Last Annual Vol State 500k - 2024
Race: Last Annual Vol State 2024
Date: 7/11/2024 - 7/21/2024
Time: 5:13:21:31
Place: 10th
Pre-Race Conditions:
"The goal of life should be to die with your memories, not your dreams" - Buddhist proverb
On the bus. 314 miles until we get to the hotels by the start line. We actually are driving the course backwards right now. I’m trying to pay attention a little bit as we as going through the towns and see what each will have for us. The last one had a restaurant with climbing gear. Definitely hope I get there while they are open. The first 20 miles has some limited shoulders. It’s going to be interesting. Even in middle of the night.
I think this bus is mostly virgins. There’s only a few people talking that have some experience. The general consensus is to take it easy and slow. Don’t go out too fast. Take breaks.
Someone on the bus just said to go into the beer coolers at the gas stations to cool off not a bad idea when it’s 96 degrees out in middle of the day.
And the bus just hit a deer that ran out on the road. The new bus with only 5000 miles is now broken in. He said after this he was headed up to Milwaukee for the republician nation convention right after dropping us off. Maybe he was practicing! That’s a great sign.
Someone just said that there is 24 hour convenience store in monteagle. Rough next to the McDonalds and motel. Just 200 yards off the course. Good tips!
Stay in post offices to rest and cool off. Their front is open 24 hours.
I’m feeling pretty calm for what I’m about to do. Once we get off the ferry tomorrow we are on our own. We can only rely on the stores, restaurants, hotels and any road angels. This is so outside of my comfort zone and new. It’s going to be fun. Overall my body feels ready for what I’m about to do to it. I saw the low in the one city was 68 and the high was 96 for the week. At least I’m getting the full walking on the sun experience.
I had a good fortune cookie last night. Thats what I need to remember. Keep it slow and smart. All the hard parts are in the last 40 miles.
Our lunch stop was at a county park in Colombia. They had bbq from Whiskey Creek BBQ brought in for us. It was an excellent lunch. I was a little chilly in the shade. I’m hoping that means that I’m pretty heat acclimatized. My bus has Jim Price on it. He was the guy who wrote the guide book. He’s been calling it some pointers on the course and some places to stay. And not stay. The issue is it’s all backwards. That should actually be good because towards the end the info may be more in my mind. Earlier I’m not really worried about finding things. It seems pretty heavily populated until after about mile 200. Then it thins out a bit. There are a couple of places to supply up. My plan is to supply a little heavier after mile 200 and grind out miles. I’m not sure how much I’ll actually be able to run by then. Luckily a good chunk of the elevation gain is in the last 40 miles.
Dinner and the race briefing was at the china buffet next to a very rough motel we are in for the night. I guess the race picked it and it was part of my registration fee. Can’t complain too much. Once they get the renovations done it might be worth stay at in a desperate situation. They gave us the rules and what we should expect. The big focus is on safety and being smart. Sleep deprivation is going to kick in at some point. Best to find a place to nap than continue on and get into trouble. This is the 19th year on this course and the 44th year of the event. There’s a lot of history. For safety, they actually said they will drive you to a hotel after you finish if they deem you not able to drive safely. That’s good to know.
The bus leaves at 6:15 tomorrow morning for the ferry. We take that over to Missouri for the start of the race and then wait for the cigarette to be lit. That is the way all good races start. Then back to the ferry for about 8 miles in Kentucky before we cross into Tennessee for the bulk of the course. It will be a fun time. I can’t wait to see how I am after this course.
Race Recap:
This is going to be a little different of a recap than I normally write. How does one condense 133 hours into something readable? Or even remember everything that happened. Especially when in those 5.5 days I only slept about 11 hours. Then add in heat exhaustion. Luckily I did take a lot of pictures that should help.
After that hotel I was looking forward to sleeping on a nice clean park bench somewhere. Hopefully after the renovations they will be nice rooms for next year. If the bathroom doors don’t get stuck it would be an improvement. Tim got stuck in there. After a few minutes we got him free and instituted a no fully shutting the door policy. I also woke up to my phone charge cable dying. That was the first challenge of the event and I hadn’t even gotten on the ferry. The bus to the ferry left at 6:15 am. Race start was 7:30. I brought a set of throw away clothes and breakfast for the morning. The hotel had breakfast starting at 5:30. Most people gave up after 20 minutes and went to McDonalds across the street. The bus was leaving at 6:15 without a head count. It was your responsibility to be there on time or find your own way. The plan is that they bus us to the ferry and take it across the Mississippi to Missouri for the the start of the race.
A note about the road angels. They are much appreciated wherever we could find their gifts to us. Part of the race is being self supported so we were not allowed to post or ask for specific items. They would provide what they thought we would need. A cooler of cold water was always perfect. Anything else was just icing on the cake. (for those of you who like icing - the metaphor works here too well for someone who scrapes most of the icing off)
The ferry!
Here we are on the ferry headed west!
At 7:30, after he pushed us all back behind the “start line”, Laz lit his cigarette and the race was on. For a slow walk back to the ferry to take it across the river again
Some nice views in the first few miles of the race
Me and my new running friend, Rob, stopped for cherry slushies together in Union city about 17 miles in and it was getting warm
Nothing beats a cooler on the side of the road for some cold water on a run.
Thinking of Tamara and her chickens. At least these were in a pen and couldn’t get out.
This is John “Freddy Kruger” Sterrett. No matter what run-walk split me and Rob were doing he kept catching us. Only walking! It was like a horror movie. No matter how fast you ran the killer was right there.
Me and Rob somewhere on the road screwing around.
At least we knew we were still on course!
Took my picture with the statute of the 46th governor of Tennessee!
Still on course. How mind blown do people who run short distances have to be when they see the markings for a 500k??
Coming into Gleason after a really long, hot stretch where I had to break into my reserve bottle of water. This was still only about 46 miles in.
Lesson learned. Carry an extra extra bottle of water during the day.
Made it to the first major angel station at mile 48. The Gleason Fire Station. They had air mattresses, snacks, pizza, cold drinks and a shower! We got here about an hour behind our plan and transitioned to night mode.
First check in was from here and they were nice enough to post a picture of me. I probably didn’t smell that bad since I just showered.
This angel left us everything we could have wanted.
Cold water ✅
Salty snacks ✅
Sweet snacks ✅
Bandaids ✅
Mackenzie farmer market. Kinda looked like a survival center for a zombie apocalypse. They left some Gatorade and a cooler of beer. Along with a bunch of cots and emergency blankets. We didn’t stay long before heading into the night.
Nothing was beating a shell station in the night when you needed to re supply. Unfortunately they didn’t have any of the frozen fruit bars I was snacking on. Water and a coke it was.
We went by every courthouse or city hall we could on the route. Don’t know why that is. At least they were cool to look at.
Definitely southern style architecture
Sunrise on day 2. Rob and I split up in middle of the night. He needed a nap and I was still running pretty well. Kept moving good and had a 15 minute nap somewhere outside Parkers Crossroads
Checking in from a Shell gas station in Parkers Crossroads. I started to embrace that homeless feeling laying on the sidewalk, shoes off having a snack.
Also booked a hotel room in Lexington to sleep through the hottest part of the day. That’s only like 11 miles away.
I cannot confirm nor deny if a potty stop happened next to this bridge.
Thinking about how much Betzy would have loved this course. It’s right up her alley
All cement
Miserable endless flat miles
No uphill running (at least I didn’t)
Laz and Carl moving on after they stopped to check on me.
Laz: “Want a ride?”
Me: “On a beautiful day like this. Are you crazy?”
Laz: laughing - “It’s only going to get better”
Made it to Lexington right about noon. Days Inn for a few hours. Prior to the hotel I hit Dollar general for some supplies and Little Ceasars for a Pizza and some crazy bread. I was craving Pizza Hut breadsticks. Only I remembered the wrong gas station. I was only off by like 90-100 miles or so.
Also dumped a few things here to lighten my pack. Not much but these were definitely not needed.
Apparently this was a normal year. Not hot. Not cool…
Headed out of the hotel a bit before 5. Stopped back at Dollar general for some fruit bars and an umbrella while I was walking. John slept in Parkers Crossroads that morning and caught up to me and we pushed to mile 100 together. We made it right in time for check in!
36 hours in. 100 miles in.
Saw bigfoot with a cooler on the side of the road on my way to 100 miles. Pine Pine Oak School had a nice setup for us. Apparently the principal did the race a few years ago and every year since they have been a good stop for the runners.
The sun is setting on day 2. Tried for a cool picture and this is all I got.
Found a cooler with ice and water! Sometimes it's the little things.
And my shoes are still whole in this picture.
This is Pam and Terry - they run the radio station Angel W104.6. Actually it’s just their tent at mile 104.6 but it sounds like an FM radio station.
I wrung my shirt out here. I was amazed at how much water came out of it. So was Pam.
Unfortunately when I changed here I left my headphones on the chair. Pam was nice enough to post in the facebook group and mail them back to me. No one could transport them up to me or it would have been considered aid from a crew.
Luckily I only needed some music on my way to 136 and 184. Really only listened to about an hour of music the whole time.
I’ll take the pickles over the Miller Lite any day! Thanks for thinking of us angel
I got a cherry slushie from the Parson’s Dairy Bar. I timed it magically 10 minutes before they closed.
Sat here on this picnic table for 15 minutes and rested before a big push through the night.
Tennessee River!!!
Turn left and got a few miles, ok, like 15 and you’ll be at Land Between the Lakes where we did the 50 miler a few years ago.
It was so hot during the day I was mostly in survival mode. I did most of my miles at night and saw most of the things when they were closed.
I didn;t know it at the time but these were written by another Racer. Terrie was 74 years old and out there on course. At first I was skeptical that she would make it past day 1. Then I found out she has multiple finishes. Terrie did end up finishing again this year. Slow and steady!
Someone said “It’s not about the miles’ is a good book. I’ll have to get it and throw it on the pile I have to find time to read.
The first of a major foot rebuild. Half hour nap on a zero gravity chair and some tape got me back ready to hammer out some miles to Linden and eventually Hohenwald.
I’ve learned through this event that I am 4” too tall for those chairs to sleep comfortably. Next time I’m laying on the table or something.
Interesting place on the road in Linden. I can’t tell if it’s a protest against dirty clothes or they are all waiting for the bus. It was worth of taking a picture.
Linden was a cool little town. I missed the Prime Rib dinner though.
Mile 128: When you’ve pushed a half marathon through the night to what you thought was a 24 hour gas station in hopes of getting a bottle of coke.
“You haven’t lived until you sleep outside a 24 hour Shell gas station that isn’t open using your shoes as pillows while you are down to 1.5 bottles of water and 12 miles to the next confirmed aid” - Me outside the Shell gas station at 6AM after running for 13 hours and trying to figure out my plan.
Apparently in Tennessee you can sell gas without an attendant there. In Michigan that’s not allowed. I learned that the hard way then had to make the decision to stay there and nap for 2-3 hours or make a push before it got hot for the next 12 mile low on water.
I made the push.
It gave me the ability to see another cool sunrise.
Endless roads for 12 miles. I was struggling and needed a break and that bottle of coke I’ve been promising myself for hours.
I found an angel right when I needed them. I was down to about half a bottle of water and 3 miles left. I would have made it but been pretty beat up.
Luckily the Hinson’s were there. Mrs Hinson had her homemade lemonade and Mr Hinsom had his home brine pickles.
It was a perfect place for them to be when I needed a break.
Best part was I got my shoes off for 20 minutes while I signed the guest book.
This is Tay. She had a tent just into Hohenwald next to a brand new Dollar General. She also told me about the church 5 miles up with showers and a place to sleep. Sounded like a lot better option than hanging out in a Walmart and napping outside for an hour so I went for it.
It was a hot walk next to brand new asphalt but the nap was worth it. At leas I got a new umbrella for the walk.
John Tarintino - They had an elephant sanctuary in Hohenwald with some cool information in town.
The church set up a nice Vol State style buffet and had showers for us. I got a couple hour nap on the couch in a dark room. It was so nice to sleep for a few hours in middle of the day.
By 5pm I was back on the road with my sights set on 157, the halfway point, by about check in.
Long Tennessee roads. Alone. But still moving and happy.
That feeling when you see a tent up ahead and want to take your shoes off for 10 minutes.
These people had a nice little setup just off the road. I didn’t stop because it was only about a mile after the last one. I had that goal of half way in my mind.
The cows walked over when I came by. I’m not sure if it’s because I was starting to smell like one of them or they just saw the movement and came to investigate.
They actually had a tunnel under the highway to the farm that I thought was pretty cool. Here I was in the sun walking like a dummy.
Right before halfway I stopped and had some popcorn.
I saw someone drive up this driveway. It was crazy steep and narrow. I kept wondering how their car did it. I thought I would struggle in my Wrangler to get up there.
Just another great example of a caring road angel. Thank you Mayberrys!!
Fire House in Hampshire at around mile 160. They just built this place and it was super nice. They let me come in and rest for a bit.
She actually put my shirt in the dryer to get the chill out before I moved on. There was no point in drying it. Just being comfortable for those 20 minutes before I started sweating again was nice.
They did appreciate my lyrics:
“Woah we’re halfway there. Woah Livin’ on busch beer!”
Sometimes all you would see is a sign on the side of the road and a house with some lights on it. This one took a minute to figure out which house to go to. The coolers were a dead give away once I saw them.
This horse farm used a trailer to store the coolers and snacks. I wasn’t completely sure someone wasn’t going to catch me Scooby Doo style in there. I still went in and got a Capri Sun!
The Sod Farm had 2 hammocks off the road in some trees. They also had a couple coolers, a whole bin of snacks and medical supplies and a couple chairs. I tried for a 45 minute nap but gave up after 20 minutes. There were a bunch of cars that were turning around in the driveway just past where I was. After the 3rd car I just gave up, put my shoes back on and continued down the road.
Some of the angel’s left some motivational notes for us. Great finds in the middle of the night.
Went sight seeing by Columbia State Community College in middle of the night. Not much to see in the summer.
Road Angel just outside of downtown Columbia. 4 chairs, snacks and a good motivational sign.
Downtown Columbia. Not sure why the Teds sign is upside down. I could look it up but some mysteries are left for the next time I run this.
According to the Race Director the Go-Carts count as a vehicle and are a no-no for me. I think he was generally confused at my question. I just wanted to ride the Go-Carts on my vacation without a car. Luckily I went through at about 4AM so it was a moot point. I was still considering putt-putt.
The Bench of Despair!
I made it just in time to watch the sunrise. Then I took my shoes off and closed my eyes for 5 minutes. The goal was the Nutt House 3-4 miles away for a good break. They had showers I really wanted to get some rest.
Thanks to whoever left the book on the barrel. It was a good cushion for my feet for my little break.
Some major rebuilding happened at the Nutt House. These things were amazing on some blister I had going. I also made a few special custom modifications to my shoes. The modifications would continue over the next few stops. I was so afraid that cutting too much would prevent me from running. Better careful then make some more adjustments later.
All I wanted was an ice cream before heading out towards Lewisburg. I just happened to find another store that was closed.
Coconut water from the road angel. I was craving some but they didn’t have it at any of the Dollar Generals along the road.
Mooreville Cafe -
They had a little convenience store with a grill. Basically just burgers and fries. A grilled cheese and tater tots with a gatorade hit the spot. I know I was getting heat adapted because as hot as I was the last few miles I was able to eat and feel ok.
After a little confusion and struggle in Lewisburg I decided to push to Farmington to sleep outside an old church. Got myself a new umbrella and headed out in the 98 degree weather in the middle of the day to try to find a good place to rest. Little did I know a storm would blow though Farmington, swap out a bunch of the places I would have slept so I then decided to go from the Dollar General at 207 to the Angel house at 230 where I could get a decent nights sleep.
Hard to see but that sign says 97 degrees F
Look at the Radio Shack that was still open. I didn’t know what day it was most of the time. This had me questioning what year I was in.
Found Micro Wrestling on my way out of Lewisburg… too bad I wasn’t going through later in the day. They were setting up when I went by.
This is the tax place where I slept outside the front door on the steps under the carport.
I hadn’t slept in over a day. I did get a nice sunset view.
First Angel in miles. Even though the bugs weren’t bad they had everything I needed. Bug spray and pickles.
Last little bit of twilight before a long night
Down to double digits!!!
So how do you celebrate when you literally walk in to the gas station while they are turning the lights off. Push pop and a sweet tea!
Paul was there outside having a piece of pizza and chicken sandwich. I missed the pizza. He offered me the sandwich but fried chicken didn’t sound good.
Made it to Shelbyville! All I could think of was Simpson’s quotes the whole time. Something about Grandpa Simpson telling stories that go nowhere.
Shut up sign. I know I’m so speedy. I don’t need your validation.
Mile 230 Angel had her porch open for us to sleep on. Bad sleep for 2-3 hours in a zero gravity chair beat no sleep at all. I got there about 3AM and was back on the road before 7AM. Enjoyed some time off my feet.
I should have just slept on the porch though. I’ve learned that I really hate those chairs.
Wartrace was the next city. I found out why one of Laz’s first ultras he created was called the Strolling Jim. I always just assumed it was named for someone he knew. This makes it a little more special.
I may have to do this race sometime. I think it’s just a 40 miler which would be fun.
Always nice to see coolers with notes for us.This is the best crowd support I’ve ever had at a race.
Gotta love whoever painted the guide arrows on the pavement. Must make the short distance people question what they are doing.
Rest area between mile 230 and 240. Guess this was a new one this year. Hopefully they figure out that closer to the road is better. It wasn’t far but 9 marathons in or so you really start debating taking any extra steps.
It was hot. Other than that this looked just like a Bruce Sunday group run.
Bailey House up ahead. I now instinctually search for tents on the side of the road offering support. The Baileys were great people. Year 6 of supporting the runners. They had a lot to offer but no bananas or dates. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one in the history or Vol State to ask someone for dates. I wanted the potassium to try to help my cramping calf.
They had some fun street signs in Wartrace. They kept me entertained.
If Sarah Moore was in charge of tagging the cow… Made me think of my Ode Family I was going to get to see a few days after I finished. I only did a half marathon at that event Saturday after I finished.
Whispering Oaks Campground allowed the runners to use the bathrooms and showers. They also had some cots and a refrigerator stocked with everything for sammiches. They gave me a golf ball too!!
Dollar General didn’t have anything I could use to roll my feet or calf. This saved me and helped me get my calf happy enough to run again.
This is Paul. He fell asleep at the campground holding a full mountain dew.
Made it to Manchester!!
Stopped at Sonic for a quick snack. They had outdoor seating so I didn’t feel bad eating there. The cherry slushie and applesauces were amazing. Tater tots and chicken was OK. I just needed calories at this point.
Taped my calf and quad. It helped a lot with the cramp. Shoes got some additional venting too!
Another great sunset as I headed out of Manchester and towards the first big climb of the course.
Saw this sign at about 11:30PM. I didn’t think I would get a break until after the first big climb. Someone had mentioned Bobby Brown. I didn’t realize how well he treated us. I ran up and he was sitting there under his tent with a little white dog. We chatted for a few minutes while I got some food and drinks.
He had a big tent, tiki torches lit in front of it, a porta potty in the front, a bunch of camp chairs, 4 coolers (water, pop, gatorade and beer) and a small refrigerator with fresh fruit, veggies and snacks. He also had a coffee machine in case anyone wanted coffee. In the back of the tent he had 9 cots with pillows and sheets.
Boddy went above and beyond for us. All paid for by himself. I can’t understate how appreciative I was.
He used to live on the course about half a mile down. When he moved he asked his brother if he could use his lawn. Apparently his brother asked him why he would do this and stay up and wait for runners. After the first year he brother was hooked and kept asking for updates and was spending a lot of time in the tent waiting for runners with him.
People like the Baileys and Bobby made this race so special.
This is how you celebrate completing one of the biggest climbs on the course in middle of the night.
Reminds me I still need to see Despicable Me 4
When you roll into the last angel tent you are planning to see for the rest of the race about mile 286, you check the weather. A high of 88 is downright cool for the week we were having. Too bad it was about 938494857% humidity and I still got cooked pretty well.
Tried to sleep here but by the time I got settled the traffic picked up and it was interrupting me too much to get any real sleep.
Used my emergency bivy sack to try to sleep while I was drying clothes. Everything was damp and not drying. My plan was to wear whatever was the driest when I woke up.
I was waiting on another runner or a cop to check on me and have a very awkward conversation about why all I had on in the bivy was socks.
Reminder to look this up and see if it would be cool to go hike at.
This fire department didn’t seem very ready to go. No one was around.
WooHoo!!! Another angel! And a place I got to hide from a little rain shower that came through. Right as I was leaving it started to rain. I hunkered down under the carport with Steve Smalling, I believe. Steve retired recently and actually drove out to the ferry to see the start. He had been helping the runners for a few years and was super excited he got to see us start.
He also live in Royal Oak like 30 years ago and his girlfriend’s dad at the time had U of M football tickets. He’s been to more games at the big house than I have been to. That’s not hard since I’ve never been to 1.
Found this little ice cream shop and grill. Went in for an ice cream. Ended up leaving with sweet potato tots and mac and cheese bites. I was craving every high calorie thing I could get. I never made it back for an ice cream.
Mile 300!! At the Clarion!!!
I was so beat up and zombie walking for a few miles. I stopped in and got a room for the night. It was about 1:30PM when I got there. I was tempted to push through to the finish. After a few minutes of thinking I figured that it would benefit me to get my room early and rest. They were going to bring me back to this hotel to sleep when I finished. This way I would get to enjoy the finish more and not be dead on my feet.
I didn’t want to risk taking my socks off and having my tape repairs get ruined so I skipped the shower. I threw all the towels on the floor and laid down with my feet on the chair to keep them elevated. I didn’t want to subject the bed I was going to have to sleep in later that night to my smell.
The Clarion was the unofficial race hotel. At mile 300, we had one important task. That was to get a GPS tracker and text the race director that we had one and were on our way to the rock. The race staff had been out in the wood at the rock for a couple days by the time I got there. They didn’t know when the runner would finish so they came up with the idea of getting us the beacons so they could track us the last 14 miles. Some people would do it in a few hours, some would take 10. This way they could be sure to be there for us to finish. If they weren't, the finish didn’t count until they saw you.
The Blue Bridge! That’s mile 303
Lot’s of Bruce group runs prepared me for this moment. There are no closed roads or dead ends.
Some pics from thr bridge
Single digits to go.
5 Miles left. I was in Alabama at this point looking for Georgia.
I was hoping to see sunset from The Rock. I got it on the way there. If I wasn’t taking pictures and enjoying myself I would have made it.
There’s always next time.
99x 5ks down. Only 1 left to go.
Laz apparently has to mess with the runners. Just about 1.5 miles left at this point.
One More Mile!!! Just have to go over that wall because the gate was close… I enjoyed it.
92 feet left and he put a 1 mile to go sign. Never trust your race directors…
1 mile.. Or 92 feet… close enough
Not my picture but this was the finish. It wasn’t official until you touched the stop sign without going over the edge. It was like a 100’ drop right past the railing. I got a decent view but couldn’t get a picture at night with my camera.
Finished pic and a quote
I took just a few steps this week. Step challenge next time anyone??
Finisher Swag!
The next morning I went for a good meal. This place looked really good. Although they were out of the kolsch I still had a decent beer and some really good food.
The Good:
Someone posted before the start that after a week on the road we would be different people. More Human. Disconnected from modern conveniences. That’s exactly what happened out there. I would have never pictured myself sleeping on the stairs of a business or in a canopy tent on the side of the road; carrying everything I needed for that week and relying on stores along the way. Now that seems totally normal.
I’d have no problem doing it again. I realized the value of experiences over things.
I’m now judging places on the side of the road by how well I’d be able to sleep.
The Bad:
Honestly, my negative of this race was the lack of suffering. I know it was exactly the race I needed and I did struggle at some points but I never got dark. I never thought about quitting. Maybe that’s a reason to go do HOTS in a couple years.
I got what I wanted out of the race but it could have been more. It’s just another reason to back in a few years.
Moral of the Story:
This event is amazing. It is more than just a race to the finish. It’s about finding your boundaries and going past them. It’s about learning to adapt and overcome on the fly. It’s about growing as a person.
I can’t wait to find some other journey runs to do in the next few years.
Best Moment:
Signing all the guest books from all the amazing road angels was the best. The little chats you would have with the people when there were there were so uplifting. They took the time, money and energy to come support us. Some were standing in the road waiting for the little dot down the road to get closer and become a runner that they could help on their journey to the rock.
Worst Moment:
I didn’t have many lows during this one. For most people this event is a sufferfest. I knew that going in and embraced it. The most frustrating I got was in Lewsiburg. I was tired, sleep deprived and overheated. All I wanted was an hour nap but the world was determined to prevent that from happening. Instead I only got a few 5-10 minute power naps and turned it into a 43 mile day before getting a couple hours of bad sleep at mile 230.
Funniest Moment:
The one moment I keep going back to is a quick conversation between me and Laz. It was Day 2 and I was somewhere in the mid 80s for miles. Carl and Laz were driving around checking on some of the runners. They pulled into this gas station as I was going by.
Laz: “Want a ride?”
Me: “On a beautiful day like this. Are you crazy?”
Laz: laughing - “It’s only going to get better”
My Update Comments:
Thursday Afternoon:
I fought the sun and made it to the fire station in Gleason
Friday Morning:
Captains Log: Star date 24-00.44. Our journey around the dark side of the inferno has ended. The hot side is starting to show. Survival questionable
Friday Afternoon:
Triple Digits Baby!! I’m starting to think all they have here is dead armadillos strategically placed for the LAVS runners
Saturday Morning:
The 24 hour Shell west of Linden was closed so I started getting more miles instead of taking a break
Saturday Afternoon:
Miko to Matty. Miko to Matty. Come in Matty. Tell Paula I made it half way. Niner. Over.
Sunday Morning:
My feet are fine as long as I don’t have shoes on
Sunday Afternoon:
When washing your clothes after this is it 1 part gasoline to two parts kerosene, soak for 2 hours then throw into the incinerator??
Monday Afternoon:
With enough Tylenol and caffeine any miles are possible
Tuesday Morning:
I can’t even remember what dry clothes feel like.
I had a dream you can get clothes without dirt, sweat and tears now. I have to get me some
Map:
Results:
Gear:
Topo Magnifly Shoes
Fabletics Shorts
Runderware Long Compression shorts
Feetures Socks
Salomon Adv Skin 12 Vest
Patagonia Capilene t shirt
Patagonia Capilene long sleeve
2 soft flasks
Full gear list in google sheets
Nutrition:
That’s it bars
Frozen fruit bars
Pizza
Sandwiches
Cheese itz
Coke, Mountain Dew, …
Red gatorade
Lots of bottles of water
Grilled cheese and tater tots
Sonic Slushies
Sonic Chicken and tater tots
Fruit
Whatever else we could find!
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