vol state road race
3 days
.
it isnt really quite at 3 days yet.
but i figured i would get an early start while waiting on the checkins to fill out.
.
what are you doing this pretty sunday morning?
sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and watching the sun come up?
sleeping in?
.
for 106 people (at last count)
this day started like the previous three.
they are somewhere on the side of the road
enjoying the light traffic
and dreading the first rays of the sun…
.
for the vol stater the sun has become a cruel and unrelenting nemesis.
the first rays that strike their toasted skin in the morning
bring back shuddering memories of what has been
and what will be again.
after the relative coolness of the dark
the first ray of sunlight makes them wilt and shrivel
like morning glories at noon.
.
the heat has been building a little each day.
the air becoming slowly more charged
with trapped humidity and heat.
this is the july pattern in tennessee.
the heat and energy in the air builds each day
until the atmosphere can no longer hold it…
.
and then the skies open up
and dump it all down
in a violent cataclysm of wind, water, and electricity.
.
is today the day?
will the vol staters be battered into submission
or driven to search for any shelter available?
.
or will they simply cook in their own skins for another whole day?
.
studying the forecast it looks kind of grim.
they should be thoroughly cooked thruout the day
and then thunderstorms will start on the western end of the course this afternoon
and sweep on eastward
eventually hammering everyone on the road
and continue into the evening….
.
at the far end where the first finishers will be coming in the wee hours monday
the rain will last all night.
.
the “lucky” ones will reach the climb up onto the cumberland plateau at monteagle before the worst of the heat.
unfortunately, the plateau is legendary for the ferocity of the storms that hit up there!
.
the runners had better strap it on real good.
day 4 is going to bring some challenges.
.
the other thing i am watching to see this morning,
is which of the runners who were racing to make the turn by this morning made it while we slept.
i already see at least one who came up short.
unless there were some miracles during the night
a whole vanload will be heading for the rock this morning.
.
i will pass on the status of the competition after the checkins are complete.
meanwhile i should post this before facebook decides to dump it!