Run It Fast®

We are getting down to the wire and there are still 2 runners on the course! Diane is looking good to make the 10 day cutoff but Marvin…well, he hasn’t given up! And I think that is so awesome. Please join me in sending them all the positive Run It Fast vibes you have as they make their way through these last few miles!

I’ll try to stay post as many updates as we get for Diane and Marvin so check back to see how they are doing.  If you didn’t get a chance to read the live blog for any of the previous 9 days, you can check them out here:

Day 1      Day 2      Day 3     Day 4       Day 5      Day 6       Day 7       Day 8       Day 9

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:

Message from Lisa: Ok, Vol State is done but I’m going to keep posting Marvin updates to this last blog. I don’t know about you but I am so inspired by him and his journey this year. I will be following him all the way to the rock!

Ultrarunningmom is also posting Marvin’s journey (with pictures) here: Ultrarunningmom.blogspot.com

Message from Lisa: I’ve never met Marvin but he has inspired me no end during the past week and a half! What incredible determination in the face of so many obstacles! I am so happy for him! Congratulations Marvin from all of us here at Run It Fast!

Email from Carl at 2:12 pm 

11days 6 hrs 46 min 53 sec

12 marathon distances in 11 days….in july in Tennessee.
(pic from mrs laz)

 

Email from Naresh at 2:06 pm

And he has finished

Email from Naresh at 1:35 pm

He is in the corn fields right now!!!

Email from Carl at 1:05 pm

Marv and stu on castle rock road

Update on Marvin from Laz at 8:38 am

vol-state update 20.2- a place for old men

marvin is across the tennessee river bridge; approx 304 miles done.
10 to go.
 
what a journey.
he came heat trained,
instead got days of rain…
 
his feet were destroyed
(if you havent seen the picture, someone should post a link)
i thought he should quit.
but marv & stu consulted with each other,
and decided to go on.
 
during their struggles to reach hohenwald (only 144 miles in)
i was sure he should quit.
but a visit to a clinic in hohenwald gave the old man team new life.
 
that was the first time stu (stupid to wise-ass telephones) told me;
“marv really wants to finish this. he wants to do ‘one more big thing.’ and i really want to see him do it.”
 
i stood in awe as they fought back against the time limit,
whittling away their deficit.
and just when it looked like they had it….
 
the rains returned.
and marvin’s feet bore the brunt.
 
as i “watched” their terrible struggle from shelbyville (225) to manchester (250)
once again, i thought they should quit.
my “pep talks” centered around not endangering anyone’s health.
 
but the old men never took their eyes off the prize.
and mile by painful mile they fought on.
 
it wasnt until they reached the top of monteagle
that i knew they were really going to do it.
incredible.
against all odds.
in the face of unimaginable adversity.
two old men were going to combine their determination.
as a team they were going to do ‘one more big thing.’
but the vol-state is brutally unforgiving.
even when you know you can make it, it still has to be done the hard way.
there were still 42 miles of long, slow, painful effort to take care of.
 
workmanlike, unflinching, the old man team set about doing it.
this morning stu called to tell me they were “over the bridge.”
vol staters instantly know what that means.
the only sweeter words are “on the rock.”
 
as stu told me;
“you dont have to rush. we arent making a young man’s final push.”
he was talking 6 hours for those last 10 miles…
including the climb up sand mountain,
and (of course) the corn maze.
 
i dont care how long it takes,
i just want to be there.
it ought to be quite a sight.
 
usually we have carl, or naresh (young men)
to make sure the wobbly finishers dont topple off the cliff.
today i guess there will only be me and stu and marv.
i think we will get it done.
 
there was a movie a few years back.
some depressing thing about over the hillers.
it was called “no place for old men.”
there wont probably ever be a movie about marv and stu’s epic adventure.
but if there was, it would have to be called;
“a place for old men.”
 
laz

Email from Stewart at 4:52 am 

update
 
we are here in s. pittsburg, waiting for marvin.
abi and lillie are sleeping in their car, and i am outside watching for the maestro
he may need to sleep here, but i hope he can push to across the bridge first, because the traffic here is fierce and merciless a nd there aint no easy way to get to the bridge. the destructions say basically, good luck you are on your own.
i will call gary when he gets across the bridge, with an estimate of six to eight hours  for him to reach the rock.
its about five am cdst now….best estimate two pm finish time.
what a journey!! 

Email from Stewart at 6:22 pm

status

marvin is on the road again, with a 50k left at this time. he slept in the shade through the heat of the day. i predict and hope for a good night, headed for jasper.
its a wonderful experiment….lets see what happens

Email from Stewart at 1:55 pm

Re: vol-state update 20- ten daze in tenn… see?

yessir!
we are havin fun now counting down the miles….
34 to go!

Update of runner status by Laz at 7:40 am

 vol-state update 20- ten daze in tenn… see?

so now we are down to marvin and stu.
the passage of day 10 finds them just past monteagle,
at mile 277.

they have broken oprah,
and taken the vol-state into overtime.

talked with marvin a while,
he is in good spirits & remains focused on the rock.
hopefully getting his feet re-dressed will be enough to get him one more good day.

as he is on top of the mountain,
the proper cheer is;
“onward, and downward!”

laz

Email from Stewart at 6:08 am

update

marvin at top of monteagle mtn.

49 hrs to make 40 miles

Email from Stewart at 2:54 am (even though he won’t hit the 10 day mark, Marvin is still going! How cool is that!)

marvin update

marvin is clear of pelham
he is going through a good spell
looking forward to climbing the mountain to monteagle,
not so much to the downhill, which scrunches your toes.

abi, after some sleep, will head this way, and we will dry and dress his feet.

he is a little behind the monday am finish schedule, but ahead of a tuesday finish.

he has a real bad foot, and is very very tired, but he is trudging along.

Posted by Naresh at 11:56 pm

Email from Ultrarunningmom at 11:20 pm

#14 – Diane Taylor

9 days, 16 hours, 2 minutes, 1 second

Email from Naresh at 11:08 pm

Re: vol-state update 19- 9.5 days

Diane is lost in the corn field. Laz gave her directions and hope she makes it. Good thing, we have Big with us if we need to sniff her out of the woods.

Email from Naresh at 8:38 pm

Re: vol-state update 19- 9.5 days

Diane is about to make the climb. 10k to the finish.

Naresh added more photos to his album!

Update of runner status by Laz at 7:24 pm

vol-state update 19- 9.5 days

the vol state is winding down.

diane tortured race officials with an extended break in kimball,
but should be on or over the tennessee river bridge at this moment.
10 miles remaining.

marv has made it out of manchester, at 253 miles,
but things are going very slowly.
his able crew, stu, is monitoring him closely.
the motto of team skagerberg has become;
“health is the first priority.”

unconfirmed reports have oprah retiring at 241.

laz (very, very tired)

Posted by Naresh at 12:39 pm

Email from Naresh at 12:17 pm

 Psyche just finished

Psyche finished 09:04:57:01

Email From Stewart at 10:37 am

 marv report

we are getting underway from manchester at about ten thirty am. he slept over twelve hours.

off to the penultimate assault… i hope

Email from Charles at 8:16 am

 Re: vol state update 18-9 days

Psyche headed out @ 5:55 this morning and is halfway to the rock, going through new hope right now

Update of runner status by Laz at 8:04 am

 vol state update 18-9 days

psyche-no report, must assume still at 297
diane 283- looks like night finish
marvin-242- the 10 day finish escaped during yet another thunderstorm

i need to go home & take care of some things.
psyche hasnt reported in 24 hours, altho i got a report from a bystander last night.
hopefully we will hear something in time to meet her at the rock.

marvin’s 10 day finish, already a longshot, evaporated in the latest round of thunderstorms.
he & his magnificent crew, stu, are focused on finishing with health intact…

an approach i thoroughly endorse.

it is not noble to endanger your life in an ultra.
it is foolish at best.
perhaps selfish.

my emotions about marv’s attempt need time to settle in.
there are so many.

but once again he is my hero.

laz

There are only 5 runners left on the Vol State 500K course. Some so close and a few with a long way to go still but they continue to keep moving forward. I saw a post on Facebook about how a lot of the running websites/blogs follow a race just until the front runners come in. Forgetting the fact that there are runners out there until the very end, whether it’s a 48 hour cutoff or a 10 day cutoff. Run It Fast isn’t just about being fast. It’s about pushing your limits and going farther…and sometimes faster…than you’ve ever done before. It’s about seeing what you are made of  and the runners in the Last Annual Vol State 500K certainly embody that. They aren’t in it for the comfort of a cool, flat, fast marathon. They are there to face their fears and weaknesses and find out what strengths they have inside.

Please join me in sending a TON of Run It Fast vibes to these hearty runners who are giving it their all to reach the rock!

Once again, I probably won’t be adding as many updates but check back later just in case.  If you didn’t get a chance to read the live blog for any of the previous 8 days, you can check them out here:

Day 1      Day 2      Day 3     Day 4       Day 5      Day 6       Day 7       Day 8

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:

Email from Shannon at 8:38 pm

#12 Shannon Burke

8:13:13:36

Carl can you please post to ulist (laz is taxing my abilities- finish the race and report my own results)

Email from Carl at 8:35 pm

 Re: Vol state update 17 – 8.5 days – still running

Correction; just heard from psyche, she’s at 297, not 300

Carl

Email from Stewart at 8:00 pm

8pm report

marvin is on sixteenth model road (can anyone tell me the actual way ninth model and sixteenth model roads got their names, authoritatively, accurately, without making up or repeating bullshit?) four miles from rte 41.

i think we are going to get a motel in manchester, then get a one am start. i think he is about ten miles off pace, holding steady there. i might start pushing gently tomorrow.

Update of runner status at 8:00 pm

 Vol state update 17 – 8.5 days – still running

As another mammoth thunderstorm rolls in to make sure the runners get a full measure of fun…..

With most of the miles covered, we ALL wish it was us….

12) Shannon Burke 311 (it feels real now, atop sand mountain)
13) Psyche Wimberly 300 (a little while ago, not sure if still moving)
14) Diane Taylor 272 (monteagle til early morn)
15) Marv Skagerberg 242
16) Oprah 241

Carl

Email from ultrarunningmom at 6:35 pm

#11 – Dusty Hardman

8 days, 11 hours, 4 minutes, 47 seconds

Email from UltraJohn at 2:15 pm

Re: vol-state update 16- 8 days (the heart of a warrior)

At 1:45pm Dusty Hardman was just leaving Kimball and had passed the interstate and started the short climb to South Pittsburg and the second crossing of the Tennessee River!

Shannon Burke had just reached the turn in Jasper to head to Kimball and looks to be on pace for a 8 to 9pm finish! Sure beats making a wrong turn at 124 mile and quiting like last year 😉

I’m heading back in the car in a few to find Psyche and see her progress I’m betting she is either off the mountain or nearly so!

John

Email from Stewart at 12:02 pm (Come on Marvin!)

on the road again

marvin is moving again, through shvl

it took him seven hours last night to make ten miles, so we bagged it at three am.

i woke up when gary called me and can only hope i made sense

the chemo headache kicked in, and i kinda just lay there until ten, when marvin started rustling

i opened the door to go out to the car and find something to eat and drink, which woke marv up

we drank the motel coffee (which is not coffee, and none of the ingerdiments are listed…it is ersatz, postum) ate a bagel and salami and swiss cheese sammich, and hit the road.

marvin redressed his foot, put on copious sunblock, and started trudging from the inbound shevil sign. he is rested, and ok i think. we will see what happens.

i am waiting at the kangaroo station, wher the gas is cheap and the ice is twice the normal price.

there were two dead horses along the way to svl yesterday. this is a terrible thing to do to a lavs runner. maybe they were walking horses and when they saw the lavs walkers, they figured out the logical consequences of this walking stuff, and just died.

we are on the road again

wntr

Update of runner status from Laz at 8:35 am

vol-state update 16- 8 days (the heart of a warrior)

five lonely figures move alongside the road.

the kings and queens have basked on the rock,
and left for home and work and all the trappings of “normal” life.

they will long for the simple days,
when a single peach could be a treasure,
and a drink of cold water the stuff of dreams.
when indoor plumbing stood alongside air conditioning,
as man’s signal achievement.
voice-mail boxes long filled,
e-mail accounts with pages of unread messages.
their 21st century lives have called them back from a simpler time.
when the heart of a warrior was the only thing.

fancy cars and prestigious jobs meant nothing.
big homes and social status afforded no mercy.
the stuff of life was water, food, and shelter…
and perseverance.
the skills of living were stark.
the skills that stood between those lonely figures beside the road,
and an ignominious ride to failure.
treating blisters, finding food and water,
sheltering in the fiercest storms and staying alive in blistering heat.
these were the measures of a man…

that and the heart of a warrior.
for there is no easy path from the ferry to the rock.
all must pay the price to walk thru the corn.

the vol state is a race with winners,
but no losers.
even those who ride off in the “seat of dishonor” have something.
they showed the courage to face the lion.
and as they sit at home and read about the few warriors remaining on the road,
they tell theirselves;
“that could have been me.”
most will ride the ferry again,
and find their way to the rock.

but for today, 5 lonely figures move slowly down the road.
their dream drawing ever closer,
the dream of the ultimate reward….

being able to stop.

11) dusty hardman 282- beyond tracy city. aiming to reach the rock tonight.
12) shannon burke 280- entering tracy city. aiming to reach the rock tonight.
13) psyche winberly 275- past monteagle. she is so hurt we are afraid to mention the rock just yet. but she fights on.
14) diane taylor 250- getting up from breakfast in manchester. tomorrow night calls.
15) marvin skagerberg 225- hammered by yet another storm, taking refuge in shelbyville.
he is back on the road as time grows short in his quest for “one more big thing.”

the odds are against him.

marvin has a lot of skins on his wall. he had proven himself as a warrior in times long past.
before the memories of this generation of ultramarathon warriors.
the years have stolen the speed from his legs. his vision has dimmed and his hearing faded.
but the heart of a lion remains, and he continues his relentless pursuit of “one more big thing.”
is there an old-timer who can keep from following his progress?
he may fail, but he will not lose.
the clock might catch him, but it will find him fighting to the end.

16) oprah 224- everyone keeps asking; “who is oprah?”
you know who oprah is.
she is the spectre that trails the pack at the vol state.
she is the “real” world. where celebrity is the most important thing,
and there are no lonely figures alongside the road, chasing dreams.

laz

One week of the Vol State 500K is done and what a week it was! Heat, rain, lightning, runners getting lost, running in circles…you name it, they probably suffered through it! But we’ve seen 9 finishers so far and all before the 7 day deadline! There are still runners out on the course fighting for every mile. Follow along and see how they do. They could really use some good thoughts going there way.

But…things are slowing down out there so I probably won’t be adding as many updates but check back later just in case. 🙂 If you didn’t get a chance to read the live blog for any of the previous 7 days, you can check them out here:

Day 1      Day 2      Day 3     Day 4       Day 5      Day 6       Day 7

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:

Email from ultrarunningmom at 9:00 pm

 #10 – Sherry meador

7 days 13 hours 42 minutes 10 seconds

Posted by Joshua at 10:24 am

Email from Stewart (Marvin’s crew) at 9:51 am (Go Marvin! Run It Fast!)

marvin status

marvin is asleep in the breakdown lane….he says it is much better to have meditations in the breakdown lane than breakdowns in the meditation lane.
he is giving instructions to fifty people and his arms and legs are twitching.
perhaps he and his fifty friends are chasing rabbits.

i had a real good very smart girl friend once who claimed that there were only fifty real people in the world, and all the rest were androids. i will bet that the real ones were megarunners.

he is a few miles towards shelbyville, on 64.

he stopped a moment to enjoy the shade of his shade tree of despair from two years ago.

we now have a spare battery in the back seat.

when he starts to stagger today we will crash in shelbyville, and mount a night assault on manchester.

i believe he will be in surplus rather than deficit territory by day eight.

oprah is quite determined

but her entourage slows her down somewhat. and it takes energy to generate that aura, you know.

marvin wants to get moving again.

stay tuned for later developments!

stu

Update of runner status at 8:05 am

vol state update 14 – 7 days, doing the impossible

the peloton made it to the rock last night
but not without more jostling and bumping

jay d had a big lead over john and richard
leaving out of kimball.
but a big lead when you’re addled by sleep deprivation and 300 miles
is not a safe thing.

when jay missed the turn onto castle rock road
he lost enough time that richard passed him.

then, at the penultimate turn on the course,
the one into the cornfield, he trekked right on by again.
and by the time he got back
john had passed him up too.

at the finish, when he finally arrived,
jay didn’t show any disappointment or surprise
he was just so happy to stop!

it is worthy of note,
that at the back of the pack
marv skagerberg is setting us up for something special
marv is fighting a mighty battle with the sands of time.

he exalted at the bench of despair last night,
and is building momentum.
he wants this finish as much as any great king of the past.

1-9) dan fox, joshua holmes, paul lefelhocz, juli aistars, sulaiman seriki
richard westbrook, john price, jay dobrowalksi, charlie taylor 314

10) sherry meador 292 (her check in mieage last night was a mistake, she was in monteagle)
11) psyche wimberly 265 (has picked up a crew and is rocking on)
12) dusty hardman 258 (slept in, but the happiest runner checking in)
13) shannon burke 253 (she’s got this)
14) diane taylor 235 (thru wartrace)
15) marvin skagerberg 206 (gaining on the time limit)
16) oprah 205 (like a vulture, waiting)

17) thomas mikkleson 250 RIP
18) jan silverman 218 RIP
19) rita barnes 185 RIP
20) sal coll 156 RIP
21) fred davis 125 RIP
22) erika matheny/adam venn 122 RIP
23) mike melton 121 RIP
24) abi meadows 100 RIP

Who knew a 314 mile race could be such a nail biter! Yesterday we saw Dan Fox win in 5:03:09:33 and break his own record. Then there was a fierce battle for 2nd. Not to mention the rest of the runners battling the TN heat and then a crazy, crazy monsoon/hurricane like storm! Waiting for the updates or any info on the runners made me a nervous wreck! 🙂 Check out all the happenings on Day 6! It is a can’t miss read!

Once again, I’ll be updating today’s live blog throughout the day so check back to see all of today’s happenings. If you didn’t get a chance to read the live blog for any of the previous 6 days, you can check them out here:

Day 1      Day 2      Day 3     Day 4       Day 5      Day 6

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:

Email from Carl at 8:03 am

volstate finishes overnight

sub 7 days were:

richard westbrook 6:20:13:55

john price 6:20:29:56

jay dobrowalski 6:20:46:15

charlie taylor 6:22:56:05

Update of runner status by Carl at 8:25 pm

vol state update 13 – 6.5 days, the peloton approaches

the podium has been established
and even the other 2 breakaways have made it to the rock.

but the peloton is now making its way towards the finish.

at the end of each 24 hour period, the time rolls over to a new day.
as a runner, that roll over (at 18 minutes past 0700 in the morning in this case)
is the most important minute of the day….
it is the difference between a finishing time of 6:XX:xx:XX
and 7:XX:xx:XX

tonight the peloton has to push to keep their finish under 7 days.
500km for a week in the logbook has an irresistible draw.

there are 5 on the road in from tracy city
with a shot to keep laz and the cheering squad at the rock awake all night.

1-5) dan fox, joshua holmes, paul lefelhocz, juli aistars, sulaiman seriki 314

6) jay dobrowalski 300 (eating at mcdonalds and going down for a sleep, getting up early for sub 7?)
7) sherry meador 290 (in jasper and moving, she just wont stop)
8 ) john price 287 (headed down the mountain in the last remaining light)
9) richard westbrook 287 (with john shooting for sub 7)
10) charlie taylor 277 (out of monteagle after a long rest, and shooting for sub 7)
11) dusty hardman 250 (got into manchester early feeling good)
12) shannon burke 250 (right on track)
13) psyche wimberly 248 (struggled to manchester, but picked up a crew and is GOING to FINISH)
14) diane taylor 206 (back ahead of schedule, contingent upon an early morning tomorrow)
15) marvin skagerberg 177 (determined)
16) oprah (steadfast)

17) thomas mikkleson 250 RIP
18) jan silverman 218 RIP
19) rita barnes 185 RIP
20) sal coll 156 RIP
21) fred davis 125 RIP
22) erika matheny/adam venn 122 RIP
23) mike melton 121 RIP
24) abi meadows 100 RIP

Email from Carl at 6:24 pm

6:10:49:44 – #5 Sulaiman Seriki (SS)

Happy to be done!

Carl (who is almost home in SC for the real world tmrw)

Posted by Joshua at 5:16 pm

Some of Naresh’s photos which he was kind enough to let me share:

Email from Naresh at 2:46 pm

Re: Vol State 2012 – Pictures from the road

I have never been in a thunderstorm this bad in my whole life. Nature did put on a beautiful electric show followed by a torrential downpour. It was like as if Hell had diarrhea and it crapped the hell out on Tennessee. Broken branches and debris were all over the sand mountain. Just one of those moments where I think “Thanks God I am not running it this year”

Josh and Paul’s finish line pictures updated in my album.  http://tinyurl.com/buvwot4  (Scroll down all the way)
Paul Lefelhocz celebrated his victory in style. Check it out for yourself 🙂

-Naresh
(Whose friends refuses to get in his car anymore)

Posted by Joshua at 12:02 pm

Email from Carl at 11:37 am

6:04:18:34 #4 – juli aistars

No lean!

Carl

Update of runner status by Laz at 8:40 am

vol state update 12-day 6, give ’em blood

word is, the vol-state fans want blood.
we gotcher blood fer ye.

jan silverman is gone. she solved the problem of how to get back on the course…
she aint going.

psyche did get taken in last night.
dusty awoke in the night, and heard someone crying outside her window.
it was psyche, and she let her in.
what did we say about living like a stray dog?
this morning psyche said she is “trying to figure out how to walk”
and she will let us know about her vol-state future.

juli survived the storm.
she is one remarkable woman. resilient, resourceful, and determined.
my own sleep (the time i now call happy hour) was interrupted by a great comedy routine.
one end of a phone conversation between carl and juli.
carl was addled by lack of sleep,
juli was addled by lack of sleep.
she had stopped at mcdonalds and couldnt figure out which way to go.
carl couldnt figure out where she was.
after several phone calls and much discussion,
they finally figured it out.
she was 100 yards from where we were sleeping.
yes fans, even carl has become a casualty.
(people who actually need to sleep nearly every day should avoid the vol-state)

i am losing carl to work responsibilities, and with him the ability to post.
as soon as i finish this, i am going back to the rock for juli’s finish.
this will be (probably) the last complete update.

1-3) dan fox, joshua holmes, paul lefelhocz 314

4) juli aistars 303 (crossing the tennessee river)
5) sulaiman sericki 287 (starting down monteagle mountain)
6) jay dobrowalski 274 (leaving monteagle for tracy city)
7) charlie taylor 265 (pelham, at the foot of the mountain)
8 ) john price 264 (right behind charlie, and doesnt know it)
9) sherry meador 252 (leaving manchester)
10) richard westbrook 258 (hillsboro)
11-12) psyche wimberly and dusty hardman (in war trace, psyche may not go on)
13) shannon burke 223 (leaving shelbyville)
14 diane taylor 194 (nearing lewisburg)
15) marvin skagerberg 175 (in columbia, and fighting for his race with the heart of a lion)
16) oprah 174

17) thomas mikkleson 250 RIP
18) jan silverman 218 RIP
19) rita barnes 185 RIP
20) sal coll 156 RIP
21) fred davis 125 RIP
22) erika matheny/adam vess 122 RIP
23) mike melton 121 RIP
24) abi meadows 100 RIP

it was a happy band that stepped off the ferry a lifetime ago.
some have already tasted the sweet kiss of the rock.
some will yet succeed.
many have failed.
and more may join them.
none will forget the call of the open road.

the vol-state is the most achievable of challenges.
but victory will come with a price.

i will try to get word out, about the fate of those who fight on…

however i can.

laz

Day 6 of the Last Annual Vol State! It’s getting close! Do we have a winner? Any minute now, I expect…if it hasn’t happened already. And where is our fearless leader at? Sulaiman? What of all the other runners still out there?  I’ll be updating today’s live blog throughout the day so check back to see who is close and who has a while to go yet. If you didn’t get a chance to read the live blog for any of the previous 5 days, you can check them out here:

Day 1      Day 2      Day 3     Day 4       Day 5

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:

Email from Carl at 4:41 am

4am on the rock (laz)

it’s 4am on the rock…

paul is lost in 2500 acres of 10′ tall corn.
naresh has gone on foot to look for paul.
carl drove off, to look for naresh.
i’m standing in the rain, without any of my shit.

i really want to get back to the room
so i can get an hour of sleep
before the morning call ins start.

i wouldnt mind just being dry.

i am in hell.

but i really can’t complain.
juli is on monteagle mountain,
in a monster electrical storm.
10 miles from the nearest town.

sulaiman is lost in tracy city.
being eyed by the local cops.

psyche is trying to sleep on a bench
on the front porch of the walking horse hotel in wartrace.
she wanted to room with dusty.
but the hotel is locked,
and dusty’s phone is off while she sleeps.
a shower and a bed are but feet away.
but might as well be back in Missouri.

jan has a shower and a bed,
but a cop picked her up tonight
and took her 6 miles off course to a motel.
she’s not sure how she’ll return to the course tomorrow.

jay, sherry, charlie, and john
are trudging their way up monteagle mountain.
in the dark.
with nothing open.

diane is already up this morning.
heading from columbia to shelbyville.
trying to stay on pace for a 10 day finish.

marv is striving for columbia,
pushing to get back on pace
after a foot care appointment at the hospital.

dusty and shannon are the only two,
in this whole race
who aren’t hungry, thirsty,
and miserable.
they’re only tired and sore,
and getting ready to head back out for another day…

accept no imitations…
there’s nothing quite like the vol state.

laz

Email from Carl at 3:25 am

5:20:05:06 – #3 Paul Lefelhocz

Who ran thru the maelstrom, and came out clean.

Carl

Posted by Joshua at 12:47 am

Email from Carl at 12:26 am (Woo! Way to Run It Fast #1!)

 5:17:04:49 – #2 is Joshua Holmes

Charging up sand mountain in under an hour, fighting off Paul…and god’s weather furry.

Carl

Email from Carl at 11:03 pm

Re: Vol state update from poseidon’s perch

Joshua got in his crew vehicle when a limb blew down out of a tree and hit him, while a lightning bolt struck within spitting distance.

But Paul is apparently running on thru this storm. Gaining.

With the amount of rain coming down, he *might* even have most of the stink washed off of him.

This hellacious bit of weather just might have a huge impact on the race…if it keeps up long enough for Paul to make up 6 more miles….

Carl

Email from Carl at 10:30 pm

 Vol state update from poseidon’s perch

We are at castle rock ranch, awaiting the #2 runner.

But…

The sky is coming apart. This storm is more than laz or I have ever been in, from a volume of rain standpoint. It’s raining more than a hurricane. Just incredible.
Josh and Paul have both retreated to their crew vehicles, but juli is up on the monteagle plateau with just the poncho in her pack. She is experiencing…. something… up there right now.

Carl

Posted by Joshua at 10:02 pm

Posted by Joshua at 8:39 pm (Come on Josh! Go, go, go! Run It Fast!)

Update of runner status by Laz at 8:39 pm

vol state update 11-5.5 days

today the people who were too lazy to already finish got a taste of real heat.
it cost us one more, as thomas mikkleson bailed at 250.

standings after 5.5 days:

1) dan fox 314 (5:03:09:33) king dan II; “if you get tired after 200 miles; that just shows a lack of training.”
2) joshua holmes 297- hoping to finish after midnight
3) paul lefelhocz 285- making one last surge & closing ground. will it be too late?
4) juli aistars 280- resilient. what else can you say?
5) sulaiman sericki 254- he says he isnt stopping again until he reaches the rock
6) jay dobrojetski 252- can anyone say “hot pursuit?”
7) richard westbrook 250 – he has been in this spot for a day and a half.
8 ) charlie taylor 246-“this race right here is a man-maker. it makes you reach down in places you forgot you had”
9) john price 245- sounding very weary. but has 5 places within 9 miles. expect him to respond.
10) sherry meador 237- this is one tough girl, entering the homestretch.
11) psyche wimberly 231-in war trace and moving
12) dusty hardman 221- headed out into the night well rested
13) shannon burke 214- fighting to reach shelbyville and take a break
14) jan silverman 210- “my feet are a mess”
15) diane taylor 179- sleeping in columbia, preparing to spend all night on the road.
16) marvin skagerberg 155- medical care has worked miracles on his feet. fighting to get back on pace.
17) oprah 154- what can we say that hasnt already been said?
18) thomas mikkleson 250-RIP
19) rita barnes 185- RIP
20) sal coll 156- RIP
21) fred davis 125- RIP
22) erika matheny/adam venn 122-RIP
23) mike melton 121- RIP
24) abi meadows 100- RIP

tight races for the remaining places coming out of manchester.
nobody wants to yield a place after 5 and a half days in hell.
everybody would like to take one.
gonna be a couple of wild days coming up.
the only thing we know for sure…

there are no ties at the vol-state.

laz

Posted by Joshua at 2:03 pm

Email from Carl at 11:07 am

Re: King Dan…5:03:09:33

He broke his own unscrewed record.
And he is the first unscrewed King.

Carl

In reply to:

Hail King Dan!. That is a great time. Is that the uncrewed record?

Fred in Connecticut

Posted by Joshua at 11:04 am

Email from Carl at 10:31 pm

King Dan…5:03:09:33

“this feels soooo good”

Pictures in my picasa album

Carl

Posted by Joshua at 8:38 am

Update of runner stats from Carl at 8:18 am

vol state update 10 – 5 day standings

1) dan fox 303
2) joshua holmes 271
3) juli aistars 259
4) paul lefelhocz 250
5) sulaiman sericki 240
6) thomas mikkelson 235
7)  jay dobroplusk 234
8 ) charlie taylor 223
9) john price 222
10) sherry meador 220
11) psyche wimberly 203
12) richard westbrook -over 200, but has forgotten how to use phone
13) dusty hardman 190
14) shannon burke 187
15) rita barnes 185 (RIP)
16) jan silverman 184
17) sal coll 156 (RIP)
18) diane taylor over 144, but probably in dead (brain) cell zone
19) marvin skagerberg 136
20) oprah 135
21) fred davis 125 (RIP)
22) erika matheny/adam vess 122 (RIP)
23) mike melton 121 (RIP)
24) abi meadows 100 (RIP)

Email from Carl at 7:18 am

best beer?

the debate can be put to rest.
at mile 300, dan fox slapped a $20 bill in laz’s hand,
and said, “bring me a beer to the rock.”

not sure what we’ll get, but it’ll be the undisputed best beer in ultrarunning….

the one you down at the finish,
after winning the race.

king don’s reign is into the final minutes.

Email from Carl at 7:09 am

the heir apparent (volstate – from laz)

crown prince dan is nearing south pittsburg.
he has passed the interstate and will cross the tennessee river for the second time in about a half hour.
one more mountain to climb.
victory is now literally within sight.

he built his kingdom on 5 days of nearly continuous movement,
living on short naps in the woods alongside the road…

and putting in killing surges;
long strings of 4.5 and 5 mile hours during the crucial days when the race was being decided.
pulling away when his rivals were trying to close the gap.

saw him passing the 300 mile mark, at 4d 23h 25m,
with an ear to ear grin.

what an inspiring effort.

laz (update for the mortals to follow)

Day 5 of the Last Annual Vol State! Saturday they had wild rain, yesterday they had steamy heat…what will be in store for our small band of runners today? I’ll be updating today’s live blog throughout the day so check back to see all the happenings. Here are the first 4 Days if you didn’t get a chance to read them:

Day 1      Day 2      Day 3     Day 4

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:

 Update of runner status by Laz at 10:38 pm

 vol state update 9: 4.5 days, the hammer comes down

i always get frustrated at the “horror moves” where the victim gains the upper hand,
then immediately turns her back on the villain,’only to be grabbed again when the villain comes back to life.
once you knock them down, you are supposed to make sure they never get back up.
i always coached basketball by the same theory.
it wasnt that i believed in running up a score,
but when you get the upper hand you keep hammering until you know the opponent is not coming back.

the feral fox apparently comes from the same school.
he opened a small lead at 3.5 days.
blew it open at 4.
the surviving contenders tried to answer.
but fox was like a runaway train.
by 4.5 days, he had the race in hand.

42 miles thru the east tennessee mountains isnt exactly a formality.
it falls short of being a victory procession.
but with a 27 mile lead, the feral fox can almost feel the crown on his head….

after his call-in from the top of mointeagle mountain,
we watched as an intense electrical storm descended on his position.
lightning was hammering the top of the mountain,
huge bolts that ran from ground to sky like dancing pillars,
some lasting 4 or 5 seconds.
dan had lost his rain gear 12 hours earlier, while making his 4-day call-in.

i reckon he will have an entertaining night to tell us about when he arrives.
we expect him to reach the rock sometime tomorrow morning.

dan’s lost raingear was part of an all-male attempt to cut into the women’s lead in the battle of the sexes.
the men tallied 2 sets of lost raingear, a lost phone charger, and a drop.
the women answered with a lost phone charger, a lost pair of pants (!?), a couple of lost hats, and another drop.

and we havent even counted sunglasses.
we saw one woman, who had lost her sunglasses on day one, running with several spare pairs hanging from her pack.

however, no one may be able to match the performance of sulaiman and jay.
after running off course in the wee hours of the morning, and unwittingly taking a room in a motel far from the course,
they awoke to find themselves on a road that they could not reconcile to their maps,
and spent 6 hours circling lewisburg on the bypass…
a new twist on the concept of the endless loop.

11 hours in lewisburg.

we received several frantic phone calls from the wayward duo during their treadmill experience.
but we couldnt figure out where they were, either.
we finally came across them during our afternoon drive thru…
only a mile short of where they called in from that morning.

lets see the women top that one.

standings after 4.5 days

1) dan fox- 272 (monteagle)
2) paul lefelhocz- 245 (he finally had to sleep)
3) joshua holmes- 244.5
4) juli aistars- 244 (and starting to lean)
5) thomas mikkelson- 235.5 (waiting in his car for the electrical storms to subside)
6) sulaiman sericki- 212 (off the treadmill)
7) jay dobrovinski- 211 (still dizzy from circling the bypass)
8 ) charlie taylor-207.5 (just passed jp)
9) john price- 207
10) sherry meador-202 (rest break!)
11) richard westbrook- last sighted at mile 200 (might b e as high as 8th place)
12) psyche wimberly- 195
13) rita barnes- 185 (dropped at the bench of despair)
14-15-16) jan silverman, dusty hardman, and shannon burke- 179 (rest break in columbia)
17) sal coll- 156 (gone home)
18) diane taylor- 144 (short break in hohenwald, then a big push to get back on track)
19) fred taylor 125 (gone home)
20) marvin skagerberg-125 (linden rest break)
21) oprah- 124
22) erika matheny/adam vess relay- 122 (gone home)
23) mike melton- 121 (gone home)
24) abi meadows- 100 (gone home)

there is no way to tell all the stories.

laz

Posted by Joshua at 10:32 pm

Posted by Joshua at 10:27 pm

Naresh added a bunch of photos to his Vol State 2012 from the weekend. Check out the rain they were dealing with and the “bench of despair” (see Email from Laz at 7:25 am on Day 4)! Naresh’s Vol State 2012 Album Thanks to Naresh for letting me share some of them here.

Email from Carl at 2:00 pm

Fly 5

Melton is picked up.
121 miles in 103 hours.

Carl

Email from Carl at 11:29 am

More tails from the road…

In shelbyville, juli was hiding from the sun under her umbrella, when I semi went by and blew it inside out. It was destroyed by the blast.

She had just climbed a rise past the dollar general…but, oh, the effort to go back down the hill for a new sunshade!

She went in the convenience store where she was, and sweet talked her way into purchasing the clerk’s umbrella, for $10.

The great added benefit?
“This one is prettier!”

Now, tell me, would you rather get online and order a $300 garmin watch, or get yourself to shelbyville at mile 226 and scavenge an umbrella off a startled and confused quick-mart clerk???

Welcome to volstate!

Carl

Update from Carl at 11:09 am

As an update, we just received word from jays family, and then directly from sulaiman by text message, that those two are currently sleeping in lewisburg at 202.

Carl

Email from Carl at 11:04 am

As we head out for the LONG drive thru today (the runners are spread from 113 to 250, and we will drive that twice!) it is hard not to start getting excited about the race charging towards the rock.
It seems the contenders are down to the Ohioans. The Fox and the Hocz.

Paul called us from wartrace, wondering where he could go down for a major rest. When he learned that he was second by less than 10 miles, his voice wavered between excitement and despair….. “oh no! I guess I’ll just take a quick nap on this bench and then keep going.”

….

Driving backwards on the course, we’ve just seen a hunched over figure operating at a semblance of a jog. It was juli aistars, coming in to shelbyville just before 11am.

The sun is heating up the roads, these runners are in for a baking hot day, where their brains will be as hot as their feet.

From the shimmering heat of Pelham for the leaders as they press towards monteagle mountain….to the mortals who are toiling in the no mans land between Columbia and culleoka, all those runners still on the course can truly say that they know what it means to push themselves to the brink.

For those of you on the edge of your seats in your air conditioned offices….get out your number 2 pencils and start planning for vol state 2013. The Tennessee roads will welcome you just like they have Thomas mikkelson, (who we just passed in Wheel, TN) with a warm (stiflingly warm) embrace.

Carl

Posted by Joshua at 9:07 am

 Update of runner status by Laz at 8:45 am

vol state update 8: what comes down must go up

vol staters may be consistent with their performance,
but their emotional state is a different matter.
part of running the vol-state, at least successfully,
is surviving the crushing emotional and physical lows that accompany the effort.
sitting at home (or even putting in endless miles up and down the route in a car)
it is easy to say that every low will pass,
that highs
(such as one can feel a “high” after a couple of hundred miles, with over a hundred remaining)
will be in the future.
at the time when it is only with the greatest effort one can trudge along at 30 minutes a mile,
it seems like this is the state that will last forever.
that, if anything, it will get even worse.
the ever-present pain seems to crescendo,
until it’s cacaphonous screaming wracks your body and fills your head.
the mind can only calculate the endlessly depressing slow progress,
which will never get you to the finish.
the downward spiral disappears into the mists below you.
the freefall can only end when you crash to earth in a total collapse.

to succeed at the volstate
you must preserve a spark of hope deep inside.
you must persevere thru any depression.
it will not always be that way.
there are still times in the future when you will move strongly,
and you will feel invincible,
as if you could go on forever.
and somewhere out there in the future is the rock.
the reward for never losing sight of your goal.
the incredible power of that moment,
when you step on, touch, or kiss the rock,
and all the pressure ends cannot be described.
it can only be felt.
and the memory of that moment will last a lifetime,
with a power that could not be, if it were not for the hopeless, horrible lows.
so easy to understand on the sofa,
so hard to believe on the road.
what comes down must go up.

standings after 4 days:

1) dan (feral) fox- 243 nearing manchester. dan is putting together an astonishing uncrewed run.
2) paul lefelhocz- 230 nearing war trace. these guys are writing the book on running crewless… and competing.
3) joshua holmes- 221 fixing to take a break
4) juli aistars- 210 moving, after finally taking a nights sleep
5) thomas mikkelson- 209 moving
6) john price- 185 moving
7) charkley taylor- 181 moving
8 ) sherry meador- 180 moving
9) richard westbrook- 179.5 moving

10-11) sulaiman sericki and jay dobrobluski were last reported resting at 179. they might have started and not had cell phone reception to check in…

12) psyche wimberly- 175 she was forced off the course by a cop in columbia last night. back on course this morning.
13) jan silverman – 161 moving
14) sal coll- 156 (gone home)
15) rita barnes- 152 moving
16) dusty hardman- 151 moving
17) shannon burke- 147 moving
18) dian taylor- 126 moving
19) fred davis- 125 (gone home)
20) erika matheny/adam vess relay- 122 (gone home)
21) marvin skagerberg- 115 (across the river!) moving
22) oprah- 114 moving
23) mike melton- 108 moving (?) describes seeing oprah blow past as “emasculating”
24) abi meadows- 100 (gone home)

Email from Laz last night at 10:13 pm

possibly the greatest race photo ever taken

https://picasaweb.google.com/107684748124952715657/VolState2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ3qzrTy4cH8GA#5765595852625751250

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