I am now known as an ultra-marathoner

Yes, I did it. First of all I would like to say a special thank you to my wonderful wife, Amanda, for going with my yesterday and having to wait on me to finish the race. For almost 8 hours she would have to find stuff to do but later she informed me that she helped out runners, preparing food and drinks and keeping a little puppy warm for most of the day.

We arrived a the BLACK and FOGGY Bartram Forrest to race for my first ever 50K. It was raining and did I mention it was dark and foggy. I thought about starting early but I could not see very well even when my flashlight. Steve Purdue pulled up and convinced me to wait until the sun rose and what a beautiful site it was coming up through the trees. We were walking to the start line when out of the blue we heard, BOOM, BOOM. Deer hunters were out in full force. I looked at Steve and said "That was the unofficial starting gun". And we were off and running.

Rain, mud and slippery conditions made this day and exciting run because you constantly had to look were you were stepping. As we started out we were told that 2 other men started about 4:30 and was taking their time for the marathon. Later on I found out that one of the men was the founder of the 50 states marathon group that had about 3 months ago attempted a marathon in Antarctica and slipped on a glacier and broken his hip but was still out there today attempting a marathon. Steve guided me around the first lap showing me how to follow the rad and green flags that Kevin went out there and marked for us. Steve and I have run before together down on the river walk so it gave us a chance to get caught up on some old times. BTW Steve, go Yellow Jackets!!!!!

Lap 2 and I told Steve to go ahead and run his pace because I was slowing him down and he joined in with Jerome and went ahead showing me the way. I was trying to figure out what kind of pace I wanted to follow for the day with my 5:1 ratio. I got a chance to see Donna and Stephanie when I was going up the long and lonely hill on the way to the aid tent in the figure 8 section.

Lap 3 and I picked up some more runners with me. Amy, Leora and Steve joined me on my wet and tired run. It was funny to listen to the three and figure out how was going to say something about their shoes first. I myself was now on my second pair of shoes. Steve originally said he was just coming out for a cheerleader but I did not want to see him in a cheerleaders outfit so he ran with us on just a few hours of sleep. We ran and trekked our way through the course and by now it was getting for soupy out there.

Lap 4 Before starting out for the next lap, I found the salty potatoes that everyone raved about last year. MAN were they good. They were about 1 more shake of salt away from high blood pressure. And the rice crispies, well what more can I say. I felt so good on this lap. It really felt like I had not been running at all. I don't know if it was the salt or if I was starting to fall into a grove and get comfortable.

Lap 5 BOOM not a good lap. Amy was sitting this lap out due to some knee issues and Leora kept running through the aid station cause she told me she could not stop because she would not keep going if she did. My body at this point was starting to talk to me. Leora, Troy and Steve was now trying to keep me motivated to finish my journey. I was attempting to put the pain in my body somewhere in the back of my mind and think about all the good things going on today. Steve just finished his first 10K, his first ever run into double digits and his first ever HM with a total mileage somewhere around 15 0r 16 miles today. GREAT job Steve. You have really come along way fast but just don't over due yourself and get hurt.

Lap 6 It is now me and myself to finished my journey into the record books in my journal. I did not speed allot of time at the aid station because I did not want to talk myself out of finishing the last lap. Tommy Chambers asked how I was feeling and I don't really know what I said as he looked at me and said "Don't get cold out there" About a mile into the last leg and I was running through the section with trees on both sides of me and a big deer came running out he woods. I stop in my wet and cold tracks to look and marvel on why I was out there i the middle of the woods. I looked around the just bask in the presence of what our Father has given us. At this time it was time to hit the figure 8 one last time. As I was going up the hill approaching the aid station, I thought to myself that I could just wait a few minutes at the tent then turn to the cars and finish the race by cutting off some miles. Well not was wrong and I knew I could not live with myself knowing that everyone else finished the entire distance. So I continued the journey with catching up with another runner form Arkansas I believe and we talked and ran. We discussed his journey over his career of marathons and his stories of the good and bad. We then started to discuss politics and before I realized it we were about 1/2 mile from the finish line. I told him to go ahead and finish in front of me because he deserved it more that I did and he told me that we both get the same thing out of the race today, memories. I approached the finish line to see last few spectators still hanging around the greet me in. It was now over. I did it. WOW I am now totally spent. My cold and wet body was almost to tired to eat a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My feet were soaked, my muscles ached but I was still able to hold up my ginger bread man and say " YO Amanda I did it"

A very special thank you to Kevin for putting on a terrific race from the goody bags, the entire wonderful feast of food, drinks and aids for keeping us going through the entire day and just a great and low keyed race that just made it wonderful.

I have to say thank you to Tommy for helping me take off my shoes, sorry I yelled at you, and helping me to apply Vaseline to my wet and injured toes. Hey FM I hope you got a good picture of that.LOL

Thank you to Amy, Troy, Leora, Steve Purdue and Steve Gatlin for running with me and helping to push forward when I was getting tired. BTW Leora, have your shoes gotten dry from jumping in all those mud puddles.

Once again congrats to Steve Gatlin for breaking so many mild stones on this running today and to all the others who braved the cold and wet conditions to run today. What a great time.