Tag Archive | "Runners"

Deo Duckface Runfie – Run It Fast

‘Runfie’ Today, Gone Tomorrow: Should the Term Disappear?

Joshua Holmes - Runfie Today, Gone Tomorrow- - Run It Fast

The term ‘RUNFIE‘ spurted up recently and made a mini-splash on Twitter, Instagram, and most vastly on Facebook.  While the popularity of the term has sky-rocketed in the past few weeks, the word has annoyed just as many runners, if not more.

So what is a Runfie?

Here’s one definition via RunSelfieRepeat:

RUNFIE: A PHOTOGRAPH THAT YOU TAKE OF YOURSELF BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER A RUN TO SHARE YOUR RUNNER’S HIGH, YOUR LATEST RUNNING FASHION STATEMENT, OR TO SHOW OFF SOME FORM OF BADASSERY.

Show off some form of badassery? (Someone should probably check rule #1 of The Unspoken Rules of Being a Badass: A Runner’s Guide)

The Facebook Group ‘Runfies of the World‘ quickly gained 3,000+ members by becoming a place where runners simply post sweaty runfies/selfies of themselves running or standing completely still after supposedly running. Some of the photos are works of art, a few are inspirational, many are quite egotistical, and others are very humorous!

Deo Duckface Runfie - Run It Fast

And then there are those that post photos of their new hair color while sitting in a salon chair. I’m pretty sure that’s a confused selfie posted within the runfies. I also came across photos on ‘Runfies of the World’ that were tagged colorfie, hairfie, plankies, and outfie (woman laying across a bed). When I was growing up an outfie was the funny way my younger sibling would talk about his protruding belly button, technically an outtie, but he always said it in his toddler english as ‘outfie.’

When it comes down to it, there’s actually not all that many true runfies on ‘Runfies of the World.’

Personally, I believe the term runfie sounds way too similar to roofie, the date rape drug. It makes me think it’s some sort of pill runners are slipping their competition, in their handhelds (or at water tables), to make them groggy and/or passout so they can scoot right past and beat them.

VOTE: Do you like the term ‘Runfie?’

Do we really need another selfie term specifically customized for runners? Is it a form of aggravated abuse to add the hashtag #runfie to our running posts that already annoy so many of our non-running Facebook friends?

Or is it a cool, hip term that is going to take over social media, and runners will still be using the phrase to describe their running selfies 5-10 years from now?

Love it or hate it, the term ‘runfie’ is uniting a certain sect of runners that have found a bond amongst themselves because of the transformed word.

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What is Badass According to Siri?

The Unspoken Rules of Being a BADASS: A Runner’s Guide

Badass Legends of Running: Ted Corbitt, Gordy Ainsleigh, Steve Prefontaine, Meb Keflezighi

The Unspoken Rules of Being a Badass:

1. First rule of being a badass. A badass does not talk about being a badass. Period.

So many runners break this rule. It is the most important badass rule. Even if you are a badass, stating it to others, automatically disqualifies you from being a badass! There is no exception to this rule.

It’s fine to post to social media about your run/race result and how you placed or finished. It’s not ok to call yourself a badass in that same status update or hashtag. Our friends are extremely praiseworthy when we share our accomplishments on social media. If they read your update and you did something even borderline badass you can be sure one of them will anoint you ‘Badass’ in your comments.

However, badass is an often overused phrase even when others use it to respond to something you’ve posted on Facebook. It’s almost become code for “Good Job!”

True badasses are called badasses behind their backs when others are talking about them without their knowledge.

Let someone else annunciate your badass coronation!

2. A badass does not try to be a badass or look tough. A badass simply is a badass. A badass stays true to themselves, always. This means being themselves for themselves, and not being fake to impress others..

This one is pretty self explanatory! Be you!! If you cheat, cut courses, hop in vans during a race to get to the finish, or exaggerate/lie about your achievements to sell books or garner sponsorships then you are not a badass. Instead you are just a very bad person.

3. A badass does not give up. Badasses will always push themselves for the better, no matter how hard it gets.

Every runner you’ve ever considered a badass has had one thing in common, that’s that they never give up, no matter how tough it gets, or the unseen obstacles and hurdles that might pop up and slap them in the face along the way.

4. A badass is not a jerk! A badass does not prey on the weak. A badass shows kindness in return to those who are kind.

We all know sub-3 marathoners, elites and even non-elites, that have amazing running resumes, but who are simply jerks to others, and runners they consider ‘beneath’ them, by refusing to take photos, acknowledge, etc. You aren’t a badass if you are jerk to others, period.

5. A badass knows his or her limits. Don’t be stupid! You’re not Superman, you’ll die if you jump off a building.

If you end up in the ambulance week in and week out before, after, or during a race then you are just being stupid, putting yourself and others in danger.  Don’t be a dumb-ass!

6. A badass does not make enemies or go looking for fights. They don’t fight fights that aren’t worth fighting either.

Fights might find a badass, but that’s usually out of jealous or envy from the other party. A badass won’t go looking for a fight, but he or she sure knows how to end one or is smart enough to walk away from something stupid (see #4 and #5).

7. A badass doesn’t have to be a certain age. There are no age restrictions or expiration dates to being a badass.

It doesn’t matter if you are 12 or 92, a badass is a badass. Although if they are a minor you might simply want to refer to them as a “bad donkey!”

8. A badass isn’t always the fastest or strongest. However, a badass will grit & grind and give it all he or she has to achieve a desired result or help someone else out in need.

There is no BQ or shiny 100-mile buckle required to be a badass. Often times the most impressive badasses are those that have overcome hardships, bad luck, minimal talent, a disability, or something else that the elite runner never has to endure or even consider along their way to glory. You can totally be a badass by sacrificing your race to help a fallen runner or help another runner finish that likely would not have finished without your encouragement, support, and company.

9. A badass is not afraid of a challenge or failure. Most badasses have no noticeable fear because they aren’t afraid to fail. They’ve failed before and realized it wasn’t the end of their inquisitiveness. This enables them to take on and often knock off major challenges that others wouldn’t dare attempt.

Badasses have scars, and those scars are often from failures, messing up, or misstepping. A badass will take on epic things because he or she knows that true failure comes from a lifetime of regrets of not trying or attempting to maximize their talents or gifts.

10. A badass never takes him or herself too seriously

Seriously!

These are simple and easy rules to follow to help determine if someone else is in fact a badass.

Once you start calling yourself a badass, a blatant violation of rule #1, you become a Kanye West-like caricature of running grandiloquence.

When that happens, no matter if you are the greatest, or a tough mofo, you automatically will rub people the wrong way and trigger them to pick you apart or look for reasons to counter your self-proclamation.

Clint Eastwood never had to grab a megaphone and tell the world that he was a “Badass,” but almost every human on the planet knows that Eastwood was, and remains to this day, a badass of epic badassery.

A runner’s legs and drive, not their mouth, determine one’s badassery!

What is Badass According to Siri?

Siri chimes in with her thoughts on what constitutes a badass. You’ll also note in the graph above the extreme usage uptick of the term in the past decade.

The term originated in the United States in the 1950’s as a slang term combining the words bad+ass according to the British Dictionary.

Oxford Dictionary

badass (n.)A tough, uncompromising, or intimidating person: one of them is a real badass, the other’s pretty friendly

A formidably impressive person: she is so wonderful, so sweet, so rad, so amazing; she’s a badass

badassery (n.): behavior, characteristics, or actions regarded as intimidatingly tough or impressive. See: Seal Team 6; people saving other people from sharks; most things done by Samuel L. Jackson

Don’t judge anyone too harshly for calling him or herself a badass. They likely are just uninformed of these unspoken rules and have likely fallen into the trap of our current over-usage of the phrase. Now you can simply point them to these rules by sharing this post.

[Rules 1-6 via Urban Dictionary. Rules 7-10 and all commentary by Joshua Holmes]

Top Photo – Badass Legends of Running: Ted Corbitt, Gordy Ainsleigh, Steve Prefontaine, Meb Keflezighi

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Grand Canyon Now Requiring Permits for R2R2R Crossings

Grand Canyon Announces $175 Permit Requirement for Runners

The Grand Canyon has released new rules requiring groups of runners to apply for and pay for a permit to run there. Runners and adventure seekers had been awaiting for this news to fall from the National Park Service for several weeks.

From Runner’s World:

As a result, officials announced today that they will take measures to ensure that groups who dare to traverse that single crossing, double crossing or even running from the rim down to the Colorado River and back in one day are aware of the wilderness etiquette and safety precautions that are needed for a successful run or hike. Organized groups planning such endeavors will be required to apply for a $175 special use permit beginning on Sept. 15, 2014.

Runners and hikers alike have been taxing park rangers and resources by getting into serious health trouble while biting off more than they can chew with the canyon’s deceptive heat and stairway to heaven climbs.

“Park rangers are also seeing an increase in unprepared and injured rim-to-rim participants resulting in additional search-and-rescue responses, which then results in an overall delay of all search-and rescue operations,” according to the news release.

Experienced ultrarunner Ian Torrence, who has worked for the National Park Service, agrees with the NPS decision and thinks its been a long time in coming:

“There’s a price for fame and we’ve done that to the Grand Canyon through publicizing fastest-known-times, posting videos and having runs covered in the magazines,” he said. “Now it’s on the park to cover their bases. They’re not stopping us from running there, but they are controlling who is making money off of it and adding a safety component. I think it should have been done a long time ago.”

The permits can be applied for starting on September 15, 2014. Beyond the $175 price tag, there are requirements that come with the permit including:

Oltrogge added that a group of seven will need to have one member who is certified as a wilderness first responder or certified in emergency response, CPR and first aid. A group of more than seven will need two certified people.

It’s an affordable price tag when split amongst a group taking on Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim (R2R2R), single crossing, or going down to Phantom Ranch and back in one day. Some people are just abusers of nature and it’s beauty by littering it and not using common sense for themselves, others, and park rangers.

Read more about the NPS Decision at Runner’s World

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Boston Marathon – Boston Strong Ribbon Logo – Run It Fast

One Year Removed from the Boston Marathon Bombing We Remember ‘The Strong’

On the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing we remember not only those that lost their lives or were injured on that tragic day, but we remember all of the heroic first responders, police officers, volunteers, and fellow runners that helped injured runners, spectators, loved ones, and brought reassurance to all that were shaken on that gloomy Boston afternoon.

What we learned that day is that runners are an extremely tight knit community, even if we come from various backgrounds, beliefs, and ideologies.

The city of Boston’s police, firefighters, first aid responders, hospitals, and doctors were flawless that day during extremely traumatic circumstances.

Marathon runners and their families that day found solace in each other’s embrace, warmth, and strength as a group.  The rest of us runners that weren’t there united in prayer while raising support emotionally and financially in order to keep spirits afloat.  We used our legs in the ensuing weeks to show that two deranged bombers couldn’t terrorize us from racing or scare us away from running.

It’s catchy to say ‘Boston Strong!’ but in actuality it’s ‘Runner Strong!’  Runners from all over the United States and globe have each other’s backs in good times, bad times, and when terror strikes we unite closer than most countries do during an attack or natural disaster.

Running has helped thousands of runners overcome addiction, loss of life, pain, and create a new and healthier lifestyle. So inherently it’s a very strong group. Running only makes us stronger and closer. When something like the bombing at the Boston Marathon happens strengthens our bond and shows the very best of all of us.

So today we remember those we lost and those that lost limb or health that day. We raise them up, not just with our legs, but with our hearts and in remembrance, not only today, but every time we lace up our running shoes or simply think about them.

-Joshua Holmes

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Runner’s Epic Snowplow Fall After Graceful TV Interview

The couple in this video was being interviewed by a Portland television station about their wintery run in the snow. Both runners were eloquent and smooth in describing being out in the wintery mix and how good the conditions were for runners.

Chelsea tells the reporter that the snow is a “Perfect texture for running, very light impact..”

After the couple’s interview, they take off running and Chelsea’s feet slipped out from underneath her and she snowplowed the asphalt hard.

She did get up and give a painful thumbs up to the camera crew and reporter who asked to see if she was ok.

The lady in the video, ‘Chelsea,’ posted this comment on Deadspin about her epic running fa(i)ll:

“As the chick in this video, all I can say is that running in powder when there’s no one else out at night is a shitload of fun. But stopping to pose for the local news station in the middle of the icy street hurts like a bitch. Glad it’s as funny for everyone else as it was for us.”

She sounds like a really good sport about her fall. Falls happen to all runners of all levels in all conditions. She appears to be tough and is ok after her fall.

Of course after her fall this runner is now being referred to nationally as a ‘jogger.’ (SMH)

Posted in RunningComments (0)

North Korea Flag

North Korea Marathon Now Open to Americans If…

Well you have run a marathon in every state and on every continent. And now you can run a marathon in North Korea. There is only the slightest catch as you will find out below.

North Korea has opened up the Pyongyang Marathon to recreational runners, including Americans, for the very first time. That’s right, now you can run a marathon in North Korea if you finish it in 3 hours or less. If you are still running after three hours you will be shot forced to quit (unless you traveled into the country with Dennis Rodman. He will then sing you Happy Birthday and call on special favors from North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un…and you will still be forced to stop at 3 hours).

North Korea’s human rights record has been described as one of the world’s worst by the U.S. State Department, which recommends against all travel by American citizens to North Korea.

North Korea has detained at least seven Americans since 2009, including Kenneth Bae, 45, who was arrested in November 2012 while leading a tour group. He was accused of crimes against the state and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. He was moved to a hospital last summer in poor health.

As noted in the article, the 3 hour cutoff is faster than every qualifying time for the prestigious Boston Marathon.  A rough estimate of 0.000005% of Marathon Maniacs would be able to finish the Pyongyang Marathon in less than 3 hours.

You’d probably be better off signing up for the cheaper, more scenic, and challenging Cummins Falls Marathon on February 22, 2014.

Posted in International, Marathon, RunningComments (0)

Death Valley Closed to Endurance Sports – Joshua Holmes – Death Valley Trail Marathon 2012 – Run It Fast

The REAL Reason Death Valley National Park Has Suspended All Endurance Races?

[The following is what I’ve deciphered as the reason DVNP has suspended all permits for endurance activities within the park including the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon. DVNP has neither confirmed or denied my theory.]

Death Valley National Park Website: “Effective immediately Death Valley National Park will temporarily discontinue issuance of running and bicycling event permits. Future event permits will not be considered until a thorough safety evaluation of this type of activity has been completed.”

AdventureCORPS Website in Response to DVNP’s Decision: AdventureCORPS and Chris Kostman have hosted 89 events since 1990 under DVNP special event permits without ever being refused a permit by DVNP, the Department of Transportation, or Inyo County. There have been no deaths, no car crashes, no citations issued, and only a few evacuations by ambulance after literally millions of miles covered on foot or by bike by event participants.

Death Valley National Park is host to most famously the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, along with The 508 (cycling), CORPScamp, Death Valley Trail Marathon, and several other endurance sports.

So why all of a sudden, out of the blue, would Death Valley National Park immediately suspend all running and cycling activities within the park without any warning or discussion?

The one word possibility – RADIOACTIVITY.

EnviroReporter, Michael Collins, tested the radiation at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park on November 23, 2013 (video below).

He measured the radiation at Furnace Creek at an astonishing 31.5x background via a water sample.

Collins states after the testing, “These are levels that far exceed what is considered safe. California Highway Patrol considers anything over 3x background to cause a hazardous material situation.”

Collins did tests over two days at varying spots across Death Valley. They read anywhere from 26.7x to 31.5x background.

It’s one thing for DVNP to let events proceed as normal with runners signing waivers from killing themselves in extreme heat, but it’s quite another to allow endurance athletes to inhale extremely high levels of radioactive air and dust for hours and days on end, with the dangerous possibility of said runners developing leukemia, thyroid cancer, or any cancer or damning health issue. It would truly be horrible and devastating.

Also, lawsuits would rapidly pile high in judge’s chambers from San Diego to Susanville and everywhere in between against DVNP and the government for (1) knowing of the radioactivity, (2) not disclosing it, (3) not taking extra precautions to protect the health and safety of citizens within the park.

Naturally, endurance athletes (in these great Death Valley races) would consume massive amounts of oxygen and dust filled with radioactive particles. Excessive exposure to extreme radiation for several days is a good bit different than Johnny B. Citizen’s one day journey to the park to take photos of the beautiful landscape of Death Valley.

Exposure in both cases though is dangerous. It’s a lot easier to deny a permit to race directors than to shut down the entire park to every tourist in the world.

So when you re-read the wording from DVNP about no race permits, “…until a thorough safety evaluation of this type of activity,” one may be able to piece together that something far more serious is happening than just the DVNP being cruel to ultra-runners.

Perhaps DVNP is actually doing tests and homework to see what type of harm can be caused by athletes being exposed to high levels of radiation in endurance events over many hours and days. They might also be running scenarios through it’s team of lawyers to determine what they can and should do to prevent potential lawsuits and liability.

Kostman eloquently stated in his response to the devastating news that there has been no deaths or serious health issues from any of the races that AdventureCORPS has held at Death Valley since 1990.

“It is unprecedented to place a one-year ban on existing sporting events within a National Park without any specific incident, accident, or complaint triggering such a drastic move. It is our contention that the events should be allowed to continue while the “safety review” unfolds.”

If there is extremely dangerous radiation levels currently in the park poisoning the air, dust, and water that likely could persist for some time.

Kostman has likely been left out in the cold and hasn’t been informed by DVNP officials of the exact reason. He comes across as sincerely befuddled by it all as would most of us after being blindsided out of the blue after many successful years hosting races in the park.

The radiation exposure and spike in California is of grave concern. For months those that were sounding off the dangerous siren regarding Fukushima were considered crazy or fearmongers.

Fukushima is an epic disaster that is eventually going to poison all of us in one way or another, directly or through the water we drink and food we consume no matter what coast we reside on.

Politicians and communities along the West Coast are finally waking up to the dangers from the Fukashima reactors.

The city of Fairfax, California recently drafted Resolution 13-57 in Support of Urgent International Rescue of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Facility:

“WHEREAS, this disaster presents one of the gravest threats and greatest technological challenges facing the international community, and as such demands an international response utilizing the world’s most accomplished experts as well as international funding on a level commensurate with humankind’s most ambitious efforts, in the interest of every nation; and,”

The resolution was signed by Fairfax’s mayor, John Reed, on November 6, 2013. Fairfax is northwest of Death Valley.

The radiation news coming out of Japan is not getting any better. It’s progressively growing into an even bigger and unsolvable problem that is killing ocean life and dropping radiation bombs all over the United States, mostly on the West Coast and California, but all over the country in different spots dependent upon various weather patterns.

Just today in Japan, TEPCO detected record radiation at reactor #2 of 1.9 million becquerels (bc/liter) up from the previous high of 1.8 million recorded just days ago on December 13th.

There is even a fictional book titled Badwater that is based on the theory of radioactive material being in Death Valley.

From the book cover: Forensic geologists Cassie Oldfield and Walter Shaws embark on a perilous hunt–tracking a terrorist who has stolen radioactive material that is hotter than the desert in August. He threatens to release it in America’s most fragile national park, Death Valley.

Coincidental…I think!

Running and endurance sports are an addiction and a lot of fun to many of us. Most of us have been inspired by other runners and in turn have inspired many others to take up running and endurance races.

I’ve applied to run Badwater the past two years and likely will try once again in February to get in to this prestigious race.

However, running and many other things become silly when extreme risks, like running in a radioactive hotbed of potential health issues become an added risk factor.

Is Badwater…….truly radioactive bad water, dust, and air?

I hope not! I hope the correlation I’ve tied above is totally not the reason and coincidental. I want Badwater to resume in July like it has for dozens of years. However, even if high radiation readings are not the reason for the suspension off race permits, it doesn’t mean that the extremely high levels of radiation in Death Valley National Park, and along the West Coast, aren’t legit and shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Hopefully, Death Valley National Park will come forward if the issue involves something as serious as high radiation levels within the park and be upfront with their reasons for denying the permits to Chris Kostman, AdventureCORPS, and other race directors.

Transparency is often promised but more often than not we get opaqueness.

[Read AdventureCORPS (Kostman’s) Full Response to DVNP and How to Help]

“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” – Andy Durfresne

-joshua holmes
(Follow on Twitter @bayou)

UPDATE: Response from Death Valley National Park

UPDATE 2: Badwater 135 Race Director Chris Kostman Responds to DVNP’s Kathy Billings

[Fukushima is spelled a couple of ways by different organizations/translations. I’ve seen it as Fukushima, Fukashima (Fairfax, CA), Fukishima]

Posted in Running, Ultra MarathonComments (8)

BrianCurro_vs500

Day 10: 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

RIF #1 Joshua Holmes and RIF #101 David Wingard

I don’t know about you guys but I’m exhausted! Kidding! I had the easy part and it was fun watching the race unfold the past 9 days. Today is the last day of the 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K. It’s been quite a ride! There are still 6 runners out there trying to make their way to the rock before the Grim Reaper gets there. I hope you’ll send them lots of luck and Run It Fast wishes today.

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   Day3   Day4   Day5   Day6   Day7   Day8   Day9

Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map – for runner tracking (updated twice a day).
Carl’s 2013 Last Annual Volstate 500K AlbumDay 2 Drive Thruand 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: Well, that’s it for this year’s Last Annual Vol State 500K. We hope you enjoyed our coverage of the race…and maybe inspired you to give it a try next year! Congratulations to all 33 runners and 5 teams that completed this year’s VS500K! Way to Run It Fast!

Lisa: Holy cow! What a finish! Congratulations to Brian for completing the Last Annual Vol State 500K! I gotta say…I am relieved he made it under the cut off. I kept waking up when I heard an email come in and would look to see if there was any word. After 10 days and 314 miles, still so much excitement and drama…and that’s what is so great about this race!

Email from Carl Laniak at 6:54 am:

9:23:08:40 – Brian Curro

Email from Carl Laniak at 6:11 am:

Drama at Vol state

Message from Curro:
“Help, I am totally lost, have been wandering around this hill for hours.
I’m delirious, I was talking to trees last night.”

There are now less than 90 minutes left. We think we ascertained his location and have directed him. If his description was accurate, he’s got 3 miles to go…..

Carl

Email from Carl Laniak at 5:14 am:

Brian Curro

If you read this, we suggest you drop that giant backpack and run.

Carl

Email from Carl Laniak at 5:10 am:

Vol state suspense 

There are less than 2.5 hours til the 240 hour cutoff at the volstate.

Brian Curro last checked in nearing the Tennessee river crossing, 11 miles from the finish.

That was more than 6.5 hours ago…..

Word is, he lost his maps early yesterday. His last checkin included the tidbit that his phone was malfunctioning.

At 7:31 this morning, we’ll know whether he makes it or not.

Go Brian!

Carl

Lisa: Congratulations to Joe and RIF #276 Diane Taylor for finishing the VS500K! This was Diane’s 3rd finish of the Last Annual Vol State 500K. Just one runner left now…

Email from Carl Laniak at 2:32 am:

Diane Taylor – 9:18:44:23

Email from Carl Laniak at 10:43 pm:

9:15:08:12 – joe kowalski

Wow

Carl

Lisa: Here is John Feyveresi’s VS500K race report (it’s a great read!): Lakewood’s Wanderings and Scribbles

Lisa: So now there are just 3 runners left on the course! At 7 pm, this is where they were…

Joe Kowalski 306 miles
Diane Taylor 300 miles
Brian Curro 295 miles

Just 12 hours left! They should all be in by the time I wake up in the morning. I will update this post with their times.

Lisa: Mike added a race report tab where the links for this year’s race reports will be gathered. John Fegyveresi is the first to have his written up.

Email from Mike Dobies at 7:56 pm:

Vol State – 228 Hour Update

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

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e1fafd1b000ee49ad&msa=0&ll=35.775486,-87.40448&spn=1.994288,4.22699

Email from Carl Laniak at 7:06 pm:

9:11:29:54 – Paul Heckert

Email from Carl Laniak at 6:16 pm:

Jan Walker – 9:10:11:42

Email from Carl Laniak at 5:30 pm:

Re: Who will finish?

Jan is in the woods. Paul is in Alabama.

Kowalski, Curro and Taylor to follow…?

Carl

Lisa: I missed Marcia’s finish. She reached the rock in 9 days 2 hours 26 min 29 sec. Congrats Marcia!

Lisa: Here’s a recap of the race so far…

  • 5 relay Teams (2 w/men only and 3 mixed) and 40 runners (31 men & 9 women) started the 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K.
  • 32 runners were Screwed (un-crewed).
  • All 5 teams finished along with 27 solo runners…so far.
  • 7 runners dropped out.

Top 3 Men
1. Joe Fejes (with a new course record of 3 days 8 hours 10 min 16 sec)
2. Alan Abbss (with a new Screwed course record of 4 days 11 hours 31 min 27 sec)
3. Sung Ho Choi (4 days 13 hours 39 min 52 sec)

Top 3 Women
1. Sherry Meador (7 days 2 hours 42 min 52 sec)
2. Diane Bolton (7 days 14 hours 13 min 5 sec)
3. Psyche Wimberly (7 days 23 hours 14 min 59 sec)

Top 3 Teams
1. Team Stinky Feet (2 days 19 hours 14 min 17 sec)
2. Team Country Gentlemen (4 days 4 hours 5 min 46 sec)
3. Team Two Step (4 days 12 hours 29 min 12 sec)

Tweet from Dallas Smith about the VS500K menu…maybe:

Lisa: Final day! Marcia should be finished by now, I think, and all the rest should be able to finish if they keep putting one front in front of the other. Let’s hope they don’t run into wild weather or anything else to hold them up. Also, apparently, blogging while running is not suggested:

Tweet from Dallas with great advice for future VolStaters:

Email from Mike Dobies at 10:27 am:

Vol State – 216 Hour Update

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

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e1e8a03a66d4541d7&msa=0&ll=35.773258,-87.401733&spn=3.618637,5.152588

Email from Laz at 9:15 am:

day 10

with 9 days in the bank
we settle in on the rock
to watch the final stories unfold.

these are the ones who have fought the longest.
day after day, for 9 days,
they have watched oprah in their mirrors;
counting the miles,
measuring their reserves.
doing what it takes to achieve the impossible.

now it all comes down to one final push.

some will coast home.
marcia and jan have proven worthy warriors;
gaining strength with each passing day,
burying oprah in the distance.
they will come home “easily” within the time limit,
and deserving of accolades given to athletes
who have achieved their potential.

others will face,
in this final day,
all the pressure of the race,
knowing that one bad stretch without water,
one unleashed fury of nature
(a thunderstorm, blazing sun, or suffocating heat)
can erase the safety margin
and leave the reward for their long hard struggle
out of reach.

and then there is giant back pack.
he has the added burden
of overcoming the time lost when he was detained by the police last night.

and what is the reward for all they have endured?
to run the final mile in solitude,
thinking the thoughts
that only those who have come from the ferry to the rock can understand.
to find the finish line still open.
(pity those who see us driving away as they enter the beanfields)
to look out over the sequatchie/tennessee valley.
to feel the feelings that champions feel,
when a great opponent has been vanquished.
for these are champions,
vanquishing heat, hills, humidity, and their own human frailty.

all hail king joseph,
and his worthy minions.

laz

Email from Carl Laniak at 8:31 am:

216hours

Diane 275
Curro 279
Kowalski 282
Heckert 290
Jan 295
Marcia 309

Carl

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dallas_souvenirs_vs500

Day 9: 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

RIF #159 Diane Bolton and Lazarus Lake

Yesterday, we saw 6 runners and 2 teams finish! A few more finished overnight and sadly, I hear there are 2 more runners who dropped. But there are still runners on the course though so this race isn’t over yet!

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   Day3   Day4   Day5   Day6   Day7   Day8 

Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map – for runner tracking (updated twice a day).
Carl’s 2013 Last Annual Volstate 500K AlbumDay 2 Drive Thruand 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: TJ did drop so we are down to 6 runners. Here’s where they were at the 204 Hour Update:

Marcia Rasmussen – 279 miles
Jan Walker – 278 miles
Paul Heckert – 277 miles
Brian Curro – 268 miles
Joe Kowalski – 266 miles
Diane Taylor – 266 miles

Joe and Diane are .9 miles behind the Grim Reaper but are steadily moving forward. They have less than 36 hours to get to the rock now. Like Laz said in the email below, “I am anxious to see where they will stand when the sun next rises.

Email from Mike Dobies at 9:23 pm:

Vol State – 204 Hour Update 

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

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e1e810fbc145f67ed&msa=0&ll=35.163143,-85.757217&spn=0.520363,1.056747

Email from Laz at 9:18 pm:

FW: Now the real fun begins!

for me, the race remains as compelling as it has been for the past 8+ days.
I find the challenges faced by people who are stretching the limits of their ability
and competing to the end
equally compelling,
regardless of their level.

we have one last pack of runners on the course.
with only a tiny distance separating the last 6 heroes,
I am anxious to see where they will stand when the sun next rises.

I have watched these people compete for more than a week;
I have seen them in their moments of weakness,
and I have seen them rise to the challenge.
I have come to feel like I know something of them,
from how they have faced the demons.

I cannot wait to see the great victories to be won tomorrow…
and tomorrow night.

and great victories will be won.
anyone who does not back down,
who gives their all,
is a great champion.
whether they finish 1st,
or 40th.

Lisa: Having been at the back of the pack in a few races, I can appreciate that email!

Email from Frank Lilley at 6:42 pm:

Now the real fun begins!

Not to take a single thing away from all the unbelievable achievements of Vol State finishers to this point . . . but now it starts getting REALLY tough! These next folks to finish are my peeps!!!

These folks have been out there suffering away, every day with no notoriety! Everyone rightly focuses on Joe Fejes and Alan Abbs and Bruce Sung Ho Choi and Ray Krolewicz and Psyche Wimberly and all the others that have finished already. What they have done is awesome!

But here come my peeps!

I love the back of the packers! The folks that are slow and not all that gifted when it come to speed and endurance. See . . . I am siure that part of our performance is a genetics gift! Oh . . . those with the “gift” . . . they work hard at excelling I know. But there is love in my heart for everyone else!

Us slower, maybe undertrained, maybe overweight folks who just “try.” Those people that know they will be the tail of the dog . . . and they just don’t give a rat’s ass! They are there just simply to see if the can do it! Period.

Finishing is not an absolute given for my peeps! This is a gut wrenching testament to pure desire! The desire to accomplish the seemingly impossible!

So I honestly do love all you guys and gal that have already achieved greatness by finishing Vol State . . . but here come my peeps!!

frankenlilley

Lisa: There is no medal or prize for finishing this race but a couple of runners had these souvenirs made. Pretty cool, huh?

Tweet from Dallas Smith that shows a couple of his souvenirs:

Email from Joel Gat at 3:02 pm:

Texas Jeff – 8:07:26:06

“It was long… if my feet hadn’t been blistered, it still would have been long.”

Lisa: Great clip of RIF #79 Dallas finishing the VS500K (thanks to @bayou for sharing!): https://vine.co/v/hmFQZgOBhET

Lisa: Congratulations to David and Dallas! This is the first Last Annual Vol State 500K for both of them and they did it uncrewed! Love that Dallas sprinted at the end! 🙂

Email from Joel Gat at 1:10 pm:

Dallas Smith – 8:05:34:11

“Whoa! Slow down!” – as Dallas charged at a sprint to the finish…

Email from Joel Gat at 12:26 pm:

David Wingard – 8:04:48:43

Lisa: Pics from life on the road at Vol State 500K…

Photos from RIF #1 Joshua Holmes:

RIF #79 Dallas Smith with 1st time finisher RIF #159 Diane Bolton

RIF #79 Dallas Smith

With RIF #101 David Wingard

Tweet from Dallas at 9:40 am:

Email from Joel Gat at 9:52 am:

Becky Lockard 8:02:09:55

“I did this because I didn’t know if I could.”

Email from Joel Gat at 9:48 am showing a sleeping RD:

But what about us? 

The runners come in at all times of the day and night, so Carl and Laz have slept a total of about 6.5 hours since Sunday. That’s been one 4 hour sleep and a few 15-45 minute snoozes.  This one lasted about five minutes…

Lisa: It looks like Jeff Stephens is a definite drop. And rumor on the list is that TJ Nagies is a drop too though he’s not listed as that on the spreadsheet. He is, however, still at the same mileage he was for the 180 Hour Update. 🙁 Here is where the rest of the runners were at during the check in:

Becky Lockard – 303 miles
David Wingard – 300 miles
Dallas Smith – 300 miles
Jeff Venable – 290 miles
Jan Walker – 267 miles
Marcia Rasmussen – 266 miles
Paul Heckert – 258 miles
Brian Curro – 256 miles
Joe Kowalski – 252 miles
Diane Taylor – 250 miles
TJ Nagies – 201.5 miles

It looks like we should have 3 more finishers very shortly including two of our RIFers – RIF #101 David Wingard and RIF #79 Dallas Smith!

Email from Mike Dobies at 9:46 am:

Vol State – 192 Hour Update

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

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e1de5957d190f0809&msa=0&ll=35.775486,-87.40448&spn=1.994288,4.22699

Lisa: Congrats to Jeff and Psyche! We are glad Psyche found her way to the rock! W

Lisa: Here’s what happened overnight…

Email from Carl Laniak at 6:50 am:

Psyche – 7:23:14:59

An epic struggle the last 2 miles….

Carl

Email from Carl Laniak at 5:44 am:

From laz:

This is the longest Monday if my life.

The sun keeps coming up and going down, while runners are fed out from Kimball at regular intervals. I spent this last dark period smoking camel filters and listening to “let’s kill all these morherf#ckers,” by Lair of the Minotaur.

Psyche found a way to buy time for the next runner to start by getting lost at mile 312 (of 314).
She’s now laying in a ditch a half mile off course, refusing all offers of assistance, while regrouping for another attempt to locate the state of Georgia.

I’m entertained by the view from the rock, 4 acre lily pads in the ocean below. I may be hallucinating from lack of sleep…..

They call it the volstate.

Laz

Email from Carl Laniak at 1:09 am:

Jeff McGonnell – 7:17:32:38

Posted in Running, THE CLUB, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (0)

josh_dianefinish_vs500

Day 8: 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K Live Blog

RIF #159 Diane Bolton shopping during the VS500K

Thanks to RIF #286 for sharing this photo of Diane shopping for antiques yesterday. It’s not all about the grind out there! I think it’s more about the little moments. At least, it seems that way reading the emails from the ultra list about this race. Something must keep them coming back every year. They can’t all be masochists for the pain, right?

I hope you’ll check back here throughout the day to see all of today’s happenings!

Links you might find fun/useful:

To catch up on previous days: Day1   Day2   Day3   Day4   Day5   Day6   Day7

Last Annual Volstate 500K Spreadsheet & Map – for runner tracking (updated twice a day).
Carl’s 2013 Last Annual Volstate 500K AlbumDay 2 Drive Thruand 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:

Email from Mike Dobies at 12:18 am:

Vol State – 180 Hour Update

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

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e1d640b50ee4dcbac&msa=0&ll=36.011339,-87.426453&spn=1.988357,4.22699

Email from Carl Laniak at 11:37 pm:

Scott Krouse – 7:16:01:53

Lisa: Here is where the runners still out there were at the 180 Hour check in:

Scott Krouse – 300 miles
Jeff McGonnell – 299 miles
Jeff Stephens – 297 miles
Psyche Wimberly – 295 miles
Dallas Smith – 293.5 miles
David Wingard – 290 miles
Becky Lockard – 290 miles
Jeff Venable – 283 miles
Paul Heckert – 252 miles
Marcia Rasmussen – 252 miles
Jan Walker – 247 miles
Joe Kowalski – 235 miles
Diane Taylor – 235 miles
Brian Curro – 233 miles
TJ Nagies – 201.5 miles

Looks like there will be a bunch of finishes tonight too. Don’t think Laz and Carl will be getting much sleep again.

Lisa: Both Team Saturday and Team Dancing Bears (Patrick) also finished. I don’t have their times yet but will post those as soon as I know. It’s just 15 solo runners left on the course now.

Lisa: Woo! This was her first time running the VS500K! We are so proud of her! Congratulations Diane!

Email from Carl Laniak at 9:55 pm:

Diane Bolton – 7:14:13:05

Lisa: Apparently flavoring was an autocorrect. LOL! But then he let us know that she had just a mile to go about 20 minutes ago! The waiting is killing me!

Facebook post by RIF #1 Joshua Holmes:

Email from Carl Laniak at 5:32 pm:

Joseph Nance – 7:09:56:26

“That’s some good stuff”

Carl

Facebook post by Diane Bolton’s crew RIF #286 Phil Min showing the “cool” weather on today’s course (as if running 314 miles wasn’t hard enough!):

Lisa: Here are 2 great photos that RIF #1 Joshua Holmes shared as he wanders the course cheering on runners:

Josh with RIF #79 Dallas Smith

Josh with RIF #159 Diane Bolton

Lisa: There are no ties at the VS500K and because they want runners to enjoy their time at the “rock”, they set up a sprint line 30′ from the rock so whoever gets to that line first, gets to go to the rock first. Congrats to Johnny and Charlie! Way to Run It Fast! Here’s a great quote from RIF #2 Naresh Kumar about Johnny and Charlie’s finish:

Just amazing how a 314 mile race ended up to be a sprint finish for two runners. Epic!! Congrats CT and Johnny! Way to finish it. ~Naresh Kumar

Email from Carl Laniak at 2:36 pm:

correction – Johnny Adams – 7:05:30:36

Sorry, sleep deprivation at work…Johnny was ahead of Charlie

Carl

Email from Carl Laniak at 1:07 pm:

Charlie Taylor – 7:05:31:03

Johnny won the sprint to the finish-order-line, so got the right to approach the rock first. It was closer than the 30 second finish difference. A true sprint.

Carl

Email from Carl Laniak at 1:05 pm:

Johnny Adams – 7:05:31:03

Sprint finish!

Carl

Email from Mike Dobies at 12:36 pm with the solo runners finishing rates since 2009:

For solo runners:

2009 – 75% (12/16)
2010 – 43% (6/14)
2011 – 68% (13/19)
2012 – 61% (14/23)

2013 – 40% (16/40) so far, with 19 still on the course (almost 3 days remaining)

Tweet from Dallas at 11:38 am sharing some of the views from the road:

Lisa: And here is a great tweet from the Awesome RIF #79 Dallas Smith earlier this morning:

Lisa: Here’s a great quote from the 2012 Last Annual Vol State 500K winner Dan Fox:

It’s just that Vol State is so huge that it can contain a lot of life’s vicissitudes.

It’s big enough to go to hell and back, and still have time left over. ~Dan Fox

Lisa: Congrats to Roy and Sherry! Oh, and Sherry is the 1st Woman to complete this year’s VS500K! Woo!

Email from Carl Laniak at 10:20 am:

Tamez & Meador, 15 & 16

Roy Tamez – 7:00:42:51
Two hours later…
Sherry Meador – 7:02:42:52
She wants a yoohoo.

Carl

Lisa: There are now 21 runners and 2 teams out on the course. Here’s where they are:

Roy Tamez – 310 miles
Sherry Meador – 304 miles
Joseph Nance – 296 miles
John Adams – 296 miles
Charlie Taylor – 296 miles
Team Saturday – 296 miles
Team Dancing Bears – 291 miles
Jeff Stephens – 291 miles
Jeff McGonnell – 274 miles
Scott Krouse – 274 miles
Psyche Wimberly – 274 miles
Diane Bolton – 272 miles
David Wingard – 265 miles
Becky Lockard – 265 miles
Dallas Smith – 262 miles
Jeff Venable – 259 miles
Paul Heckert – 235 miles
Marcia Rasmussen – 233 miles
Jan Walker – 230 miles
Joe Kowalski – 217 miles
Brian Curro – 213 miles
Diane Taylor – 213 miles
TJ Nagies – 197 miles

I guess Team Dancing Bears is back on the road as Patrick has decided to continue on his own. Two more runners should be finishing any minute now and more are very close. Sadly, 4 runners are behind the Grim Reaper (219.8 miles which is the daily avg miles needed to complete the VS500K in 10 days). 🙁 But like Brad mentioned in his email below, they all are determined to make it so send them all the Run It Fast vibes you can today!

Email from Mike Dobies at 8:34 am:

Vol State – 168 Hour Update

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

Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200687420624110668378.0004e1c933660745f7095&msa=0&ll=35.619349,-89.01123&spn=1.998196,4.22699

Lisa: Here’s what happened overnight… 3 more runners finished in sub 7 days! John Price finished in 6:15:36:26, Jeff Kasal finished in 6:22:03:21, and Tim Purol finished in 6:22:03:22! Congrats to John, Jeff, and Tim!

Email from Carl Laniak at 7:33 am:

Kasal and purol – done

Sub 7 days.
They finished alone at the rock.
Race management had been up for 2 days and somehow didn’t make it to the Rock. Glad they stopped at the finishline.

Carl

Email from finisher Brad Compton at 6:53 am:

Driving home

Getting breakfast in Pelham – Harry & Ollie’s.  seen several runners.  No look of “quit” in any of their eyes; just grim determination.

Email from Laz at 12:16 am:

RE: John price – done.

06:15:36:26…

in the rain.

Email from Carl Laniak at 11:39 pm:

John price – done.

Time to follow

Carl

Posted in Running, THE CLUB, Ultra Marathon, Vol StateComments (0)


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