Ok, here’s what we’ve got for Day 2! I’ll be updating it throughout the day with tweets, emails, photos, and links again. Joshua is hauling butt on the course so he probably won’t get a chance to add anything but I’ll do my best. Check back later to see how things are going out there!

And don’t forget, you can always:

See what Joshua (@bayou) is up to on twitter or search the tag #VS500 on twitter.

Check out The Last Annual Vol State Road Race page on Facebook.

Or check out this map to see where all the runners are. The runner’s locations are marked with “stickpins”. The map is updated twice per day and shows their last location.

http://www.tinyurl.com/VolState2012

Carl Laniak is adding photos to his album if you’d like to check those out as well:  Vol State 2012 Album

Naresh is at the Vol State now and taking photos! He’ll be adding to it over the weekend. Check it out: Naresh’s Vol State 2012 Album

So far today:

36 hour runner status updatefrom Carl Laniak at 8:30 pm

Through an intricate and unpredictable series of choreographed footsteps,
each of the runners has arrived at the exact spot where they should be at this point in space and time.

This 36 hour update shows a list of beauty, to those who know of these things….
NO ONE has quit yet.

Unless you count the handful of times that each of the runners has vowed, internally, that they are *definitely* quitting!
But none of them has followed through on that promise to themselves.
They are all (from the first to the last) pushing beyond the point of discomfort now.
Searching, and finding, *something* out on the roads as they head into the dark of the second night.

1) Paul Lefelhocz                 107 down to sleep
2) Joshua Holmes                104 moving
3) Dan Fox                              103 moving
4) Jay Dobrochewski         103 moving
5) Juli Aistars                       100 moving
6) Thomas Mikkelson        96 moving
7) Psyche Wimberly          94 moving
8 ) Richard Westbrook     93 moving
9) Sal Coll                               92 stopped
10) Jan Silverman              92 stopped
11) Sulaiman Seriki            92 stopped
12) Charlie Taylor              92 stopped
13) Abi Meadows                92 stopped
14) John Price                      88 moving
15) Sherry Meador             86 moving
16) Rita Barnes                    84 stopped
17) Dusty Hardman          84 stopped
18) Shannon Burke            84 stopped
19) Erika/Adam                  (now a relay) 83 moving
20) Fred Davis                    80 moving thru clarksburg
21) Mike Melton                 68 stopped
22) Diane Taylor                63 moving
23) Marvin Skagerberg  54 moving
24) Oprah                             53 moving well

Posted by Joshua at 7:05 pm (almost a 1/3 of the way done!)

Email from Laz at 4:42 pm

thngs are getting real out there on the road.
a lot of innocents are beginning to realize just how far 500km really is.
unlike the seasoned field at the 3100,
these are just regular folks.

after the runners endured several drenching downpours during the night,
this afternoon is featuring the first taste of real heat.
sauna-like humidity,
and a sun that will peel your skin off.

the race is trying to take shape.
we have a new leader, as paul lefelhocz has opened up about an 8 mile lead and was the first thru 100.
when we told paul the news, he seemed distraught.
“CRAP! i was in 20th place, how can i be in the lead?”
he tried to think of people who were surely ahead of him.
they were all now behind him.
he finally conceded he might be in the lead,
and asked us not to tell his wife.

feral fox has moved into second.
mikkelson held third when we last saw everyone,
but he was toasting in the sun, and went to earth shortly afterward.
jay dobroteski was in sixth,
but has probably moved past juli and joshua (92 and stopped), as well as mikkelson at 95, and into third by now.

we will give you the latest standings after the 36 hour check-in.

dont be surprised if they change.

laz

Posted by Josh at 3:31 pm

Update on runner status from Laz at 8:30 am

Friday morning, July 13, 2012 (corrected)

1) josh holmes 92 (asleep)
2) paul lefelhocz 82 (moving)
3) juli aistars 81 (moving)
4) feral fox 76 (moving)
5) thomas mikkelson 70 (moving)
6) jay dobrochuski 68.5 (moving)
7) sal coll 68 (planning to move)
8 ) sulaiman sericki 68 (sleeping)
9) charley taylor 67.5 (moving)
10) jan silverman 67 (moving)
11) abi meadows 66.5 (moving)
12) sherry meador 66 (moving)
13) richard westbrook 65 (??)
14) rita barnes 58.5 (moving)
15) john price 58 (moving)
16) psyche wimberly 55 (moving)
17) mike melton 54.5 (moving)
18) fred davis 54 (moving)
19) dusty hardman 52 (moving and happy)
20) shannon burke 48 (moving)
21) ericka matheny 44 (sleeping)
22) diane taylor 33 (moving)
23) marvin skagerberg 30 (moving)
24) oprah 29 (moving)

Email from Laz at 7:56 am

vol-staters understand what is going thru the buffalos minds,
because while vol-staters form into confederations on the road;
if you are the weak buffalo, you know yoare going to be left behind.

sal coll, the one we just call “jay” , and sulaiman spent the last 24 hours together.
sulaiman was unable to rise from his sleep break.
they left him for the lions.
the one they call “jay” is sitting right beside me.
if sal doesnt get here before the “jay” finishes eating….
he will be left for the lions.

juli and jan planned this trip for months.
somewhere during the night…
jan got left for the lions.

of course, these are only a couple of the stories.
the buffalo love to travvel together.
but when the lion comes for you.

there is one twist to the vol-state, tho.
tomorrow…
or the next day…
maybe even the day after that…

the one you left for dead may pass you lying in some godforsaken ditch in the middle of nowhere.
and when they do…

you will be left for the lions.

the rain started last night.
so far it has just been periodic downpours,
so some are already soaked,
some have been lucky.
so far.

we are expecting at least a couple of days of this,
so they will all get caught eventually.

we have still got a couple of runners to locate,
the morning standings will follow soon.

laz

Posted by Josh at 6:34 am (totally kicked butt, didn’t he! 🙂 )

Posted by Josh at 12:20 am

Hi all, it’s Lisa. I’ll be updating this post throughout the day with pictures, emails, maps, and links. Joshua will probably be doing some updating too if he gets a chance.

Check back throughout the day to see how things are going out there!

And don’t forget, you can always check this map to see where all the runners are:

 http://www.tinyurl.com/VolState2012

The runner’s locations are marked with “stickpins”. The map is updated twice per day and shows their last location.

So far today…

Vol State Update 2 from Laz @ 8:54 pm

it has been a day of turnover, with nothing decided.
everyone was moving well most of the day,
facing temperatures in the mid-80’s and plenty of cloudcover.

standings at 20 miles:
mikkelson 3:45
holmes 3:47
coll: 3:59
C Taylor 4:00
aistars 4:41
silverman 4:41
barnes 4:42
Meadows 4:47
fox 4:59
Sericki 5:22
Dobrokowski 5:23
matheny 5:24
meador 5:28
westbrook 5:29
burke 5:42
davis 5:42
lefelhocz 5:45
melton 5:58
wimberly 6:02
price 6:02
skagerberg 6:19
hardman 6:35
d taylor 8:21
oprah 8:23

odd that someone asked.
oprah arrived late, flying in from the 3100 in new york,
but is now nipping at diane taylor’s heels.

as the afternoon wore on, the race began to take shape.
thomas mikkelson took a big lead thru the afternoon.
we last saw him in gleason,
down on all fives…

knees, elbows, and head.

joshua holmes was several miles back, but closing.

12 hour status:

mikkelson recovered to hold his lead thru mckenzie at 60 miles,
but planned to stop for a rest
holmes, also thru mckenzie trailed at 57 miles but was feeling good and planning to go on.

coll, c taylor and dobropawlski were all leaving gleason at 48.
they planned to sleep beside the road at some point,
but were entering a long stretch of swamp.
i have a feeling they will get to at least mckenzie (54)
(or risk exsanguination by skeeters)

the feral fox was just entering gleason at 47.

westbrook led barnes by a mile or so were just leaving dresden (around 42)
inside dresden, the bulk of the field were eating, resting, running, or deciding what to do with the night.

the best order we can figure (subject to change with every minute)
meador
wimberly
aistars
silverman
sericki
lefelhocz
burke
hardman
matheny
davis
price
melton
all are between 39 & 41 miles.
the decisions they make,
and how they implement them,
will determine the order in the morning.
battles will rage while you sleep.

meadows was at 39, having taken an afternoon rest,
and was planning to go all night.

skagerberg and d taylor were just going down at 39 to take some rest.

oprah was at 38, and planning to stay in the room next door to diane.

nothing to see here yet,
but by morning look for the real fun to begin.

laz

Posted by Josh at 7:30 pm/7:36 pm

Posted by Joshua at 5:48 pm

Text from Josh at 4:10 pm : 44 miles

Posted byJosh at 3:13 pm

Text from Josh at 1:54 pm: 34 miles! (exclamation point added by me. 🙂 )

Posted by Josh at 12:18 pm

Posted by Josh at 10:54 am

Posted by Josh at 10:22 am

Vol State 500K Start Photo Album  shared by Carl Laniak.

Vol State Update 1 from Laz:

we got lucky.
the ferry is sitting in the mud,
the crew is doing repainting and other maintenance tasks.
they allowed us to board the barge to start.

at 07:17:42 we started atop the riverbank in kentucky
and ran to the ferry.
following a 20 minute “simulated” ferry ride,
used for photo ops and socializing just like normal,
the gates were opened,
and the runners set out on their magnificent quest.

there were 23 starters,and they passed by the mississippi river overlook in hickman in this order:
1) sal coll
2) richard westbrook
3) charley taylor
4) juli aistars
5) jan silverman
6) thomas mikkelson
7) joshua holmes
8) rita barnes
9) dan fox
10) sherry meador
11) abi meadows
12) shannon burke
13) dusty hardman
14) mike melton
15) sulaiman sericki
16) psyche wimberly
17) ericka matheny
18) john price
19) fred davis
20) paul lefelhocz
21) jay dobrowalski
22) marvin skagerberg
23) diane taylor

in a little while we will go out to get the 20 mile splits….the last time we’ll be able to sit in one place and watch *all* the runners go by.

laz

Posted by Josh at 8:46 am 

Posted by Josh at 7:58 am

Nicholas Norfolk RIF #116

This week’s RIF Club member profile is Nicholas Norfolk #116. Nicholas is another Marathon Maniac which is amazing considering the short time he’s been running! Kind of makes me feel like a slacker. But seriously, he is an awesome runner. Better than that, he is a huge presence on Twitter. He’s always encouraging other runners, tweeting great articles, and sharing fun races. He’s a great inspiration to the running community and has a fun attitude about running, which you probably noticed from the picture above and you’ll see in his answers below:

INFO
Name: Nicholas L. Norfolk
RIF #: 116
Blog: http://www.icedotathletes.com/author/nlnorfolk/
Twitter: @absolut_zer0
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nlnorfolk

STATS
Years Running: 2

Favorite Race Distance: Half marathon

Favorite PR: This is also my worst PR. The mile at the Go! Mile. Why? I didn’t know what it was like to push myself to the brink. I ran hard and although I reached my goal, it was not without consequence. It was the first time I ever thought I was going to pass out. The world was spinning. It was like I had an out-of-body experience. I left it all out there and for that I’m proud. Now, I’m hesitant to do it again. I may actually pass out next time.

Favorite Race: Jesse is Awesome Half Marathon / Soaring Wings Half Marathon – Both are races that exemplify why we race. Both RDs create an atmosphere that we cherish. I get to witness friends achieving goals and I can cheer them. You don’t run these races. You experience them.

Favorite Bling: 5th Mississippi Blues Marathon – A nice, quality medal and it was my Marathon Maniac qualifying race.

Next Race: Full mOOn Midnight 50k

What Makes You FEEL Fast? This is one of those questions for the “fast” people, right? Do I get to pass on this one? When I feel my hair blowing in the wind I feel fast, but that could also just be the wind blowing fast, eh? I got it! When I “sprint” to the finish. I feel my body take over and my mind reluctantly obeys.

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS

Who inspires your running and why? Similar to what Ivan Drago said in Rocky VI, I run “For me! For me!” This may sound like a selfish statement, but it’s the truth. Before I became part of the running community, knew about races, or had any idea of the great, elite runners, it was only me.

Each day we all inspire at least one person. You know the answer to this. We inspire ourselves. For if we don’t inspire ourselves, how can one inspire someone else? I love running, but I love inspiring others even more. The will to inspire myself is just as important to my personal well being as it is for me to inspire and motivate my fellow runner.

If you could go for a run with any famous person (living or dead), who would it be and why? I’d love to run with Ted Corbitt. He affected running in so many ways. He’s been called “the father of long distance running.” Not only did he compete, win races, and hold records, but he also gave back.

He served as president of the RRCA and founding president of the New York Road Runners (NYRR). His prowess in running can only be overshadowed by his dedication to the sport. He was instrumental in the growth of the sport at a time when it was unpopular. He was a force to be reckoned with and his legacy lives on through us all. I can only imagine the treasure of knowledge he possessed.

Have you ever worn a costume during a race? What was it and for what race? If not, would you? I have yet to wear a costume for a race, but I definitely would. I enjoy having fun and I think adding a costume to the mix would be great. Not sure if I have the body for some of those costumes, but I’m working on it. I’m telling you I could rock a skort! LOL!

What is your favorite go-to pre-race meal? I’m a seafood guy, so my staple meal is salmon, baby carrots, broccoli, and rice pilaf.

What is the thing you splurge on after a race? I’m not really the splurging type, but if sleep counts as a splurge, that’s what I indulge in.

Big races or small races? And why? I crave the intimacy of small races. I’ll do a big race if I must, which is mainly with friends, but they can get out of hand. Who wants a generic race with generic swag? It’s personal to me. That’s why I love trail races. We look out for one another. The goal for everyone is to finish, but we all want to slay the beast! If I can help someone do that, I’m thrilled to do so.

What is the one piece of running gear you can’t leave the house without? I sweat like crazy, so I need my headband and something to organize my hair. It’s not fun to run when you can’t see because of sweat or hair.

What running moment are you most proud of? Albeit stupidly, I set a goal to run 50 races, including all of the Arkansas Grand Prix Series races. Yes, I did it, but my body has yet to forgive me for the torture I put it through. It was a great way for me to spend my rookie season in the series and to learn about the different races, towns, and people scattered across the great state of Arkansas.

***

I think it’s awesome how Nicholas throws everything he has into something, whether it’s at the Go! Mile or doing that 50 race goal. He is living my favorite mantra: Go Big or Go Home. I also agree with Nicholas when he says we have to inspire ourselves first. No one can run for us. Friends might get us started running or make it fun but in the long run (pun intended…sorry! 😉 ), it’s our own drive that gets us out the door when we are tired or busy. Find what inspires you and remember it for those days when you don’t feel the energy or desire to run.

Thanks for sharing, Nicholas. Good luck at the Full mOOn Midnight 50K! Run it fast!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

[All photos submitted by Nicholas Norfolk]

Two EPIC races will be starting in the next few days. Guess what? Two Run It Fast – The Club members will be representing at both races and pushing their limts to the extreme!

You’ve probably heard of one of the races – AdventureCORPS Badwater, a 135 mile race across Death Valley in California. It starts on Monday, July 16th and I hear the temperatures for this year’s race will be in the range of 118 to 123 degrees! The runners start out from Badwater (85Ft below sea level, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere) and climb up to the trailhead at Mt. Whitney. Along the way, they will battle the heat, possibly melting shoes, their own minds and bodies and do a little climbing (13000 Ft). That sounds like fun, right?

Some famous names in the running world are running Badwater this year: Marshall Ulrich, Dean Karnazes, Pam Reed, and Amy Palmiero-Winters. Last year’s winners, Oswaldo Lopez and Sumie Inagaki will be back this year to defend their titles.

And back for his second year at Badwater is our very own Ed Ettinghausen, RIF #121! He will be starting this year’s race in the 10:00 am wave. At last year’s Badwater, Ed finished 13th in a time of 31:21:54. I’d say he was running it fast! Now that he’s no longer a rookie, I expect he’ll Run It Fast this year too. I just wonder if he’s going to be sporting the Jester hats at Badwater?  Good luck Ed!

The other race? You probably haven’t heard of that one. It’s a “little” race called the Last Annual Vol State 500K. The race is 314 miles across Tennessee…in the middle of July. Now it may not be as hot as it is in Death Valley but it’s WAY more humid. Also, a FEW more miles too. The small band of runners in this race will leave tomorrow morning from Dorena Landing, Missouri and make their way across Tennessee to “The Rock” at Castle Rock, Georgia. The runners have 10 days to complete the journey.

Our fearless leader, Joshua Holmes RIF #1, is running the Last Annual Vol State 500K…again! He ran it last year in 8 days and 7 minutes and change. He has plans to Run It Faster this year and I KNOW he will. He’s got the experience and this year he’s a much stronger runner. I can’t wait to see how much time he shaves off his time from last year. Good luck Joshua!

What I find so amazing and inspiring about both Ed and Josh is that they did these races before and STILL signed up for another year. They know exactly what they are getting in to and they aren’t afraid to face those challenges again. While marathons across the country are being cancelled because of “heat”, these two, along with all the other entrants, are saying “Bring it on!”. I know they have every intention of running harder, faster, and stronger this year and it will be fun to watch.

I hope you’ll join me in sending lots of encouragement to Ed & Josh as they head out. They are two of the most supportive and encouraging runners I’ve met. They love running and they share that love with runners of all ages and abilities. Both of them are so down to earth as well that they would probably be embarrassed when I say they are inspiring but I know I’m not alone in thinking this. They are AWESOME! Please show them some love!

Here are some links you can use to follow both races/runners:

Badwater

Twitter: @adventurecorps
Facebook: Badwater Ultramarathon
On the Web: webcast
The live photostream on Instagram: RD Chris Kostman

 Last Annual Vol State 500K

Runner’s Map (updated twice a day): Google Map
Joshua on Twitter: @bayou
Joshua on Facebook: Joshua Holmes
Run It Fast on Twitter: @RunItFast
RunItFast on Facebook: Run It Fast
Joshua’s 2011 Vol State 500K Race Report

And don’t forget to check back here for updates and results!

*Update* I just found out another RIF Club member will be running the Last Annual Vol State 500K! Please also send Run It Fast Good Luck vibes to Sulaiman Seriki RIF #154!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

Hideki Kinoshita (RIF #88) is back on top of the Extreme Racer Standings with 681.6 points.  Joshua Holmes (RIF #1) is in second place with 575 points.

Third place is Emily Conley (RIF #24) who is leading the women with 426.4 points.  She is followed on the women’s board by Laura Raeder (RIF #20) and Nadia Ruiz Gonzales (RIF #69).

Each runner is awarded 1 point for each race mile. (More details HERE)

Where Run It Fast Runners Are Running This Weekend (July 7-8, 2012)

Storified by Joshua Holmes · Fri, Jul 06 2012 19:17:35

Emily Conley #24

This week’s RIF Club Member Profile is Emily Conley #24. Emily is just coming off a HUGE accomplishment – she just ran Western States 100 (her Race Report) and finished in 28:45! She is an amazing runner!

But that’s not what impressed me most about Emily. I met her at the Jackson Jackass 50K in February. It was raining when we met in the parking lot but she was all smiles. During the race, she passed me (like I was standing still) and asked me how I was doing. I told her I was having some stomach issues. She actually stopped and waited for me to catch up to her to remind me that she’d brought peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for all of us and that real food might help. Is that not cool, or what? It’s one of the things I love about the running community…their willingness to help out a new runner or someone having trouble. Emily is a great example of that. Oh, and by the way, Emily was the overall women’s winner at the Jackson Jackass 50K!

So let’s meet Emily:

INFO
Name: Emily Conley
RIF #: 24
Twitter: @trailjunke
Facebook: emily hendrix conley

STATS

Years running: 4
Favorite race distance: anything from 50k-100mile
Favorite race: Sylamore 50k
Favorite bling: belt buckle from Western States 100
Next race: possibly Arkansas Traveller 100
What makes you FEEL fast?: running in the dark

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS

Which of your running routes makes you the happiest and why?  I love to run the trails at Herb Parsons lake in Memphis.  Its a beautiful place to run.  One of my favorite memories there is running the trails right after a snow.  Almost every time I run there I think of that day and it makes me smile.

Have you ever worn a costume during a race? What was it and for what race? If not, would you? no costumes.  ever.

What is the thing you splurge on after a race?  more running gear

Why do you race?  I love the people, the comraderie, seeing new places, and the feeling I get when I run well or even just finish a race that was really difficult.

Big races or small races? And why? I have a deep appreciation for small, grass-roots trail races….the kind where you stand behind a line and someone yells GO!  My least favorite races I’ve ever done are the Chicago Marathon and the Vegas Marathon.  Maybe I’m just a trail lover at heart.

What is the one piece of running gear you can’t leave the house without? Lululemon speed shorts

What was your biggest “don’t” of a race? skittles.  I’d explain but it was gross at best.

What running moment are you most proud of? A little over four years ago I finished my first half marathon.  It was the gateway drug that led to Ultrarunning.  I’ll never forget finishing that race.  But I’m not sure it compares to crossing the finish line at the Western States 100.  That was just surreal.

If you can’t run, you’re __okay___.  There has to be balance between running and the rest of life.  Sometimes it’s perfectly okay to sleep late and snuggle with the kids on Saturday morning.

***

As you can tell from her pictures, Emily is obviously have a great time while she’s running. Her reasons for running and racing make running a joy but she keeps it in perspective. Racing and running are not the be-all and the end-all of our world and we have to remember to keep some balance in our lives. They sure do make it sweeter though, don’t they?

Thanks for sharing Emily! We are so proud of you and know you will continue to Run It Fast!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

[All photos submitted by Emily Conley and Naresh Kumar]

Happy 4th of July to all of the Run It Fast – Club runners and runners all over the United States today.

Pictured in the photo above is RIF #80 Scott Gatlin during the first annual Flag Run in Jackson, Tennessee on July 4, 2012.

He was joined by about 20 other runners including RIF #38 JD Favara, RIF #39 Tanya Favara, RIF #82 Matthew Wylie, RIF #84 David Johnson, RIF #85 Brett Beckham, and RIF #120 Stephanie Johnson.

May running and physical fitness continue to make strides to make our country healthier and stronger.

If you are running a 4th of July race today then be sure to Run It Fast.

Use the tag #runitfast on Instagram for your 4th of July running photos (or running photos anytime) and the same tag on Twitter as well.

(You can join Run It Fast – The Club and learn more about it by clicking HERE.)

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Queens 10K that took place on July 1, 2012 in Queens, New York.

The race had 5,442 finishers and was won by Julius Lomeriyang in a time of 29:20.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal submitted by Seth Tabor. Follow him on Twitter @Taborifica]