Day 2 Vol State Race

Day 2 did not start as early as I would have liked. You see, there was music jamming in the room next door at the janky motel, then oddly, a hammering noise like they were building a spaceship. It was not the best night, but luckily, nights end and the morning comes. I awake early and head out the door to make my way back to the route and get moving. 

David stayed behind and packed up the truck. When I left the motel this morning, it was dark outside, and all the music had stopped and the hammering ceased.  Me, with my cart and Sugar (loaded up for whatever the amount of miles are until it gets too hot) begin the day. 

We had stayed in Dresden, and the next town would be Gleason. As I made my way in the dark, I came across a mile marker.

Only 500 K more to go

Apparently, there are many miles left in this race. I will attempt to tackle some of them today. I moved down the road with a full moon shining bright. I smelled the scent of "early morning darkness" and tried to distinguish all the multitude of smells floating in the air. I came across other runners and we would chat and discuss Day 1 and what we each thought Day 2 might bring. Everyone has a plan, but as the days progress, plans fall apart. It's one thing to move 40 miles on Day 1, but on Day 2, another 40 miles feel tougher on tired legs, esp with all the 'ups' here in Tennessee. Day 3 is even worse, and it progresses as a exponential situation. The next day is not a little harder, but somehow a lot harder. The hot weather is not your friend and just makes things that are already hard, that much harder. 

I eventually arrived in Gleason, as it was the next town I would encounter. I will tell you that Gleason is a big fan of this race. First thing, their city limit sign had this to say:

Love this little town

But even better, is that most every telephone pole had a handmade sign encouraging runners to "just keep running" or "don't give up". This little town is so welcoming that they even moved their fire trucks out of the  fire station, set up cots, food, and drinks for the runners. 

Okay, this fire dept wins

There are large fans going inside the firehouse with cots spread out just right, and everyone in the race is welcome to come in for however long they desire. Many runners spend the night there, and skip the nasty motel options. There's even a shower there for the runner's use. Gleason, esp the fire station, gets all the gold stars. 

As I move through town, I see a little cafe that David and I had eaten at during the last Vol State race. I remember the home cooked meal fondly. Yet, I keep moving while the ball of fire is sleeping. 

The next town I come into is McKenzie. It's a hopping little place for a small town. There are lots of industrial type of businesses and workers in neon yellow vests everywhere, esp driving in their cars heading into work. I can see their yellow vests on them inside the car, as they drive past me. They are probably wishing a had a neon yellow vest on too. 

Once I make my way out of town, it's time to turn onto highway 22 that boast a huge shoulder (thank you) and no shade whatsoever. Now's the time to mindlessly move down the road on the hot pavement with the hot sunshine attempting to zap your soul. This is prime blister-forming time. You can feel the heat on your feet. At this point, I'm past 60 miles total (40 from yesterday and 20+ thus far on Day 2). 

I keep moving. I had passed Sugar off to David earlier so she would cool down in the truck. In McKenzie, there was a little Italian cafe where David got us lunch. I had pizza with lots of olives and had a much needed salt fix. I'm sweating nonstop, and salt-food is imperative at this point. There was even some people in a home just off the route at a makeshift aid station handing out water and pickles. You can guarantee I had a pickle, and it was cold and delicious. You always hope the hard-to-digest foods will stay down, if you know what I mean. David had also stopped there at the particular aid station and blessed the folks there with some of his homemade bbq sauce of which he brought several jars to gift to those who are helping in the race. 

After I left McKenzie, going by the court house, of course, I was a little too focused on all the turns (so I don't get off the route and have to backtrack, adding miles. That's no bueno). I was so overly focused on trying not to miss a turn, that as I was watching the road signs, I realized I was heading for Huntingdon which in fact was the next town. But in my hot haze, I called David and in a frantic voice, begin to tell him I'm on the highway to Huntingdon and I've not hit McKenzie yet. I'm asking David in a high pitched voice how I could miss McKenzie, and I'm made a wrong turn, and I'm going to have to back track and oh dear the sky is falling. He's secretly worried about me now. He's thinking that's where he had gotten the lunch for us, and I had made all the proper turns. And that I did go by the court house there. It took a minute to register this in the rattled mind of mine, and I calmed down. You're right, I tell him. Huntingdon is the next town and I lost my ever loving mind for a moment in time. These kinds of encounters put him on High Alert with me. He does not like those types of phone calls from me on the side of the road. I promised to try and think about it more next time before I call him like that. Too many 'the sky is falling' calls do not set well with him. I blame it on being scared that I'm going to miss a turn and have to add more unnecessary miles to the race, but really that excuse is not valid and the real excuse was that I wasn't thinking and didn't look at the route map before I called him Silly me. Lesson learned to think about it more, before I call David and have frantic words from the side of the road. 

I would have sworn I missed McKenzie. 
But I didn't. 
Just my crazy hot mind tricking me.

As I'm moving down the road, it's at least 94 degrees and climbing, and I decide that I prefer moving the majority of my miles in the darkness. I keep moving, at times coming up on other runners who look like the walking dead. I realize then that I'm going to save myself and stop at mile 76 today. I'll get some rest, and get an super early start in the morning. I'll make up the few miles short of going 40 today (I went 36 instead) and add them to tomorrow in the dark of the morning. All knowing that Day 3 is going to be even more of a beating leg-wise than even today. But a girl can dream. 

I continue down the hot Hwy 22 and arrive at Clarksburg. It's a small town with a Dollar Store and convenience store. No motel here, but there is a gorgeous cemetery. I pick that as my motel tonight. The only shower that will happen tonight is a bug spray shower as we will sleep (on the cover) on the bed of the truck. 

The view is amazing, and I can use
my phone as a hotspot for my computer.
There is no water or electricity here.

I, with a yoga mat to sleep on, and David with a partially blown up twin mattress. I think the only noise we may hear tonight are those from nature itself. We did not park on any dead people, but simply parked the truck under a huge, gorgeous tree here inside the cemetery confines, for which to shade us from the boiling rays of the sun. The view is fantastic, as we can see for miles, as this cemetery is up on a hill (pushing the cart up it was not fantastic). But once I was up here, I can see mountains upon mountains and trees as far as the eye can see. 

I may not want to leave here.

So here I sit at mile 76 of a 314 mile race. We enjoy reading the tombstones, calculating how old people were when they died, and reading the sweet things written about the departed. 'Bible Teacher' reads one. And seeing how family members are placed, and in what order, is all very interesting.

David always loves looking around a cemetery. 

This is the Sellers Hill Cemetery in Clarksburg, and we appreciate the occupants here allowing us to be with them tonight. I did verbally as their permission, and I assumed no reply meant Yes.

Pano view, with the truck under a tree on the far right. 
If you look closely, I'm sitting atop the bed of the truck resting.

As we lay our heads down to rest, we are grateful for this opportunity to stay here. Buddy and Sugar are not really sure what to make of this adventure, but as long as we are close, they seem to be doing well. They both do well in the truck. 

Sunrise with Buddy in Tennessee

What I've not mentioned is the rockiness of the beginnings of this trip. Our farm caretaker, Rosie called us, on the first time she went to feed (Wed night, while David and I are at the Last Supper getting race instructions with the other 115 participants at the Chinese Buffet in Union City). She let me know that the horses had gotten out, and things were a bit chaotic. Hope is a rescue mini horse, and even though Hope trusts me, she does not always trust others. Therefore, Rosie was unable to corral her back in their designated area. Rosie got Dora back into their area, but Hope was not having it. I'm happy to say that our favorite horse friend, Angela, came to the rescue and got Hope back in the stall(s) with Dora. 

Reunited and it feels so good 🐎🐎

Thank you, Angela! That was definitely an unplanned adventure for you - and Rosie! All while this is happening over the last day or so, we get a text message from Oncor (our electricity provider) alerting us that our electricity power was out, and that they were "working" on it. And besides us making our way to Tennessee and remembering all the things we had forgot, everything did get settled, and all was - and is -well. 

I hope your Friday was a wonderful one, and that your weekend looks bright.

More tomorrow,

Cyndi