Vol State 500k Race Report
After reading Cory Reese's account of the Vol State 500k in Stronger than the Dark, I knew I had to try this epic race. I had been aware of the race for a number of years but brushed it off initially because of how different it was from the races I had previously run. It was all on road, had no aid stations (though there were a plethora of 'road angels'), and was self-navigated (no course markings). After investigating the race more, I soon grew curious about how I would handle the unique type of race format and decided to put my name in the lottery last August. I received my invite a couple of weeks later, and so it went... I knew from the moment I signed up that I wanted to run this race 'screwed,' which meant that I'd have no crew on the course and would have to find everything that I needed to continue on my own. Still, my mother, who has always been the best crew chief, wanted a taste of the race, and so she came out to send me off and see me at the finish....