St. Louis Girls on the Run 5k - May 2009

It was a wonderful day to run in St. Louis' Forrest Park today. Robin Rivard (STL-GOTR Race Director) and Jill Indovino (STL-GOTR Council Director) were kind enough to extend me an invitation to run their 5k, which is the culmination of their springtime Girls on the Run 24-week program.

It was really fun to meet the GOTR Family and helping set-up and takedown event material before and after the race. They also gave me the honor of presenting trophies to each of the overall and age group winners. What a blast!

The best part of the whole day was watching the youngsters enjoy the fruits of their training as they tackled the 3.1-mile course through the park along with the 1-mile fun run participants. If you’re ever in need of an energy boost I recommend tracking down the next GOTR event in your area and going along for a run with the kids – it’s great!

Thank you, Robin and Jill, for the generous invitation; it really was a special day for me.

Below I’ve posted some pictures & videos that help illustrate what a great time everyone had today…under a sunny, cloudless sky, and 65 degree temperatures.

Setting up this early morning with the guys:

The check-in is ready to handle the 3,500+ participants!

High five, girls!!!

Council Director, Jill, cheers on the runners as they near the finish...

We're nearing the finish...

These kids know how to celebrate!

Congratulations to all of the finishers today - great job!

Best for now,

Jason

Vancouver, BC - The North Shore Enduro with Club Fat Ass

The North Shore Enduro, From a Missouri Perspective…

It’s going to be tough to do the North Shore Enduro justice. That is a statement about more than just the race, too. The peripheral activities magnified the Enduro to a level of excitement and fun I’ve never experienced in running – seriously. You’re probably already sensing it, so I’ll just say it: I’m now spoiled forever on trails. Now, this is not a bad thing, this is a good thing. I learned a ton about running this weekend in only a few hours of being on the trails in Lynn Canyon.


I witnessed some of the highest level of running prowess you’ll find on planet earth (no joke), coupled with some of the most friendly, accommodating and hospitable people you can imagine. Throw in rushing creek waters; 600ft per loop of stair master 1,000,000 level climbs, roots, rocks and massive 50ft+(?) tall cedar trees – now you’ve got yourself a running event!

The winner, Mr. Gary Robins (new course record holder), ran 9 loops (over 40 miles) in 5hrs 34min 36sec and overcame approximately 6,000ft of climb. Let's call it about 8:20 per mile - INSANE FAST on this roller coaster ride. Well done Gary!

The North Shore Enduro is hosted by a wonderful group of ultra runners, Club Fat Ass, and they are based in Vancouver. I “met” Club Fat Ass through Andrea Reynolds, proprietor of Running Chics in Republic, MO. It is a really long story, so just trust me that I’m lucky to know these fine people – I truly mean that. Oh, and there’s a link to their site here on my blog (just click on the Club Fat Ass logo in the lower left corner of this page) and you can read all about them – they’re fantastic and I encourage you to check them out. If you’re looking for a good technical fabric running shirt, look no further than Club Fat Ass. It’s only $25(Canadian) + shipping and it’s the best money can buy, if you ask me.

So here’s the situation for the Enduro:

Format: 6hr run (go as far as you can in the time-limit), but you can stop any time you want (these are easy going, laid back people – easy to like)
The Course: Lynn Canyon in the stunning North Shore area – a trail loop that’s about 7.25k
Difficulty: ok, that’s subjective, but the trail offered everything from forestry roads, to perfectly groomed & wide trails, to some of the most technical roots, rocks, stumps, etc. that this Ozark Foothills runner has ever seen. And I already mentioned the 600ft climb, which went from a beautiful rushing riverbank to partially up the side of a mountain. All of this in only 7.25k – AWESOME! My Garmin added up 11,900ft of elevation change during my run (that's for 3 loops, so nearly 4,000ft per loop).

I only did a bit more than 3 loops in about 2hrs 24mins (just over 14 miles). Not too shabby given the terrain and it’s my first long run back since MO-AR TREK. But this wasn’t about a race for me, it was about being with some new friends, and my new friend Kristie was on the trail with Lauren too!

Some of the pictures tell the rest of the story. But if any of you reading out here ever get a chance to go to Vancouver, DON’T FORGET your running gear!

Jason

Why you'd do it...

I don't get the question as much now that I actually 'did' it - run from Kirkwood, MO to Bentonville, AR, that is. But before I ran, I was often asked "Why?".

I would be remiss if I didn't post this picture.

Girls on the Run of Queen City, out of the Springfield/Republic, MO area, sent me a gift today! And WOW, what a gift. Several of the 5th graders from GOTR Director Trish Hopkins' Queen City council actually took the time to make me hand-written thank you cards and a custom poster!

It's difficult to explain how something like unsuspected thank you notes from 5th graders could give me such a huge lift in spirits, but I'm sure you can imagine.

One of the funniest things about the notes: a consistency in their messages. All of the girls had written that they very sincerely appreciated our help for their council and nearly all wrote that I AM CRAZY for running 300+ miles.

I emailed a note to Trish that I agreed, it was crazy - but the girls well being is WORTH IT.

Thanks GOTR Queen City. I'm looking forward to tuning in to heroic epics of your own someday - whether they be epic runs or otherwise.

Sincerely,

Jason

What happens after 317 miles?

It's a good question. The answer, at least from me, is "I have no idea".

Many thanks to my friend, Roger Hill, for prompting me to write a "1-week" follow up note.

I have to say, there's definitely a coming down period. It was fun to be out on the road every day. I only had to worry about the steps in front of me. It was all that mattered at the time and a common demoninator that stripped away any 'uneccessary' extras. When faced with days of running, making progress is really all you concern yourself with. Quite liberating in a way, and I recommend it to anyone reading this post.

I'm feeling pretty good (thanks for asking, Roger!). I've tried to take advice from the people who know best and rest my left leg a bit. Within the last week I've had two 1-hour volleyball sessions and a 2-hour hike on a nice trail near St. Louis.

Yesterday I actually went for a run. Felt pretty good, honestly, and I'm super excited to be headed to Vancouver, BC, Canada this weekend to 'run' in a Club Fat Ass event dubbed the "North Shore Enduro". It's a 6-hour race on a loop course that is about 7-8k in length.

I've never been to Vancouver, but I know it's next to some serious mountains. I'm not a great trail runner (or great 'any other type of runner', for that matter), but I'm very glad to be meeting some friends of mine, Kristie C., Ferg H., and Sibylle T. - plus some others.

Even if I have to hike/walk the North Shore Enduro, it will have been worth the flight to B.C. I love the outdoors, mountains, and tall evergreens. It's going to be AWESOME.

I don't have any races planned in the STL area in the near term, save the Girls on the Run 5k in St. Louis at Forrest Park on 5/17/09 (Sunday). If anyone is interested, it's a fun race starting at the Muny in Forrest Park - and I encourage you to come out in support of Girls on the Run.

If anyone is interested in a run near STL in the near future, by all means, leave a post out here and I'm most likely to take you up on an invite.

Would love to hear from you all on how your training and races are going if you care to comment in a post.

Best for now,

Jason

Numbers & Such

Many people have asked for stats on the MO-AR TREK. I’ve included information below that may help answer some questions I’ve fielded.

The best I can do is providing the information that my GPS watch (Garmin Forerunner 305) recorded during MO-AR TREK, plus a couple of little ‘anecdotal’ tid-bits Lauren and I thought of. I really don’t know how accurate the Garmin is. I haven’t researched that, and I don’t plan to because MO-AR TREK is about helping Girls on the Run, not about racing or results. Besides, had it been a race, I would have been the 1st AND last place finisher! Nonetheless, I do like numbers and data, so I find it interesting as well.

The clock stops for no one (sort of). MO-AR TREK was not a continuous run - I'm pretty crazy, but not THAT crazy.

From the start of the run for each day until the final mileage was achieved for that day the clock ran 100% of the time, whether running, walking, changing shoes, picking my nose, etc. The clock was stopped after running for the day and restarted at the beginning of the next day’s run.

Prepare to be unimpressed, especially you faster runners!

Total Distance: 316.86 (509.94 kilometers)
Total Running Days: 9
Avg. Miles per day: 35.21
Avg. Minutes per mile: 12:37
Avg. Miles per hour: 4.7
Fastest Mile (minutes/mile): 8:12
Slowest Mile (minutes/mile): 37:04
Fastest Pace total day (minutes/mile): 10:47 (Day 2 – 38.08 miles - Union, MO to Leasburg, MO)
Slowest Pace total day (minutes/mile): 14:31 (Day 7 – 36.17 miles - Springfield, MO to Verona, MO)
Longest Run: 40 miles (Day 5 - Hazelgreen, MO to Niangua, MO)
Shortest Run: 21.42 miles (Day 9 – Seligman Hollow, MO to Bentonville, AR)
Calories Consumed: 44,429
Weight Change: -3lbs
Avg. Heart Rate: 133 bpm
Elevation Ascent: +31,813ft
Elevation Descent: -31,108ft
Total Elevation Change: +705ft
Pairs of shoes rotated: 5
Blisters: 0 (seriously, I’m even amazed at this one. The heat never got too bad and I used a lot of petroleum jelly on my feet – seems to have done the trick! Plus, good shoe fit is KEY)
Avg. Attempts for Lauren to ‘get it right’ with the tape on my left leg: 3
Dead Roadside Opossums: 38
Number of sports drink & water gallons consumed: 16.5
Favorite recovery food or drink: Chocolate Milk with additional skim milk powder added (for extra protein post run)


Let me know if there are others you think of that I might be able to answer for you. I'll be glad to provide the info if I have it. Just drop a comment out here and I'll repsond with a comment so that anyone else interested can see the info.


All the best for now,

Jason

Day 9 - 21.42 Miles - Seligman Hollow, MO to Bentonville, AR

Seligman Hollow, MO - The beginning of the end:

It was a beautiful day for running! Temperatures were lower and winds, while gusting at times, were more cross than head on. It was a nice change from the previous couple of days. Knowing you're near the finish, as in any run, can be a big boost too. Equally as big a lift was having my younger brother, Jon along for the day. Here's a video of us starting the day:

Jon and I had a few tough hills in the early miles. I decided to push it up this one a bit. It's debatable who actually won the race to the top, but I think I did. However, I know Jon took it easy on me since it was "my day". Oh, and Jon didn't wait long at the top of the hill to turn on the gas and remind me that he could have blasted me. Thanks bro, for letting me think for a moment I had some gumption!

I have to admit, I felt a little guilty that I didn't have at least a full marathon distance to cover on the last day. However, 21.42 miles was a welcome change from the grueling 35 to 40 mile runs I'd been managing for the previous 8 days. I decided to make sure I put in a good 1/2 Marathon time, assuming I could muster one, and then just enjoy the last 8 miles on cruise control. That worked out really well.

More milestones:

We crossed the Missouri/Arkansas border about 1.5 miles in to the run. From there, we set our sights on the 300-mile mark, which was 4.76 miles in to the run. Eventually, we even broke through the 500k point at 15.76 miles into the run. It was really fun to have so many big marks land all in one run.

Friends:

Just before we reached the 500k mark, I was joined by Kevin O'Neill (my best bud). Kevin even ran a stretch with me! Kev told me he never doubted for a moment that I would complete this run when I told him about it months ago. Thanks Kev, your confidence in me means a lot!

A modern day hero:
Lisa is the council director of Central Missouri Girls on the Run in Clinton, MO. A few people over the last 9 days have accused me of being a hero, but I pale in comparison to real heroes. Lisa is a real hero. In fact, in my book, she's a super hero. An accomplished marathoner herself, Lisa ran 5 or 6 miles of the final day of MO-AR TREK with me just to show her appreciation for what we've been able to do for her council. Lisa works with young girls every year to improve their esteem, their fitness, and their understanding of their own aptitude. Lisa makes a difference in our kid's lives every day. Thank you Lisa, for joining me for a run & to help us celebrate the completion of MO-AR TREK. You are truly amazing! You can bet you'll see Lauren and me in Clinton, MO in the future to visit you and your GOTR participants. YOU are my hero.

A sprint to the finish:

As for the finish, it wasn't just me who deserved to cross that line. Lauren and I ran the last bit together. This is significant, because Lauren would never run, unless in a life threatening debacle with a carnivorous animal. As we neared the finish Lauren turned to me and asked if I would sprint to the finish. So we did. This embedded video shows our last push. Sorry, Lauren, for turning on the speed too much - but at least I did wait for you to cross through the tape with me! :D

Celebrate!:

We, of course, would not have come all this way without celebrating. It wasn't an over the top party. I'm glad about that because it's not really my style. Instead, we have tasty & healthy homemade food and fun games to play, like washers! What a blast! However, the party didn't even last until dark because Lauren and I were so darned tired that we crashed a bit early. All in all, it seemed that everyone had a great time. Thanks, Mom & Charlie, for hosting such a nice party.

More to come:

There are some things that are worth fighting for. I believe that the health of our children is one such cause. This was easily the most difficult task I've ever taken on in my entire life. It was worth every step and all the pain and frustration of the journey. In my mind I'm sure I "quit" a million times over the course of 9 days, but I never voiced it out loud. I just figured out a way to keep going. I'm not a gifted athlete, I'm an average guy. Before MO-AR TREK, I've never run more than about 80 miles in 1 week. I'm not fast either, but I learned that when I believe in something worth fighting for I'm willing to go the distance no matter how long it takes. There are many others out there willing to fight too. Consider that with your help we've raised over $6,300 to be shared among 3 Missouri Girls on the Run councils. There's a lot more on the way because several people pledged an amount per mile completed for the MO-AR TREK. I'm hopeful that we can get to $8,000 plus. Thanks for supporting this cause and the Girls on the Run councils in Missouri!

Most of all, thank you Lauren, for helping me reach my goal. We did it together, and I'm proud of what we've accomplished for ourselves and for Girls on the Run. You were with me every step of the way, never doubted me, and always supported this crazy idea 110%. We really are best friends, and have demonstrated through MO-AR TREK that love is a verb, not a noun.

I'll be making another post later today. I'm a "numbers" person and I know many of my ultrarunner friends will want to know some of the stats. Things like elevation change and other factoids are helpful in understanding the scale of difficulty of long runs. I'm happy to share that a little later today as Lauren and I make our way back to St. Louis - in a CAR.

Please know that I received and loved EVERY ONE of the comments you all posted out here on the blog. I'm sorry I couldn't respond to all of them, but know that they helped - each and every one of them. Feel free to post more questions and comments as thoughts come to mind and I'll be happy to respond.

All the best from Bentonville, AR,

Jason

The home stretch

One last tape job ought to do it! Jason is on the last three miles. It's been a long journey. Many highs, many lows. He conquered every mile, every yard, every foot, every step. He doesn't have many to go now until that frost brewed victory beer.

The Girls are on the Run again

We welcomed Lisa Lee to the clan today. Lisa is the director of the Girls on the Run council in Clinton, Missouri. She is helping Jason through these last miles to the finish. Her work doesn't stop here though. She will take these experiences and continue to teach Clinton's young girls about self esteem, confidence, and healthy lifestyles. It's people like Lisa that give our youth opportunities to succeed. Lisa, you are a hero, too!

500K

He did it, Kristie! 500 kilometers! Now only 5 miles until home.

But the Finish Line Party doesn't start until 2 p.m. so it's going to be a slow 5 miles :)

Need we say more?

This street sign says it all.

Yikes!

I'm not gonna lie. Driving over this little bridge in the support van scared me a bit.

Creek crossing

The farm roads added a little fun to the trip today. Farm Road 1050 runs along a creek. That meant running through creek crossings. A change of shoes later and we're back on the road.

Milestones

We made it to Day 9! Jason started the day by clipping off about 4 miles without a problem. Not long after we started we crossed the Missouri-Arkansas border! We're in Razorback country now!

Today, Jason is joined by his younger brother, Jon (pictured with Jason at the border marker). Jon is riding along on his bike and giving Jason some much needed company on these lonely country roads.

We not only hit the border, but we also crossed the 300 mile mark!! We're on the home stretch :)

Speaking of milestones, we are $61 dollars away from raising $6,000 for Girls on the Run! Thank you to everyone who is helping to provide opportunities for young girls. Who wants to be the one to put us over $6,000????

Day 8 - 37.01 Miles - Verona, MO to Seligman Hollow, MO

“Be careful what you ask for”. I’ve been warned on that one a hundred times. I got to cracking off at the mouth this morning (not meaning anything sarcastic when I spoke of the song of the wind) and I got rewarded with a 30 mile per hour headwind for most of the day. Killer.

So I walked a lot today. Probably 5 miles or more of my 37 were walked. But you know what? There’s no shame in that because we’ve covered 295.25 miles since last Saturday! All told, I think we’ll have walked less than 15 miles of what’s shaping up to be about 315.5 miles of a MO-AR TREK run over 9 days.

Also killer, but in a positive way: my crew. Today included Chief Lauren and my best friend, Kevin O’Neill. Kevin and I have done far crazier things together than run for 9 days to cover 300+ miles, but that’s a story for another blog on another day ;)

Tomorrow will bring some big milestones: The 300 Mile Mark, the 500k Mark (for my CFA friends!), the crossing of the boarder (finally) from Missouri to Arkansas, and of course, the finish line.

Tomorrow will truly be a great day, and I look forward to seeing everyone that is able to make it to the finish line party! I know many of you will have to “attend in spirit” and we’ll be thinking of you for sure.

I’m off to bed to rest up for the morning. I’m getting a lot of notes from friends saying, “hey, tomorrow will be ‘easy’, it’s only 21.3 miles”. Ha ha ha you all – very funny. I don’t believe I’ve ever run an easy 21.3 miler, especially in the Ozark foothills! But I do agree that 21.3 sounds a lot better than the 35 or better we’ve had to average to get here this fast. Let’s not count our chickens just yet. We still have 21.3 to bring it home!

Thanks for all the well wishes for the 9th and final day of MO-AR TREK,



Jason

A lite snack

This one's for you, Roger. It's not roadside pizza delivery, but it will have to do :)

Nothing says health and fitness like a double quarter pounder with cheese. When you're burning 6,000 calories a day, I don't think it much matters.

Off roading

Jason decided to take a romp through the meadow. Ok, it was a little short cut, but at over 260 miles, I think we'll let it slide :)

Divine intervention

Jason must have angered Notus, the greek god of the south wind cause he is giving us all he's got. Nonetheless, Jason is trucking on.

Reinforcements

The reinforcement has arrived! Kevin has taken the wheel of the support van. Jason is around mile 13 right now and fighting a mighty headwind. The temperature is cool and the cloud cover is keeping the sun at bay. He's still putting one foot in front of the other.

On the road again

Day 8 has begun and it's a great morning for running. The temperature is low and the sun is not yet beating down on us. Jason just completed his first mile and said, "It's early but everything is feeling good." Holly is on her way to today's finish to pick up Jason's long-time friend, Kevin. Kevin will join me on the support crew today. Holly needs to go home to prepare the finish line.

We're heading into some really rural areas today so my internet signal might konk out on me. I'll post as much as I can as Jason makes his way toward Washburn, Missouri.

Sing me back home...

I don't necessarily consider myself to be a 'country music fan'. At least not today's rock style country. Don't get me wrong, it's well enough, but doesn't float my musical boat most of the time.

What I do like: Merle Haggard. Merle has comforted me in times of great lonliness and despair on more occasions that I care to count. He has a song I really like and seems appropriate for today and tomorrow as I make my way to Bentonville from Verona, MO. It's titled "Sing me back home".

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yl6RJRyTwQ

It's a pretty sad song, but I'm not sad. It just reminds me that we've all been in a 'tough spot' before, but you can dig out. Just take a look at Merle, who by his own admission should still be incarcerated. He dug out. I will too.

You have a lot of time to find yourself out here on the road, to remember where you came from. Also to think about where you're going.

There's also the wind, trees, the hot, the cold, the pain and the joy. I'm out here enjoying the elements, one step at a time. I always said I was an outdoors person :)

Wind & trees - sing me a song today. Sing me back home, with a song I used to hear...

But on my parting note for this morning, I want to give a shout out to my buddy Wayne Robinson. Wayne ran with me a lot to help me get ready for MO-AR TREK. Thanks for your help Wayne, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Please tune in later for Lauren's wonderful updates as we make more progress towards Arkansas.

Best wishes for everyone today,

Jason

Day 7 - 36.17 Miles - Springfield, MO to Verona, MO

If I didn't believe in angels before MO-AR TREK, I do now! Amy Luke is one such angel. I can't say thanks enough to her. She really worked my leg into running shape this morning at 7am, and enabled a 36-mile run today. I never even had to re-wrap. You're a real pro and a heck of a nice person. THANK YOU AMY!

Mom, you already knew you were an angel, but I'm so glad you're finally out here. Love ya!

However, it was more than a couple of angels that showed up today. Laura, Allie, Jackie & Sara - all Missouri State students in Springfield - joined me for the first 6.3 miles this morning. My friend Lisa, who is also Laura's mom followed us along in her car too! I've heard that lighting can't strike twice, but apparentely angels can appear as many times as they wish. These ladies came BACK out (after talking their way out of Fitness class this morining) to rejoin me from miles 17 to 29. Hey, I'm not advocating skipping class, but it was FITNESS CLASS, after all.

You girls are rock stars! I could never have made it 36 miles today without you. I owe you all one! And I want to hear from you when you finally get over that bad case of “I’m not sure when I’ll sign up for my ½ marathon”. You almost ran one today! Piece of cake for you all.

In between Amy & the MSU rock stars, I was joined by a couple of Girls on the Run heroes: Trish Hopkins & Andrea Reynolds. Trish is the area Girls on the Run council director and Andrea owns a women's apparel company (Running Chics) that donates a portion of their proceeds to Trish's council. AWESOME! These ladies helped me navigate Republic, MO (just west of Springfield). I wansn't 100% today, as expected, but Trish and Andrea kept me moving.

It was a hot, windy and difficult run, but the terrain flattened out substantially today. That helped quite a bit. The going is getting tough, but the end is so close. I can't quit now - we've come too far. I'll be out on the road in the AM to do battle again, mostly with myself.

I should have been a coal miner, I am having to dig pretty darn deep right now.

My body is tired, but my spirit isn't broken. My good friend, Kristie Congram, told me 'courage isn't when you aren't scared, it's when you are scared, but you do it anyway'. Well, I'm finding courage out here on the road and I'm really lucky to have Lauren and the army of angels to help me through :)

All the best from Verona, MO-

Jason

P.S. Two things worth mentioning - we crossed the 250-mile mark (400k) today. Also, Charlie, THANK YOU, Lauren and I would never have made it this far without you for the last 3 days!

A wise man once said...

Git 'er done!

And that is just what Jason is doing. He's putting his head down and gutting out these last few miles. He's almost to 35 for the day. Go, Jason, go!

These shoes are made for walking...er running...

...and that's just what he'll do.

Jason is rotating three pairs of shoes as he treks through Missouri. Those shoes passed the marathon mark once again today. More than that, we're one mile from the 250 mile mark.

Press on...

Welcome to Marionville, Missouri

Jason is working on mile 23. He's going strong now that the Missouri State soccer players are back. Jason is running with 4 college girls. Way to go, Jason!

The folks here in Marionville sure know how to make a visitor feel welcome!

The Girls are on the Run and the Chicks are Running

Trish Hopkins, the director of the Springfield Girls on the Run council and Andrea Reynolds, the owner of Running Chicks apparel company, came out to run with Jason today. They are pictured left along with Jason and Sarah Kruger. Sarah has been biking with Jason pretty much all day. What a trooper! Jason is getting a HUGE boost from all of this great company.

A little Motherly love...

We had a transistion in the support crew this morning. Charlie completed his time on the crew and headed home for Bentonville where he will have Jason's beer waiting for him at the finish. Happily though, we gained Holly, Jason's mom. There's no one in the world that can lift a kid's spirits higher than his mom. I'm happy to have Holly aboard in the support van.

We ran into..BEARS!?!?!

Lady Bears that is! Three Missouri State women's soccer student-athletes joined Jason on his run this morning. Pictured to the right are Charlie Holyfield, Allie Osmundson, Jackie Jasper, Jason, Laura Galati, and Lisa Galati. Props to the Lady Bears. They finished more than a 10K. Word has it they will be back for more later.

An addition to the crew

We added an addition to the crew this morning. Amy Luke, athletic trainer at Missouri State University is now the official athletic trainer of the MOAR TREK. Amy was kind enough to take a look at Jason's leg this morning. She gave us some great guidelines to follow and even attempted to teach me how to tape an ankle. Athletic trainers everywhere would have cringed at my first attempt. Amy is an absolute lifesaver. She not only helped Jason physically, but mentally as well. He's running great now thanks to Amy. We wish we could take you along, Amy!

In all my haste...

I nearly forgot to mention two miles stones reached yesterday in the MO-AR TREK.

1) We surpassed the 200-mile mark! Wooooo Hooooo! Lauren has a cool post on it from yesterday if you haven't already checked it out.

2) We've whittled down the remaining mileage to double digits! According to Google Maps we have 93.8 miles left! We've had a couple of inadvertent detours with our ability to navigate, but hey, $H*T happens :)

Best-

Jason

Starting information for Day 7 - Springfield, MO to Aurora, MO

Good morning everyone!

The starting point for today's run is on E. Sunshine St., a few hundred yards west of National Ave. (west of St. John's Mercy Medical Center on Sunshine)

Sorry about this late notice, but we'll probably be there at 8am or later. I'm having my leg looked at at 7am this morning. I'll get there as quickly as possible after that meeting so we can get started.

If you aren't able to meet this morning, we're sorry to be missing you, but you can always track us down later today on HWY 60 as we make our way through Republic and hopefully Aurora.

Have a great day everyone,

Jason

Day 6 - 35.05 Miles - Niangua, MO to Springfield, MO

The missing mystery mile. What does THAT mean? By the way, this tree marks where I finished my first ever 40 mile run (yesterday). It also happens that it was today's start point. Okay, so you already deduced that.

Funny story (short version):

I left my GPS watch on top of the car before we left the hotel this morning and failed to retrieve it prior to departing for our start location. Oops. Most ultra runners I know don't wear GPS watches too often. I do on almost every run. I guess I'm just used to it. It's familiar to me, you know?

I wanted it today, like the previous 5, because I'm charting new territory for myself here. Both physically & mentally. But I would have to do without the watch since I left it on the car. This resulted in "good luck finding it". We did search a bit, but that only resulted in a late start today (about 9am), and netted nothing in the way of a watch.

Well my luck quickly turned for the better about a mile in to the run! My watch sat roadside as I ran along, just waiting for me to find it! It has a couple of new battle scars but it still works like a charm. I felt a little more comfortable at that point.

So the 'missing mystery mile' is the mile I've run during the MO-AR TREK that is not on my watch. That's OK though, I know I ran it ;)

Unfortunately, the leg didn't feel 'comfortable' (being generous with that word) until about 18 miles into the run - bummer. But, we did it again anyhow. 35.05 miles on day 6 of MO-AR TREK.

Happy to have survived, and to be taking 'another bite' tomorrow.

Best for now,

Jason

Springfield here we come!

We are in Strafford, MO right now. About 5 miles East of Springfield. Click on the orange link on the left side of the blog to see the route. We'll be coming in on Kearney St and headed down National right by Missouri State. Everyone is encouraged to come on out and join us!

It's amazing what you'll think of after 6 days on the road

A limerick...

There once was a guy named Eads

Who ran as much as he pleased.

But then he ran more

Even though he was sore

To help Girls on the Run with their needs.

Keep going

We just finished a pit stop at mile 18. Jason ate some salted potatoes (a trick he picked up at the North Face Endurance 50) and drank a lot of Gatorade. He got back on his feet and said

"To quote Dean's pacer at mile 80 of the Leadville 100 while Dean was puking on the side of the course, 'You can either stop or keep going.' I think I'll keep going."

Keep going, Jason. You're an inspiration to us all.

You've Come A Long Way, Baby

At 11:47 a.m. Jason surpassed the 200 mile mark on Route OO! Can you believe it?!?! He's doing pretty good. It's hotter out here than it has been so keeping hydrated is key.

Charlie and I are on a "run" to gas up the support crew van and get more ice. Only 111 more miles to go. Press on!

More Friends

We met some new friends today. Meet Flora, Betsy, Clara and the rest of the ladies. They came to the fence to see Jason off. Jason said thanks by helping them with some breakfast.

Seriously though, the people along Route 66 have been very friendly. Numerous people has stopped to ask if Charlie and I needed help when they saw us on the side of the road. Hopefully Charlie and I don't look that lost. It's nice to know though that people are willing to help.

Thank you, St. Anthony!

We had an eventful start today. Jason forgot he put his GPS watch on the roof of the support van so we drove off to today’s starting point. Oops! After realizing that the watch had fallen off somewhere along the 10 miles between the hotel and the starting point, we backtracked to the hotel, but found nothing. With Plan B in place, Jason took off running. What do you know, we’re not two miles from the starting point and here comes Jason up the road watch in hand. He found the watch on the side of the road!

So it’s just before 9 am and we’re just starting out. My internet signal is a little spotty, so I’ll do my best to keep you updated. The 200 mile mark comes up today at 13 miles today!! More to come on that. Press on…