Since Winston Brown would be running the Gus Lacy Invitational Track Meet, I needed someone else to drive the support car with our drinks, goo, and other clothes. We started off at 6AM in front of Ragged Mountain Running Shop, where we left a thank you note taped to the front window. Lori Wagner, driving the support car left us and drove to the three mile point. We planned to drink every three miles and eat goo every six miles. Gilly had a great deal to say as we had about 30 years of catching up to do.

The first three miles when by very quickly and I became concerned that we were running too fast at a 9 min. 10 sec. pace. Gilly laughed and started on another story. It was somewhere about here that it started raining. Running in the rain. Well, we were already running so there was no real reason to stop, at least Gilly and I could not think of one.

The next three miles seemed so easy that I too started to believe we were not running too fast. Even though the three mile runs came and went quickly, the twenty-one miles to Scotsville didn't. It seemed to take forever to reach Carter's Bridge which I thought was only 10 miles south of C'ville. Gilly was much faster on the hills and I would have to pick it up to catch him on the down side.

Somewhere around Kiene, Gilly started telling me how I lied to him about being down hill. I was very surprised at how much up hill we ran. I did not remember that much down hill running the other way back in Nov. It was only close to Scotsville that we noticed long down hills to run.

When we reached Scotsville, it was raining rather hard. Gilly changed into some dry clothes. I could not see the point. I taped a thank you note to Dr. Biers Dentist's office for his donation to the run and another to James River Reeling and Rafting, as they were a main sponsor of the first run. Then it was the long steep hill run out of Scotsville.

No sooner had we started than Fletcher Arritt drove by in his Audi TT sports car. We turned around and headed back to meet him in hopes that he was going to run some with us. Nope! However he did turn around and as he passed us, slowed down, rolled down his window and said, "Ransone, Al Ivens says to remind you that you have duty tonight". Is Fletcher a good friend or what? Gilly ran away from me on that hill. By the time I reached the top, I began to wonder if I would make it to FUMA.

The next drink stop was where I showed how tired I was. Let me remind everyone that somewhere between 17 and 20 miles we had used up all the stored "food" in our muscles. The goo was trying to replace it but we were using it also. My body was trying to figure out what was going on. Why was I still running when my muscles did have any "food" to operate on?

Now the miles really started to seem longer, much longer. The run was no longer fun and I was really having to concentrate on just moving my legs. Was it the cold and rain, had we run the first 20 miles too fast, was I too out of shape, or was I just too old to do this long a run. It quickly became the hardest thing I have every done. And every step became harder. I am glad that no one offer me a ride as I do not believe I could have kept running.

Somewhere about 7 miles from FUMA, I had to walk some. My stomach was in such a state that I could no longer eat goo. You would have to do this run at 59 years old to understand. Fletch drove beside us as much of the time as he could due to traffic. Lori became worried about me and called her mother for advice as to what to do. Gilly and I walked some and ran when we could. Even he started to have a hard time running.

With every mile I knew we were closer, but I was at a point that closer was no relief, I needed the end and I needed it badly. I concentrated harder on moving my hurting legs and the hope of finishing this (by now) insane run. I wanted to run more and walk less, but the tired mind, weak being, and hurting legs made me walk more and run less.