HOTS 48 hour update
it is bright and early as our road warriors begin their third day on the road…
.
and everyone is hurt.
this has become all too real.
the thing about an adventure is that it feels neither romantic
nor exciting
when it is going on.
.
it is dirty.
sweaty
painful
and hard!
success no longer seems like a dream
it seems like an impossibility.
yet still most of them continue the struggle.
.
everyone is hurting.
everyone is in their own private hell
like sailors on leaky ships
they can only try to patch the holes
and pump out the water
to keep their boat afloat.
.
9 of our brave souls have passed from the ranks
leaving gaps in the line.
73 soldier on.
.
even bev and john,
who ended the night how they started it
4 miles apart
are less than halfway to the rock.
.
but they have now come within smelling distance of the tennessee state line.
what waits in tennessee?
only the first of the monster climbs on the course
that horrible 8% grade ascending the cumberland plateau.
.
they have now opened up more than a 20 mile gap between themseves and the peleton.
.
both have passed albany
bev checked in at browns crossroads
with john a village back in snow.
.
brian trinkle has moved to the front of the trailing pack,
but even he is only at sewellton
about to enter the emptiest section of the entire course
between sewellton and albany
where it circles out thru the countryside making a wide detour around lake cumberland and possible boat traffic.
james turner is 4 miles behind brian in jamestown
with kimberly durst and henry lupton just a mile back.
.
days behind now,
the life and death struggle with opah goes on.
diane taylor had a strong night
and bought some breathing room.
gina kimrey lost another mile,
and is now in a virtual tie with the stiletto heeled nemesis of journey runners.
the clicking of those feared heels on the pavement behind her
echoing in her ears like something from a horror movie.
pam smith has fallen far behind oprah.
only a miracle will save her now….
.
and ed maye,
seemingly safe only 12 hours ago,
mustered a mere 3 miles during that time.
now he is also far in arrears
his existence on the course in jeopardy.
.
we have not heard his story yet,
but 3 miles in 12 hours is not going to be a pretty tale.
.
and so the 73 move on.
probably soon to be 71.
.
only oprah shows no weakness.
for the rest,
their vulnerabilities are showing.
and off in the distance,
the mountains are waiting to take advantage.
.
Categories: HOTS