As the days roll by, and the sun beats down on the volstaters, patterns begin to emerge.
Looking at the tracking sheet, we see each runner’s pattern. Do they move well in the daytime, or more at night? Do they stay with other runners in a pair or group, or do they check-in alone?
There are natural patterns that emerge due to the nature of the course (locations of hotels have a strong influence on the flow of the race), and the nature of each individual runner.
Is there a pattern to the drops? The meat wagon made its first run to The Rock today. 10 runners picked up between Martin and Hohenwald. There was a pattern to their woes as well. A first day over done in the heat, and a second day spent thinking about how far left to go…
At the front of the race, Grant continues to lead, but it’s still, as he said, “Early days, ya?”
He’s the only one past The Bench of Despair.
The ladies behind him are licking their chops if he falters.
Large groups are moving in close proximity, and of course the hotels are bursting at the seams with the large field this year.
The back of the pack is doing what needs to be done. They’re all in Parker Crossroads, set up for a night run to Parsons and a cushion in front of Oprah.
Tomorrow promises slightly cooler temperatures, if the runners have anything in the tank….
Wow, the long hours are getting to me. Eyelids drooping and interesting commentary becoming a struggle….I’ll have to get some sleep and hopefully write a decent update tomorrow morning at the close of day 3.
We have more than a week to go!