The road ahead...

The road has been hilly thus far but Jason is trucking along. Good news though...the rain has stopped. For now at least.

It's raining...it's pouring....

Day 2 is a wet one! Jason is back on the road and feeling good. The goal is another 35+ miles.

Day 1 - 36.36 miles - Kirkwood, MO to Union, MO

Hi everyone!

Day one was nothing less than a success. I don't know if I'll be able to feel so good about subsequent days as I do about this one, so I'm taking advantage while I can ;)

Truth be told, this event was a success before the first stride was taken. Girls on the Run is really thrilled with the tremendous level of support you all have provided. Well over $5,000 has been raised for them, and we're still building!

I want to thank everyone that came out in support today. Mayor McDonnell, Lisa & Denny Galati, Joe McCormac, Mike & Libby Wilcox (and family), Mike Bannes, Guy Oujdeuan (sorry Guy, I know I messed that up!), Sean Fitzgerald, Jim Radt, Adam & Becka Williams, Erica & Wayne Robinson, Tom & Kim Puszkar (and family) & Jeremiah Ingram.

Crew Chief Lauren knocked the ball out of the park in keeping me well nourished, well hydrated and best of all, SAFE on the roadway. The pictures are great too, many of which are already posted below.

You all being there today demonstrated the true spirit of what MO-AR TREK is all about - getting people out and active! Tom, you got me with that shirt man, thanks for that.

I'm resting up for another big day tomorrow. Don't worry Lisa G. - I ate well this evening :)

Only 274.64 miles to go, but who's counting?

Jason

mile 19

Jason picked up some support around mile 19! Jeremiah biked to meet Jason along his route. Jeremiah will complete today's route with us. The Puszkar family came out, too! Tom ran a while with Jason while the girls cheered them on.

On your MO-ARK...Get set...GO!

Day 1 of the MOAR TREK is off and running. Thank you to everyone who came out to see Jason off. He left Kirkwood at 7:15 a.m. heading north on Kirkwood Road. He was feeling good and the support of all of his friends added to his spirits. It's looking like rain here in St. Louis, but the worst might pass us. Good thing Jason has a raincoat!

A little confidence can go a long way...

From my perspective it's amazing that people have so much confidence in me to finish this 500k run in 9 days or less. I appreciate all of those votes of assuredness I've received. My Mom is among the highly confident, perhaps even the most confident. She’s quite sure I'll be in Bentonville at the finish line (her driveway) by Sunday, April 26th at 2pm. Just in time for a party! You don't think my mom is biased, do you?

Great news: You're invited! I’ll give it my best to be there with you (on-time, of course). A little confidence can go a long way, so let’s hope “a long way” = 311 miles or more! Oh, and THANKS MOM!

Mom's invitation follows:

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Hello everyone!

To all of you that are following this awesome endeavor of Jason’s MO-AR Trek of more than 300 miles, we invite you to join us as we cheer Jason thru that final point of destination! YES!! There will be a Finish Line Party on Sunday, April 26th, located at 11916 Hickory Drive in Bentonville, AR! So come help us, as we warm-up this party, by gathering together at 2:00 that afternoon! You can also track along on Jason’s blogsite for an estimated arrival time, as he runs this way! Please bring your lawn chair and if you would like to bring a healthy food/snack to share, we would greatly welcome your contribution! Please don’t hesitate in attending; we have plenty of wide open space to celebrate Jason’s arrival!

If you have any questions or plan on attending, please email: hollyholyfield@cox.net

Thanks in advance for your support & looking forward to seeing all of you at the Finish Line!

Here’s to One Foot in Front of the Other!!!

-Holly Holyfield

Finish Line Party Location:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Bentonville&state=AR&address=11916+Hickory+Dr&zipcode=72712

The MO-AR TREK – truly a team effort

"Team Lauren & Jason"

Dictionary.com defines team as “a number of persons associated in some joint action”.

This definition impeccably defines what it necessary to attempt the MO-AR TREK. It takes a whole host of people to make it even a remote possibility that I’ll finish this 311-mile run. It takes exponentially more effort and participation to accomplish what our ultimate goal is – better health and wellness in our citizens.

There are a few key ingredients we have in the recipe for success of the MO-AR TREK (not in any particular order):

1. Determination:

Obesity and generally poor health are at epidemic levels in our society. It’s going to take some global thinking in conjunction with some localized action to fix this. We have to be in it for the long haul. MO-AR TREK is an effort to bring awareness to our issues on health and wellness, and begin taking steps to overcome them right here in Missouri. No one can do this for us; we must do it for ourselves. We all overcome challenges everyday, one step at a time. This is the approach for the MO-AR TREK as well – both figuratively and literally.

2. Inspiration:

The council directors of Girls on the Run are real life heroes; they give their time and, often, their own money to instill active and healthy lifestyle habits in our country’s young ladies. These people are ROCK STARS and make a positive difference everyday in the life a child!

3. Support:

Many thanks to all of you that have (and will) donate to Girls on the Run, are supporting the run directly by volunteering your time, and will join the trek as it happens. Thanks ESPECIALLY to my wife Lauren. She continues to amaze me with her ability & willingness to balance our life with her workload and my running “habit”.

With over $3,500 raised for Missouri Girls on the Run councils thus far, we should be proud of our accomplishments to date! Momentum continues to build, so let’s keep the pedal to the metal - It’s barely more than a week until the start of the run.

Training my best,

Jason