Oh what a weekend. The world record attempt managed to spin up the
intensity just a notch more than it already was. In my attempt to make
sure everything is where it should be when it should be, I sometimes
skim right past the niceties of the proper social graces. Yes, I can
hear some of you laughing. You didn't think I had any already. There
are times when I try, but I am certain that by midnight Saturday, they
were completely gone. My apologies to all those that I offended.
You guys were amazing. As amazing as Jorge ran, the support crews were
even more so amazing and stayed one heck of a lot longer.
Joyce refuses to be slowed by her body parts that seem to be breaking
at record pace. As she and Diana Heynen compete with each other for injury
points, I think that Joyce has taken the lead. Please quit now, both of you.
Joyce spent the entire time between Bandera and Rocky to reorganize and restock
all her supplies, filling our home with tubs and boxes full of foods and gadgets
of all types. When I left home early Thursday, I left her to fill the U-Haul,
buy all the food from Sams, separate it out per aid station or kitchen, pack it,
and load it. She did all this and then left home at 5:00am the next morning for
Huntsville. When she arrived, the initial distribution then became the constant
renewal and support for both kitchen and aid station that never ended until we
had reloaded the U-Haul, cleaned the Lodge, then drove home, unloaded, and then
returned everything that we rented or borrowed. Anyway, she out paced Jorge by
a few days more endurance. And when I say she filled the U-Haul, I dont just mean
the food. I mean everything for the race: all of it.
Henry Hobbs was our operations manager, and he wore two hats for Rocky:
Course Control and Volunteer Coordinator. And these two jobs tore him
into two different directions. he needed to be on the course for
control and needed to be at the Lodge for managing the constantly rotating volunteers.
Henry drove down to Huntsville with me on Thursday where he began marking the course,
managing crews for ribbon marking and the FarSide/DamRoad setup, while he tagged all
the key intersections and turns himself with arrows, signs, flags, and cones.
On Friday, he continued his course setup while he orchestrated all the volunteers
who came in to the Lodge. Master of balancing the stations and setting up teams to
hang glow sticks, and then tear down and clean up afterwards. He also worked as key
backup for Joyce at times. He tied JOyce for endurance and shear strength of will to
keep from destroying himself while holding it all together. Another amazing performance.
Sam Voltaggio works with Joyce in advance to plan the meals, buy the
food, and collect the equipment needed to seat and feed 200 people for
two main meals, and also to feed the volunteers and runners for 30+
hours. When he rolls in on Friday, he has already done a lot and has a
plan for much more. He starts cooking and cleaning right away and
doesn't stop until well after all the runners are gone. All the food
served with perfection and both meals done up with a very classy
presentation that impressed all who partook. He puts on a 50+ hour
cook-a-thon that even Jorge was impressed with. Did anybody not see the
layout he set up for dinner? The candle lit tables and tablecloths. The
food presentations and pies. Very nice.
Michael McGilberry, Jonathan Judge, and Dawn are the crux of the
medical staff that seemed to grow into a few other medical personal when we
really needed them. During the wee hours when it grew colder than many expected,
runners began to drop in droves. A few hospital visits and a load of people
wrapped up in blankets exhausted our entire supply such that we had to start
pulling them off of people sleeping in the lodge. This team was truly outstanding
with their drive to care for everyone in need to the point of following some around for awhile.
Linda Rust continues to impress with her constant drive to finish the
job while her smile never seems to fade. She managed all the packet
stuffing, shirt management, and handing packet pickup with multiple
options for races, including the USATF mess that seemed to confuse
everybody but her. Even after handling the chaos of race morning last
minute registration and distribution when her job was completely done,
she hung around even longer to do what she could to help, staying many
hours more. Even Hans-Dieter was impressed and would not leave without
a hug.
Angela Weatherill takes her job as the Time Collector very seriously,
and all you need to do to understand this was to get in her way of
doing her job. She chased all who interfered with rapidity. She stayed
in her chair at the finish line from start until done, even taking a few
hours nap without rising from the chair. I truly appreciate her dedication
to doing this job as perfectly as she can. Again, there were no errors.
Kyle Wilkie manages all the data for results and awards. He works
directly from Angela's times to input data, sort out who is where and
who gets what. Data collection and manipulation is so much more than
this though. Kyle and Angela had to determine who was still on the
course at any given moment in each race, who had dropped, who's drop
bags had to remain when we pulled them for the promised 11:00am return:
yes, a few had to be left. He had the added craziness of merging the
USATF runners to the 100mile runners for results, then separating them
for the Championships, then sorting out 5-year age categories, and
various other oddities. They did not miss a thing, including the 54
seconds that Jorge missed the world record by or the last 3 runners who
came in late for the 30 hour finish.
The Aid stations ruled the day. People shifting in and out of each,
with a few stalwarts hanging in for the entirety. Mariela Botella and
HTREX took the Highway station like seasoned vets and did a wonderful job.
Larry Sbar and Debra Sexton with NTTR took the toughest job of Dam
Road's two headed station and kept this main bastion of support running
very well. Mike Riggs and Jim Balthazar with HCTR set up and managed
the Far Side station with lots of care and fun. These guys stayed the
entire weekend out there and worked their buns off. Victor Aquirre and the
Tornados took Site174 with its slightly transplanted location and did a great
job keeping the runners going. Tammy Harbison of Elite Feet
Orthotics and Elite Feat Coaching took the Lodge and did a wonderful
job putting it all together and keeping it all together.
The entire staff of aid stations were simply phenomenal for the entire weekend.
Nothing but rave revues from the runners.
Chris Matus, Henry's right hand man, who helped me many times over to
ensure the course was accurate. He brought the ATV, marked the course,
carried everything we needed including 200 gallon of water to Far Side,
and then worked thru the night. He even made a trip with me out to the
park the Sunday before the race to finalize the course measurement and
mark the turn around points at Far Side and Highway,
Mariela Botella also did a great job of hooking up pacers for those who
asked before the race. She made some great hookups that I am sure will
be lasting friendships.
Larkin Tulley comes through again. He does everything and with a smile.
We assigned him to Joyce but he ended up doing much more than that. No
matter where you worked, odds were good that you saw Larkin at some
point.
Robert & Diana Heynen filled quite a few roles this weekend. From
course marking, to tent setup and tear down, to pacing. It seems that
are both ready to do whatever they can to help and it is very much appreciated.
Gabe & Janice Ayson came up also to fill a wide variety of rolls and
then stayed til the last for cleanup as well.
Paul & Meredith Terranova as well, came in and just did whatever they
could. Mer even went so far as to save Letha Cruthirds race for her by
taking her out for her final 20 mile loop, and refused to let her quit
along the way.
Thorbjorn & Trevor Pedersen were a welcome help, doing quite a few odd
jobs throughout the day and night.
ken Johnson and the Seven Hills Running Club came in to offer relief at
Dam Road.
Chris Rampacek lined up some 60+ kids to offer help throughout the
weekend.
David Kehlenbrink lent us his ATV and trailer with which we would have
been in a bind without at Far Side.
The list of significant support seems to go on endlessly. Individuals,
families, and small groups, all came in to help. Many only planned to
stay for a short cursory role, but then got sucked into so much more
because they enjoyed helping. A group of nurses spun into the Lodge and
took over with a lot of energy for the night shift, the family of one
of the runners brought a gang of high energy kids that were a lot of fun,
Angela's family, dad, mom, and husband along with co workers and
friends kept the timing alive and well, the lone of the all important ATV
and trailer for the Far Side setup was key to its success, Teresa Taylor
from Colorado who's husband was running cooked and helped in the
kitchen the entire time, Mark Henderson cooked until very later and then
Jorge for his final loop and then looked to pace another, two ladies brought
in their ATV and their energy to help at Far Side, On and on the list goes.
I don't know all of it, forgot quite a but, and still I recall a lot.
The endless giving and caring and hard work seems to have worked its magic
on the runners. They all saw and felt the energy and deeply appreciated it all.
thx all
/joe & joyce :RDx2