Saturday

Different side of Moon Pie today. I worked the 5 mile split. Got into Bell Buckle around 5 am. I wanted to get a 10 mile run in before the race started. Paul loaned me his truck to carry the mats, clock and some cones out to the 5 mile split. I was to early so the other volunteer hadn't made it yet. Set up all of the stuff and headed out for a run at 6:08 am. Only able to get in 5.15 mile before 6:50. I thought I'd be able to run until the first runners showed up (guessing 7:25), but had to start the clock and mats at gun time. Crappy cell phone didn't work, so I started everything at 7 am. Nick had tried to call me, I could hear him but he couldn't hear me.

Larry got dropped off to help. He's a character, everyone in Franklin knew him, 70 years old, but you wouldn't know it. One thing about running it seems to slow the aging process. He was the race director at the Frankling Classic the year the leaders took a wrong turn. Kid in a pickup working, volunteer from the Bell Buckle fire department, comes by around 16 minutes into the race. He had a stopwatch and had actual gun time, so we were able to synch the clock. When the lead vehicle came by, we were almost tick to tick in synch.

Told runners at least three of the great lies of any race: your almost done, that's the last hill and you look great. Plus, you've got 2 miles of downhill, yet there's a small rise right in front of them. (really was at least 2 miles probably 3 before you hit the first roller going back into town) Love that course, even "the hill". Don't know if it was the people living at the crest of the hill, think so. But, they had water at the top. First year for that.

Must have rained earlier in the morning, very humid. Rain held off the entire time. Sunny for the first hour or so, then clouds rolled in, not for very long. The back of the pack got a lot of sun. Runners run the gamut, big, short, tall, large, old, young (actually only 2 kids, 10 or so maybe)and wear everything from gloves, sweatpants, racing flats in the back of the pack, and even a moon pie hat.

Didn't hang around long after the race. Dylan had his last t-ball game of the season. Cupcakes and trophies for everyone afterwards. Storm moved in on the way home. Pretty hard rain shower with lots of quarter inch size hail. No wind, strange intense little thunderstorm. Lazy rest of the day.