Day 4 and the course record is on the line! Will we see it broken today? Will there be a new King of the Road? We already had one team finish over night and we should expect more finishes today. It’s been a pretty funny morning so far and things will only get loopier as the race goes on.

Come back and visit throughout the day so you don’t miss a thing!

Links you might find fun/useful:

To catch up on previous days: Day1   Day2   Day3  

Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map – for runner tracking (updated twice a day).
Carl’s 2013 Last Annual Volstate 500K Album, Day 2 Drive Thru, and Day 3 Photos

Twitter:
RunItFast: @runitfast
Joshua Holmes: @bayou
Shannon Burke: @s4121burke
Dallas Smith:  @smithbend
VS500: #VS500 or #VS500K

Facebook:
UltraJoshua – Facebook page for Joshua Holmes
Last Annual Vol State Road Race – Facebook page for VS500K

So far today:

Lisa: I added links for Carl’s photos of Day 2 and Day 3 above.

Lisa: Top 10, Top 3 Women, and Team standings as of 84 hours:

Top 10
1. Joe Fejes – 314 miles (3 days 8 hours 10 min 16 secs – course record)
2. Alan Abbs – 251 miles
3. John Fegyveresi – 238 miles
4. Sung Ho Choi – 233 miles
5. Sal Coll – 201 miles
6. Jim Ball – 198 miles
7. Joshua Holmes – 197 miles
8. Ray Krolewicz – 187 miles
9. John Price – 182 miles
10. Jeff Kasal, Tim Purol, Joel Gat, Brad Compton, and Richard Westbrook  – 179 miles

Top 3 Women
1. Sherry Meador – 177 miles
2. Psyche Wimberly – 174 miles
3. Dusty Hardman – 150 miles

Team
1. Team Stinky Feet – 314 miles (2 days 19 hours 14 min 17 sec)
2. Team Country Gentlemen – 258 miles
3. Team Two Step – 250 miles
4. Team Saturday – 134 miles

Team Dancing Bears dropped at 250 miles. 🙁  #2 Alan and #3 John are still on track to break the Uncrewed course record. There is a pack of runners in the 172-179 range, a 12 pack. Hopefully they are keeping each other company out there. The Top 3 Women haven’t changed in a while but it looks like Sherry might catch some of the men and move into the top 10. I wonder what will happen overnight!

Email from Mike Dobies at 8:57 pm:

Vol State – 84 Hour Update

Tracking Sheet:
http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2013

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e180f9d73eba1131a&msa=0&ll=34.972766,-85.601006&spn=0.008967,0.021136

Lisa: Staying on top of blisters is a big key to completing VS500K. It’s one of the main reasons I’ve seen runners drop. So glad Dallas was able to take care of it!

Tweet from Dallas at 8:02 pm:

Lisa: Congratulations to King Joe from everyone at Run It Fast!

Email from Laz at 5:10 pm:

the new king

it is official now.
we have a new king.

the official time (and new record)
3:08:10:16

all hail king joseph!

laz

Lisa: What is the “bench of despair”? Here’s an excerpt from one of Charlie Taylor’s recap of the 2012 VS500K:

“Word is that many runners, having run 185 miles , when taking a break on this bench would call it quits.  We all got our pictures made in front of and sitting on the bench and all declared that they would not quit on that silly bench.  This store owner was smart, she had painted the name on the back of the bench and I’m sure she got plenty of questions from outsider about why that was painted on the back.”

Facebook post by Josh at 3:23 pm:

Email from Laz at 1:57 pm:

fejes across the river

not long now

Tweet from Dallas at 9:38 am:

Lisa: Here is the Top 10, Top 3 Women, and Team standings as of 72 Hours:

Top 10
1. Joe Fejes – 280 miles
2. Alan Abbs – 218 miles
3. John Fegyveresi – 204 miles
4. Sung Ho Choi – 202 miles
5. Jim Ball – 178 miles
6. Joshua Holmes – 177 miles
7. Sal Coll – 175 miles
8. Jeff Kasal – 170 miles
9. Tim Purol – 169 miles
10. Ray Krolewicz – 166 miles

Top 3 Women
1. Sherry Meador – 145 miles
2. Psyche Wimberly – 128 miles
3. Dusty Hardman – 124 miles

Teams
1. Team Stinky Feet – 314 miles (done!)
2. Team Dancing Bears – 228 miles
3. Team Country Gentlemen – 225 miles
4. Team Two Step – 201 miles
5. Team Saturday – 91 miles (they started on Saturday)

So one team done and happy to say there were no more drops. 🙂 Joe Fejes put down 50 miles in that last 12 hours despite saying his legs were “trashed” yesterday. He only has to do 34 miles in 17 hours and 42 minutes to beat the course record. I’m thinking that barring a disaster, he’s got it. Good luck Joe!

Also, in case you didn’t know Alan in 2nd and Joe in 3rd are running this Screwed (solo, un-supported)! Pretty amazing, right? They are on track to beat the Unaided Course Record (5 days 3 hours 9 minutes 33 seconds) set by Dan Fox last year.

What a year this is turning out to be!

Email from Mike Dobies at 9:06 am:

Vol State – 72 Hour Update

Tracking Sheet:
http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2013

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e178cfa0dab872a07&msa=0&ll=35.773258,-87.407227&spn=2.464453,5.410767

Lisa: The emails this morning were awesome! Now you can see what being on the road for 3 days does to a person. Much respect to the runners out there!

Email from Wayne McComb at 9:06 am:

Sunday morning, com in’ down

So I fumbled through my backpack to find my
cleanest, dirty shirt.
And I tried to find a way to put my shoes on my feet
that didn’t hurt.
On a Sunday morning sidewalk,
Lord I’m wishin’ I was stoned.
Cause there’s something ’bout the VolState,
That makes a body, feel alone.

Wayne

Email from Laz at 8:48 am:

clear thinking after 3 days on the road

this morning’s check-ins are off to a flying start.
i am groggy when the phone rings,
after having been up most of the night waiting on the stinky feet
to finally choose the correct roads into alabama and georgia.

the connection seems to be no clearer on the opposite end.

shaking out cobwebs, i answer;
“good morning! 3-day check-in”
“this is marcia”
(ah, this one remembered to tell me who was calling!)
“so how was your night?”
“yes, yes it was.”
then she hangs up.
i have all the critical information,
except where she is.

i don’t have long to think about this,
because the phone rings again.
“good morning! 3-day check-in”
“do you have any coffee?”
“no, i don’t have any coffee here.”
“i thought you might bring some coffee.”
“no, i won’t be bringing any coffee.”
“oh well; i am at the church of latter day saints.”
“who is i?”
“diane bolton.”
“i don’t know the distance for that church.”
“between parsons and linden.”
(that would be between 103 and 125)
“which side of the tennessee river are you on?”
“yes.”
“you haven’t reached the tennessee river yet?”
“oh no, we crossed that a long time ago…

but we haven’t got to linden yet.”
i am trying to think of a way to narrow this down some, and she volunteers a clue.
“dallas is right behind us.”
“oh, dallas.”
“dallas smith. poor dallas.”
“poor dallas?”
“i have a crew, and he doesn’t.
(she laughs)
i think i have lost my humanity.
i should feel guilty, up here eating ice chips….

and there is poor dallas.
he doesn’t have a crew.
he doesn’t have anything.”
then she laughs again and hangs up.

so far i know that marcia had a night,
and diane has ice chips, but would like coffee.
(also dallas still has no crew, but that is only hear-say)

the phone rings again.
“good morning! 3-day check-in.”
“this is (garbled) bruce’s crew”
“and how are yall doing this morning?”
“we are doing good. bruce is at 102.”
“102? it seems more likely he is at 202?”
“oh, yes. it is probably 202. not that it makes any difference….

well, it might make a difference to bruce.”
(i am sure it makes a difference to bruce.)
“i have you down, ya’ll have a fun day out there.”
“ok”
she hangs up.

i am not sure the vol-state is good for brain function.
but the important thing is,
everyone seemed to be in very good spirits.

i better get these results to carl,
so we can start figuring out where people are
(within a planet)

laz

Email from Carl Laniak at 8:18 am:

vol state: the un-coolest race around.

72 hours in. a runner checks in.

runner:
“had a good night. mile xxx. it’s raining.”

me:
“well done. see you on the road later.”

runner:
“cool. thanks. i ate out of a garbage can last night.”

Lisa: Fun stuff from overnight…

Instagram post from Josh at 4:40 am:

Lisa: So Team Stinky Feet is the first team to complete the VS500K. They are Sue Scholl and Ben Herron. Congrats Team Stinky Feet!

Email from Laz at 4:18 am:

stinky feet

2:19:14:17

would have been faster without the side-trip into Alabama
when sue missed the turn to new hope.

laz

Tweet from Dallas Smith at 3:41 am (this is what the solo runners have to deal with): 

Dallas and Laz 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K

The runners are starting their 3rd day today at the Last Annual Vol State 500K! There was a lot of running going on through the night and Joe Fejes laid down some big miles – 58! Everyone else is moving steadily along. It’s going to be another warm and humid day out there. Wish them luck!

Make sure you check back throughout the day to see how things are going out there!

Links you might find fun/useful:

To catch up on previous days: Day1   Day2  

Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map – for runner tracking (updated twice a day).
Carl’s 2013 Last Annual Volstate 500K Album.

Twitter:
RunItFast: @runitfast
Joshua Holmes: @bayou
Shannon Burke: @s4121burke
Dallas Smith:  @smithbend
VS500: #VS500 or #VS500K

Facebook:
UltraJoshua – Facebook page for Joshua Holmes
Last Annual Vol State Road Race – Facebook page for VS500K

So far today:

Lisa: Carl’s email is a good way to end this blog so that’s it for day 3’s live blog! I hope you’ll come back tomorrow and follow along on day 4. It should be an interesting day!

Email from Carl Laniak at 11:20 pm:

Re: FW: resilience (2.5 days)

I will just add that the second half of the race is quite remarkable.
There is no despondency in these runners. They are positive to a fault.
Whether they are nearing the half way mark, or still looking for a 100 mile split, they are pushing forward and upbeat.
(at least that is what I see when I stop to say hello…perhaps a friendly face in the middle of a rough afternoon is skewing my perception?!)

This year’s weather is a special occurrence, and the runners are really taking advantage.

-PS RUNNERS-
i believe we’ve confirmed that there’s a slight typo in john’s book, the first gas station in hohenwald is 4-5 miles further than stated. Runner’s headed that way, stock up at the gas station where hwy 100 splits to the left and the course goes right. If I am wrong (i don’t have my book in front of me) it won’t hurt too much to be stocked up there.

well done!
carl

Email from Laz at 11:08 pm:

resilience (2.5 days)

I have been relegated to the same view of much of the field,
as the people at home.
the race has become so strung out that carl and I had to split up.
I got to see the people at the front.
carl is witness to the mayhem in the back.

with fewer people to see,
I got to spend more time talking to them.
one thing stood out,
both in the screwed runners’ comments,
and in the descriptions of the crews.

the successful vol-stater must have remarkable resilience.
everyone has gone thru dark periods;
yet somehow come back. (again and again)

this is one reason for the fruit basket turnover we see
every time the standings are updated.

abbs was, at one point last night,
reduced to scouring a construction zone for partially consumed water bottles,
and drinking what was left.
the old man relay team saw him staggering down the road,
seemingly near his end.
an hour later he was running again.

I missed fegys entirely,
as he was sleeping behind a tree when I passed….

I see in the standings that he not only returned to the road,
but has closed back in on those in front of him.

schick said of fejes;
“he will look like he is absolutely on his last legs,
then he lays down for a short while,
and comes back as strong as he was on the first day.”

I see we had a third drop today.
37 of the original 40 are still on the road
(altho several are locked in a life and death struggle with oprah)

if everyone who had been thru a period of hopelessness had dropped;
no one would be left.

I went and scouted the finish line,
preparing for the first relay to come in some time tonight
(and fejes sometime in the morning)

the big mudhole in the woods has reached record size.
(no one is getting past that sucker dry this year)
the recent monsoons have left the roads on castle rock ranch virtually impassable.
those who survive the first 313 miles have a real treat in store.

laz

Email from Carl Laniak at 11:04 pm:

vol state day 3 photos

from hohenwald back thru the field.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107684748124952715657/albums/5900301455473612497

Lisa: Crazy weather. wild dogs, Road Angels…yep, they are getting the full VS500K experience!

Tweet from Josh at 9:34 pm:

Lisa: Here is the Top 10, Top 3 Women, and Team standings as of the 60 Hour check in:

Top 10
1. Joe Fejes – 230 miles
2. Alan Abbs – 185 miles
3. Sung Ho Choi – 184 miles
4. John Fegyveresi – 178 miles
5. Joshua Holmes – 152 miles
6. Jim Ball – 151 miles
7. Ray Krolewicz – 148 miles
8. Tim Purol – 145 miles
9. Jeff Kasal – 145 miles
10. Sal Coll – 144 miles

Top 3 Women
1. Sherry Meador – 132 miles
2. Psyche Wimberly – 128 miles
3. Dusty Hardman – 110 miles

Team
1. Team Stinky Feet – 280 miles
2. Team Two Step – 200 miles
3. Team Dancing Bears – 196 miles
4. Team Country Gentlemen – 190 miles
5. Team Saturday – 57 miles (they started today)

There’s been one more drop from the VS500K – Robert Woodall dropped at 82 miles. There are now at 37 runners and 5 teams out on the Tennessee roads.

230 miles! Joe is a beast! Will Joe’s legs hold up? Will he have another big night? Tune in tomorrow morning to find out!

Email from Carl Laniak at 8:57 pm:

Re: Vol State – 60 Hour Update

the folks i marked at 91 miles are all in the Days Inn in lexington by 7:30….just so everyone understands…

I will post all my pics from this afternoon in a little bit (most of them were sent out already)

Email from Mike Dobies at 8:52 pm:

Vol State – 60 Hour Update

Tracking Sheet:
http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2013

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e16ec1644a578219b&msa=0&ll=36.346103,-90.510864&spn=2.446582,5.410767

Instagram post from Josh at 8:05 pm:

Lisa: Great to see Road Angels at work today for the runners out on the course! FYI – A Road Angel is a stranger that offers help to the runners. If a runner is uncrewed (or Screwed), they must carry everything they will need or buy it along the course and cannot except help from anyone they know but they can accept the kindness of strangers. Of the 40 runners that started the race, 7 runners were using crews and 33 runners were Screwed. Can you imagine running 314 miles uncrewed? What an adventure!

Tweet from Dallas at 7:50 pm:

Email from Carl Laniak at 6:32 pm:

Diane B – back on road and lookin good

Email from Stu at 5:48 pm showing more good will towards the VS500K runners:

next to the bench of great joy

this is waiting for you in culleoka!

stu

Instagram post from Josh at 5:11 pm:

Email from Carl Laniak at 4:17 pm:

Holmes and ball nearing hohenwald

Email from Carl Laniak at 4:12 pm:

Rayk at 143.5

Gifted some pizza by generous folks from union city who saw the runners Thursday in union city and “really admire what we’re doing out here!”

Carl

Tweet from @keithdunn at 3:02 pm:

Facebook post from Phil (Diane Bolton’s crew) at 2:43 pm:

Email from Mike Dobies at 11:12 am:

Re: Vol State – 48 Hour Update

Just an fyi:

When two runners are at the same mileage, the pins will have the exact same coordinates and only one will be visible on the map (the other is beneath the first). If you click the name on the left margin, then you will see where the hidden icon is on the map.

Thanks for pointing this out Josh.

I’m adding the Course Record (Unaided) pace information to the Tracking Sheet and map now. This record is also being seriously challenged.

Lisa: Here are the Top 10, Top 3 Women, and Team standings thru 48 hours:

Top 10
1. Joe Fejes – 196 miles
2. Alan Abbs – 154 miles
3. John Fegyveresi – 145 miles
4. Sung Ho Choi – 143 miles
5. Joshua Holmes – 133 miles
6. Ray Krolewicz – 127 miles
7. Jim Ball – 124 miles
8. Joes Gat – 124 miles
9. Joseph Nance – 120 miles
10. Sal Coll – 117 miles

Top 3 Women
1. Sherry Meador – 107 miles
2. Dusty Hardman – 92 miles
3. Psyche Wimberly – 83 miles (didn’t check in at 48 hours though)

Teams
1. Team Stinky Feet – 229 miles
2. Team Dancing Bears – 150 miles
3. Team Country Gentlemen – 145 miles
4. Team Two Step – 144 miles

Just a reminder that the course record is 3 days 17 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds. Joe certainly looks like he’s on target to beat that! I wish I was there to see it too. Like Laz said: “the real fun is just beginning.”! Stay tuned!

Email from Laz at 10:33 am:

fegys v choi update

choi was, indeed, on break at 48 hours.
he was at 143 miles, so fegys had moved into third (145).

choi is back on the road and has retaken third at this time.

more later.

laz

Email from Laz at 10:21 am:

it is a multiday now (vol-staters pass 48 hours)

fejes put on one of those fabulous stretches
that will be spoken of at the last suppers for years to come.

58 miles between 36 and 48 hours.
he barely missed 200 in two days.
I feel privileged to be here to see his race.

carl and I discussed this morning,
the possibility that he might put on a surge
that carries him past 300 miles within 3 days.
however this ends,
it is going to be something to see.

and it isn’t like abbs is not putting on a performance for the ages.
people have discussed for years,
whether it is possible for a screwed (crewless) runner to break 5 days…

at 48 hours, abbs was only 3 miles over 4-day pace.

with choi’s whereabouts unknown at 48 hours
(assumed to be taking a break)
fegys might have moved into third.

holmes had put some distance between himself and the k during the night
(133 to 127)
but holmes was just starting an extended break at 48 hours.

it is a safe bet that k is taking over 5th place as I write this
(if he has not already done so)

gat (124), ball (124), and nance (120) have emerged from the pack
to threaten moving into the top 6.

we are starting the third day.
this thing is now officially a multiday.
the real fun is just beginning.

with 38 runners on the road,
every time someone takes a nap,
they are going to lose multiple places.

laz

Email from Mike Dobies at 9:40 am:

Vol State – 48 Hour Update

Tracking Sheet:
http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2013

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e1643f6e9e62c4ec3&msa=0&ll=35.652833,-89.324341&spn=2.468179,5.410767

Tweet from @keithdunn at 9:27 am:

Tweet from Josh at 7:24 am:

Lisa: Overnight happenings…

Tweet from Josh at 4:21 am:

Tweet from Josh at 2:40 am:

Facebook post from Dallas last night:

Day’s highlights: A lone pigeon cooed in the dark beams as I passed under a bridge at 5 a.m. At 6 a.m. the sun was barely up. It cast my shadow 50 yards long across the rows of a low soy bean field. That thin wafting shadow measured my puny motion in precise 32-inch intervals. There was the Korner Kafe in Gleason where I had eggs and bacon – and caught four competitors. Finally, the road angel, a high-school-age young woman who drove up and with the help of who I took to be her young brother gave me a snack and a frosty bottle of water just when I needed it.

Main strategy tomorrow: Minimize damage.

RIFers Before VS500K

The first day is in the books! 40 runners and 4 relay teams set out yesterday to run 314 miles in the heat and humidity of Tennessee. That is the largest number of runners to start in the races history. The previous high was 22 runners. So cool to see so many people taking this challenge on this year. We are very proud of the 6 Run It Fast Club members who are running it this year. If you didn’t get a chance to meet them or would like to know more about them, check out this post.

And then check back throughout the day to see how things are going out there! I will be updating this post with emails, tweets, and photos as they come in.

Links you might find fun/useful:

To catch up on previous days: Day1  

Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map – for runner tracking (updated twice a day).
Carl’s 2013 Last Annual Volstate 500K Album.

Twitter:
RunItFast: @runitfast
Joshua Holmes: @bayou
Shannon Burke: @s4121burke
Dallas Smith:  @smithbend
VS500: #VS500 or #VS500K

Facebook:
UltraJoshua – Facebook page for Joshua Holmes
Last Annual Vol State Road Race – Facebook page for VS500K

So far today:

Lisa: Ok, here are the Top 10 and the Teams as of the 36 Hour Update:

Top 10 Solo
1. Joe Fejes – 138 miles
2. Alan Abbs – 124 miles
3. Sung Ho Choi – 122 miles
4. John Fegyveresi – 117 miles
5. Joshua Homes – 104 miles
6. Ray Krolewicz – 103.5 miles
7. Jim Ball – 102 miles
8. Tim Purol – 98 miles
9. Jeff Kasal – 98 miles
10. Joel Gat – 97 miles

Teams:
1. Team Stinky Feet – 182 miles
2. Team Country Gentlemen – 144 miles
3. Team Dancing Bears – 139 miles
4. Team Two Step – 138 miles

Little bit of shuffling in the top 10 but Joe still has the lead! I wonder if it will change by morning? What do you think? I hope you’ll come back and follow along on Day 3.

Email from Laz at 9:48 pm:

animals with attitudes (vol-state 36 hour report)

as we spent the day making our way thru the field to the back,
and then returning to the front,
one thing stood out above all else…

this family of vol-staters seem to possess an unbreakable positive attitude.
we have lost only a couple,
and the 38 survivors have smiles on their faces,
and are undeterred by the intimidating distances that lie in front of them.
more than a few have weathered crises which had us waiting for their call…

only to find them recovered and once again moving efficiently down the road.

even jan and diane t, who found oprah on their heels at the end of day 1,
have buckled down,
and are making a valiant push to get back on track.

the odds are against them;
nothing is harder than falling behind the line on day one,
and having to increase your output
with fatigue dogging your steps.
but they have made a statement:
they will not lie down beside the road and wait on oprah.
she will have to come and get them.

at the front, fejes is showing what we already knew.
he is an animal;
cranking out miles with no sign of slowing down…

but the race is not over.
abbs is an animal.
without benefit of any crew at all,
he has stuck to the road with unbelievable tenacity.
36 hours in, his persistence has pulled him within 14 miles of the lead.

2 miles behind abbs is choi.
choi has seen some ups and downs.
but nothing has taken the smile off his face.
every time we think he is flagging,
he comes back strong again.
choi is an animal.
of course he almost has to keep coming back.
he has fegys on his tail.

fegys is only 5 miles behind,
and equally crewless as abbs.
fegys, who finished barkley in just under 60 hours,
by never resting at all,
is not a man you want on your heels.
he is an animal.

and it isn’t quite time to write off holmes,
13 miles back of fegys, at 104 miles.
holmes has a couple of vol-states under his belt.
he knows the hell that waits in those next couple of hundred miles.
josh is perfectly capable of making a move.

holmes is capable of being an animal.

and he has motivation on his heels as well.
ancient krolewicz is less than a mile behind.
relentless forward motion has carried the k
from the very back into contention in only 36 hours.
the calendar might indicate that his day has passed.
that doesn’t mean anyone will be taking him lightly.

he is an animal.

and on it goes, all the way thru the pack.
every runner has fought for their position.
and every runner will have to fight to keep it.

it is a safe bet that those top 6 names will not remain in that exact order.
they probably will not even all be in the top 6,
when the names are called at the rock.

36 hours in, and the race has taken shape.
now the fun part begins.

laz

Lisa: Mike is referring to Shannon Burke who dropped at 64 miles and Ryan Brazell who dropped at 48 miles. Hopefully, the Last Annual Vol State 500K won’t claim any more victims in the coming days.

Email from Mike Dobies at 8:50 pm:

Vol State – 36 Hour Update

Tracking Sheet:
http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2013

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e15a74b6e940fc4c6&msa=0&ll=35.692995,-90.274658&spn=2.466938,5.410767

Note: I still need to mark Burke and Brazell as dropped……

Tweet from Dallas at 7:04 pm:

Facebook post by Josh at 6:28 pm:

Email from Carl Laniak at 5:30 pm:

vol state day 2 drive thru pics

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107684748124952715657/albums/5899848831547549281

Instagram from Josh at 3:24 pm:

Facebook post from Diane Bolton at 3:17 pm (apparently it’s a little bit warm out there!):

Lisa: 5 more hours until the next check-in. I wonder what’s happening out there! Hoping everyone is having a good day and that the stomach issues/blisters problems have gone away.  I wish there was a live video feed to watch! The suspense is killing me. 😉

Email from Carl Laniak at 1:17 pm:

Lockard & wingard – 61

Email from Carl Laniak at 12:33 pm:

Dallas smith – 53.5

Tweet from Josh at 12:14 pm:

Email from Carl Laniak at 11:40 pm:

Mouskateers – 75

Laz, Purol, Gat, Kasal, Stephens.

Carl

Tweet from @keithdunn:

Lisa: Ok, here’s the top 10 from the 24 Hour Update and the team standings:

Top 10
1. Joe Fejes – 107 miles
2. Alan Abbs – 91 miles
3. Sung Ho Choi – 84 miles
4. Joshua Holmes – 82 miles
5. John Fegyveresi – 81 miles
6. Ray Krolewicz – 76 miles
7. Joseph Nance – 70 miles
8. Sal Coll – 68 miles
9. Jeff McGonnell – 68 miles
10. Jim Ball – 68 miles

The team standings:
1. Team Stinky Feet – 124 miles
2. Team Country Gentlemen – 106 miles
3. Team Dancing Bears – 96 miles
4. Team Two Step – 82 miles

Lisa: Running a little late today so still have to catch up on some pics and tweets from the night. But here’s the important emails to get you started! Thanks for following along. 🙂

Email from Carl Laniak at 10:08 am:

Fejes at 119.5

Running strong, and joking around.

Carl

Email from Laz at 8:31 am:

(24 hours) as the competition goes…

after getting far ahead of all the solo runners,
we assume team stinky feet has hit the sack,
we have no 24 hour status for them.

fejes has moved out to a commanding lead in the race;
in parsons, at 107 miles.
this is one of the best first days in vol-state history
topped only by the record 110 mile first day back in the early 1980’s.

alan abbs, making the turn in Lexington, at 91 miles,
is certainly still in the chase.
and the feral fox has to know his screwed (uncrewed) record is under threat.
we are giddy at the thought of seeing a sub-5 by a screwed runner…

white trash might be giddy for other reasons.
such as the thought of crossing the Tennessee river and starting the long climb to linden.

sung ho (bruce) choi is next at 84
holmes (82), fegys (81), and krolewicz (76) round out the top 6.

that’s right.
the k.
the ancient, out of shape lister,
who was way back in the pack 12 hours ago
is now up with the big boys.

experience can be valuable.

now lets see what the second day brings…

carl and I are off to bring cheer to the footweary,
hope to the despairing,
anything but an easy ride to those who want to quit…

and a hook for anyone caught by opra.

laz

Email from Laz at 8:11 am:

the morning of hope

the second day has dawned bright and cool,
with as low a humidity as has been seen in these parts recently.

accordingly, the runners are doing well.
only one casualty so far.
shannon burke found a too-willing volunteer to retrieve her from the road.
how often your worst enemy comes in the guise of a friend!
(me and carl were sure we could get another day out of her)

5-day has reported a tiny blister,
hardly any bigger than a golf ball.
that should help him stay alert today.
hopefully it will heal during his 4 remaining days.

other than that,
only the usual stomach issues,
and moderately sore feet.

big backpack was sighted crawling from a ditch before martin,
yesterday afternoon.
he appeared to be having serious difficulties,
so we averted our eyes and drove quickly past….

turned out to be the right choice,
because he is now well up in the field and moving well…

certainly he has to have enough supplies to propel him down the road.

it doesn’t get any better than this….

at least it is not going to.

laz

Email from Mike Dobies at 8:29 am:

Vol State – 24 Hour Update

Tracking Sheet:
http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2013

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e150638dae8a95363&msa=0&ll=35.817813,-86.973267&spn=2.463072,5.410767

Hi all, it’s Lisa. I’ll be updating this post throughout the day with tweets, pictures, emails, maps, and links about the 2013 edition of the Last Annual Vol State 500K.

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

Links you might find fun:

Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map – for runner tracking (updated twice a day).
Carl’s 2013 Last Annual Volstate 500K Album.

Twitter:
RunItFast: @runitfast
Joshua Holmes: @bayou
Shannon Burke: @s4121burke
Dallas Smith:  @smithbend
VS500: #VS500  or #VS500K

Facebook:
UltraJoshua – Joshua Holmes
Last Annual Vol State Road Race 

So far today:

Lisa: That’s it for today! I hope you will check back on Run It Fast tomorrow for Day 2’s live blog and see who took “a little bite” out of the Last Annual Vol State 500K!

Email from Laz at 11:06 pm:

inspiration, perspiration, and a sniff of the vol-state

49 runners along with assorted crew and family on the ferry was really something to see.
remembering the years when we might not have but 4 people,
we never thought the vol-state would look like this.

there was so much energy coursing thru the field as we cruised across the river,
unknown adventures hiding amongst the trees on the approaching riverbank.
hope and fear mingled, especially for the multi-day virgins among us.
it was impossible not to feel the inspiration.

after the traditional counting of the runners at the Mississippi river overlook,
there was little for carl and I to do but drive up thru the field,
and wait to take the splits at the 21 mile mark.
there were far too many runners on the road for us to stop and chat with each one.
the best thing for us to do was remove our own vehicle from the congestion on the road.

as we watched everyone pass thru the 21 mile mark,
happily informing nearly the entire field that they were on “course record pace”
we talked about where the runners really stood.

at 21 miles they had broken the wrapper on the vol-state.
they could catch just a sniff,
a hint of the smell of the real thing.
they had not taken a bite of vol-state yet,
not even a nibble.
hell, they hadn’t even peeled the wrapper back.
they had just broken the seal,
and maybe, just maybe, caught a hint of the smell.

the 12 hour results are on the map now.
fejes has taken a lead.
choi is 7 miles back, followed closely by abbs, holmes, and fegys.

none of this, of course, means anything as we head into the first night.
who will rest? who will run on?
who will get stronger? and who will falter?

the one thing certain is,
the 24 hour standings will little resemble the 12 hour’s.
the vol state is a race that takes a while to fall into place.
those who want to fight for the crown
must work hard to secure a spot among the contenders.
for those who get that work done,
in a couple of days the serious racing begins.

among the many newbies to this nasty game,
the passing of the first 24 hours includes another test.
how will they respond to messages from their body that it has had enough?
between tomorrow morning and the rock will come many next steps that seem impossible,
sheer will, and the refusal to surrender will be all that drives them on.

in the movies,
the hard work would be represented by a few minutes of visually stimulating clips,
accompanied by inspiring music.
the ultimate victory would go on forever in slow motion….

real life is very different.
the hard work is goes on forever,
with an end nowhere in sight.
the view changes slowly, and dramatic moments are few.
the closest thing to inspiring music is the slap of your shoes on the pavement,
and the sloshing of water in your bottles.

tomorrow morning we will see who has what it takes to tear open that wrapper,
and take a little bite.

laz

Email from Carl Laniak at 10:42 pm:

the volstate album is updated

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107684748124952715657/albums/5899552556950832081

this afternoon’s pics are shadowy, but you can’t blame me for sitting in the shade for the 6+ hours we waited for most of the field to pass the traditional “20 mile” split under the bridge….I mean, it’s a little warm out there.

they’re still out there, mostly moving. they’re going to start feeling like they’ve “actually gotten somewhere” soon.

carl

Lisa: So, at the 12 Hour Update, the top 10 solo runners were:
1. Joe Fejes – 60 miles
2. Sung Ho Choi – 53 miles
3. Alan Abbs – 49 miles
4. Joshua Holmes – 47 miles
5. John Fegyveresi – 47 miles
6. Roy Tamez – 45 miles
7. Jeff Kasal – 45 miles
8. Tim Purol – 45 miles
9. Joseph Nance – 44 miles
10. Ray Krolewicz – 44 miles

And here are the standing for the relay teams at the 12 Hour Update:

1. Team Stinky Feet – 70 miles
2. Team Two Step – 57 miles
3. Team Dancing Bears – 55 miles
4. Team Country Gentlement – 54 miles

This is what the map of the runners looks like at the 12 Hour Update:

Cool to see how much they have spread out over just one day! Joe Fejes is still in the lead. There’s been some speculation on the email list that he might not keep it so we will have to see how it plays out!

Email from Mike Dobies at 8:52 pm:

Vol State – 12 Hour Update

Tracking Sheet:

http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2013

Map:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e12ec15b689068078&msa=0

Instagram post by Josh at 8:31 pm

Tweet from Dallas at 6:51 pm:

Tweet from Dallas at 6:48 pm:

Instagram post from Josh at 5:36 pm:

Lisa: Did you see that Joe Fejes is currently in 1st? He is the pre-race favorite and might even break the course record for the Last Annual Vol State 500K this year! The current record is 3:17:42:12 and Joe set the 72 hour mark by running 329.64 miles at the 2012/2013 Across The Years. Piece of cake, right? Of course, he had much cooler temps there but it will be exciting to watch what happens! Not only with him, but with all the runners.

Email from Carl Laniak at 2:36 pm:

Re: 21 mile vol state splits

Still waiting on:

Diane Taylor
Jan walker
Tj nagies
Marcia Rasmussen
Paul Heckert

Carl

Email from Carl Laniak at 2:10 pm:

21 mile vol state splits

1) joe fejes 3:09
2) sue (team stinky feet) 3:23
3) Alan white trash Abbs 4:04
4) Claude (team two step) 4:05
5) Joshua Holmes 4:06
6) sung ho choi 4:06
7) sal coll 4:21
8 ) Tim purol 4:30
9) Jeff castle 4:31
10) John fegys 4:35
11) Roy tamez 4:36
12) Marv Skagerberg (country gentlemen) 4:40
13) Charlie Taylor 4:40
14) Patrick binienda (dancing bears) 4:42
15) John Adams 4:46
16) Joel gat 5:09
17) joe F nance 5:10
18) dusty 5:19
19) Shannon 5:19
20) Texas Jeff 5:20
21) rayk 5:42
22) brad 5:42
23) Jeff mcgonnell 5:42
24) Jim ball 5:42
25) Diane Bolton 5:43
26) sherry Meador 5:44
27) Jeff Stevens 5:51
28) Wayne mccomb 5:57
29) jp 6:02
30) Dallas smith 6:17
31) psyche 6:18
32) joe co-alski 6:20
33) Robert Woodall 6:24
34) Scott tater krouse 6:24
35) giant backpack curro 6:29
36) 5-day brazell 6:29
37) dave wingard 6:33
38) Becky lockard 6:33

Carl

Tweet from @keithdunn at 11:03 am:

Email from Carl Laniak at 10:31 am:

Here is an album with a pic of each starter going past the overlook above the Mississippi River this morning (mile 2).

The sun was in the wrong place for more scenic pictures…

40 solo runners started their 500km journey run.

4 relay teams started.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107684748124952715657/albums/5899373024742557185

Instagram post from Josh at 9:43 am:

Instagram post from Josh at 7:13 am:

And so it begins…

Email from Laz at 8:56 pm on 7/10/13:

twas the night before vol-state
and in all of the rooms.
not a person was stirring,
not even the doomed.
all of the runners were off in their beds,
with visions of ferries dancing in their heads…

except for the room that carl and laz share
where wagers are being taken;
who quits first, and where?

laz

Last Annual Vol State 500K 2012

The Last Annual Vol State 500K begins this Thursday, July 11th. What is the Last Annual Vol State 500K? It’s a 314 mile foot race across Tennessee…in July. Because running 314 miles isn’t crazy enough, you have to do it in the refreshing heat and humidity of the south in the summer!

The Last Annual Vol State 500K is the brain child of Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell). It starts in Dorena Landing, Missouri with a boat ferry ride, runs across Tennessee, and ends atop a mountain at Castle Rock, Georgia. The runners can do this crewed or uncrewed (Screwed) or as a relay. If you are doing it in the Screwed category, you must carry everything that you will need and can only accept handouts/help from the kindness of strangers.

This year, 6 Run It Fast Club members will be running the Last Annual Vol State 500K, 3 veterans of the race and 3 newbies. 2 RIFers will be doing this crewed and 4 will be Screwed. Think only super humans can do this kind of run? Think again! Below you will meet 6 every day people…just like you and me…who happen to be embarking on a 314 mile journey to see what they are made of. Check out their stories below and then check the bottom of the post for links to follow them.

THE VETERANS

RIF #276 DIANE TAYLOR

Diane has completed 2 Last Annual Vol State 500Ks and will be running her 4th this year (her first attempt was derailed by blisters). She will be running it uncrewed again this year. The past 2 years (since running 314 miles across Tennessee was not enough), Diane drove to the finish line and started her race early by running towards the start line. Last year, she was picked up in Lewisburg as others headed to the start so she added about 100 miles on to her journey in 2012! We asked Diane why she keeps coming back and she said: “I can’t explain it but I would like to do it every year as long as I’m physically able. There are others who have run/are running this who are in there 70s so I hopefully I will be able to do it into my 70s as well.”

Since Diane is running this Screwed and has to carry her own pack with what she needs, we asked her if she brought anything extra with her. She said this year “everything in the pack is just what I need. It weighs 9 1/2 pounds without water and another 6ish pounds with water so it will weigh about 16 pounds when full. Last year, I carried/wore a badge that Shannon (RIF #171 Shannon Burke – see below) made to honor our friend Angela Ivory.”

Screwed runners are not allowed to accept help from anyone they know or from the crews of other runners but can accept help from random strangers, Road Angels. We asked Diane if she had encountered any Road Angels and she said: “many times strangers stopped to give me water/soda and twice Road Angels asked me what I needed and then went to get water and bring it back to me.”

Next we asked Diane what she learned about herself while running the Last Annual Vol State 500K and she said: “I guess you learn when you want something bad enough, you are capable of doing a lot more than you thought. If you really, really want it, it can happen.”

Finally, we asked Diane if she had any advice for newbies to the VS500K or for anyone who was thinking about doing it and she said: “Tell everybody that they can do this. You don’t have to be a super athlete or runner. Anyone can do it.”

Diane used herself as a reference for that last questions, saying that if she, who was an average person, could do this then anyone can. We don’t know about you, but we think Diane is pretty amazing! Good luck Diane!

***

RIF #171 SHANNON BURKE

Shannon will be running her 3rd Vol State 500K this year and will be running uncrewed. The first year she ran it, she hadn’t even done a 50 Mile or 100 Mile race yet! She didn’t finish that first year but came back determined last year and finished in 8:13:13:36. We asked Shannon why she decided to run this race when her longest previous run was only 42 miles (only with a race like this can you say “ONLY” and 42 miles in the same sentence!) and she said: “I didn’t look at it as 500K as much as a grand adventure.  Laz (Gary Cantrell) has a way of writing that sucks you into his world.  I followed Vol State during 2010 and knew I wanted to try it.  And I am gullible and have a group of fellars that encourage me to try these races.”

Then we asked her why she keeps coming back and she said: “Vol State truly is a race that anyone can do.  It all depends on how bad you want it.  After I failed in 2011, I spent the next year wishing for the ferry to get my chance at redemption.  (It was a really long year!)  It is truly a journey run and you learn a lot about yourself.”

And finally, we asked her what the best and worst parts of the race are for her and she said: “The best: reading a Laz post that lifts your spirits when they were bottomed out, the open road, learning so much about yourself and your strength within, napping on a porch swing after a wonderful lunch, and the chance to stop when you reach the rock.  The worst:  going to bed knowing you have to get up the next day and go again, relentless rain that chases you under a bridge just to get a little bit of silence, and the pain and despair you find at times and don’t feel like you will ever reach the rock.”

But we do know that Shannon reached the rock and we are sure she will again this year! Good luck Shannon! You can follow Shannon on Twitter: @s4121burke and you can check out her blog Yellow Bus Adventures.

***

RIF #1 JOSHUA HOLMES

Josh has run over 90 marathons and ultras and will be running his 3rd Vol State 500K with a crew supporting him. Last year he was 2nd Overall and shaved more than 2 days off his previous year’s time! We asked him what makes Vol State 500K different from the many other races he’s done and he said: “It’s a grand epic adventure that gets in your blood like a bad virus and never leaves it even once the race is over and you’ve finished it. You think about it almost daily and the bond you make with your fellow Vol State runners is almost a fraternal bond that brings about a special spark when you see a VS alum at another race.”

Next, we asked Joshua about his huge PR last year and if it was training or mental preparation that made the difference and he said: “We had some crew issues in year one and I went in just wanting to finish the race. I was conservative and I kept an eye on my crew, my 15-year old cousin, as much as he kept an eye on me. We had a grand time and we both learned a lot along the way. I was a stronger runner going into my second attempt, but more so I knew what to expect and the layout of the course having run it before. I also attacked it like one of the wild dogs you sometimes meet along the way.”

Then we asked him if the running 314 miles seemed less intimidating after having done it twice and he said: “At this point I know what it takes to finish it, but I keep raising the bar of what I expect out of myself and what time goals I set for myself. It’s 314 miles no matter how you slice it. If you are going to be intimated by a race before it starts then it’s likely this one or you’re an android.”

Finally, we asked Joshua what lessons he’s learned from Vol State 500K that he’s been able to apply to other races/life experiences and he said: “Mental toughness, physical toughness, blister toughness…about every form of toughness imaginable. The downside is that almost every race since Vol State is a bit of a let down, because Vol State is such an epic adventure.”

We are excited to watch Joshua tear it up out there this year! He’s a beast! Good luck Josh! You can follow his adventures on Twitter: @bayou or on his Facebook page: UltraJoshua. Also, Joshua is raising money for charity: water and if you would like to donate to his campaign, click here: 2013 Vol State 500K Endurance Run. In 2011, Joshua and RIF #2 Naresh Kumar (@iamarunr) raised $6,205 while running VS500 that year and they helped fund a well in Ethiopia! Let’s help him top that this year!

THE NEWBIES

 RIF #79 DALLAS SMITH

Dallas has run many, many marathons, ultras, and Ironman races. He’s qualified for Boston numerous times and holds a boat load (58 and counting) of State Records for ages 63 to 72 in Tennessee for everything from the 5K to the marathon. He will be running his first Vol State 500K this year and he is doing it uncrewed.

We asked Dallas why he decided to take this challenge on and he said: “The answer is I don’t think I know why. I am always ready for adventure & a new experience & VS certainly is that. What I don’t like to face is that I may be seeking redemption for failing on a similar run in Spain. That failure was a spirit breaker in its abject totality. I was whipped. As broken ad Cool hand Luke. It haunts me yet & I guess I’m looking for a 2nd chance.”

And since everyone can use a bit of luck, we asked Dallas if he was taking a good luck charm with him and he said: “I hadn’t thought about that til now, but actually I am taking a good luck charm, a pair of Kalenji socks I bought on that same Spain trip. Practically every race I’ve run since, I’ve worn those socks, dozens & dozens. They seem indestructible & I’ve always said they were the best socks I ever owned. Not too romantic, I’ll admit, but when I was deciding on socks they had to go in. They connect this race to my failure in Spain.”

Since Dallas first answered that last question, he was given a good luck charm to carry by his daughter which we think is appropriate for the VS500:

Finally, we asked Dallas if he was nervous or excited about any part of this journey he was starting on and he said: “I’m not nervous. Strange to say – because I’m quite timid – I’ve never been nervous before a race. I am surely not bragging about that but merely expressing reality and a bit of amazement at it. I AM anxious, anxious in the sense that I want to see what will happen. Kinda like after a marathon finally starts and you say to yourself, finally dammitt we can run. This race holds many mysteries for me. A big component is the dirtbag-life on the road. Separate from the mere running is the continual foraging for food, water and shelter. All that is a problem in itself and I am curious to see how it all plays out.”

We cannot wait to hear all about the adventures Dallas has out there and are sure it would make for a great book! (If you don’t know, Dallas is an accomplished writer and a wonderful storyteller. You can find links to his books on his blog Turnaround and follow him on Twitter: @smithbend)

***

RIF #159 DIANE BOLTON

Diane is a racing machine. She just recently completed her SECOND round of marathons in 50 States. She will be running her first Vol State 500K this year with the help of a crew. We asked her why she took on this challenge and she said: “Why..actually I’ve been asking myself this too..ha,ha. Actually, RIF has been instrumental in having me challenge myself. With this in mind Vol State offered me a challenge totally out of my comfort zone. I’m not afraid of not finishing but would regret if I didn’t try. That said, I will take it day by day learning much about my threshold as well as the wonderful adventures in ultra endurance running.”

Next, we asked her what she was most excited and/or nervous about and she said she was: “Most excited about the knowledge I will gain learning so much more from some fascinating very accomplished ultra runners. What I’m most nervous about…everything! I’m such a rookie here. But thankful for the many people helping me on this journey. Most importantly my guardian angel crew chief Phil Min (RIF #286). None of this would have been possible had he not offered to crew me, giving up his scheduled marathon and extra days to be part of this epic event. I hope he’ll still call me friend when this is all over. “

Lastly, Diane had this to say about the coming days: “Also worried I’ll get lost. This is an unmarked course. I get lost on my last loop of a 9 times around course! 🙂 One thing I know for sure…I’m going to laugh and I’m going to cry. None of this would have been experienced had it not been for the gentle push by some in this wonderful Run It Fast family.”

We know Diane is going to be just fine! And we are excited that she is taking on this challenge. Go Diane!

***

RIF #101 DAVID WINGARD

David will be running his first Vol State 500K this year and he will be doing it uncrewed. He’s run almost 100 marathons and didn’t start running until he was 52. Not only does he run, but he raises money for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation as well. You can learn more about David on his website Run David Run.

We asked David why he decided to do VS500 and he said: “I only decided about 10 days ago to do this race. When I did the Jackal Marathon series a couple of weeks ago, some of my close enablers, oh, I mean friends, explained to me why I needed to run this race.”

Next we asked David if he had done anything like this before and he said: “The longest race I have done so far is Camrades (54 miles) twice. I plan to do my 1st 100 mile racin in August – the Leadville 100.”

Finally, we asked him what he was most nervous and excited about the next 314 miles and he said: “I’m most nervous about having my 1st DNF. I am most excited about running a new race with my friends and running further than I have ever run before.”

Good luck David! We have no doubt you will do great and that this will be great training for your next big adventure! (David is planning to go for the World Record for hiking the Appalachian Trail in June 2014 – you can find more info about that on his website as well).

***

I hope you’ll join us in wishing good luck to all of our Run It Fast Club members and all the others running the Last Annual Vol State 500K. Once again, it starts at 7am Central Time on Thursday, July 11th. We will be posting daily blogs/updates here on Run It Fast so make sure you check back here or follow us on Twitter @runitfast. You can also do a Twitter search on the hashtag #VS500 to see all the tweets about this year’s Last Annual Volstate 500K.

You can also like the Last Annual Vol State 500K Facebook page here: Last Annual Vol State Road Race.

And finally, you can also check on the runners at this link to the Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map. It will be updated twice a day with each runners position/miles as they head to the finish.

Don’t miss out on the fun! Who knows, maybe next year people will be asking you “You’re going to run how far?” 🙂

[photos courtesy of Joshua Holmes, Naresh Kumar, and Lisa Gonzales]

Along the course of this year’s Last Annual Vol State 500K I documented the 314+ mile journey on my Twitter and my Facebook ‘Running Page‘ (view here).

Below is my race report along with a few of those Facebook updates and photos I took throughout the race (and others).  The race report is very long and was done for me, to help me remember the race as time goes by and memories begin to fade.  If others happen to enjoy it or benefit from it then that is even better.

The Vol State 500K is one of the toughest races in the world. The race starts in Missouri then touches part of Kentucky before making it to the July oven on earth that is Tennessee for the next 290+ miles. The race concludes by leaving Tennessee and dipping down into Alabama briefly before runners finish at ‘The Rock’ atop a mountain in Castle Rock, Georgia some 314 miles after starting. Read the full story

The 2nd annual Blister In The Sun Marathon took place this morning in Cookeville, Tennessee at Cane Creek Park.

Race Director Josh Hite, for the second year in a row, won his race. This year Hite completed the five loops with a time of 3:16:55. He bested the next closest finisher by nearly 30 minutes.

The battle for 2nd and 3rd places went down to the wire with Murfreesboro’s Chris Estes taking 2nd by 35 seconds over James Ramsey who had to settle for third.

The female winner was Jennifer Whitley who finished with a time of 4:19:42. The next two women’s finishers were Michelle Walker and Kelly Delmar.

Legendary Dallas Smith finished in 7th place with a time of 4:04:07.  Dallas’ buddy Albino Jiminez, of Spain, finished in 4:23:17. Jiminez just ran all the way across Spain back earlier this year.

12-year old Christopher Rayder finished in a shocking time of 4:08:49. Rumor is it that he ran a 3:23 at Grandfather Mountain Marathon last month.

Angela Ivory finished her 297th marathon while Texas resident Larry Macon finished his 707th career marathon.

Instead of finisher’s medals the runners received finisher’s frying pans!

Congrats to all of the finishers. Those five loops around Cane Creek Park and the elementary school in that heat can wear down the best of runners.

2011 Blister In the Sun Photos

[photos by Naresh Kumar and Chris Estes]

___________

Here is a look at the full results from the 2011 ‘Last Annual Vol State 500K Foot Race’ that covered 314 miles through 5 states and the hot-oven that is the state of Tennessee.

73-year old Don Winkley, the Hemmingway of multi-day road racing, won the esteemed title of ‘King of the Road’ finishing the race in 5 days 14 hours 21 minutes and 32 seconds.

Naresh Kumar was the first unaided runner (without crew) to cross the finish line with a time of 7 days 55 minutes and 4 seconds. Naresh completed the brutal race wearing Vibram 5 Fingers the entire way.  He came in 4th overall.

Abi Meadows was the first woman to Castle Rock finishing with a time of 6 days 15 hours 45 minutes and 47 seconds. She finished third overall.

2011 Vol State 500K Final Results

1. Don Winkley – 5:14:21:32
2. Mike Matteson – 5:21:21:06
3. Abi Meadows – 6:15:45:47
4. Naresh Kumar – 7:00:55:04
5. Sherry Meador – 7:15:09:01
6. Fred Murolo – 7:23:42:46
7. Joshua Holmes – 8:00:07:44
8. Paul Lefelhocz – 8:04:15:55
9. Sal Coll – 8:06:40:29
10. John Price – 8:07:27:00
11. Erika Matheny – 8:18:57:45
12. Lynnor Matheny – 8:18:58:42
13. Diane Taylor – 9:15:11:34

_____________________________

Started but didn’t finish:

• Joe Judd – 252 miles
• Fred Davis – 177 miles
• Stu Gleman – 175 miles
• Shannon Burke – 130 miles
• Joe Ninke – 106 miles
• Marvin Skagerberg – 76 miles

Congrats to all the finishers and to those who started as well. This is a very tough race that takes a very special and determined person to even show up at the ferry for the start at Dorena Landing.

‘King of the Road’ Don Winkley’s Winning Vol State 500K Race Report

It’s time, once again, for one of the craziest ultra marathons in the United States to take place.  This race takes place in the middle of July, every summer, and covers most of the great state of Tennessee as it toasts most who decide to conquer it.

The description of ‘The Last Annual Vol State 500K Foot Race’ from it’s Facebook page describes the race like this:

This is the original vol-state road race, going back for over 30 years. ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!! The last supper will be held at Ryans in Union City, TN on Wednesday july 13. The ferry ride from Dorena Landing (MO) to Hickman (KY) will take place on Thursday, July 14… The first ferry leaves MO at @ 7:30 am. Most of us will ride to the start from KY on the 7:00 am ferry. The race distance is 500km (actually a hair longer) and the race will finish at Castle Rock (GA). The last 1/2 mile is on trails! Time limit is 10 days (50km per day) The course record of 3 days 17 hours is held by DeWayne Satterfield of Alabama. Relays are allowed… if we ever get enough relay teams, we will start them on sat morning, and let them run down the solo runners!! Two solo divisions, aided and unaided. Unaided runners can leave their vehicles at the finish, and we will have transportation to the start. (314 Miles)

Read More on the History of The Last Annual Vol State 500K

This is the weather advisory that The National Weather Service issued the following warning for Union City, TN (where the race runs through in the early stages) today:

HEAT INDEX READINGS… 105 TO 111 DEGREES SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

* TIMING… PEAK HEAT INDEX READINGS ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN 11 AM AND 6 PM EACH DAY. LITTLE RELIEF IS EXPECTED AT NIGHT WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE MID 70S TO LOWER 80S.

* IMPACTS… PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THIS HEAT CAN BE DANGEROUS IF THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE… RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK… THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY… CALL 911.

The only thing more intimidating than the weather is the trash the VS500 veterans talk on the email threads regarding this race.

Here are the maps for the 2011 race via John Price’s ultra running website:

2011 Vol State 500K Road Maps & Turn Sheets

• Vol State 500K Start to Finish Maps
• Vol State 500K Cities Maps
• Vol State 500K Mileage Sheet w/ Hotels/Convenience Stores
• 2008 Vol State 500K Turns Sheet

A VS 500K record of 22 runners have signed up so far for the race this year.

List of runners who have committed to the 2011 Vol State 500K: (as of July 8, 2011)

Self Supported Runners
Sal Coll
Fred Davis
Stu Gleman
Lynnor Matheney
Erika Matheney
Sherry Meador
Abi Meadows
Michael Montgomery
Kumar Naresh
Joe Ninke
Mike O’Melia
John Price
Marvin Skagerberg
Diane Taylor

Crewed Runners
Ray Baum
Shannon Burke
Joshua Holmes
Joe Judd
Mike Matteson
Fred Murolo
Don Winkley
Trixie Smith

Ways to Track the 2011 Vol State 500K Race:

• John Price’s Google Map (View Here)
• Live Blog Updates Here on Run It Fast (Home Page)
• Joshua Holmes’ Facebook Page (View ‘Like’ Here)
• Joshua Holmes on Twitter (Follow Here)
• Vol State 500K Facebook Fan Page (View ‘Like’ Here)

You can donate to Joshua and Naresh’s charity:water effort to raise $5,000 to build a water well to provide clean drinking water to a community of 250 people (Click HERE to Donate).

Thanks to all of our friends and family that have donated so far in an effort to reach our goal. It means a lot that you’ve taken the effort to support us in this race and our vision of hopefully being able to build this clean drinking well.

What’s 314 Miles? I’m in for The Last Annual Vol State 500K Race

Run Under the Stars 10 Hour Endurance Race – June 11-12, 2011

This was my second year running the Run Under the Stars 10 Hour Endurance Race in Paducah, Kentucky put on by the West Kentucky Runner’s Club.  Race director Steve Durbin does a great job putting on this race as well as the Land Between the Lakes trail races.

The race takes place at the Carson Horse Park there in Paducah. It’s a half-mile horse track that is composed of crushed limestone.  The track is wide and more than accommodated the 75 or so runners that took part this year.

The race uses chip timing and keeps track of every lap you make during the 10 hour race. You can run as much or as little as you want. You can even run, rest, nap, camp out, then run some more if you want. Race standings are posted throughout the race to help track the competition.  A TV monitor also posts your lap count every time you cross the tracking mat under the race tent.

An aid table is positioned right there on the track that you naturally pass every 1/2 mile. This made the need to carry a fuel belt or water bottle less important. The table was fully stocked throughout the night with water, Gatoraide, and Heed for drinks. It then had an assortment of foods that included watermelon, oranges, candy, potato chips, and even pizza & ice cream as the race grew long.

Runners that show up for this race often have varying goals. Some want to run something as short as a half-marathon while others want to tackle a long ultra-distance of 50+ miles or more.

Weather for this year’s event was cooler with temperatures in the 70’s for most of the race after a storm front had moved through the area earlier in the day. Last year it was in the mid 90’s at the start and never dipped below 84 degrees.  So the weather this year was a lot more ideal for running.

Last year, I had found the race online and thought it sounded unique, quirky, and fun. It was within driving distance so I said what the heck. I had a blast obviously as I returned this year for more. I was also excited that I was able to persuade other tormented souls into joining me in the rat race around the oval track this year.

The theme song for the race, that got stuck in my head after hearing it on the radio on the drive up, was the Smashing Pumpkins lyric, “Despite all my rage, I’m still just a rat in a cage.” It was and is the perfect song and lyric for RUTS because we were all rats out on that oval cage running off our rage and whatever eats at us and drives us to push our bodies to the limit.

At RUTS you are always doing one of two things, either lapping someone or getting lapped. You actually get to know your fellow runners unlike most races where you might only see the competition at the start, finish, and perhaps for a few seconds in between as you run.  So you find yourself talking to the other runners, who are friendly and eager for any opportunity to distract him or herself from the 10 hour clock that is ticking down.

For that very fact, it’s a great race to run with friends that are faster, slower, or normally run a different distance than you since you can spend time with them every few laps as you make your rounds.

My good running friends Chris Estes, Scott Stader, and Naresh Kumar trusted me enough to take my word to join me for the race this year.

I showed up at the horse track at 6:30pm for the 8:00pm race start. See that is the other thing. This race starts at 8pm and then you run throughout the night until 6am, hence the ‘Run Under the Stars’ name.

After arriving, I quickly put up my tent, along with Naresh’s help.  Inside the track’s infield there is ample space to park, pitch a tent, roast marshmellows or do almost anything one desires.  Estes and Stader arrived soon after and quickly joined the ultra party.

Upon check we received our race bib along with other great goodies like a West Kentucky Runner’s Club running hat, tote bag, tech shirt, and fuel belt.

The tent and our vehicles were just 35 feet or so from the horse track. The tent was in front of our cars. Then in front of our cars, just a foot or two off the track, we placed our lawn chairs where we placed all our race gear we thought we might need throughout the night. This way we could just step off the track, grab what we want, then step right back on without losing valuable time tracking inside the infield to get personal belongings.

The field had 66 runners this year and 4 relay teams. The relay team runners were often easy to spot because they zipped by me because they had only been running for an hour or short distance. It’s always hard to gauge who is running hard or the furthest on a 1/2 mile loop because you never know the other runner’s goals or if they are going to run the entire time. Someone is naturally going to run harder and faster if they are just running a half-marathon distance or are part of a relay team. You also never know if this or that runner has been resting the past hour in their tent as you’ve been downing more miles.

I came in trying to have no expectations, to just run well and listen to my body…but in the back of my head I wanted to run 50 miles. I also wanted to top my 50.5 mile distance of last year.

When the race began I started at around a 9 minute/mile pace and ran the first three miles at this pace before I realized it was probably too fast a pace. I decided to slow down a bit and let my heart rate come down to help me find a comfortable rhythm. I didn’t want to labor, especially just 30 minutes into a 10-hour event.

I didn’t eat anything the first couple of hours. I just drank water and Nuun. The Nuun is good stuff and about 100x better than Gatoraide.  After the first hour I had finished approximately 6.5 miles.

I hit 12 miles at 1:57 and the half-marathon mark at around 2:08. I would talk with friends and strangers as I continued to put down miles. I brought headphones in case I wanted to listen to music at some point, but I never broke them out. I don’t like having to wrestle with headphones, cords, and sweaty ear holes while trying to run.

With an ultra you can’t just worry about hydration. You also have to worry about nutrition and replacing the calories and carbs you are burning up.  You will wilt and die if you refuse to eat. Of course eating when you don’t feel like eating is usually just as difficult. I started with simple stuff like watermelon and oranges. I also would take a Gu Roctane about every 40 minutes.

After 3 hours I was at 18 miles. After 4 hours, 23.2 miles. My runner never really slowed as the night progressed, but I had to walk for a 1/10th of a mile once or twice a lap after the first couple of hours as my ankles became extremely tender from some of the divots in the track from the horses.

Around midnight the pizza arrived!  I took two slices and neatly stacked them on top of each other as I took off for another lap. I ran the next mile while slowly eating both pieces of pizza. The pizza tasted great and provided several hundred calories that would come in handy later on.

I reached the marathon distance (26.2 miles) in 4:35 and had 28.2 miles banked at 5 hours, the half-way point.

At 6 hours I had finished 33.3 miles. I knew I had a good shot of reaching 50 miles if my body would hold up. My ankles, tender and sore from very early in the race, made me wonder if my running would turn into a March of Dimes walk-a-thon. I was hoping my short walk breaks every half mile would be enough to allow me to continue to run it fast until the end.

When I reached 32 miles, I came across Estes on a lap. He looked a bit beat up and told me he had developed a painful blister on the bottom of one of his feet. He had tried to tape it, but the blister seemed determined to slow down Estes or end his night….which it did.

Estes, to my shock, told me he was going to finish another lap and call it a night with 34.5 miles.  He was going to play it smart. Something runners, and especially those like Estes and myself, rarely do.

He made the right call.

So Estes retired to the lawn chair near the track and did a great job of offering the rest of us encouragement and support for most of remaining 4 hours.

35 miles came at 6:22 and 40 at 7:23.  I had over 2.5 hours to do at least 10 miles. I had my iPhone out to recalculate the pace I would need to reach 50 miles ever so often when I’d hit a milestone (marker).  I stayed strong and the pace I needed continued to become a larger and larger number….a good thing!

One of the best things that happened during the race took place took place with just a few hours left. I had been expecting and waiting upon it as well. I finished a lap and saw three volunteers standing there, each with a separate box. One had Bomb popsicles, the other Nutty Buddies, and the third had fudgesicles. I grabbed the chocolate one and that ice cream, that had  naturally melted a bit in the heat, tasted like fresh cocoa milk off a cow’s udder. It was heavenly and so yum!

Those magical volunteers from the big RD in the Sky were there for several more laps with all three ice cream options. I turned it down after the first time for fear my over-indulgence might cause a stomach problem that would turn me into Cary Morgan around mile 20 of a marathon.

With 22 minutes left, as the clock hit 9:38, I reached my goal of 50 miles. I felt good though so I kept running.  The miles weren’t easy at this point, but they weren’t hard either. I was still running 80% of each lap at a 9:10ish pace. I’d walk just long enough to catch my breath, bring my HR down, and rest my ankles.

I came around on lap 102 (51 miles) and saw I had plenty of time to attempt another lap. So I did, but I noticed quickly that my arms and fingers were tingling and going a bit numb. I quickly decided I didn’t want to die on a horse track in Paducah and walked a good bit of that last lap.

I finished with 51.5 miles in 9:58:42.

Naresh finished with 51.5 miles as well. We tied for 6th out of 66 solo runners. Stader finished his first ultra, a 50K.  Estes completed his third ultra with 34.5 miles.

103 Laps on a 1/2 Mile Horse Track (via Garmin)

103 laps around an oval horse track, in the middle of the night, might like a bad idea to some people, but RUTS is a great race that allows you to run with and alongside your friends until the race clock runs out of tick-tocks.

I’ve run 204 laps around that horse track the past two years.  I’ll likely be back next year for more.  I plan to bring even more running friends with me next year!

– Joshua Holmes

[Other runners I enjoyed running with, spending time with, and seeing once again included Sulaiman Seriki, Diane Taylor, John Price, Mike Youngblood, Bruce Tanksley, Gary Cantrell (Lazarus Lake), and Stu Gleman to name a few.]

[photo: Scott Stader]