Day 4 and the runners survived a wild day of rain yesterday! I’ll be updating today’s blog throughout the day so check back for more updates. Send dry and fast thoughts to all the runners! Oh, and I added a couple of Joshua’s tweets/photos to Day 3’s blog. Here are the first 3 Days if you didn’t get a chance to read them:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

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.
-Check out the Vol State 2012 Map to see where the runners are (updated 2x per day w/ last location).
-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! Check it out: Naresh’s Vol State 2012 Album

So far today:

Posted by Joshua at 9:52 pm

Vol State Update 7…3.5 days (correction) by Laz at 8:50 pm

> 6-7) jay dobrolewski and sulaiman sericki 180 (on break)

should be

6-7) jay dobrolewski and sulaiman sericki 180 (moving)

Vol State Update 7…3.5 days by Laz at 8:44 pm

today saw the first warm weather of the event.
the promised thunderstorms never materialized,
instead the runners were treated to mid-90’s with a blowtorch sun.

mid-90’s isnt all that hot.
but the foot of water that fell on the course yesterday
came up at the runners from the ground today, in the form of steam.
suffering was evident,
and some drops resulted.

the feral fox made his move today,
running down paul in culleoka (about 185)
and then pulling away through the late morning and afternoon.
we saw dan eating “lunch” in lewisburg at a little after 1400 hours.
he was running strong.
he has opened up a 20 mile lead, the biggest anyone has held since day 1.

dan made a statement this afternoon,

today the whole nature of the event has changed at the front.
no more fruitbasket turnover.
rest breaks are calculated and measured.
end of game race tactics are taking shape.
the race is on, and people are fighting to position themselves for that last run to the rock….
which is still a day or so away.

the runners still approaching columbia will undergo that transition tomorrow.

it only gets better from here on in.
(better for the spectators. the runners are in hell)

1) dan fox 222 (moving)
2) paul lefelhocz 202 (on break)
3) juli aistars 202 (on break)
4) joshua holmes 197 (moving)
5) thomas mikkelson 194 (moving)
6-7) jay dobrolewski and sulaiman sericki 180 (on break)
8 ) charlie taylor 170 (moving)
9) sherry meador 167 (moving)
10) john price 166 (moving)
11) richard westbrook 165 (moving)
12) psyche winberly 157 (moving)
13) sal coll 156 (gone home)
14-15-16-17) jan silverman, shannon burke, dusty hardman, rita barnes 144 (resting in hohenwald)
18) fred davis 125 (gone home)
19) erika matheny/adam vess relay 122 (gone home)
20) diane taylor 117 (moving)
21) mike melton 107 (on break)
22) marvin skagerberg 104 (moving)
23) oprah 103 (moving)
24) abi meadows 100 (gone home)

Posted by Joshua at 2:14 pm 

Update from Carl Laniak at 1:09 pm

Flies at volstate
They are dropping.
So far:

Abi at mi 100
The relay at 122
Fred at 125
Sal at 157

Carl

 Update from Carl Laniak at 12:17 pm

Vol State relay update

Erika Matheny just called in with news of her relay. The effort and pain have ended. Abi is taking them back to her place in Chattanooga to complete the more restful half of their vacation.

Carl

Email from Laz at 8:23 am

 update change
lefelhocz 1st 179, fox second 178

laz (calls ins can be imprecise!)

72 Hour Update of runner status by Laz at 8:11 am

the 3 day standings
1) dan fox 180 (leaving columbia)
2) paul lefelhocz 179 (columbia) coming off a good rest (translates as “indoors”)
3) juli aistars 177 (feeling good… miserable is good, right?) in laundromat trying to dry clothes
4) joshua holmes 175 (down)
5) jay dobrotraski 169 (near columbia) needs a break
6) thomas mikkelson 158 (past halfway!) well rested and moiving good
7) sulaiman sericki 146 (leaving hohenwald)
8 ) sal coll 145 (leaving hohenwald)
9-11) john price, sherry meador and charlie taylor 144 resting in hohemwald
12) richard westbrook 144 (unconfirmed) believed to be resting in hohenwald
13) dusty hardman 132
14) psyche wimberly 125 (linden) battling the linden factor-the outcome in doubt
15) fred davis 125 (linden) dropped, waiting on ride
16) shannon burke 120 (feeling cheerful… but says that should be fixed by afternoon)
17-18) jan silverman 117 (past the river, and feeling like a whiney baby-but survived her crisis)
rita barnes 117 (moving)

19) erika matheny/adam venn relay 111
20) abi meadows 100 (dropped)
21-22) mike melton and dian taylor 92 (lexington) will they ever move??
23) marvin skagerberg 90 (lexington) working on a foot problem.
24) oprah 89

Email from Laz at 7:25 am

tails from the road
just a few notes,
while we wait on the rest of the incoming checkin calls
(from those runners who have yet to destroy their phones).

we call it the linden factor.
if the “bench of despair” in glendale (185 miles) is the break point,
beyond which few runners will quit,
linden is yang to its yin.
we lose ’em in linden every year.

at 125 miles, things are starting to get real.
really real.
they think their feet are trashed.
they think their muscles are sore.
they think their knees hurt….

and there are 191 miles left to go.

they know that they havent seen anything, yet.
only the runners with iron will continue beyond linden.

the men made a move to close the score in the battle of the sexes.
a male runner has now destroyed his cell phone.
the women answered almost immediately,
as a woman lost her watch.

women: 1 cell phone, two chargers, a watch, and a drop
men: 1 cell phone, no drops

(just sayin)

was just listening to a “pep talk” given to a discouraged vol-stater by a seasoned veteran:
“go ahead, get some rest.”
“but dont think it is going to make anything better.”
“you wont wake up and discover; ‘hey, new legs!'”
“it is going to suck. it is going to hurt.”
“but you already have your vacation, you might as well go ahead.”
“if you drop out now, you will regret it all week, while you watch other people finish.”
“and you think;’ that could be me. i could have done it. if i only didnt quit.'”

naresh drove around the course last night and noticed a strange phenomenon.
out in the middle of nowhere, uncrewed runners can simply disappear for a couple of hours.
in spite of days of rain,
the resourceful feral runners can discover someplace to sleep.
as carl said;
“once your standards drop low enough…”

altho one unnamed female runner was sleeping on concrete
and a local found her,
and brought her inside to sleep on a couch.
she thought she was in heaven.
(i bet he even gave her something to eat)
come to the vol-state, and live like a stray dog.

the real update will follow soon.

laz

Posted by Joshua at 6:49 am

Sorry for the late start. I had a half this morning and just got a chance to catch up. Looks like it’s been a wild day for the VS500K runners. Check out below to see what happened during the day and check back for any updates.

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:

Posted by Joshua at 10:52 pm

Posted by Joshua at 10:50 pm

60 Hour Update of runner status from Laz at 8:46pm

vol state update 5: it’s all downhill from here
the front end has turned into a desperate struggle.
whoever takes home the crown will have earned it the hard way.

1) paul lefelhocz 161. thru hampshire and running
2) dan fox 158. running
3) juli aistars 156. natches trace. running.
4) joshua holmes 151. struggling at times, but moving forward.
5) jay dobromowski 150. stopped at walmart in hohenwald to cobble together blister kit. lost 4 places doing it. back running.
6) thomas mikkelson 149. stopped for a rest break.
7) sulaiman sericki 142, entering hohenwald. he has a heel blister that looks like a crater. says he no longer feels it thru the pain in his knee. moving.
8 ) richard westbrook 130. on the way to hohenwald, moving.

there are several at various points in rest breaks at 125 (commodore hotel in linden):

9-12) charlie taylor, sal coll, psyche winberly, sherry meador

13) john price 124, in linden, not stopping
14) dusty hardman 124, in linden, stopping at 125
15) fred davis 115, crossing the tennessee river. moving.

16-18) holed up at the pine tree motel on the wrong side of the river: rita barnes, shannon burke, jan silverman

19) erika matheny and adam venn relay team 108 and taking a break
20) abi meadows 100 and dropped.
21-22) mike melton and diane taylor 92: gone to earth in lexington days inn.
23) marvin skagerberg: 90 and taking a break. briefly caught taylor and melton earlier today. gunning for them tomorrow.
24) oprah 89

besides the deluges (parts of the course are now under a flash flood watch)
the watchword of the day is pain.
everyone is hurting somewhere.
the constant moisture is destroying feet.
the constant running and walking is breaking bodies and crushing wills.
and there is still so far to go.
dont let all the people on evening breaks fool you.
the breaks are short. the days are long.
while you sleep the footwarriors fight on.

the score in the battle between the sexes:
women, 1 doused cellphone, two lost chargers. 1 drop.
men, all cellphone systems intact. full field intact.

just saying.

laz

Email from Laz at 4:50 pm

all hell is breaking loose
and the heavens are opening up.

no more showers for the vol-staters.
today the rains steadily increased in frequency and strength,
until we saw some monumental deluges.
conditions are terrible,
with deep puddles covering the roads,
as the rain came down faster than it could run off.

we wont know for sure, until call in
(we couldnt locate dobronewski)
but it looks like lefelhocz has seized control,
with about a 4 mile lead on fox.
(both have passed the halfway point, and are running strong… not walking)
paul made us promise again not to reveal his position to his wife.
good thing he can trust me & carl.

juli looked like a strong maybe third, coming out of hohenwald
and joshua holmes is experiencing one of those special times,
but still moving in 4th and at about 145, in hohenwald.

laz

Update from Carl at 12:36 pm

Driving thru the course, we can update that reports of Rita Barnes’ demise were greatly exaggerated. She is on course and moving into Parsons.

Carl

48 Hour Update of runner status by Laz at 8:53 am

Vol State Update 4: emerging from the mists
while most of you slept, the vol-staters trudged onward.
it took 2 days, but the competition is taking shape….
and the competitors are becoming clear.

too many people are too close together to do any serious handicapping,
but the number of serious contenders for the crown has shrunk considerably.

we can scratch abi, out after 100 miles with gastric distress.
we can scratch rita, down at 92 and talking drop with ankle issues.

joshua holmes surged back into the lead last night,
but paid the price for those fast miles and bailed for some sleep, short of hohenwald at 140 miles.
not so his pursuers, who have already had their rest breaks…
if, indeed, they are taking any.

jay dobrodrewski has pushed his way into 2nd, past linden at 128,
followed closely by uncrewed runners dan fox (127)
and paul lefelhocz (124)

juli aistars (117)
and thomas mikkelson (115)
had also crossed the tennessee river,
and cannot be counted out as a potential leaders before day’s end.

behind them, the peleton strung out between parsons and the river.
in a section of endless hills, runners made their way down the road in seeming isolation,
unable to see the runners but one hill ahead or behind:
7) psyche winberly 109
8 ) sal coll 107
9) charlie taylor 106
10) sulaiman sericki 105
11) sherry meador 104
12) richard westbrook 103
13) jan silverman 102
14) abi meadows 100 (and out)
15) john price 97 (leaving lexington)
16) fred davis 96
17) dusty hardman 93
18) rita barnes 92 (and wavering)

not yet to the turn in lexington:
19) shannon burke 88
20) the erika matherny/adam venn relay team 85
21) mike melton 69
22) dian taylor 68
23) marvin skagerberg 67
24) the relentless oprah 66

look for today to be another day of fruitbasket turnover,
as a long lunch break might cost a half dozen places.
the good news is that it is only supposed to be a little warmer than yesterday.
the bad news is that the thunderstorms are expected to continue.
all that wet weather has created some nasty foot & blister issues very early in the race.
i think a lot of folks would prefer the heat!

laz

Posted by Joshua at 6:43 am

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

The Last Annual Vol-State Road Race (2012 Edition)

Missouri to Georgia 500 kilometers (314 miles)

Drivers in Tennessee may see some strange characters walking and running alongside the road between July 12 and July 22. While sensible people will be heeding the weatherman’s advice to avoid exercise during the heat of the day, thirty runners from across the country are set to participate in the 32nd “last annual” Vol-State Road Race. The Vol-State, a 500 km (314 mile) footrace, beginning in Dorena Landing, Missouri and finishing at Castle Rock, Georgia, is one of the oldest races of its kind in the world, as well as one of the longest.

The runners will be divided between two divisions; Aided runners will have a crew and vehicle along to provide fluids and food, while the Unaided runners will rely on what they can purchase or carry along the route. The majority of this year’s field will be in the Unaided division. The ultimate, overall winner will carry the coveted title “King of the Road” for the next 12 months. Reigning “King of the Road”, 73 year old Don Winkley out of Corpus Christi, Texas will not be defending his crown, as he will be competing in a footrace across France that takes place at the same time.

The course record is held by Dewayne Satterfield, a mathematician at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, who completed the course in 2009 in a time of 3 days 17 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds. While Dewayne has not entered at this time, rumors persist that he will be there when the runners board the ferry, to make an attempt on the unaided record held by Dan Fox out of Seattle, Washington. The “Feral Fox” completed the course unaided in a time of 5 days 12 hours 19 minutes and 11 seconds. Fox is entered in the 2012 race.

While some of the runners will be competing for records and championships, others will be in the race as a personal challenge. The time limit for the event is 10 days, and runners will be entering Georgia up until time expires, as everyday people seek to achieve the seemingly impossible distance in Tennessee’s July heat.

The Vol-State is renowned among mega-marathoners for the famous hospitality of Tennesseans. Every runner returns home with stories of the kindnesses shown to them as they struggle thru the Tennessee summer heat. While the runners are thrilled just to receive words of encouragement, they have been offered everything from ice-water and sandwiches, to a bed and a shower. The challenge and the scenery is what brought the race to Tennessee. But, it is the Tennesseans themselves that keep the runners coming back.

The race can be followed on RunItFast.com

The race can be followed on several Twitter accounts from runners and participants including Joshua Holmes (@bayou), John Price (@VBultrarunner), Shannon Burke (@s4121burke), and Naresh Kumar (@iamarunr).

The race can be followed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/volstaterun 

and on Joshua’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ultrajoshua

Acourse map, with runner locations marked with “stickpins” will be available during the race at: http://www.tinyurl.com/VolState2012

Landmarks on the course, and their distance:
Dorena Landing, MO ferry landing 0 miles
Hickman, KY old downtown district 2 miles
Union City, TN old downtown district 18 miles
Martin, TN old downtown district 31 miles
Dresden, TN square 40 miles
Gleason, TN high school 48 miles
McKenzie, TN square 56 miles
Huntingdon, TN square 67 miles
Lexington, TN square 92 miles
Parsons, TN downtown 107 miles
Linden, TN square 125 miles
Hohenwald, TN square 144 miles
Hampshire, TN downtown 162 miles
Columbia, TN square 177 miles
Culleoka, TN downtown 188 miles
Lewisburg, TN square 201 miles
Shelbyville, TN square 223 miles
War Trace, TN downtown 233 miles
Manchester, TN square 249 miles
Pelham, TN downtown 266 miles
Monteagle, TN downtown 274 miles
Tracy City, TN downtown 280 miles
Jasper, TN downtown 296 miles
South Pittsburg, TN Tn River Bridge 303 miles
Castle Rock, GA scenic overlook 314 miles

The Entrants:
Juli Aistars, Illinois
Rita Barnes, Ohio
Sal Coll , Georgia
Dan Fox, Washington
Dusty Hardman, Florida
Sherry Meador, Alabama
Abi Meadows, Georgia
Mike Melton, Florida
Joe Ninke, Florida
John Price, Virginia
Sulaiman Seriki, Tennessee
Jan Silverman, Illinois
Charlie Taylor, Tennessee
Diane Taylor, Tennessee
Psyche Wimberly, Georgia
Shannon Burke, Indiana
Jay Dobrowalski, California
Ray Krolewicz, South Carolina
Paul Lefelhocz, Ohio
Marvin Skagerberg, Texas
Richard Westbrook, Georgia
Mike Montgomery, Tennessee
Mike O’Melia, Alabama
Billy Ray Richardson, Tennessee
Shirley Smith, Alabama
Chris White, Tennessee
Erika Matheney, Texas
Thomas Mikkelsen, Ohio
Lynn Turner, Oklahoma
Joshua Holmes, Tennessee

Race Reports from 2011 Vol State:

• Joshua Holmes Race Report
• Naresh Kumar Race Report
• Don Winkley Race Report (Winner)
• Fred Murolo Race Report

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)

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

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

2012 Western States 100 Race Report (June 23-24, 2012)

I was at the Pink Palace Museum with a group of 6 year olds for a Daisies field trip when I found out. I stood there. Stunned. I wanted to scream. Run. Jump up and down. Cry. But all I could really do was stand there and go through the motions, heart beating out of my body, looking at decorations on Christmas Trees and pretending to be mentally present. I’d just found out I been chosen in the Western States lottery. I’d done my first 100 miler in August and had qualified to enter the lottery. Fact is, I entered as casually could be, glass of wine in hand, with no hope of getting in. After all, I had something like a 7% chance of being chosen. Come to find out, I was the only person from Tennessee chosen in the lottery. No pressure there.

So, I started reading. And obsessing. And running like Forrest Gump. I decided that I was, without a doubt, going to be the little fish in the big pond and the best I could do was train like crazy. In the months after I got ‘the news’ I ran 2 trail marathons, 4 – 50k’s, and 3 – 50 milers in addition to all the countless training miles on local trails. I ran in fear. Fear of failure to be honest. Lots of people now knew that this little-known blonde chick had gotten in and I am pretty sure there were several that not only didn’t think I deserved it but didn’t think I’d finish. And that, whether true or not, was gas on the training fire. I just really couldn’t fail.

It was finally time. Craig (husband and crew chief extraordinaire) and I got to Sacramento on the Wednesday before the race and picked up my pacer, Erno, on Thursday morning. I’d pretty much wrapped my mind around the whole thing until we drove into Squaw Valley ski resort and I saw it – the mountain. It was the first 4 miles…all straight up a ski mountain. Deep breath!! We had the rest of that day and all of the next day to get ready – drop bags, medical check, crew maps, etc. The details made my head swim. The ski village was filled with runners, many of whom grace the pages of Trailrunner every month. Some of them I recognized, and some of them Erno pointed out to me. I just kept thinking….breathe!

After a surprisingly good (but short) night’s sleep, I got up on race morning at 3:45 AM and picked up my timing chip and race number, ate breakfast, got dressed, and kept trying to just breathe. It was finally time. I’d heard the weather was going to be cooler, which was great.

Cool weather is historically rare for the Western States 100. I really didn’t pack for cool weather but was fortunate that Erno suggested I buy something to block the wind. Why did I choose a vest instead of a jacket?? I’d ask that question soon.

The race started. Slowly everyone started up the mountain. Everyone besides the elites and fools were walking. The further up the mountain we got, it got cold and windy. By the time I was almost to the top it was incredibly cloudy, crazy windy, and starting to rain. And what was that hitting me in the face? Oh yeah, that was sleet. So, on I go…up, up, up. Rain, sleet, wind, cold. I couldn’t feel my fingers, I couldn’t get warm, my hat kept blowing off, and I was peeing every 2 miles.

Geesh. I like running in the cold and the rain is something I even look forward to. But, I’m usually dressed for it and prepared. I just wasn’t. By the time I got to the mile 23 aid station and saw Craig and Erno, I had that look. The ‘OMG, what just happed to me’ look. They told me I looked great but I knew it was a lie. It’s that same look your sister gives you when she knows it was a bad haircut. The trying-to-hide-panic look.

I was hitting checkpoints at the 30-hour cutoff pace, which was fine with me. All I wanted was to finish. So, I let them change my socks and give me a pep-talk and I went on. Admittedly it got better. The sun even came out eventually and the feeling in my fingers came back.

And then there were the canyons. These things were steep. I basically went down steep switchbacks down a mountain, crossed a bridge over a little river, and went up steep switchbacks on the other side. I kept thinking of what I’d read and what Les Jones had been saying over and over…“Take it easy in the canyons.”

Maybe I took it too easy. By the time I got to Devil’s Thumb I was 20 minutes behind the 30 hour pace. I knew it was starting to get dark and I could pick up my pacer at the next aid station. Turns out I made up the 20 minutes I’d lost by the time I got to Michigan Bluff. Craig and Erno were going nuts. I think they were surprised I’d made up the time. We did a quick NASCAR-style tune up with a sock change and a new shirt and we started running again. Erno was on a mission. And I trusted him completely. I was tired. I’d already been running for 19 hours.

Off we went. I honestly don’t remember a lot about the details for a few hours after that except that the trails were wonderful. The rocks were gone. There was a lot of runnable downhill. And I didn’t have to think as much since I now had someone doing that for me. We seemed to run pretty well for the next few sections. Erno must have looked at his watch nonstop. Every 20 minutes he would make sure I was eating something or taking a gel. I was handed an S-cap…and mindlessly I’d pop the little white pill in my mouth and take a big drink. I did pretty much whatever he said.

Being on cruise control was great. Running at night was great. We started passing lots of other runners, some of whom had seen better days. There were runners arguing with their pacer-spouses, pacers impatiently standing and waiting on their puking runners, and lone runners who’d had the misfortune of running all night alone. We passed them all. Erno’s enthusiasm over the conquests was entertaining and motivating. We started hunting headlamps, passing everyone we could find. The only thing that made us run faster than picking off other runners was the sound of something huge moving in the woods right next to us. “RUN,” he said. And I did!!

By the time we got to the river crossing at mile 78, we were almost an hour ahead of the 30 hour pace. He’d been telling me that there was talk that the river would only be about thigh deep. No problem. I could do that. The only problem was that when we got there they told me it was more like chest deep. OH CRAP! At this point, after rain, cold, sleet, wind, rocks, and mountains what’s a little river crossing?

We kept looking for Craig, who was supposed to be at the aid station but we had gotten there so much earlier than expected that he wasn’t there yet. We crossed the cold river holding onto a cable that was stretched from one side to the other. They’d dropped glowsticks on the bottom so you could see just a little of what was underneath….big rocks. When we got to the other side I was just freezing and wet.

And then we saw Craig! He had gotten the text update that we had made it to Rucky Chucky and he was running down the hill to meet us. Craig and Erno thought I should change shoes and socks but I said I’d rather keep going. It was uphill for a couple miles after that so we eventually warmed up. Craig ran with us until we got to Green Gate and I stopped just long enough to get really cold again so we did another NASCAR pit stop and got back on the trail.

The sun started to come up and we were still moving pretty well, all things considered, when I looked to my left and said, “hey, what kind of animals are those?” With an “oh crap she’s losing it” look he turns around and tells me in his Hungarian accent that there aren’t any animals. They were rocks! Oh, and the abandoned bus in the woods…well, that was a tree that had fallen. Momma needed some sleep. We got a good little laugh and I decided it was best not to question things I was seeing, at least not out loud.

We got to the Hwy 49 Crossing, mile 93.5, and I was starting to say things like “I hurt like hell.” My quads had been tight for miles and they were starting to throb. It hurt to make contact with the ground. It was coming down to running to the next marker. I was still barely hanging on until I got almost to No Hands Bridge.

At this point, with only 3 miles to go, I was like an overly tired toddler at Target. I wanted to quit. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to cut my legs off. I was done. Three miles. That doesn’t sounds like much….unless you consider that there was a punishing amount of uphill climb in that last few miles. I cursed the bastards that would put a hill there. Sadists. I wanted to cry. I would have if I thought it would help.

Craig met us at Robie Point, a mile before the finish. I ran, walked, hobbled with husband on one side and my pacer on the other. They had been amazing. We had done it. We got to the Placer High School and entered the track. I’d made it. Half a lap around that thing seemed like an eternity. I felt every step. And not in a good way. I’ve only cried twice after a race. But I laid there with the sun in my face in the grassy center of that high school track and tears rolled down my face. I’m not sure if it was relief or exhaustion or pain. Maybe it was a combination…but I cried for a few minutes, eternally grateful for the opportunity I’d just had. I finished in 28:45.

I have to give special thanks to Craig and Erno. They were selfless, focused, and there for me in a way that humbles me beyond belief. Also, I have amazing family, friends and training buddies who believed in me and listened to me ramble and obsess for months over this race. Now it’s time to just breathe…until the next one.

– Emily Conley

This is the medal for the Run Under The Stars 10 Hour Endurance Run that was held on June 9-10, 2012 from 10pm to 6am in Paducah, Kentucky.

RUTS is held on a 1/2 mile horsetrack and the runners do as many laps as possible within the 10 hour time limit. This is an awesome medal which incorporates all of the elements of the run with the horseshoe, the moon & stars, and a place to put the miles the runner completed. Very sweet bling!

Congratulations to Dani for completing her first ultra!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal submitted by RIF #49 Dani Obregon – Follow Dani on Twitter @Nanyob]

Where Run It Fast Runners Are Running This Weekend (June 9-10, 2012)

Storified by Joshua Holmes · Fri, Jun 08 2012 11:51:14