Posted on the Ultralist:
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:33:35 +0000
From: lazarus lake
Subject: where’s mike ? vol state day 1
gawd this is fun.
i’ve already driven 1000 miles (thus the late report. as the runners get closer i will post sooner) since mike is in transit i figured i’d give everyone the goods:
huge storms came thru last night (good old john price got 9 inches of rain & a tornado touchdown)
The highlight of the morning:
the ferry was temporarily closed!! “dridge boat working in the harbor” but as we milled about deciding what to do a man drove down and asked if we were “them runners wanting to ride the ferry?” (the ferry boat people love us) they went & got the ferry & made a special run just for us.
the day was cool (& rainy in the morning) altho everyone but the vets kept saying they would do better when it cooled off. bad news i didnt share. it was as cool as it’s gonna get.
The status:
race time 8:04 (hours & minutes only) john price was summarily dumped at the ferry to try and catch up. he plans to run to martin (30m) tonight.
race time ?? marvin skagerberg in hot pursuit of rich limacher. reportedly he has reached martin but he is planning to see what he can do at night.
race time ?? rich limacher sighted on the approach to martin looking very painful (and maybe a little disoriented) reaches martin. he is ensconced for the night but plans to continue tomorrow.
race time: 9:01 mike o’melia seen seated on a bench in downtown martin (31 mi) eating ??. he intends to be in huntington (68 miles) by the 24 hour mark.
race time: 9:08 fred davis leaving martin (33 mi) running strong & shooting for parker crossroads (81 mi) by the start of day 2.
race time: 9:18 scott maxwell & richard burrell running together on the outskirts of dresden (37 miles) richard plans to stop in dresden (40 mi) & be on the way to gleason in the morning. scott is shooting for mckenzie (57 miles)
race time 9:22 byron backer spotted a mile further up the road. upon closer inspection it was determined that he *was* moving. expecting great things to happen after sunset byron is aiming for parkers crossroads (81 miles) by morning.
race time 9:30 dan fox & rita barnes make the turn onto west main in dresden (39 miles) they look like they can run forever and the bedrolls hanging from their packs indicate the rest breaks they take wont be in a motel.
race time ?? cyndi graves reaches dresden (41 miles) among the front runners & heads to her motel. her plan is to start each day way early. we expect her to be around gleason by the start of day 2.
race time ?? peter & patrick relay team reach dresden & stop for the day. we assume they still want 50 miles tomorrow but they wanted 50 miles today & fell short.
race time 9:37 don winkley near leaving dresden (evergreen & st 22) at 41 miles. looks strong as an ox. planning to break at 60 but to already be back on the road when 24 hours rolls around.
race time 9:47 keith woodall seen walking on the road to gleason (about 43 miles) muses that he had entered dresden in 3rd place & left it in 6th. we reminded him that place means NOTHING right now. he wants to get past mckenzie (57 miles) before morning.
race time 9:55 abi meadows on the road to gleason (45 miles) looking very strong. aiming for huntingdon (68 miles) before taking a break.
race time 10:00 joe ninke (47 miles) his homemade cart (a styrofoam cooler on a kid’s scooter-pulled by a length of pvc pipe looks damned effective. joe looks the same as he looked coming off the ferry. always the communicator he expresses the intention of doing “the best i can” before morning.
race time 10:15 dewayne satterfield located nearing mckenzie. (54 miles). running very well. one of the few to appreciate what good weather we had for day 1. his goal for morning is to get past lexington (91 miles) & start his quest to break the 4 day barrier with a 100 mile type day 1… like the great kings of old.
be glad you slept tonight.
not everyone was so lucky.
laz
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:17:57 -0600
From: Susan R
Subject: the first day – VolState
I can’t tell you where everyone is at the moment, but after supper in Gleason with the relay team I made a quick check back at the town square in Dresden. I’d not gone more than a half mile, hadn’t even turned off new Hwy.
22 when I spotted Scott Maxwell and Richard Burrell on the other side of the road. They were headed toward the motel. Saw no one I recognized (actually the entire center of town was deserted), so I then headed on to McKenzie to find a motel. Between Gleason and McKenzie, somewhere between 8 and 8:30 pm I waved to: in order from the back to the furthest along: Dan Fox, Rita Barnes, Byron Backer, Abi Meadows, and Keith Woodall and Don Winkley who were chatting away as they ran alongside each other.
I know that the relay team of Patrick Binienda and Peter Emmons are in the motel in Dresden, because we went to dinner together. Lesson of the day: best way to find an odd almost unnoticeable place to eat in Gleason, TN is to hang around the town square of Dresden until Don Winkley and his handler Donald show up. Stand with Donald to take photos of Don in front of the court house until a short portly judge happens to ask, “What’s all the picture taking about?” This was asked in friendly curiosity, so of course I had to give him the whole VS story.
Since I’m married to the judge I chatted away and eventually asked him what kind of judge he is. The reply, “A good one.” I just shook my head…that’s something Matt would have answered.
Turns out the judge and his wife are headed to New Mexico on vacation, so he pumped me for places to eat and things to do in Santa Fe. I live four hours away, but I’ve visited three or so times in the last year and could at least tell him about the Native American artists who line one side of the plaza selling turquoise – the judge was eager to get some of NM’s favorite blue stone.
It was rather obvious he likes to eat, and maybe it is with me too, but for whatever reason he decided to tell me where I should eat. The directions, which I meticulously wrote down:
“Go down the four lane until you get to a four-way stop in the middle of nowhere. There’s a restaurant called “Carvi’s” and it’s purdy good, but catty-cornered (and that’s how he said it) to Carvi’s is J.J.’s.” I asked if
it was spelled with initials and was then informed that there’s no sign…it looks like a drive-in (as in old burger joint) but it really is a restaurant.”
Before we parted ways, after being given his email address, his wife’s website, and instructions on what I am to email him back, I was told, “Now you go to J.J’s and tell ’em Tommy Moore sent ya.” With a twinkle in his eye and perhaps a hungry look, the good judge told me, “You’re gonna like it – tonight’s pork chop night!”
So I called the relay guys knowing they were already showered and asked them if they’d like to go to dinner. Cyndi and David Graves are also at the motel in Dresden (there is just one motel there) but they were pretty tuckered and declined the invite. We all understood. It’d been a long hot day after the rain of the early morning.
You may want to ask Patrick and Peter what they thought of J.J’s, but Patrick had the pork tenderloin and Peter and I each had a pork chop. The salad bar was nothing remarkable, mabye even a little slight, but that pork chop was an inch thick, not dry, and marinated then grilled, and it was good. The judge knew what he was talking about!
I don’t know what all the runners are feeling after day 1. I never saw DeWayne after he passed me shortly after we left the ferry in Hickman. I’ve not heard where some of those in the back are, but I have heard all but one are accounted for, and he doesn’t have to report in until the morning.
It’s been a long day. As the VS press corps I’m happy to report that I did manage to sit in the Dresden Chamber of Commerce for a while. The lady at the front desk was so excited to learn of VS that she called both the Martin and the Dresden newspapers. The reporter from the one in Dresden talked to me on the phone a bit and then asked if I’d call him when the next runner arrived. I was given historical data, trivia questions, local magazines that “are the best ’cause they’ve got great recipes,” and 25 plastic lapel pins
in the shape of the TN with the state’s name imprinted across the length of them. As I was juggling all these items plus my camera, a bottle of water given me by the nice lady, my notebook, and my big bag that serves as briefcase and purse, I was also handed a cute map of the city. It’s a full-color poster and is one of those that looks like the original was hand-drawn in something of a cartoon style. They cost $5.00 and I was
feeling like it wasn’t necessary. Then the nice lady said the magic words, “Give it as a prize to the person who wins.”
I stumbled out into the sunlight and heat and made my way back to the other side of the square. It wasn’t long until Patrick and Peter came by. Peter had 3-4 more miles to go, so once Patrick saw Peter off and away, he returned to visit. I called David at the Dresden newspaper and yay! Patrick gave an interview that should be in next Wednesday’s edition! I feel like today I did my job.
So pretty soon I’m gonna head to bed. I need some sleep. Tomorrow I’ve got to do better about water intake and better food intake (went from a banana and two of my cookies early to the pork chop with nothing in between).
Bathroom visits were about as frequent as feedings, so I’ve some logistics to work on while following the merry band of runners.
Thing is, right now I keep thinking about that poster of Dresden. People have asked me (and I’m sure the runners have been asked as well), “Why are they doing this?! What do they get?” The short answer has to be amended to: “Bragging rights and the title of King of the Road, and oh yeah – a $5.00 poster!!!”
I’m not sure what Laz will say when he learns that his race now has a prize attached to it. One thing is certain – whatever he says, it’ll be interesting.
from the hot black path in TN…signing off…susan
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