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Bloody 11W 100 Mile Buckle – 2011

Bloody 11W 100 Mile Ultra Belt Buckle (Inaugural)

Six started, three finished. It was ugly, bloody, and extremely tough!

And now we have proof that it actually took place.

Here is the finisher’s buckle from the inaugural Bloody 11W 100 Mile Ultra that took place on September 3-5, 2011 in Tennessee.

Bloody 11W 100 Mile Ultra Website

[Submitted by RD Naresh Kumar. Follow him on Twitter @iamarunr]

Posted in Bling, Featured, Medals, Ultra MarathonComments (0)

Naresh Kumar’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report

Naresh Kumar’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report

Some adventures transform a man. The sleepless nights, the euphoric feelings, the few silent minutes spent in contemplation, the conscious decision made to suffer through the heat, day and night on the endless road, recover and regain the strength, push forward only to sink deeper at the end of the day, the struggle to stay awake and do it over and over, hoping to get to the rock. Run, walk, eat and sleep – This is the story of my journey called The Last Annual Vol State Road Race 500K.

“The Last Annual” part is a joke. The race has been taking place since 1981. There’s no formal organization, no website, no registration fee, nothing. It’s a race for a bunch of people who likes to run real long distance. All the way from Dorena Landing, MO to Castle Rock, GA. 314 miles, 500K.

Like Laz mentioned once “You would not believe how alone you are on the side of the road. All of those people who pass by a few feet away are in another world. They’re in their little air conditioned metal box, but when you get done, you can remember every step of the road.”

Days before the Vol State:

I kept quiet on the Vol State list. Though I got my name enlisted as solo, unsupported, I didn’t make it official. These days, nothing’s official unless it’s facebook official. I thought about it several times. I can still pull back my entry, it’s a tough race, I don’t need to go through this, I’ll just show up as a volunteer and crew some of my friends but finally I had to shake off such odd thoughts and made it official on FB. This was the biggest step for me pre Vol State.

Next big question, what shoes am I going to wear? I have never run in shoes, besides my first two marathons. I have either run in VFF or would go barefoot. I picked up a few good pair from REI and felt miserable running in those and promptly returned them. I decided to take my VFF (Trek Sports) for a test ride on Vol State course on a hot day. Ran/Walked 22 miles and felt pretty comfortable and decided to stick with them. Also picked up a camel backpack and tightened all the cords and told myself that anything that would fit in it, I would take it. I wanted to keep it as minimal as possible, no space for anything that I MIGHT need during the race.

Besides planning for logistics, vacation, travel and other stuff, it was fear and anxiety that took over me. A week before the race, Vol State is all I could think of all the time. It got so frustrating and made me restless to the point that I just wanted to get on that damn ferry. I wrote to a couple of runners who have finished Vol State in the past asking for suggestions and advice. Everyone responded but four of the replies were so good that I took a print out of it and carried it with me during the race.

Here’s the excerpt of some of the conversation:

  • It is very hard Naresh; I would say the volstate is harder than a Barkley fun run….because it is SO far!!! The volstate requires toughness, but even more important is PATIENCE. There is no doubt in my mind that you can finish, but do not underestimate the need for patience. It is very far! – Carl Laniak
  • I don’t know if you’d consider running with your mouth closed, but I thought that helped regulate my effort and the core temperature – Matt Kirk
  • Nothing will prepare u for Vol State. No packs advise no strategy from other runners, no amount of heat training. By the end of the second day, crewed or solo, we will all feel like cow dung. Experience will help. But nobody can give you that. Permission is huge! Are you permitting yourself everything it takes? I’m serious when I say this: a fast walker can do this in ten days. Burn the ships. Destroy any possibility of an easy out. Divorce yourself from the world. Resign yourself to the fact that the start is in MO and the finish is on Sand Mountain. This is your job for the next 4-10 days. Accept it. It’s not easy, and it only gets harder. Exponentially harder in the last 30 miles. But, when the castle rock gate comes into view, and you realize you are only one mile from the rock, you will know that you have done an amazing thing. And it will have been worth it. – Mike O’Melia
  • Don’t worry about staying on the road for 10 days, you will be back to Nashville the following Monday after the race start – Laz

I was so pissed off with Laz’s comment and I told myself that even if I had to drop out, I’ll ensure to not drop out on Monday.

I was thinking much about the movie “The Way Back”, story about four men escaping from Siberian Gulag and their 4000 mile long trek for freedom. They face freezing nights, lack of food and water, mosquitoes, an endless desert, the Himalayas. At one point after reaching the great Himalayas someone questions about how they are going to get past the mountains and the guy replies “We walk”. That got stuck in my head. We Walk. To keep pushing forward. After all I at least have access to stores and civilization unlike these men who didn’t have anything.

Laz send another update few days before picking up the crewless runners from the rock to the start line:

humidity so high you can cut the air into blocks.

sun so cruel it sears exposed flesh.

they have heat advisories in effect.

people are supposed to minimize their time outside…

tomorrow we go pick up the crewless runners at the rock.

god help them.

if people hadn’t done it before,

i would say it couldn’t be done.

Charity : Water : Joshua mentioned in his blog, after he made it official about his Vol State, that if an individual attempts to do something that could result in death then one should raise money for a cause in that process to help the less fortunate. That stuck in my head. I asked him whether I can join hands with him in his campaign and he accepted gladly. Though I wanted to run this race for myself, I had another good reason to motivate myself and finish this race. Being born and brought up in India and having lived in a less fortunate place, I remember what a great deal it was to get clean drinking water. I decided to contribute a dollar for every mile as my contribution. Every mile counts and every mile would help realize building a well somewhere that would provide clean drinking water (Thanks Joshua for letting me part of your campaign).

Limerick Taxi Service:

Two fares named Naresh and Fred

Got in and were so full of dread,

That all the way through

“What’d I get myself into?”

Is what the both of them said. –Troubadour

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That was Rich’s poem for us and he goes by the name ‘Troubadour’ in the Ultralist. He offered a ride for me and Fred Davis for The Last Supper. Meeting Fred prior to the race was such a blessing. He had finished Vol State several times and his maps and notes were of such great help during the race. Everything just fell in place. Out of office, back pack, pepper spray, maps, I checked the items one after the other before jumping into the car. When I couldn’t get my hands on an Indian flag, I drew one myself on my race shirt. Rich was at my door. My “This is it” moment. Divorce from the world. I had a little cultural exchange with Rich and Beth during our ride and I had the chance to see their jaws drop when I started talking about “Arranged marriages in India”. We talked about a lot more stuff but I was not present in the ‘present’. We were driving through a part of the race course and Rich told tell me that I would have made it till there by day two, hopefully!!

The night before I left Nashville, I went on Facebook and un-friended my parents, sister and couple of friends who might possibly update my parents about my race. I still remember how mad, yet proud, they were when I told them about my first 100 mile finish. This time its three times longer and getting them worried about my adventure is the last thing I wanted. (Mom, Dad, Sis and friends – If you are reading this, I am sorry)

The Last Supper:

A ritual where all Vol State Runners, crew, volunteers, family and friends meet at Ryan’s steakhouse in Union City, TN the day before the Vol State. I heard so much about The Last Supper but I am here finally and things started getting real. I met all the runners and their family members. Ultra legends Dirt, Laz and Marv collectively had over 100 years of Ultra running experience.

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I thought I was the baby in the group but Erika beat me on that. I had couple of email conversation with Lynn, Ericka’s mom and an awesome runner, but meeting the mother daughter duo running the Vol State was such a pleasure. Finally, my friend Joshua showed up with his crew. Josh and I had several hours of conversation through email and chat prior to the race. Both of us were equally anxious and scared. Soon, we all retired for the night. I couldn’t go to sleep. I met Lyn, Erika and Sherry in their room and we had a blast talking about our races and other stuff.

For some reason, too much of anxiety kept from going to sleep. It didn’t work out no matter how hard I tried. I might have slept for an hour or two. Morning arrived sooner than I expected, 5:30AM, packed my bags, filled it up with water and jumped into Shannon’s yellow bus. I took a ride with Diane, my running friend who introduced me to the ultra world, and John Price who is a legend by himself. He recently ran across USA self supported and he also ran the Vol State double last year. We stopped at a couple of spot en route to click pictures and headed straight to the Dorena Landing, MO where our Ferry was waiting for us.

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Ferry ride was just the beginning:

Things started becoming more REAL for me. Things that I have read and heard about are happening to me. Last year I signed up for Vol State but had to pull back due to family emergency. Last Supper, Ferry Ride, Bench of Despair and the Rock were some of the notable things and two of it has already happened. The Ferry took us across Mississippi river to Dorena Landing, MO.

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We got out of the ferry, lined up at the start line and before we knew it, Laz lit his cigarette. Clock started ticking. Race is ON. We ran towards the ferry. Wish I could put it in much better words to explain the joy of the moment, but one has to be there to experience this.

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The ferry ride back to Kentucky was silent, at least for me. The longest 10 minutes of my life. Fear was creeping through  my spine; I disassociated myself to a corner of the ferry and was gazing at the water contemplating for the next few minutes. This race is something I never thought I would do. I had a humble beginning to the Ultra world and after 16 months of Ultras, here I am running the Vol State 500K. I had all sorts of questions and doubts but before I knew it the ferry landed on shore, I shook it off and took off with the rest of the runners.

First step into a sea of Uncertainty:

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The road wading through Hickman, KY towards Union City, TN. We took the wrong road within the first 3 miles of running but thank God, John price hollered and put us back on track. The day was starting to get hot, field was getting scattered but Josh and I were still running together. I stepped inside a bank on my way to refill my handheld bottle. Before we knew it, we made it to Union City, about 18 miles into the race.

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Made a quick stop at a Subway and I ate a tuna sandwich and lots of Coke. Josh and I soon caught up with Don Winkley, another Ultra Legend, and his crew Donald. Laz and Carl were standing under the bridge at Mile 20. “This is your worst 20 mile time, isn’t it” and I nodded, “yes indeed”. It took over 5 hours to run 20 miles. I had no goal for day 1 except that I talked myself into running at least 40 miles every day. I ran a bit with Don Winkley, another Ultra legend, who eventually won the race this year. While I was out of water and ice again, I stepped into an outdoor store and the lady was kind enough to give me some ice and let me use the faucet to refill my backpack. That refill took me all the way to Martin, TN (Mile 29)

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Made another quick stop at a McD and drank a large banana smoothie. I checked my feet and noticed that the duct tape has slipped over but it wasn’t all that bad. Refilled my pack again and headed out. Josh resupplied his stock and we took off. We noticed a church sign that said “The Most Effective Daily Exercise – Walking with God”, right message at the right time.

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It was a long stretch to Dresden and the day was getting hotter. The road almost appeared like an interstate with wide shoulders. Josh’s crew would pass me every now and then. I finally noticed the sign board “Dresden – A great place to live”. I was sitting under a tree for a bit and Josh’s crew hollered at me and asked me not to move, there was a dog charging towards me. I was feeling cold all of a sudden, my first encounter with dog during Vol State. He barked a bit, circled around me and left. Thank God. It was mile 40 and my feet were killing me. I just wanted to rest somewhere. There was a motel about 3 ¼ of a mile off the course and at that point I was ready to go that extra mile for some good rest.

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I picked up gallon chocolate milk and a sub on my way and got in my room. The motel owner, an Indian family from Gujarat, offered me a great discount and one of the best rooms. Felt really proud for having that India flag on my shirt. It unites every one of us no matter where we are. Took a cold shower and tried to rest but couldn’t go to sleep and was just lying on my bed. Iced my feet and kept it elevated, meanwhile I munched on some chips and sandwich and flushed it down with chocolate milk. When I realized that sleep is not my best friend that night, I decided to head back out. It was 12:30am. Before heading out I spread all the items from my backpack on the bed and decided to dump everything that I never touched for the day except for pepper spray. I woke up Josh and he asked me to get going and that he would start an hr later. I backtracked from the motel and rejoined the course. It was crisscross from there and if not for the directions painted on the road, I would be surely lost. It was funny that 500K direction was marked right next to a 5K race route. I am sure the 5K runners must be wondering who would run 500K and might even think it’s a prank.

It was a long night. The Old Route 22 which would take me to Gleason was so dark and lonely. I had a doubt at times whether I am on track. A cop passed me at around 2am and when they turned around, I was sure they were going to check on me. They were very friendly, I told them about the race and they asked me to be careful and went their way. Finally made it to Gleason (Mile 48) and after going through the town, it was Old 22 once again. Before heading out I checked my feet and it was a nasty sight. There were blisters everywhere. The skin started reacting to the adhesive tape. I should have left the duct tape intact before leaving Dresden, instead I thought I’ll tape my feet with the JnJ adhesive tape. A very costly mistake and I paid for it heavily. I removed the tape, cleared the blisters and applied some of the advanced blister band-aid and wore my Injinji socks. It was pitch dark and the road was wading through some corn fields. Soon, Josh’s crew passed me. It was the first sign of traffic after a long time. Blake told me that Josh is about 3 miles behind me. As I kept going I saw a flash light coming towards me. After about couple of minutes I noticed that it was Fred Davis. Apparently, he never rested and he turned around somewhere and was heading in the wrong direction. Not sure how far he went in the wrong direction but he turned around and we spoke a bit and I took off. It looks like he made the same mistake last year too but he is one strong runner who never rests.

Soon, the sun was out and a couple of very friendly dogs kept me company as I headed into McKenzie. I made a call at 6 in the morning to let Carl know my position. McKenzie, Mile 57. I stopped at a small local country café shop and had bacon and eggs and biscuits with lots of coffee. The waitress was very nice and I was soon joined by couple of local regulars and it was story time. I really enjoyed sharing my experiences and getting to meet new people on the road. Even as I was packing my bags to leave, I saw Fred stopping for breakfast at the same café. It felt good for having covered 57 miles on Day 1. Except for the blisters, I was feeling really good and goal was to get to Huntingdon by noon.

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At this pace, you can win the race:

I was on Old 22 once again. It was a long and quiet a hilly stretch. By now, I could smell a road kill from miles away and I was getting better at judging what it would be. This section had a huge rattle snake with its jaws wide open and it was smelling nasty. Later on I smelled a raccoon and my guess was right. Soon, I smelled evilness, and there was Laz. Carl and Laz were driving around and they stopped by. “Hey man, you are doing well, in fact you might even win this race”, Carl hollered.

I spoke with Laz and Carl and told them about Fred. They laughed. Carl told me that Sherry and Sal is in Huntingdon and resting for the day. Josh rested a bit at McKenzie and when I called him he was about 4 miles behind. I was feeling tired but not sleepy though. I kept pushing my way and after passing the courthouse, I stopped briefly at a small breakfast inn and got myself a cheese burger. While it was getting made, I spoke to the locals and it was story time. There were people of all kinds, motor bikers, construction workers, truck drivers, students, etc. After sharing my quest, I was pleasantly surprised when the lady handed over my burger and told me that it’s on the house. First act of kindness, my first free meal during the race. They asked me to keep my eyes open for Holly bobo, a girl who got abducted from her house and is still missing.

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I made it to Huntingdon, had my cheese burger, took cold shower and tried to sleep but the attempt went in vain. Cleaned up my blisters which were getting worse. Treated it with lots of peroxide and let it dry before applying fresh band-aids. 3 hrs went by with little sleep. Soon, Joshua joined me. His crew was equally tired. I stepped out for a bit and met Sal and Sherry. Sal was just heading out while Sherry wanted to catch some more rest. When I couldn’t get any more sleep, I decided to hit the road leaving Josh and his crew back at the motel.

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It was pouring cats and dogs and by the time I filled my backpack, the rain subsided. Though the sun wasn’t out, it was humid and the air was dry. Breathing was getting very difficult. A gentleman who was mowing his front yard asked me where I am going and when I told him that I am going to Lexington, his jaws dropped. He waved at me to get in his truck and when I told him that it’s a race, he just stared for a moment and continued with his mowing business. He must be thinking, “What an idiot”, but it was very nice of him for offering me a 25 mile ride.

I saw a familiar face on my way to Lexington, it was my dear friend John Spencer. He was biking on the course. Meeting a familiar face during Vol State is the best thing to happen. We chatted a bit and he told me that he met couple more runners ahead of me. Must be Sal and Sherry, I thought. While he took off to meet other runners, I caught up with Sherry on my way. I gulped another bottle of chocolate milk and Sherry and I headed out together. Our next stop was at Parker’s crossroads. We made a quick stop at McD. I had an apple pie and a large smoothie as it was getting difficult to keep anything solid down. As we were passing through the interstate intersection, the sign board was showing “Nashville”, I read it as “Heaven” until Sherry hollered me and I realized that I am en route to hell :).

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Sherry is such an awesome runner. Listening to her ultra running stories and experiences made me realize what a strong willed woman she must be. I first met her at Oak Mountain 50K in Alabama in 2010. She left me to dust at the last uphill climb. While I was struggling to even walk that hill, she ran the hills and put me to shame. I was so looking forward to meet her and time permitted me to run a bit with her. Made another quick stop at a convenient store and drank a bottle of Starbucks cold coffee. The store was owned by an Indian guy and he hollered “Jai Hind” when I was leaving the store and wished me luck.

Lexington came in sight pretty soon but fatigue was setting in. It’s been close to two days and I had very little sleep. We sat at a gas store. I gulped a bottle of coke and took care of my blisters. Fred Murolo caught us at the gas station and he retired for the night at a motel close by while Sherry and I decided to get to Parsons by morning.

First Low Point:

After a few hours of running/walking, fatigue got too bad that taking even one step was getting very difficult. I decided to crash on the side of the road for a while. Sherry wanted to rest too. We found a spot on the side of the road and rested for a bit. I napped a good half hour. I just wanted to lay down for a few more hours but we decided to keep moving. Time was ticking so slow. My feet were waging a war inside my shoes. I could feel the blisters getting worse but dreaded to look at it. It got worse when we hit the section of the road which had very little shoulder. There was some kind of construction work going on and the debris on the shoulder was so hard on my already blistered feet. Swore a little here and there when I would accidentally step on a sharp object. The section was getting hilly as we got closer to Parsons. just hated every bit of it. Soon, we spotted Sal in the distance. Carl and Gary passed us at that point. Day 2, we called in, 107 miles.

We crashed at a motel which was owned by an Indian family. The Indian flag on my shirt lit up their face. Sal, Sherry and I were at a very low point. I looked at Sal and he told me how bad he is hurting and that he is going to switch himself to “Survival Mode”. I switched to Survival Mode too. The steep uphill climb and the nasty shoulder debris took a toll on my blistered feet. It was hurting so bad that I thought my race is over. I was at a very low point. How am I going to continue another 207 miles with these feet? The very thought was mentally challenging. I was regretting so bad for taping my feet with the adhesive tape. But the damage is done and I need to keep going. No point in complaining coz everyone’s hurting, one way or the other. I got myself into this and I need to get out of this by myself. I tried to sleep but I had a nightmare that I am calling Carl and letting him know that I am dropping from the race. I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. With the help of the first aid kit provided by the hotel owner, I took care of my blisters, took a shower and got ready to hit the road.

While getting ready to leave, we saw Fred coming in. He was barely moving at that point. I could see that he was hurting really bad. I personally went to thank the Indian family for their hospitality. The Indian masala chai that they offered lifted my spirit a bit. I devoured a huge cheese burger at a small joint across the motel while sharing our stories with the strangers. One of them said that they saw another runner a few miles ahead. We all thought it must be Abi. I filled my back pack with lots of ice and water and headed towards Linden.

The road from Linden to Perryville had very little shoulder and the drivers were so rude. Sherry almost got hit by a pick-up truck and the driver didn’t give a damn about us. Soon we reached Perryville and crossed the bridge across the Tennessee River.

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Switch to normal mode and Begging for food:

Though I started from parsons in “Survival mode”, running the little bit of downhill towards Linden made me feel that I am still in game and moved to “Normal Mode”. But I was having a different issue now. Starvation. Though I gulped a large chocolate milkshake and a cheese burger, I was hungry. Earlier a stranger offered us some green apples. I ate them and took some more from Sherry and I was still hungry. It was like a car full of gas all of a sudden going empty. A few miles before Linden, I located a bar on top of a hill. I wanted food, period. While Sherry and Sal were waiting, I went up the hill to see if the bar had anything to offer. It was a local country bar. Three to four gentlemen having a very strong southern accent arguing with each other about something while the waitress looked completely wasted. I had to repeat myself thrice every time. When I asked whether she got any food, she said “No”. I persisted; I was ready to take anything even leftovers at that point. When she looked at my shrunken face, she took pity on me and offered to give her frozen pizza which she had saved for herself after the shift. I was smiling at this time. Like a wanderer in the desert who found an oasis.

I quickly went down the road and informed Sal about the good news and saw his face lighting up. Sherry decided to lie down instead. The waitress offered some Mountain dew while the pizza was getting ready. The bunch of drunkards heard our story and thought we were on drugs. One even said “You are stupid or what; there are lots of things to do for fun” in a mocking tone and everyone laughed, I did too. Here I am in the middle of nowhere at the wee hours of the night begging for food at a bar. How often will you get to do this in real life. Meanwhile, the pizza was ready, and waitress saw the whole pizza disappearing right in front of her eyes. We ate it as if we didn’t eat food in days. Though it didn’t fill me up, my gas meter got up a bit. Any amount of fuel is good. This angel, though she was drunk, was the only reason I survived another night and kept moving.

The James Bond Dog:

Feeling rejuvenated, we started our long walk to Hohenwald, which was about 19 miles from Linden. Having taken care of the body it was time to take care of the mind. At this point, I have hardly slept ever since the race started. Though we all kept a good pace, we needed some rest. We napped a bit on the side of the road and then after about 5 miles we stopped again. This is where something funny happened. While we all were lying down on the side of the road, we heard something as if a dog was tiptoeing and following us. Assuming that it must be a hallucination, I closed my eyes briefly when Sal hollered again saying he heard something. It was indeed a dog. It was tiptoeing on its feet so slow and silent following us as if someone has deployed it to spy on us. When we got up in a jiff, the dog hollered so loud signaling all its friends in the neighborhood, the next few minutes was crazy. Running and walking at a fast pace on my blistered feet was no fun. It was a long night. The sun was out before we knew it and when we saw a nice church parking lot, we decided to lie down there for a few minutes. We soon got company but the dogs were much friendly than the previous ones. That’s when we saw Abi passing us. She looked fresh and strong and was running. I had my doubts whether I will ever get back to running with a decent pace in my life after Vol State. At this point, 3mph was the new 7mph. As we entered the city limits we picked up some food from a gas station and crashed at a motel at Hohenwald. This brought us to the end of Day 3, Mile 144.

I started to wish a truck would hit me:

After a cold shower and taking care of the blisters, I slept a good 2 hours but nightmares woke me up. That’s when I saw Sherry taking off. She had some foot issues and had to go to Wal-Mart. I tried to get more sleep but it didn’t work so well. Sal and I got ready and went to Hardees. Had their biggest and heaviest cheese burgers and flushed it down with several refills of coke. Our goal for the day was to get to Columbia. We met Gary and Sandra on our just before we hit Natchez Trace. When Gary asked how I am feeling, I told him “Gary, I wish a truck would hit me, not hard but a little bit to injure me so that I can take that as an excuse and drop out from the race. I would gain sympathy from others and yet leave the race as a hero”. That’s exactly what I told him and I was being honest. That was the thought running in my head while running from Lexington to Parsons. I was hurting bad, very bad. Later that day Gary sent this in his updated but didn’t reveal my name.

“i think this call for an updated list bio: fantasy ultra goal: to be hit by a truck, and only injured slightly.”

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After chatting a bit with Sandra and Gary we headed towards Columbia. I was worried about Sherry at this point but Carl assured us that she is moving strong and is past Natchez trace. It was Sal and me at this point. Soon, we reached Hampshire. We found a store with a vending machine. I was hungry by now. It’s so frustrating when you have food right in front of you but you can’t have it. All that’s there between me and food is a thin glass. I was drooling looking at the bag of chips inside the convenient store like a dog in chains looking at food. Its right there, but I just can’t have it. I was really sad. I should have carried an extra cheese burger. Drank couple of coke instead and marched towards Columbia.

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Made it to Columbia early in the morning, Day 4 and Mile 184. Sherry had already made it to Columbia, TN that morning and crashed at a motel. We crashed along with her in the same motel later that morning. Sherry took off early though. Sal and I rested a bit. Inspected my feet and there were more blisters. As I was adjusting my feet to accommodate the existing blisters, new blisters would show up at another spot. Removing the socks was the most painful thing. At one point, it was so excruciating, it felt like walking on razor blades. I slept a bit only to be awaken by the same signature nightmare. All my nightmares would be the same. It’s about making a call to Carl and telling him that I am done with the race and asking him to pick me up. That nightmare was my wake up alarm throughout the race.

Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing – Matthew 6:3

Content with a few hours of rest that I managed to get, I stepped out and it felt like an oven and it was 100% humid. Sal and I hopped inside Shoney’s and decided to have a long lunch to beat the heat. The waitress was too kind. She was very excited to hear about our quest and went around the table and told every other guest she was waiting on about us and our adventure. I ate like a pig. It was a lunch buffet and ate at least four plates of food and downed several glass of coke and a huge dessert. When it was time to get the check, the waitress told me that it’s been taken care of. A random stranger she was waiting one had paid for our food and also asked her to not tell us until the stranger left the restaurant. I so wanted to thank the stranger but he was long gone. In a world where everyone deserves attention, this random stranger not only taught me a great lesson but how to live by it. His act of kindness really lifted my spirit and made my day. Like they say “Today you, tomorrow me”. I asked the waitress to pass on our sincere thanks to that man if he ever shows up again.

It was still hot outside but we decided to keep moving. Sal kept a good pace and I tried to keep up with him. Refueled at a couple of vending stations on my way and narrowly missed the “Bench of Despair”, a very important landmark of the Vol State Course. A stranger who was aware of the Vol State stopped by on the side of the road and handed over a water bottle. After a few miles, Gary and Sandra greeted us with their big smile. Gary said that we picked wrong time of the day to run. It was a hot day and he mentioned that he measured the surface temperature of the road and it was like 146F. Exchanged the story about the act of kindness from the stranger with Sandra and we made our move.

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I love Tennessee, period.

I had nothing but good experiences throughout the race, even back at the crazy bar, filled with drunks, people were kind. On my way to Lewisburg just before I got to the intersection, a cute old man in a pickup truck probably in his 80’s stopped by and offered to take me to his house for supper and drop me back at the exact location. I still remember his face. His act of kindness moved me. I hated to say “No” but I had to, and gave him the reason. He asked me to be safe and left. I remember telling Carl how I met a cute old man who is the best granddad one can ever ask for. Pain and suffering was inevitable during Vol State but I am so glad and thankful for the experiences and I enjoyed every bit of it as an unaided runner. I have read couple of story book on wayfarers but getting to live a life like that was something. No matter how good I get with words to explain, one has to be there, in that moment to understand such experiences. While my pain and suffering was making me strong, people and their act of kindles along my way were teaching me to live and appreciate life.

Amid the “pain and suffering” is the “pure joy” of traveling the open road with nothing but your own power moving you forward.

My encounter with a cop, getting investigated to becoming Facebook friends:

I didn’t see Sal in a long time. It was already dark and I was sitting by the courthouse in Lewisburg. I thought I would wait a bit for Sal to catch up and then head out to Shelbyville. Took my shoes off and was massaging my feet and there were two guys sitting next to me. One was a huge guy with piercings and tattoos and the other was a skinny guy. We had a little conversation and I told them about the race and they were pretty shocked. But what happened the next one hour was something that I never expected.

I see a cop car going around the court house:

Huge guy: Watch out. He is gonna go around the court house.

Me: <Blinking>

Huge Guy: He is gonna go around the court house one more time and pull over right in front of us

Me: <Panicking and blinking>

Huge guy: He is pulling over, act kewl..don’t worry

Me: <Thinking: why should I act kewl and normal>

The cop by now has pulled right in front of me and had the beaming huge light turned ON, pointing it on my face. I was panicking by now but acted as if it’s no big deal. The cop was asking for backup and two more cars joined him. He stepped out of the car and took my ID. Another longest 10 minutes of my life. I waited until he got back to me once again and asked me what I am doing at this time. I explained about the race. He frowned. I explained in detail, he frowned more. Finally he asked me to leave right away and asked me to meet him at the Shell station which was about 0.5 miles from the court house. I picked up my stuff and left while the cops were having a word with the other two guys.

As soon as I made it to the Shell gas station, one cop followed me and asked me more about the race and other details. Once he got convinced that I am a nice guy (A little self compliment) he got interested about the race. I started telling him about Vol State, Barkley, Strolling Jim, UltraMarathons and about Laz. He was surprised that there were events of suck crazy long distances and that there are people who run such races. We spoke like good old college buddies for about an hour about Ultramarathons and about India. The cop went ahead and launched Facebook from his laptop and “like” the Vol State FB page. He said he is going to track my progress on Google maps. Then he asked me whether I can be his friend on FB. When I told him how to find me, he sent me a FB friend request with a note “This is the nice cop you met at Lewisburg”. I told him that I’ll accept as soon as get back to civilization. He wanted to click a picture with me and we waited for Sal to show up, but when he did, Sal was in a pretty bad shape. While we refueled at the gas station, the cop went ahead and helped Sal with his motel booking and left. People have been nice throughout the race, including cops. Sal was thinking about dropping at that point. His hands and legs were swollen pretty bad. I walked him to the motel and asked him to reconsider his decision in the morning and took off to Shelbyville.

Those surviving on the road are doing just that surviving…barely

It was a long night. I looked up and saw a plane in the sky. Up there, inside that big nice tube is a guy sitting in his chair in an air-conditioned space with a nice blanket and comfortable pillow with everything he wants to eat and drink and there must be a beautiful waitress attending to him if he needs anything. Back to reality, here I am on a stinky road in the middle of the night out of water and out of food limping on my blistered feet suffering. Such is life. God is good, beer is great, people are crazy, I was signing that song loud, really loud. If any of my friends would have seen me at that time, they would have thought I have gone nuts. I made it to Bedford Co by the middle of the night. Sleep deprivation was killing me. I might have slept for about 6 hours since the race start. I was starving. I was surprised since I ate a whole large pizza but I was still hungry. I got to a nice little breakfast café by 4:30AM. I knocked at the door and the lady told me that they open at 5:00AM. I asked her for some water and she let me in to refill my backpack.

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I couldn’t stay awake at this point. I looked around and there was a church and a cemetery behind it. Perfect. I headed into the cemetery and found a nice spot to lie down. I passed out for about an hour and I got up to my alarm, the same old nightmare. That one hour nap felt so good. I passed the idea on stopping for breakfast and sneaked out of the cemetery. I wanted to make it to Wartrace by noon and was planning to crash at my good friend Amanda’s house. Shelbyville courthouse came in sight and made my check in call to Carl. Day 5, Mile 227.

It was a hot day. I could feel it. My foot was getting cooked inside my VFF. I should have stayed at Shelbyville but I braved the sun and decided to head to Wartrace. I regretted my decision. I felt horrible. The heat was sucking everything out of me. I drank the whole 100oz of water and was still thirsty. Heat was making my already blistered feet worse. There was not even a single shady spot to rest. I had no other choice but to push and when the Marathon gas station came in view, I ran into the station and grabbed a gallon water jug and drank 3 ¼ of it. The lady who was buying some stuff stood there astonished while I was drinking. I paid for it later and sat for a while before going another mile to my friend’s house.

I crashed on the couch and tried to sleep a bit but mind wouldn’t just rest. It just wouldn’t hibernate or even go idle. The effort put in to go to sleep was worse than the blisters. My foot was evidently swollen especially near the toes. Two new additions to the blister family, a huge blister on the right foot toe and a big one on the left heel. Tried to stand up and felt miserable. I have 78 more miles to go. I switched myself to survival mode. I got 5 more days and even if I average 16 miles a day I should be able to finish the race. Refueled myself and hit the shower which ended up being the most painful one. I was moved to tears while replacing the band aid. I decided then to push to the finish line. No more sleep breaks, only rest stops to refuel. It wasn’t about getting to the rock but I just wanted to be done with it. I was losing myself. Patience, patience, I spoke to myself.

That night I called my mom:

While I was getting used to the newly formed blisters and fighting the fatigue, an uninvited visitor showed up. Shin splint on my left leg. Yet another lonely night. I was really getting worried. What if it gets so bad that I couldn’t keep up with 16 mile/day average? To keep myself distracted, I called a couple of friends. Spoke to Joshua for a while and then with Diane. I was so craving for a soda when I was a few miles away from Manchester. I looked though my bag and four quarters and $5 bill but no more extra quarters and no $1 bill. The vending machine wouldn’t take the $5 bill and I don’t have enough quarters. Another dog drooling at the food scene. I stood in front of the vending machine in silence expecting a miracle to happen, that out of nowhere a soda bottle would pop up. I was wrong and I left, frustrated.

The shin splint was getting worse. The left foot was swollen by now. A little ice would help but where would I find one in the middle of nowhere. It felt as if a brick was attached to my left foot. I was literally dragging my left foot every single step. I felt the need to sit down but I was dreading about the pain that I have to endure once I start walking again. A church graveyard was in sight and sat down there for a while. I couldn’t go to sleep but just sitting down felt so comfortable. I wanted ice so bad, I decided to keep moving and was so glad to find a convenient store. I drank couple of coke, picked up a 10lbs ice bag and started walking. There was no motel in sight. I tried calling Sherry to check if she had crashed anywhere in Manchester but no reply. I finally found an abandoned gas station. Threw my backpack down in frustration and kept the ice bag on my left feet. It was still hot and humid and the ice was melting away. I told Carl later that morning while I was at Hillsboro and Gary included it in his update.

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.

That’s right. I was only hoping that I don’t want to wake up someday and not feel like this. I called my mom. She was surprised about the late night call but I covered it up with a couple of lies. We spoke about a lot of stuff going on in the family and in India. After disconnecting the call, I wept. No point sitting here and drowning myself in self pity. I am here because I chose to. Was thinking about Mike’s email; This is your job for the next 4-10 days. Accept it. It’s not easy, and it only gets harder. Exponentially harder in the last 30 miles. He was right, every bit of it.

When your whole world consists of discomfort, the only thing to do is laugh. I told myself to HTFU and move on. To really HTFU. By now the ice bag was nothing but a piece of plastic lying on my leg like a blanket. I took a few steps and it felt much better. Icing the feet didn’t get any better but at least it didn’t get worse. The early morning sun rays brought some hope. I took it real easy, maintained a comfortable pace and made it to Hillsboro.

When I’m weak, then I’m strong:

I know the tougher sections are ahead of me but I tried hard not to think about it but just take it one step at a time. I was really at a low point that morning but “This too shall pass” and it did pass. I enjoyed some good biscuits with sausage and bacon and lots of coffee. Rain or shine, I was ready to hit the road. The waitress helped me fill my backpack and I took off. I called Carl and updated him as well. Day 6, ~260 miles.

Picture 104

It was a hot day. Hillsboro to Pelham took forever. I put my head down and just looked at the ground in front of me and took one step at a time. Couple of guys in a pickup truck offered a ride which I had to decline. They even handed over a $5 bill which I had to decline. I told them it’s a race. They replied “God save you” and took off. I called Diane and she told me there’s a café at Pelham which remains open till 2:00PM where I would get good food. I did make it by 2:00PM and had a huge salmon, rice, mashed potatoes and lots of Dr Pepper. Carl was driving through the course and he guessed that I would be at the café. Amy and Carl accompanied me for lunch and I told them the cop story. A friendly stranger joined me for lunch before Carl and Amy joined me. He gave me lots of pointers about the course but he said that the next 6 miles is going to be tough.

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Picture 107

Picture 109 Picture 111

Every time I was explain the VS course to someone, once I get to the Monteagle section, their jaws would drop. I understood that it’s going to be a tough climb but never realized it would be that hard. In the middle of the day when it was hot, the pain increases exponentially. It was so steep that a biker got down and started pushing his bike. I was out of water by that time once I got to the top, I was glad that it’s done. I headed into a bar again and everyone just froze for a second. One guy asked me whether it’s raining, “No, I am just sweating hard as I ran up the mountain” I replied. While the bartender was filling up my handheld, I was explaining about the race and tried to be in the A/C for a little longer. Climbing Monteagle really aggravated my shin splints and there was a huge swelling. Stopped at another gas station on my way to Traci city and iced my feet. Knowing that I won’t find anything once I start to Jasper, I bought lots of Danish buns and Beef jerky and made it to Traci City.

I can write a book titled PATIENCE:

I hated the Traci City-Jasper section as much as I hated Lexington-Parsons. Hardly any shoulder and the traffic would just zoom by. I had to literally stop every time a car approaches and wait until it would pass. I don’t want to get hit by a car now, not even slightly. Along with shin splint and blister, fatigue was setting in and it was getting real bad. I didn’t sleep after leaving Wartrace. Pain kept me wide awake. Body is willing but the mind won’t shut down. The more I think about the finish line, the more frustrating it would get and I was losing my patience. “Patience – the capacity to tolerate trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset”, It’s a word with no time factor associated to it. Tolerate, but without getting upset or angry. That’s precisely what Jasper section taught me. I was so pissed off at one time after leaving Wartrace that I picked up a stick and started hitting a tree to vent it out but not today. Carl in his email told me, “Don’t underestimate the need for patience” and emphasized it in caps. Took a couple of deep breaths and kept pushing forward, to be patient, to learn to appreciate the journey as well as its completion and that this too shall pass. I have started the race and passed the middle and the end is inevitable, and if I am patient enough and endure, I will get there.

Sandra drove all the way from the rock to check on me. They knew that I didn’t get any sleep in the past 30+ hours. Seeing a familiar face in the middle of the night was such a blessing. We spoke for a minute and she took off and returned after a while along with Amy.

The downhill section to Jasper was a killer. I would have loved this section any other day but not today. The grade was so tough to walk and running was the only option I could find some relief for my tired feet. At one point, I felt I should curve my body like a ball and just roll down the hill. It was very humid and I was out of water by now. In my mind I imagined that I would be in Kimball, TN once I am done with downhill, but I was wrong. The downhill took me to Jasper and it’s another 5 miles to Kimball from there. I had little water left in my handheld and I tried to ration on it.

I was sleep walking on the Kimball road by now. A cop stopped me and when I told him about the race. He looked for a spare reflective vest in his trunk for me but he didn’t have one. He asked me to be safe and warned me about the traffic. I asked him whether he had extra water by any chance but he didn’t have any. I was totally out of water by now and could feel the effects or dehydration. Started walking at snail pace. The sound of speeding vehicles gave me hope that the interstate junction is close and that I can fill my water there but the intersection was nowhere in sight. It was just like the mirage that would make a man wandering in the desert to think there’s water close by.

Vol-State-500K-etc-316

Seeing a waffle house from the distant gave me hopes that I’ll survive. A part of me wanted to stay at a motel and rest but another part of me wanted to keep pushing and be done with it. I listened to the latter. I had a huge BLT sandwich, big bowl of chili, lots of hash browns and lots of water. The waitress was surprised that I drank so much water and she asked whether I am doing ok. I told her about the race and that I am at Mile 300. They thought I am on drugs and didn’t talk to me much after that. I don’t blame them. I was smelling nasty and looked dirty and my zombie look was enough to prove.

The Longest 14 miles of my life:

I still had a good shot at Sub 7. I couldn’t believe that I was thinking this way. I was ready to push the lever from Survival mode to race mode again. It’s just amazing how time and energy can impact mind. Moments ago, I just wanted to finish the race and now I am aiming for a Sub 7. I was determined. I have come this close; why not give it a shot. At the same time, I didn’t want to get over confident. Race is not over until I set my foot on that Rock. It was a tug of war. Push hard for Sub 7 or take it easy and finish. I looked at my shin splint and it looked pretty swollen. I haven’t removed my shoes ever since I left Wartrace, so I know pretty sure there’s a nasty sight inside. I decided to push for a sub 7 and take chances. I read the direction and walked against the direction of the traffic hoping that it would take me to New Hope Bridge, but when I didn’t see it coming, I decided to back track and go the other way. I lost a good 45 minutes in this confusion. I walked across the New Hope Bridge crossing the Tennessee River one more time and stood there for a minute. I crossed Tennessee River three days before after leaving Parsons and here I am crossing it again. I took a moment to appreciate everything that I have been through and thanked God for enabling me with His strength, without Him I am nothing. He was my strength when I was weak. When I had every reason to drop out from the race, the Lord gave me his strength and brought me so far and I had no doubts that He will enable me to get to the finish line. I called Carl to let him know that I am just passing through the bridge and made my way towards Sand Mountain.

Vol-State-500K-etc-320

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I spoke to Josh briefly and told him about my position. He was excited for me and told me to get it done. The traffic was so bad, the roads so narrow with lots of twists and turns. The curve was too sharp. Sometime I had to stop well ahead based on the sound from the distant traffic and let the car pass. They were driving too fast. One car passed me so close that I lost my balance and fell down and luckily ended up in someone’s yard. I am glad it wasn’t anything serious. I was extra careful from then. Walking my way towards Sand Mountain I was going through the directions and it said “Easy 10K to the finish”. I underestimated the “easy 10K part” and dumped most of my water and ice before climbing the Sand Mountain. Another big mistake.

As I started climbing Sand Mountain, I saw Carl, Gary and Abi going up the hill and they said they will wait for me at the state line which would be 495Km mile stone. The uphill climb was very difficult especially my shin, it was crying in pain. I looked at my watch; Sub 7 was out of reach by now. The little detour at New Hope was a waste of 45 minutes. Precious 45 minutes. No regretting at this point. Gary was clapping and encouraging me along with Carl, Abi and Donald (Don’s Crew). When Abi approached and asked how I feel, my instant reply was “I want to kill this guy” pointing towards Gary. For making the last 10K very difficult and making it hell as if I didn’t have enough of it. Everyone had a good laugh as no one expected that response from me.

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5K to the finish line. That Einstein guy was right about his theory of relativity. When you sit next to a pretty girl for one hour, and it feels like a minute, as opposed to when you sit on a hot stove for one minute, and it feels like an hour. That 5K took me for ever. Time slowed down, really slowed down. I was forced to witness the passing of every second of every minute. The more anxious I got, the slower time passed. Finally, I made it to the corn fields. It’s not too far now. Carl asked me whether I am cognizant enough to follow the pink ribbons that would lead me to the rock. He knew that it’s over 36 hours since I shut down my eyes and he was really concerned. But I was wide awake. This is it. This is the moment. This is what I have been waiting for. I assured him that I’ll meet him at the rock and they took off.

photo-4

Started passing the pink ribbons one at a time as the course went wading through the corn fields. I started running after a point. The excitement was too much to hold. Day 1 was flashing through my head. I was scared and full of doubts not knowing whether I would be able to accomplish something of this magnitude and here I am still in pain and suffering but running towards the finish. Mind took over body and all the pain seemed very trivial. The rock was in sight. Carl was at the rock to ensure that I don’t trip and fall off the ledge. I walked to the rock and Carl hollered to Gary, “NOW”. Timer stopped. It’s finished. It’s over. It’s freaking over. 7 day 00:55:04. First Unaided Finisher and Fourth overall.

photo

I sat down on the rock, the place where I wanted to be for the past 7 days. I ran, I walked, I ate and I slept, going through heat, days and nights through pain and suffering to get here. I sat right there. I was trying to talk but it was getting difficult to say anything. The pain that went mute briefly returned with full force. When I couldn’t talk any more, tears took its place. No matter how hard I tried not to get emotional, I couldn’t help it. I sat there. In Silence. No one spoke a word. They allowed me to be in the moment, to cherish the experience, to enjoy my finish. Covered 56 miles on my last day. Vol state was an experience, an adventure of a life time, it taught me so much, a challenge greater than I ever imagined, it showed me what I am capable of, to endure and keep moving forward in spite of pain and suffering, to have fun, to live the moment and above all to take one day at a time.

Carl helped get to a chair and everyone sincerely congratulated me for my finish. I finally drank good water. My mouth still tasted bad after drinking water from a dirty puddle.

I asked Gary, “Who’s the guy going back to Nashville on Monday after the race start, who”, he laughed. He knew very well how to encourage me and he did exactly the same. Abi offered me her course map (Thanks a lot Abi) which Gary signed it for me: Naresh, “the Monday Man”, You are my HERO! – Laz

Monday man

Picture 210

Vol-State-500K-etc-340

I had the opportunity to see every other runner finish. I was extremely glad to see Joshua finishing the race, strong. He ran a Sub 8min pace the last three miles of the race. Now, that is something. We finished what we started. The full 500Kms. It’s over.

Charity:Water

I am glad that our adventure didn’t cost our (Joshua and Me) life. With support from amazing friends, we not only met the goal but exceeded it by over a $1000 dollars and still counting. Thanks so much for your contribution, support, wishes and prayers.

Charity Water

All’s well that ends well:

It was fun times after finishing the race. “Gary, it feels like I am in a space ship”, that was my first reaction when I got in Gary’s car and the cold air was blowing on my face. First time setting my foot in a motorized vehicle after 7 days. When I insisted to stay awake in the car, Gary very well knew how to put me to sleep. “Just pull back the chair and lie down, you don’t have to sleep”, Gary told me, the next thing I remember, I am waking up in his driveway. Almost an hour flew by. When we decided to crash one night at a motel in Kimball, I managed to get a good discount as the owner was an Indian. But when he heard about the race and the cause, he refused to charge me for the room and he insisted. He invited all of us for lunch. This would be Gary’s first time tasting Indian food and I told him how lucky he is to get his first experience as Home Made Gujrathi Food. The food was delicious. Carl, Sandra, Gary and I enjoyed the food and above all the hospitality extended by the family.

And just like that, it all came to an end. No more sleeping on the side of the road, parking lots and cemeteries. No more travel stories and meeting new people. Now that I am back to reality, all the experience remains as a good memory and that the journey to the rock has served me well.

Naresh Kumar

Post race:

  • Mom, Dad, Sis, I’m sorry!!
  • I accepted the cop’s friend request and we are buddies on FB now.
  • I read ALL the responses from my friends from Chennai Runners group. Huge thanks to Navin for keeping everyone posted about my progress in detail. Navin, thanks a lot. For your support and encouragement and for being there when I need you the most. Thanks for all you time spent in writing daily updates for our group. I also want to thanks everyone from Chennai Runners, for your support and prayers. I sincerely appreciate each and every one of your thoughts for me.
  • Thanks to my friend Angel and my friend Jeff Bauer for keeping all my friends updated. Jeff your timely tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank You!!
  • My blisters have healed up pretty good and I treated me a nice bike. Thinking about riding the Vol State course sometimes, soon.

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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

THE END!

Posted in Race Reports, Running, Ultra MarathonComments (7)

2011 Vol State Last Supper Marvin Skagerberg, Lazarus Lake (Gary Cantrell)

My Vol State 500K Photo Journal + Race Report (2011)

Along the course of this year’s Last Annual Vol State 500K I documented the 314+ mile journey on my Twitter and my FacebookRunning 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

Posted in Photos, Race Reports, Running, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (7)

Don Winkley 2011 Vol State 500K Winner

2011 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results

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

Posted in Results, Running, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (7)

Last Annual Vol State 500K Results (2011)

Last Annual Vol State 500K Results (2011)

73-year old Don Winkley waddled his way to wining the 2011 Last Annual Vol State 500K with a time of 5 days, 14 hours, 21 min and 32 sec.

The first uncrewed runner to finish the line was Naresh Kumar from India.

2011 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results (C=Crewed)

  1. Don Winkley – 134:21:32 (C)
  2. Michael Matteson – 141:21:06 (C)
  3. Abigail Meadows – 159:45:47 (C)
  4. Naresh Kumar – 168:55:04
  5. Sherry Meador – 183:09:01
  6. Fred Murolo – 191:42:46 (C)
  7. Joshua Holmes – 192:07:44 (C)
  8. Paul Lefelholcz – 196:15:55
  9. Sal Coll – 198:40:29
  10. John Price – 199:27:00
  11. Erika Matheney – 210:57:45
  12. Lynnor Matheney – 210:58:42
  13. Diane Taylor – 231:01:34

Congrats to all of the starters and finishers of the 2011 Last Annual Vol State 500K.

Posted in Results, Running, Ultra MarathonComments (0)

Vol State 2011 Winner

Day 7: The Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

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

Vol State 2011 Winner

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

Vol State 2011 Road Temperatures are on Fire

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.

Day 7 Vol State 2011 GPS Location

Posted in Events, Marathon, Race Reports, Running, Timed Races, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (1)

Day 6 Vol State 2011

Day 6: The Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

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

Vol State 2011 Bench of Despair

Mile 200 Vol State Road Race 2011


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.

Day 6 Vol State Sunrise

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:

Posted in Marathon, Race Reports, Running, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (0)

Josh Holmes and Crew Vol State 2011

Day 5: The Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

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

Josh Holmes and Crew Vol State 2011

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

A Gorgeous Beginning to Day 5, Vol State 2011

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

GPS location of Josh Holmes:

Posted in Marathon, Photos, Race Reports, Results, Running, Timed Races, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (1)

Vol State 2011 Tire Change Stop

Day 4: The Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

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

Vol State 2011 Day 4 Map

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

Posted in Marathon, Race Reports, Running, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (0)

Josh, Laz & Ninke Vol Sate 2011 Mile 96

Day 3: The Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

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

osh, Laz & Ninke Vol Sate 2011 Mile 96

Vol State 2011 Day 3

Almost 100 Miles in!

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

Posted in Marathon, Race Reports, Running, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (1)


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