UPDATE 9.6.07 : Chuck interviewed for Joe Miller’s BLOG
The last time I ran at 3am was the night before my wedding. And that run was not by choice. This time I actually volunteered…and my wife of 20+ years is cheering me on. I’ll be with a team of veteran “night runners” as we embark on the Blue Ridge Relay, one of the longest running relay races in the United States. The course takes a windy mountainous route thru the Blue Ridge as it makes the 208-mile journey from Grayson Highlands, VA to Asheville, NC. www.blueridgerelay.com
PHOTO: Leg 12 – About 45 miles into the 208 mile Blue Ridge Relay (huff, huff) just north of Blowing Rock on the BR Parkway
I scouted “Leg 12” this past weekend. The course description labels it: “Very Hard”. It is. Yet not nearly what my friend, teammate and our team Captain Jim has assigned to himself in “Leg 32” – “Mountain Goat Hard”. Endurance runs have a way of bringing out the best. Jim is among them. And as “Hood to Coast” veteran Tara Ruotolo says, “It takes a certain kind of person who wants to run through the night, and after 30 hours together you know who you can be lifelong friends with.” I look forward to both the miles and the memories.