HOTS update day five and a half!.the heat came back today.boy did it ever come back.even in the shade the air felt like standing in front of an open coke oven..i saw that some (who had the opportunity) took refuge for hours.those caught out on the open road simply got fried..still, in spite of everythingthe long thin line moved on.after 5 days this is what they do.this is who they are.there is no end.there was Read more…
HOTS random update.if you want to renew your faith in humanitydo a journey run..all we ever seem to hear these daysis how polarized the country is.we hear about all the “crazies out there”.on top of thatthe hots runners have spent the last 5 days(and some will spend 5 more)crossing that special part of the country called appalachia…..they are learning something about the people who live here.random acts of kindness are like beacons of light,.the “heart” Read more…
HOTS update…. 5 days!.so things will soon be changing on the update front.i am starting this one because the first finisher is expected sometime between now…..and early afternoon..we only know that he was in downtown chattanooga at 0100.how fast is he moving?did he take a break?we do not know..so it is safer to start the update while runners are in the process of checking in.the leaders are making their final approach now.and the next group Read more…
Hots update four and a half days!.i had to wait on this one until everyone had checked in.so much was being decided this 12 hour period!.well, the race isnt exactly decided.because john still has 44 miles to cover.but he made what we call a decisive move today,fairly flying up dunlap mountain..he covered 10 more miles going up the mountain,than lupton and trinkle did reaching it.the race is john clarke’s to lose..turner was another 7 miles Read more…
HOTS random update.carl took care of the regularly scheduled update this morning.as usual we are stocking up what sleep we can before the runners start coming in to the finish.once that starts we lose control over our schedule.most sleep will come in 5 second snatches between when we fall asleep sitting upand we are jarred awake hitting the ground..still, i am very excited by where the leaders are.we have been waiting for this for 4 Read more…
Well, laz finally hit his first wall of the race… He has slept nearly an hour past check-in time so I guess I’ll have to pick up the pieces and tell you all what happened last night…At the front of the race there wasn’t any shuffling, they all had a good night with John, Henry and Brian maintaining their relative positions… They look likely as the podium, but in what order?! A lot can happen Read more…
HOTS 3 and a half day update.dont blink.the situation at the hots can change in the blink of an eye….or at least every 12 hours..we have a new leader.bev abbs finally succumbed to her back issuesand a few hours later john clarke was our new leader..and just like that he was cast in a new role.rather than chasing for all he was worth,now he has to try to keep his body patched togetherso that he Read more…
HOTS random update.we are here in a motel just short of the halfway mark.we need to wait a while to get back on the roadas timing the movements of the cover crews can be a little tricky..i saw nicole at the motel breakfast.she looked amazingly fresh and strong.especially considering her desperate plight last night..she had gotten off course at the dam,and descended to the hatchery instead of crossing over the top.so, because of the horizontal Read more…