view of the island was fabulous. We could see three of the five cruise ships that were in that day.
I’m sure I’ll return to St. Thomas to relax and do more shopping. And I’m thinking of doing the 8 Tuff miles in 2016, the 20th anniversary of the race which raises money for scholarships.
I’ll have to train a little harder. But I do know I can make it.