Run It Fast®

Winning TIme- First Runner to Finish in record time. It is a delicate balance for the runners: try to not kill yourself to finish but pace yourself fast enough to finish, and pretend it’s not a race. Keep telling themselves that it is enough to finish. Careful out there everyone! “It’s enough just to be nominated!”…

5:14:21:32

From: Carl Laniak
Date: July 19, 2011 10:02:25 PM CDT
To: Vol State List , The ULTRA List Subject: 5:14:21:32

Everyone know how to read that finish time??

King juli the lean’s reign is over.
King don has ascended to the throne.
Carl

From: lazarus lake
Date: July 20, 2011 10:14:24 AM CDT
To: ,
Subject: survival. it comes down to survival. vol-state 15

even as a lucky few are celebrating success…
or sleeping the sleep of the dead,

those surviving on the road are doing just that
surviving…

barely….

some of them.

abi leads the survivors, in pelham at 266.
says if she sees us,she is dumping off her gear
and going for the rock.

naresh is in hot pursuit in hillsboro (app 260).
ok, he isnt in hot pursuit
he is sitting in an abandoned convenience store
with a bag of ice on his foot
weeping.
says his foot feels like a brick attached to his ankle.
says he only hopes to wake up someday and not feel like this.
(there we go again. need another bio update.
the vol-state fairly breeds fantasy ultra goals)

sherry is somewhere in there,but has so far remained quiet.
we hope she is not waiting in ambush for us to drive thru.

sal has swept thru the survivors & is at 240,
on 16th model road

josh is also moving up,past shelbyville at 228

fred the surviving, is also past shelbyville at 225

paul at 216 leads john price at 215
each walking in their own personal hell

the waltzing mathenys are at 210
with erika injured,and 104 miles still to go.

diane is thru lewisburg, at 203.
cheerful as ever.
pretty unique right now.

joe, the surviving is still in lewisburg.
at 202.
seriously contemplating quitting.
a rumor surfaced that he is thinking of trying to go with fred, the surviving,
and share crew.
that would mean he doesnt know fred left last night & is now 25 miles away.
joe might be at a critical juncture.

stu gleman was at the edge of columbia
when it dawned on him that he didnt have to do this.
he is finished at 175.

with about an hour & a half total sleep last night,
carl is wavering.
do you believe those guys really timed out their finishes on purpose??
i swear, riding herd on this crew is genuinely tiring….

it just doesn’t hurt.

laz

From: lazarus lake
Date: July 20, 2011 10:58:26 AM CDT
To: ,
Subject: welcome to my oven

the course riders just poked our heads out.

it is like an f’ing oven out there.

if an oven had 90% humidity.

god help the poor souls on the road.

laz

Fueling up, Road style- headed for the finish.

OUCH! just got in. 201. 35 that stretch. Last 6 were the hardest, hottest miles I’ve ever put down. It took forever- Josh Holmes.

From: lazarus lake
Date: July 19, 2011 9:38:46 AM CDT
To: ,
Subject: so easy from an office chair; vol-state 14

it is so easy, looking at the mike-map
to think the whole thing is done at halfway.

ask a runner (any of them)
if they are almost sorry that it is about over….

and you will draw an incredulous stare.

even at 200 miles, the finish is an unimaginable distance away.

and it is so easy to ride about in my car
(i swear, i am tired… but i DONT HURT!)
or to sit in our office chairs
and watch the little flags march across the map.

out there it is real the whole time. very, very real.

and nothing is cerain.
the race is not almost over.
until you reach the cornfields at castle rock.

standings after 5 days:

1) don is at 278, around tracy city.
he has his 20 mile lead. but the heat is on.
he hopes to finish sometime tonight.

2) mike is at 258, somewhere around hillsboro.
can he mount a final charge in a heat advisory…
with two major hills to climb
(along with the most feared feature on the course,
the hellish descent into jasper)?

3)abi is past shelbyville at 227
4) sherrie is coming into shelbyville at 223
5) naresh is hot on sherrie’s heels at 222
6) joe is hovering behind the herd at 215…
like a wolf, waiting to pick off the old and weak.

7) sal is at 202… waiting for his wife to pick him up.
he has reached the end of the endless road.

8) josh is at 195, just past mooresville.
his nightmare continues.

9) john is in glendale at 184…
at the “bench of despair”
he, like so many vol-staters before him,
has come there to contemplate dropping.

10 & 11) the lovely & indefatiguable lynnor & erika at 180
are just leaving columbia.

12) fred murolo is at 179 in columbia, and moving
13) paul is stationary at 179, in columbia, and resting

14) fred davis is at 177, the columbia square.
and he is done.
ride arrangements are incomplete…

there is a reality check for you.
if fred is down, no one is safe.

15) stu is at 157, past the natchez trace & “celebrating” the halfway point.

16) we have a report of diane at 152. she was staying at a place around 158…
(the ridgetop inn; I would never climb the hill to that place at the end of a day)
and she always makes it to her indoor plumbing & bed with a mattress.
so i believe her to be at 158.

two more gone
and the heat has only just begun.

the battle of the vol-state:

they got on the ferry & they rode it to kentucky,
they were headed for a battle in the state of tennessee.

there was heat and pain a waiting, but they didnt waver
they were bound to make their way; to the castle rock, you see.
the sun went down and the runners kept a comin
there wasnt near as many as there was the morn before.

they ran thru the bottoms and they ran over ridges
they ran thru dry stretches where a camel wouldnt go.
the sun came up and the runners kept a comin’
there wasnt quite as many as there was the night before.

they ran so far that stray dogs couldnt follow
down the endless blacktop to the slopes of never more.
the sun went down and the runners kept a comin
there wasnt near as many as there was the morn before

they left their homes & they left their loved ones
to fight a hopeless battle in the state of tennessee.
but those who reached the rock down in georgia
found the prettiest sight that they would ever see…

the finish.

laz

Subject: RE: forgot the drop

Yep- absolutely amateur hour out there. Pepper spraying myself. 5 miles off course.
You know the movie “Misery” with Kathy Bates? I would much rather have that block of wood between my ankles than continue down those TN back roads.
Yep- definitely an amateur.
-Shannon Burke (THE corydon candy arse that is currently looking to move as far away from lazarus lake and his races as possible.
Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless

Today the heat increases to several warnings at at 8am, already 99% humidity.  Runners are going to have to take extreme care and get as many miles in under the cover of night as possible.

From: lazarus lake <drystoneman@hotmail.com>

Date: July 18, 2011 8:56:17 PM CDT

To: <ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu>, <volstate@irun100s.com>

Subject: the heat is on vol-state 13

those mild temperatures are about used up.

today was the first day the heat returned.

i pointed out to the runners who were willing to listen

that the road temperatures were over 140.

Heat Warnings Vol State 2011

most of them didnt want to hear it.

tomorrow is projected to bring on our first heat advisory since the start.

the runners ought to weather it pretty well.

everyone left seems to be pretty well road-hardened at this point.

everyone is hurt, in one way or another.

everyone fervently wants it to be over.

no one is showing signs of quitting.

status after 4 days & 12 hours:

1) don winkley-246 in manchester & moving

2) mike matteson-last seen in shelbyville at 223 early this afternoon.

if he is still there, don is in good shape.

every mile he is past that narrows don’s lead….

i’d give a lot to know just where he is right now

and just what he is doing!

(i bet don would, too)

3,4,5) sherry meador, joe judd, and abi meadows all in lewisburg at 202,

sleeping in the same motel. they all arrived within an hour.

after 200+ miles, who can sleep the least means everything.

6,7) sal coll & naresh kumar 199, in the edge of lewisburg.

will they hit the motel, or will they jump over the sleepyheads?

8) john price- 169 at the site of the famous watermelon incident

Day 6 Vol State Map

9) josh holmes-166 but gone to earth

10) paul lefelhocz-164 just past hampton

11) fred davis-163-at the top of a big hill, he can see 12, 13, and 14 strung out behind him,

in order they are:

fred murolo, lynnor matheny, erika matheny

they are all in mile 163

15) diane taylor-around the natchez trace at 154

16) stu gleman-short of natchez trace at 152, and resting

lots of close races after 4 and a half days.

it isnt just the temperatures that are fixing to heat up.

laz

Josh Holmes Location 8am July 19, 2011:

shannon burke became the third casualty after her 5 mile wrong-way exploit,
bailing out at about 130.

laz

How bad is it that as Joshua Holmes’ Crew, Cal and I get more info about his health and mileage info from Facebook and twitter than we do from him…- Blake Heiman (Crew)

Naresh is resting at 180. Heading in. Now at. 167 miles total. 37.45 according to Garmin since left hotel last night. Felt really good. 12 hours 27 min on road. Time for ice, shower, foot soak, food, sleep.- Josh Holmes

From: lazarus lake <drystoneman@hotmail.com>

Date: July 18, 2011 9:25:10 AM CDT

To: <volstate@irun100s.com>, <ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu>

Subject: laughter is the best medicine vol-state 12

when your whole world consists of discomfort,

the only thing to do is laugh.

looking at the limping, bleary-eyed “runners” along the side of tenesse’s roads

we need to laugh a lot.

one of the lady runners (name withheld to protect the foolish)

after spotting a couple of shady looking characters parked beside the road

realized she had never tested her pepper spry.

so she reached down, pressed the trigger

and sprayed herself in the face.

the good news: it worked

more good news: “i needed a good cry anyway.”

another un-named participant told me;

“on day two i started to wish a truck would hit me.

i was imagining it just hitting me a little bit,

and only injuring me slightly…

so i would have a reason to stop”

i think this call for an updated list bio:

fantasy ultra goal: to be hit by a truck, and only injured slightly.

more misdirection?

stu & shannon got up this morning in linden,

dragged their aching bodies back to the road,

and stumbled 5 miles back toward parsons.

altho it seems incomprehensible,

this is a common error at the vol-state.

the first time i remember it,

dirt thompson (within single digit miles of winning)

stopped briefly (to remove a rock from his shoe, i believe)

then began walking back the way he had come.

when we came to naresh & sal during yesterday’s drive thru

they expressed concern about sherry.

“she threw up, she is not drinking enough,…”

when i asked where she was;

“oh, she left an hour before we did from (the last stop)”

we found sherry about 5 miles ahead, and moving strong.

if sherry is in trouble, what does that say for sal & naresh?

lynnor & erika are actually turning a profit in the vol-state.

for whatever reason,

people keep stopping them and giving them money.

erika is considering this as NEW a summer job when she gets home;

“this pays better than my job!”

lynnor, on the other hand, is starting to feel slighted;

“she has gotten $30 so far. i’ve got $1!”

another pair of runners staggered into a town long after the stores had closed.

famished, they went to the only open establishment;

a bar; full of drunks in the wee hours.

they figured peanuts & potato chips were better than nothing.

after talking to the bartender for a while,

she went & got the frozen pizza she had brought to eat after her shift;

“you need it worse than i do.”

sometimes road angels are the only reason the uncrewed runners survive.

i have to stop here, they are badgering me to get off the computer.

but the stories could fill a book.

don w is nearing war trace, at mile 231

during the night he extended his lead on

mike m, who is leaving lewisburg, at 202

abi & sherry are both out of columbia at 181 (but not together)

joe judd is at 180,

as are naresh and sal (who are, none the less, not with joe)

josh holmes has moved back up heading for hampton at 157

fred murolo is right behind him at 154

erika & lenore are leaving hohenwald at 145

fred davis is just ahead of them, also listed at 145

and john price is about 146

paul lefelhocz has come back & repasse diane taylor

paul is at 133, and diane at 129.

stu and shannon, after traveling 5 miles the wrong way,

are in linden ar 125…. again.

and it just keeps getting better.

dont you wish you could be here to see all the fun?

laz

Today begins day 5 of the Vol State road race and it seems that retention of runners is holding.

GPS location of Josh Holmes:

From: Carl Laniak
Date: Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 8:40 PM
Subject: i have come so far, and i am nowhere: vol state 11
To: Volstate List , ultra List

this lesser update brought to you from carl, who is home working for 24 hours while laz and sandra keep watch on the road…

the leaders are starting to strategize about winning,
the midpackers are feeling like they are impossibly far from the rock…..impossibly far….
the back of the pack is fully consumed by staying on a 50k/day pace…..

each time a runner calls in, they get a cheerful hello.
it might be the only cheerful voice they hear for 6 or 8 hours….aside from their own lonesome ramblings.
i wonder as the phone rings, are they going to ask for a ride?
are they going to surprise me with extra miles?
do they have another dog story?
are they going to tell me they’ve been picked up by relatives and are already at home in fresh clothes?

so far, we have a phenomenal retention rate.
17 of the 19 starters still have intentions to reach that damn rock!

*****************For those of you who live in the southeast and dream about the vol state**************
the middle of this week is going to be a transcendental experience. i hope many of you are already making your plans to come witness a finish or two.
you can see someone, in the moment, who has truly “done something special.”
standing on the rock and seeing their headlamp ascend sand mountain, with just 4 miles to go, you will think,
“i would trade ANYTHING to be in their shoes right now!”
it will inspire you, it will probably make you cry. it will almost certainly make you wish you’d been on the road at vol state 2011
*****************************************************************************************************************

at 84 hours, 3.5 days….it was like this:

UltraDon has had an afternoon rest cycle, and is cruising at mile 205.
Mike M is resting in columbia, 180 miles, heading back out tonight.
abi has had a cell phone deconstruction, but managed to get to 169.
joe judd moved all day and picked up some places, he’s at 165.
sherry meador continues to complain about her feet, but they are moving her up in the field, to mile 153.
the rest of the threesome, naresh and sal, are a few miles back at 149.
fred murolo has rested during the afternoon, and is at 145, planning to go hard all night.
josh holmes has also rested, and will get going soon from mile 130.
the fightin’ mathenys are already out of linden at 127…looking at a night trek to hohenwald
the rest of the pack is in/around linden:
john price – 125 and heading out this evening
shannon b – 125 will get going in the morning
stu gleman – 125 – hopes to mooch from shannon’s crew after a bonk this afternoon
fred davis – 124 and plans to go all night
diane taylor – 123 shooting for linden tonight
paul lefelhocz – 122 also has a room in linden

joe n and marv s are envied by all the other runners….they will wake up tomorrow without any miles to cover on foot.

carl

Joshua Holmes
‎12:30pm stopping for hotel. 11:06 on road 30 miles since left last hotel 12.5 hours ago. Got hour nap 5:30.

Vol State 2011 Tire Change Stop

State 2011 Day 4 Beautiful Morning

From: lazarus lake
Date: Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Subject: 3 days down, how many to go? vol-state 10
To: volstate@irun100s.com, ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu

the racing has begun.
despite briefly losing his lead yesterday evening,
don has extended it by 2 miles from yesterday’s morning checkin
(from 15 to 17 miles)
it looks like the crown is riding between mike matteson & don,
and at 73 yo, don knows he cant win a 50 or 60 mile sprint finish.
so he has to break mike down now…
or else build an insurmountable lead.
with his experience, you can bet don is up to the challenge.
the question is, can young mike answer?
it will cost him.

stay tuned to find out what happens…

after 3 full days:

don winkley thru columbia at 180
mike matteson is past hampshire at 163
abi meadows in hohenwald at 145
sal coll, naresh kumar, and sherry meador in hohenwald at 143
(sherry says she has; “a little pain in my feet…. excrutiating.”)
joe judd, and fred murolo are past linden at 133
josh holmes is living the dream… across the tennessee river at 120
john price is approaching the river at 111

106 seems to be the magic number today.
shannon burke & stu gleman are leaving parsons & just past 106
lynnor & erika matheny are entering parsons coming up on 106
fred davis was last sighted at 106
(altho we dont know where he is now- there is a cell-service-gap after parsons)
and joe ninke dropped at 106
paul lefelhocz is past lexington at 99, and moving thru the tail end of the field
diane taylor is leaving lexington at 97
and marv skagerberg is in clarksburg (76) and contemplating dropping with his bad feet.

laz

Vol State 2011 Josh Holmes, with Crew

3:30 am Sunday: Feeling really good. So cop (sheriff) pulls me over to warn of a wild BAAAAAARRRRRR up ahead. Confused me because ive never heard of a bear in these parts. I said, “bear?” and he said, “yeah, them drunks come out of there wide open. I just wanted to warn ya! I thanked him and he basically escorted me through the small town with his lights on.

Started back 11:55pm. Slept 1.5 hours but several hours off feet. I just talked to Naresh. He is moving at 125. His feet are all blisters, in pain. But he is tough- Josh Holmes

12 hours ago via iPhone

Been laying here 3 hours sleepless. I give. I’m toast if I don’t get zzzz soon

Navin Sadarangani likes this.

Missy Hensley-Ivie Take at least one 25 mg benadryl and set the alarm clock. Cold shower when you get back up to wake you up good, as well as help with your muscles like you’ve been doing. Maybe that will help? You have to sleep so your body repairs itself or it will eventually shut down…so you may need a little help with the benadryl. Goodluck! You can do this! If anyone can, YOU can!:)12 hours ago · Like

Stephanie Irwin Murdock Do some deep breathing – slow in thru your nose, slow out thru your mouth. Your energy is amazing. But rest now. Let your team do the thinking. 12 hours ago · Like

Navin Sadarangani I agree with Stephanie. Do some relaxed breathing brother. it helps, not just mentally. even physically, releases all the strain and balance your energy levels in your body.11 hours ago · Like

Tracy Pellizzari i agree too… ‘cept i like to breathe in through my nose and out through my nose. i focus on breathing like a baby… where your tummy expands as you breathe in, and goes back down as you breathe out. seems to calm me.11 hours ago · Like

Lisa Gonzales All good advie from everyone. I hope you get some sleep! Rest up!11 hours ago · Like

Joseph Nance Sounds like your heart rate is up if you are having issues with sleeping. With the blood pumping through your body faster than normal you probably should work on some deep breathing to help control it. I hope you are hydrated, and your blood hasn’t started to thicken, because that could possibly cause this also. Either way rest as long as you need, the road will still be there when you’re ready.10 hours ago · Like

Joshua Holmes Thanks for the great tips.

This is Laz’s Update from last night although things have probably changed shape again throughout the night and wee morning hours.

From: lazarus lake <drystoneman@hotmail.com>

Date: July 16, 2011 8:38:11 PM CDT

To: <ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu>, <volstate@irun100s.com>

Subject: alliances vol-state 9

a regular, and expected feature of the vol-state

are the numerous lead changes & ever shifting positions among the field.

what sometimes escapes notice are the alliances.

small bands of runners,

often composed of the most unlikely combinations,

form and dissolve as the days and nights on the road pass by.

sure, everyone is racing to be first to the rock,

and most of these runners will not hesitate to take advantage of weakness

when the rock finally comes into view…

but when the rock is so far away,

sometimes it is the strength they draw from one another

that will carry them throught the difficult stretches.

one of the driving forces that places runners together,

or separates them

(and keeps the order of placement in constant upheaval)

is the need for rest.

all the runners must leave the course now and then,

but there is no single approach embraced by all.

some sleep at night, some during the day.

most aim for minimal breaks,

but anyone could be forced to take a long one now and then.

for all the value that a temporary alliance might have,

everyone knows the truth.

when your companion is no longer moving at a pace,

or folowing a schedule, that helps you,

it is time to split up.

2 days 12 hours update:

don winkley 150-past hohenwald & moving

mike matteson 144-in hohenwald & stopped

(matteson briefly caught winkley in hohenwald)

abi meadows 127-sitting in the buffalo river just past linden

joe judd 125-sleeping in linden with a swollen ankle

sal coll, naresh kumar, and sherry meador 108-past parsons & moving

fred davis & fred murolo 106-sleeping in the same motel in parsons, altho neither knows the other is there

joe ninke 106-his race ended in parsons

josh holmes 102-sleeping

stu gleman, john price, & shannon burke 102 -approaching parsons and passing josh (if you snooze, you looze)

lynnor & erika matheny 96 -leaving lexington & on the move

paul lefelhocz 92-sleeping in lexington, but climbing into the race after an 18 hourt late start

diane taylor- last seen at 92, passing back by paul

marvin skagerberg-61 nearing huntingdon after a major break in mckenzie

laz

A lot of ugly miles to finish today. I should have retreated to hotel sooner to recover. We (and not just runners) often get caught up in #’s. Since the beginning of time it’s just a one sided romance. Numbers don’t care about you and have never returned love to anyone. -Josh  Holmes

Things observed 98 miles into #vs500k. A turtle’s hard shell is not really that hard. And the chicken crossed the road because he was the only animal that could do it successfully!

12:30 pm Day 3:

Joshua Holmes

I might be overhydrated. Every tree is starting to look good, every 5 min!

Day 2 and 3 Vol State

Day 3 Vol State 2011 The Wee Hours

Day 3 Vol State Map 2011

For the runners of the Vol State Race, it is difficult to know when one day ends and another begins.  So we will go ahead and post the latest from Lazarus Lake, from last night.  Some were sleeping and some were awake in the wee hours.  It seems there was some rain for those using the bright moon of early this morning as their guide.

From: lazarus lake <drystoneman@hotmail.com>

Date: July 15, 2011 9:34:32 PM CDT

To: <ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu>, <volstate@irun100s.com>

Subject: the endless march of suffering: vol-state 7

people are settling in to life on the road.

they run & walk, they eat, and they sleep.

is there anything else in life?

after 36 hours:

joe ninke retook the lead & is at 106 (in parsons) but he is again holed up in a motel (the omelia motor lodge).

he has abandoned the wiggle wagon & swears he is finished. “too much suffering”

don w is second at 96 heading out of lexington,but is coming off a break & good to go

abi meadows is 3rd at the turn in lexington (92) and who can guess what she will do next.

not even abi knows for sure.

after that it is a logjam.

mike mattison was last sighted going to earth at parkers crossroads (82)

naresh kumar is reportedly holed up in the same place

sal coll was at 81,and planning to go thru

fred murolo at 80 intended to bed down at PC

joe judd, at 79 was planning a break at PC

sherry meador in clarksburg at 77 was talking about going thru

as was stu gleman at 75

fred davis at 74…. well,he never stops.

if he can keep going the same direction anything can happen.

after a big gap comes another logjam:

josh holmes, shannon burke, & john price are all bedded down at 68,in huntingdon.

lynnor & erika matheny are at the edge of huntingdon (64) and aiming for PC tonight.

diane taylor is right behind them at 63,but planning to hole up at 68 with the rest.

marvin skagerberg & paul lefcoholcz are both down in mckenzie (56)

with marvin planning to be on the road at dark, and paul, having just arrived,

likely to sleep a little longer.

it will be interesting to see whose plans work out,

and whose blow up.

any guesses who will be leading when the sun comes up?

laz

From: lazarus lake <drystoneman@hotmail.com>
Date: July 15, 2011 9:34:32 PM CDT
To: <ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu>, <volstate@irun100s.com>
Subject: the endless march of suffering: vol-state 7

From: lazarus lake <drystoneman@hotmail.com>

Date: July 15, 2011 2:17:39 PM CDT

To: <ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu>, <volstate@irun100s.com>

Subject: what’s cooking? vol-state 7

just a small item of possible interest.

we have a new leader.

73 yo don winkley is about 10 miles up at the turn in lexington.

ninke was still holed upat 82 (parker crossroads),

matteson was just short of 82 (and planning to hole up)

abi was not far behind mike, and planning to go on thru.

so second place is probably a woman by now.

no wonder today’s women complain about the scarcity of good men.

laz

From: lazarus lake <drystoneman@hotmail.com>
Date: July 15, 2011 8:05:53 AM CDT
To: <ultra@listserv.dartmouth.edu>, <volstate@irun100s.com>
Subject: hope you guys slept well. vol state 6

everybody is toast.

we had a crew call in, and we could hear the runner talking in the background.

then the runner called in, and we could hear the crew in the background.

gave directions to another runner.

“go down this road here (pointing at road)”

“that road? (points at a different road)”

“no, this road (points at road again)”

runner speaks more slowly (as if we dont understand)

“that road? (points at different road again)

“no, this road (points at road yet again)”

then carl complicated things.

“at the end of the road,turn right.”

“turn?”

“you have to turn, the road ends.”

“left”

“no, right”

“this road? (points at wrong road again)”

we watched him walk away,

wondering exactly where he would be the next time we saw him.

as promised, things have changed.

ninke still leads at 82 (parker crossroad) but he is sleeping

don winkley,at 76 (clarksburg) is moving & may take the lead

mike matteson is past huntingdon at 68,moving like a slow speed train wreck

sal coll and sherry meador are also at 68,but just got a room to sleep

abi meadows is at huntingdon square (67) having breakfast.

(the specialty of the house is pig brains)

naresh kumar is past mckenzie at 59

josh holmes & fred davis are having breakfast in mckkenzie (56)

fred murolo is just returning from a rest break in mckenzie, at 54 miles)

joe judd is approaching mckenzie at 50 m,

followed by marv skagerberg (48), john price (47),

stu gleman (45), & shannon burke (44)

lynnor & erika matheny are finally leaving their room in dresden at 41

diane taylor is revived and approaching dresden at 36

paul lefelhocz is  on the road at last (and in last),

past union city at 21 & in pursuit of the field)

look for mayhem on day 2.

no one feels so bad that they cannot recover

and no one is so strong they cannot “die”

now to go out & survey the carnage first hand.

Laz

GPS Location Vol State 2011

From Lazarus at 7:30 pm 7/15/2011

half a day behind them,
now we start to find out who the players are:

ninke is leading,somewhere between gleason & mckenzie
mike matteson is in pursuit,coming into gleason at 47
don winkley is right in the middle of things at 45
sal coll was last seen not far behind don
abi meadows is past dresden at 43.5

there are a bunch of people in dresden,many are stopped for the night.
josh holmes, naresh (we think), shannon burke, fred murola,
joe judd (we think) are all at about 41.
who stops for the night & who goes on,
will define the morning standings.

sherry is coming into dresden at 39

erika,lenore,and fred davis are approaching dresden at 35

john price & stu are right behind them at 33

diane revived and made martin,at 30,
with marvin coming off a rest break at 28.

some of the strategies, be they original or revised,
are starting to show.
we will know a lot more in the morning.

laz

Race Starts July 14, 2011 at 7:30am CDT

It’s finally time to start the 2011 version of The Last Annual Vol State 500K at Dorena Landing, Missouri.  My crew and I will be attempting to live blog at least a little bit every day throughout the race.

The race will finish 314 miles later at Castle Rock, Georgia.

List of Runners Running the #VS500K

Here are some photos from ‘The Last Supper’ at Ryan’s Buffet last night. After eating that Ryan’s food there’s a reason they call it ‘The Last Supper.’

Here are a couple of photos from the dinner:

Other ways to keep track of the race can be found HERE!!

You can still donate to charity:water in connection with running this race at this LINK!

I started 2011 with two BIG running goals (to me at least).  One was to run and complete a 100 mile ultra marathon. Back in February, I was able to finish my first 100 miler down in Texas at the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile Trail Race.

The other big race this year I wanted to run (and hopefully finish) is the Last Annual Vol State 500K Road Race (yes, that’s 314 miles) that takes place every July in Tennessee.  Well it starts in Missouri and finishes in Georgia, but 300 of those miles wind through the Volunteer state. Which can get rather toasty in mid July.

The race was started by Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell) in 1981.  Runners have a maximum of 10 days to finish the race and end up at ‘The Rock.’

I needed several dominoes to fall into place before I could commit to Vol State.  All the dominoes have fallen.  The planning has begun.  This is my public confession of my insanity and confirmation of my intent to be at the starting line in Dorena, Missouri on July 14th for the 2011 Last Annual Vol State 500K.

My cousins Erick and Blake from Kansas are coming down to crew me for the week.

I have no clue if I can complete this race. I’ve done 100 miles before, once! This will be 214 more miles on top of that.

I believe I can, but it’s the unknown and makes me a bit crazy in the head thinking about it.  I stay up late at night looking at maps and attempting to come up with a strategy on how to attack it. I will have to be very disciplined and run within myself until I reach the finish.

Any friends or runners who want to join me at any part, and run that day or several miles that day with me, are welcome to join me.  Email me or tweet me @bayou and we will set it up.

I am going to try to live blog the race (while competing) here on Run It Fast and also on my Facebook Running Fan Page (Like it HERE).  You can also follow me on Twitter @bayou if you so desire.

Who Benefits From Such a Selfish Act of Running 314 miles?

I have few policies in life. One of those policies is that if you are going to do something that could result in your death, then you should raise money in the process to help benefit those less fortunate.

So here is what I’m going to do in connection with running a 500K.  I run a lot of races.  Runers at all of these races, even half-marathons and 5K’s, almost always rant and complain because there wasn’t enough water or a water table close enough for them.  Runners will have the biggest hissy fit if they go more than 15-20 minutes without a volunteer standing there offering them water.

So I’ve decided to raise money through Charity: Water to help build a water well in one of 17 developing third world countries. The well will provide actual clean drinking water to men, women, and children who desperately need clean water for survival.

With your help, we will raise $5,000 over the next couple of months. With that money, we will provide a permanent water source to 250 men, women, and children in need.  That’s 50 families which usually makes up an entire community.

The reach of clean water doesn’t stop at hydration. It allows more time for other essential things that can be done instead of walking for hours to find water. Women and children can spend more time learning to read & write and developing skills needed for survival in the 21st century.

View my Charity: Water page to help build a well to give water to 250 people for life.

DONATE HERE: 314 Miles – Water for 250 men, women, and children!

If you don’t have much today then donate a little. Then come back and donate a little more. Just like 314 miles, we will help build a well a little piece at a time.
Thanks in advance for your truly amazing support!

– joshua

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I will be running the 2011 Last Annual Vol State  500K in memory of Charlie Reagan (Read More Here).

A great running friend who was murdered on June 16, 2011.

Unofficial (Official) Last Annual Vol State 500K Website