Vol State.

Volstate Tracking:

Tracking Sheet:

http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2017

This year we've got 88 starters, exceeding the last two years of 80 and 82.

Updates posted twice a day for the next ten days.

Saying it's hot out there would be an understatement.

Tracking map:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=14l--2eV9Lwyx_myzaPdC3HeNFxQ&usp=sharing

insane.

the first day is the closest we vol state enablers get to having a routine.

the truth is, everything is meticulously planned (despite the appearance of chaos at times) up until the runners step off the ferry.

after that, everything is about responding to the unfolding unpredictable events.

still, day one has a certain amount of structure.

we see the runners 4 times.

on the ferry, where everyone is nervous, or serene, filled with anticipation, dread, or sometimes fear.

we see them at the overlook, relieved to finally be moving,

but too early to feel anything like discomfort.

then we collect their times at 21 miles, stinky bridge.

today that meant sitting for 5 hours in sweltering heat.

that is the first time we start to get a feel for how the individual runners are settling into the task at hand.

there are always those who have bitten off more than they can chew...

or so it seems.

many of those will drop.

others will not,

growing into the demands of the race as it progresses.

today was a day that challenged their souls.

the temperature readings from various sources and locations along the route they were on today ranged from 98 to 100.

the heat indexes from 108 to 119.

the 119 was the official peak at the weather station at the airport,

a mere mile from where we sat at stinky bridge.

and we all agreed that it was not possibly correct.

it did not feel one iota hotter than 110.

(smiley face)

we had a device to take the temperature on the road surface,

but i forgot to take it out until after the peak heat had passed.

it was still 140 degrees. (basically the temperature of medium rare steak).

at some point it dawned on me that what these people are doing is insane.

maybe it was when we all loaded on the ferry to start the race...

except for ray baum, who waded into the mississippi, and swam across.

but that was probably not it.

that only created some doubt in my mind.

despite reaching the eastern shoreline "a mile *further* downstream than i planned" ray had caught back up with the tail end of the pack

by first check in.

no. the realization that this was insane slowly sank in as i watched the runners filter through at stinky bridge.

i am here to tell you that 110 (hell, it might have only been 108) is no fun, even just sitting in the shade.

for those people running and walking in the direct sun,

it had to be pretty close to hell.

and they had to keep moving, so the pavement would not cook their feet.

but they were unfazed.

not undamaged.

the weather today was a systemic shock to the runners of the vol state.

they were scorched, overheated, and battered.

but they came through cracking jokes and having "fun."

the last look we get at the runners is driving up though the field on our way to take a room as close as possible to where we guess the

leaders will be in the morning.

because while we sleep, they will struggle on through the night.

there they were, marching resolutely in the blistering sun.

as we neared the front, they were running.

running in conditions that would make normal people dread a trip to the mailbox.

we saw the leader, greg soutiea at the gleason welcome center (small towns all along the route treat the vol staters like conquering

heroes) where we arrived almost simultaneously.

he was going to take only a short break,

but every time he started to put on his pack,

something else on the table would catch his eye...

"maybe another slice of that watermelon."

"another cold bottle of water would be awful good."

i don't know why he was not in a hurry to get going on the 8 miles of brand new, fresh laid asphalt in front of him

(still soft, steaming, sticky...and blacker than midnight).

we stopped for supper in mackenzie,

where the folks at the local welcome center were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the first vol stater.

after posing for photos in front of their welcome sign,

we talked with the reporter from the mckenzie banner,

who confided that;

"this is the biggest thing that happens in mckenzie all year... we have been waiting for ya'll for a month."

now, today really did not decide anything.

we know now who has put their name in the hat to become a king.

who has stuck their neck out, and gone for the lead.

but the rest and run patterns have not yet been established,

and there will be a lot of changes happen during the night.

after a first day like today,

we expect to be carrying at least one load back to the rock,

to collect their cars and head for home.

the vol state is a crucible

in which some will be melded into something stronger,

and others will be crushed into a powder.

tomorrow morning will be far from conclusive.

there is so much more to go.

but, at least the race will begin to take shape.

it is a glorious and valiant thing to attempt the vol state...

but, it is still insane.

in most ultras the return of the sun after a long night is a sort of rebirth.

it renews the spirit and brings new life to the legs...

after a day like yesterday,

the sun peeking over the horizon brings only fear and dread.

that vast expanse of blue sky is an ominous portent

of the horror to come.

here in the enablers' room, we had an over/under of 10 runners to be gone by the middle of day 2.

we are up to 4.

from the comfort of home,

looking at a computer screen,

it seems like the crewed runners have it made.,,,

someone to hand them food and drinks

constant support,

with luxury items like ice.

not that those are impossible to obtain for the screwed runner.

ed masuoka got two 8 pound bags of ice in union city.

when he passed us he had about 1 pound of ice in a dripping bag hanging around his neck

and maybe 5 pounds of ice in a dripping grocery bag under his arm.

he had gotten the ice about a mile before

and would probably run out in another mile or so.

but, for the moment he felt like life was possible on the surface of the sun.

then he would be back in hell,

with relief many miles away.

but, running crewed comes with its own disadvantages.

quitting is but a matter of getting in your car,

and driving away....

far too easy.

crewed runners are the most likely to quit.

everyone quits (mentally) a few times.

but the screwed runners face an unknown wait

for someone to pick them up.

and then, the possibility of being shuttled about for half a day

before we get together a load for the long trip to the rock.

so, even when you have decided to quit,

the best option is to trudge on until you find a place to hole up until someone comes to get you.

while you wait,

generally in air conditioning.

if you wait long enough

you will realize you can go on.

those who can easily arrange a ride home,

have left that other life on the road,

and realize they could have finished...

but, it is too late.

but, we will be able to discuss this at length over the next NINE days.

for now, let us see how the race is shaping up.

unfortunately we can only hit the highlights.

all 84 runners (of the original 88) have an epic story to tell.

each is locked in a life and death struggle

(life in the vol state is staying on the road)

they have already,

many of them, faced more punishment than they thought possible...

and the finish is still hundreds of miles away.

no longer something they can even dream about.

survival is just about reaching the next town.

greg soutiea put on a spectacular performance yesterday.

by clarksburg he was ready to quit.

something he was unable to put into practice until he got to parkers crossroads.

somehow he has arranged a ride.

so he may be gone.

the latest leader is kevin gerteisen,

with francesca muccini a mile behind.

onetime leader matt collins is back in parkers crossroads.

jbob jones is there, too.

you can expect a lot of changes over the next few days.

as yet, nothing is settled,

except that veterans are doing very well.

they already knew about the special hell that was coming.

by tomorrow,

all who survive will be veterans.

one last vol stater i want to mention;

my long time friend marvin skagerberg.

at the age of 78,

he told me at the last supper:

this is my "last annual " attempt.

then he winked.

marvin has 43 miles under his belt

12 miles up on oprah.

GO MARV

it is real now.

very, very real.

the first half of the second day has passed,

and, by vol state standards, it was a gem.

heated up pretty good in the morning

but by early afternoon

the atmosphere simply could not hold all the water and heat energy any longer.

whole quadrants of the sky turned from blue to black

almost unnoticed.

it was the rumbling thunder that alerted those following the white line

that weather was about to happen.

thanks to the magic of "spot thunderstorms"

race reports issued by the various runners might sound as if they had run in different races, on different days, on different continents.

"it was raining so hard that i could not see the road (huge, ice cold drops that hit me like shots from a paintball gun), and the wind was buffeting me around until i wasn't sure what direction i was going."

"it was a slow death march in the blazing sun. it was only about 100 degrees, which felt almost chilly after yesterday.

but i was so over the thrill of running in the heat."

"It was hard to believe that there was no cloud to block out the sun. it was obvious that it had just been pouring down rain here a few minutes ago. water was still running off the pavement in rivers, as clouds of steam swirled up in the bright sunlight. the last thing i needed at this moment, was to run in a sauna."

it was as if the vol state had been angered by the low dropout rate despite the brutal temperatures of day 1, and was petulantly throwing a fit at those who refused to wilt.

for the vol staters, this was reality sinking in.

a lucky few were near shelter when the storms struck.

the others had no choice but to make themselves as small a target as possible,

and soldier on.

running the vol state is like boxing with your hands tied behind your back.

all you can do is absorb punishment.

you cannot dish any out.

kevin gerteison was once again in the lead at the end of a second consecutive 12 hour segment. however, he probably does not know this, as his crew was studiously not telling him when i saw them last. three of the previous leaders had already headed for home, a lesson not lost on kevin's crew. survival is pressure enough at the vol state.

francesca muccini has been running a great race... thus far. and had moved into second, only a mile back. Jbob jones, matt collins, jennifer carvallo, and frank dahl all had passed the 100 mile mark, and were definitely still in contention.

with the race only about a third of the way done, there are surely many more lead changes to come. and it is entirely possible the ultimate winner is not even among those past the 100 mile mark. we know that someone will be king..... we do not yet know who.

in most ultras the return of the sun after a long night is a sort of rebirth.

it renews the spirit and brings new life to the legs...

after a day like yesterday,

the sun peeking over the horizon brings only fear and dread.

that vast expanse of blue sky is an ominous portent

of the horror to come.

here in the enablers' room, we had an over/under of 10 runners to be gone by the middle of day 2.

we are up to 4.

from the comfort of home,

looking at a computer screen,

it seems like the crewed runners have it made.,,,

someone to hand them food and drinks

constant support,

with luxury items like ice.

not that those are impossible to obtain for the screwed runner.

ed masuoka got two 8 pound bags of ice in union city.

when he passed us he had about 1 pound of ice in a dripping bag hanging around his neck

and maybe 5 pounds of ice in a dripping grocery bag under his arm.

he had gotten the ice about a mile before

and would probably run out in another mile or so.

but, for the moment he felt like life was possible on the surface of the sun.

then he would be back in hell,

with relief many miles away.

but, running crewed comes with its own disadvantages.

quitting is but a matter of getting in your car,

and driving away....

far too easy.

crewed runners are the most likely to quit.

everyone quits (mentally) a few times.

but the screwed runners face an unknown wait

for someone to pick them up.

and then, the possibility of being shuttled about for half a day

before we get together a load for the long trip to the rock.

so, even when you have decided to quit,

the best option is to trudge on until you find a place to hole up until someone comes to get you.

while you wait,

generally in air conditioning.

if you wait long enough

you will realize you can go on.

those who can easily arrange a ride home,

have left that other life on the road,

and realize they could have finished...

but, it is too late.

but, we will be able to discuss this at length over the next NINE days.

for now, let us see how the race is shaping up.

unfortunately we can only hit the highlights.

all 84 runners (of the original 88) have an epic story to tell.

each is locked in a life and death struggle

(life in the vol state is staying on the road)

they have already,

many of them, faced more punishment than they thought possible...

and the finish is still hundreds of miles away.

no longer something they can even dream about.

survival is just about reaching the next town.

greg soutiea put on a spectacular performance yesterday.

by clarksburg he was ready to quit.

something he was unable to put into practice until he got to parkers crossroads.

somehow he has arranged a ride.

so he may be gone.

the latest leader is kevin gerteisen,

with francesca muccini a mile behind.

onetime leader matt collins is back in parkers crossroads.

jbob jones is there, too.

you can expect a lot of changes over the next few days.

as yet, nothing is settled,

except that veterans are doing very well.

they already knew about the special hell that was coming.

by tomorrow,

all who survive will be veterans.

one last vol stater i want to mention;

my long time friend marvin skagerberg.

at the age of 78,

he told me at the last supper:

this is my "last annual " attempt.

then he winked.

marvin has 43 miles under his belt

12 miles up on oprah.

GO MARV

Yawn.

Wake me up when Fake Laz writes something.

Laz is awesome. Vol state is awesome.

But I'm always up for some fake laz on a lazy weekend!

saturday at the vol state and the the fatigue settles in

a simple drink of water is something to behold

the veterans forget most, remember some

but don't turn none away

the leaders are still in last place

but that's likely to change

as some begin to move quicker

and others move the same

the vol staters feel neither heat nor pain

rather, they seem to emit them

-laz

Tracking Sheet:

http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2017

Map:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jiHuqSw767aJmCZOV2dOQlg2wPw&usp=sharing

Welcome back fake laz

Following vol state from the comfort of AC is one of my fav annual traditions. This thread has possibilities.

60 hr update:

Tracking Sheet:

http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2017

Map:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HriTmhyvwTBvlxHRbOSbtVKCr0g&usp=sharing

Agreed. Vol State is the most compelling race in the world.

i can see the sun now.

that means the fun will start any minute, right?

ed masuoka at call in.

the vol staters are seeing their third sunrise this morning.

previous days have brought suffocating heat

or torrential downpours.

or both.

they have moved from the alluvial plains of the mississippi

thru the rolling hills leading to the tennessee river..

most have passed on into the long climbs and descents of the western highland rim,

and a few have emerged into the nashville basin.

our intrepid leaders are about to start the climb up onto the eastern highland rim.

the vol staters know the geography of west and middle tennesse

the way you can only learn it thru your feet.

and any other existence

than running, walking and resting

following the endless white line

seems far away.

it is almost a death to be removed from the road

and sent back to that other world,

they remember that they had a life out there

where the people zipping by in cars live.

jobs, and families....

but it seems more like something they read about in a book

than something they really did..

their vacation without a car is life.

if you are awake, you must move.

it is the prime directive.

move.

you find food where ever you find it

water when ever you find it.

a toilet or a shower....

those are the luxuries.

cause for celebration if you find one when you need it.

katydids sing all night

and cicadas sing all day.

except when the rains fall.

this is how you measure time.

and when the sun comes up,

it means the fun will start any minute.

the important thing is,

you must move.

walking, running,

following the endless white line.

francesca and kevin are the only ones

who have reached the point that thoughts of the finish are possible.those thoughts will soon be a dominant imperative.

they must begin to plan their final push.

where will they take the final rest?

(such as they have rested)

and how far out can they begin that last, desperate charge to the rock?.

they have pushed their bodies to the limits of endurance.

and now they must look inside,

and find something more.

for the others,

the race no longer has an end.

it is all about surviving the day.

enduring the heat,

finding food and water,

and moving.

always moving

no matter about the pain, the heat,

the tortured feet and sunburned skin,

no matter about hunger or thirst.

if you are awake, you must move.

they cannot see her,

but oprah is back there.

and she never rests.

donald brown has lost to oprah during the night.

and when the meat wagon arrives,

he will be loaded on it.

now she has her sights set on marvin.

he is still alive,

but oprah is a cruel mistress.

if you stay around her long

she will take you down.

RUN MARVIN, RUN!

Tracking Sheet:

http://www.tinyurl.com/Volstate2017

Map:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1K7C4Kz7JHO9RDX7oVX83nNg1RIY&usp=sharing

you're trying too hard and it's not working

one spot on the podium.

greg armstrong (yes, the man whose vs record will stand another year) has been crewing for francesca and kevin at night.

he called me this afternoon with a question...

what about ties?

well.

there is a funny thing about the finish at the vol state.

only one person fits on the rock at a time.

there are no ties.

if we have a race to the finish line,

we have a finish line about 10 yards away,

and at right angles to the trail in to the rock.

the first person there,

gets to be the first on the rock.

if you have seen pictures of people finishing at the rock,

you might have noticed some bushes just past the finish...

those are not bushes.

they are the top of 100 foot tall trees.

if you run past the finish line at the vol state,

you die.

not the place for a sprint finish!

at the vol state you literally run until there is no where left to run.

but the individual races are decided 10 yards earlier.

after 314 miles,

it rarely comes to that.

but we keep waiting for that day,

when two people reach the base of sand mountain together,

with the crown hanging in the balance...

it will be fun to watch.

of course, that was not the crux of greg's question.

francesca and kevin have been together for a couple of days now.

and, when you go thru this kind of hell together

it is only normal that a powerful bond develops.

greg had more or less assumed that one or the other would be stronger and pull ahead.

but, last night one of them had a foot problem,

and the other waited.

so i told greg how it works at the vol state.

there are no ties,

and there is only one podium spot.

there can only be one king.

there were really several choices.

they can just keep going,

and when one of them is stronger...

put the hammer down.

they can stay together,

and when they reach the base of sand mountain.

they can race to the finish

(every vol state veteran just had a cold chill run down their spine)

it might be the greatest hell ever experienced at the vol state,

but it would be fun to watch.

or, as a last choice,

they could simply pick a winner between themselves.

lots of people do that....

but that is for 27th and 28th place,

not 1 and 2.

there is only one podium spot.

i noticed that francesca was 2 miles ahead at tonight's call in.

the race might be on.

60 miles to go.

this should be interesting.

back there with oprah;

marvin has caught up with oprah, but only a mile ahead of her.

the clicking of her high heels on the pavement would be tormenting him

(if he were not deaf as a stump)

during the day she caught paul heckert.

the cheerful astronomer is a favorite,

with 4 finishes to his name.

number 5 is in jeopardy.

he has to be in linden by morning,

or she has him.

and now, diane taylor can hear those high heels clicking on the asphalt behind her.

oprah plays no favorites.

and she never tires.

at the front, and at the back,

the stakes are higher

but every vol stater is in the battle of their lives.

almost everyone has mentally quit more than once.

some have sat on the side of the road and wept.

but those with pins still on the map

have gotten back up,

and gone on.

tonight, the fourth consecutive night on the road,

will decide a lot.

and only the katydids will be there to bear witness.

Francesca Muccini wins in 4d 04:18:05

day 5 is winding down.

the vol staters have been on the road since last thursday morning....

in one sense, some of the drama is gone.

we have a new king,

(and it is a woman!)

the second place runner is in.

seemingly we have all the sub 5-day finishers already in.

but, matt collins has been putting on a huge surge,

with 72 miles in the last 24 hours.

he needs to log 40 over the last 12 hours to break 5.

it would seem impossible,

but who knows what these people have in mind.

i know we wont be closing up the 5 day sheet

(the one where everyone's time is 4 days plus change)

until the 5th day is complete.

all thru the field personal battles are going on.

battles for times

battles for places.

battles just to survive.

i look at the names on the map at each update.

every one has a dramatic story.

every one has faced moments of decision.

most have found a way to soldier on.

an even dozen have come to the end of their journey prematurely.

some of the survivors i barely knew a week ago.

now i find myself pulling for them with every step they take.

yearning to see them get what they have endured so much to pursue.

the latest vol stater to find his race hanging by a thread is paul heckert.

he has trailed oprah for the last couple of days,

and now must find 21 miles in this 12 hour segment

to reach the halfway mark in 5 days.

it sounds like so little.

and it is so little,

unless your body has been battered

steamed,

soaked,

and tortured for the last 120 hours.

somewhere out there in the long, tough hills around hohenwald,

paul heckert is making his last stand...

unless he survives to make another stand tomorrow.

i will be going to the rock early in the morning,

and looking at the string of runners on the final approach,

i am not sure when i will be back to make another update.

but whether i am here to tell it or not,

the struggles for survival will continue.

all day, and all night.

thru whatever tennessee can throw at them.

thru blisters and chafing

and a myriad of accumulated injuries.

i talked with a crew today,

watching their weary warrior wobbling down the road.

"he is pretty beat up "

they told me.

"his right calf has something wrong...

we don't know what it is,

but it doesn't work right any more."

"his left foot is a mess..

we have cut the insole out of his shoe,

and tried to replace it with padding.

but it is hurting him with every step..."

"when he falls down, he looks so pitiful trying to get up."

something about the way they said it was so matter of fact.

as if it is perfectly normal

to be so weary and beaten,

that you fall,

and struggle to get back up...

and to go on.

everyone out there is hurt a dozen different ways.

this is a cruel, brutal race.

but, somehow,

the more desperate the struggle,

the more joyous the arrival at the rock.

king francesca said it for all of them....

"everything hurts.... but my spirit is so high."

as david horton once said;

"the harder you have to work,

the more you have to overcome

to attain something,

the sweeter it is."

walking out to touch the rock

is one of the sweetest moments an ultrarunner will ever have.

but, god it comes at a high price.