8:09 am.... And they are off

The 2015 R4R is off to a rainy start.  A little after 8 am this morning, sophomores Brennan Dorsch and April Duke departed from the campus of WCU.  This is Leg #1 of 35 for the group as they traverse the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway on their trek to Boone and the campus of ASU.

2015 Run for Research

The 2015 edition of the Run for Research begins on Saturday, October 10, 2015.  Sixteen runners, including AT faculty members, AT graduate assistants, junior, sophomore and freshmen, will take to the Blue Ridge Parkway this weekend running the 175 miles from Cullowhee to Boone in relay fashion.

This year's participants include: Professor Jay Scifers (8th R4R), Graduate Assistant Sarah McNamara (4th R4R), juniors Greylin Cleary (3rd R4R), Floyd Graber (2nd R4R), Dalton Greer (3rd R4R), Luke Miller (3rd R4R), Michael Rabey, Danny Rivas, Jackson Roper (2nd R4R), and Jason Shull, sophomores Bryson Bradley, Brennen Dorsch, April Duke, and Erin Grimsley and freshmen Adam Lytle and Jacob Scifers.  

The run begins at 8 am on Saturday and the group expects to complete the run in Boone Sunday morning at ~10 am.  We are chasing the course record of 27 hours, 8 minutes and 18 second.  Please follow and support us as we raise money for the NATA Foundation.  

2014 Run for Research Wrap-Up

The 2014 version of the Run for Research (our seventh trip up and down the Parkway) ended in the rain in Cullowhee.  A great team effort resulted in another record time this year.  We tackled the hills, fog and rain over the 175 miles between Boone and Cullowhee in an amazing 27 hours 8 minutes and 18 seconds (17 minutes and 31 seconds faster than 2013).  This equated to a 9:18 pace each mile. 

We want to thank everyone for their support along the run and for their donations / pledges to this event.  We will continue accepting donations to the REF through the end of the semester.  We look forward to another great run in 2015!

Leg # 35: Deception

For the last run to finish up Luke and I (aaron) ran from dunkin donuts in sylva to the catamount at the entrance of Western Carolina University. The smells of all the greasy fast food we passed on the run was nauseating. And even though I have driven this countless time, the hills were still a surprise to me. We finished strong and beat the record time.

Leg #28: Temptations

20 miles in and with each leg there is an ever growing temptation to just jump off the next bridge or in front of the next truck. Eating is something I must force myself to do. Never thought I'd say this but I'm so tired of peanut m&ms. The noises grow louder and scarier with each passing mile and the fog is thick as molasses. Luke and I (Aaron) have one more leg to go and it's the last one.

Leg #34: Time to Make the Doughnuts

Matt and my last run finished with a flurry.  Our last five miles started just outside Sylva and ended at the Dunkin Donuts on Main Street in Sylva.  Once again, Jay set the early pace on the downhills for the first three miles and Matt took the lead to the finish at DD.  Matt finished in an impressive 33 minutes with Jay following about 33 seconds behind.  Now, onto the finish.... Our pace is about 15 minutes ahead of last year's record with five miles to go!  

~Jay

Leg #32: The Run Down

G3 leg 4, mission 5: After fighting through the enemy's best defenses and terrible weather with no sleep, we have prevailed ! The enemy couldn't withstand our forces as we blew threw their obstacles with deadly precision. We took objective in under 40 minutes with every soldier carrying onward on the battlefront. Communication relays were more accurate, allowing a calculated assault ensuring Victory! Mission was a success and we are returning home. Say again, we are returning home! See you soon...

(Greylin, Jackson, Dalton)

Leg #33: Death All Around

Once again Clark ran a sub-40 5 mile and Brooke and Elena came in a few minutes later. During the run we all saw a squished turtle, 3 dead mice, and a dead frog. Plus, at the end of the run, we all felt like death. Thankfully that's our last 5 miles and we can say we all completed it in most of one piece.

Leg #31: A Rainy End

The last 5 miles came up quickly as we were napping in our car until the headlights of the van following the runners before us lit up our mirrors and we jumped out running as we tagged off.

The rain was a consistent event and with a gradual incline for about 2 miles and 3 miles of glorious downhill slopes we set our pace for our finish marker!

The other runners are making their way to WCU campus where we will all be ready to jump out and run into the stadium together around 9:30am. 

It's been fun everybody!

Whittney Correll, Kelcey Holcomb, Jess Thiry, Ruby Floyd 

Leg #30: Running on Empty

So this was Dr. P and my last 5 miles. We gutted it out. We basically had nothing left to give. My calf was still hurt/cramping, and he would get stiff if he stopped. And it started raining AGAIN which made me contemplate life again, but I'm glad we finished it.

Leg #27: Lower Gear

Here we go again!  Matt and I had another monster climb (1,400) feet in five miles.  We enjoyed six-tenths of a mile downhill to begin our run.  Then, we endured a 4.4 mile climb that ended at the top of Mount Pisgah.  Matt was the mountain man again, finishing in 43 minutes.  While Jay ran 46 minutes.  One to go and that will be in daylight!!!

~Jay

Leg #29: The Finale-Nothing but a little incline

So our last run was rated an easy run; so we mentally prepared ourselves for that type of run. Little did we know we would be running up Mount Everest. This was the most difficult run of the entire R4R for us!  We were physically and mentally drained before we even started and as we ran, the incline became steeper and steeper. Fighting back the tears and yelling at our legs to make them work, we finally completed the 5th and final leg of our run. However, if a tractor trailer happened to be on the parkway during that last run...well you know where we are going with that.

Bo Hartman and Floyd Graber

Leg #26: Crying Rocks

Once again, I (Clark) was able to run ahead again and try to keep some pace to our relay. I was able to finish sub-40 once again and sent Jay and Matt in their way.

The entire time I kept hearing these noises off to the side of the road. I kept kind of jumping and wondering what was happening. I thought for a while I was being followed by a pack of animals but I soon realized that it was just water flowing from the rocks. I'm glad that it was just water and I am glad that I was able to finish quickly. 

1/2 team crippled out 

 

Unfortunately Brooke and Elena just have no words to describe how bad they are feeling. Hopefully they can finish their last run to the end. 

Other 1/2 out

Leg #25: Down but Not Out

Leg 25, Mission 4, G3

All objectives accomplished and goals reached despite having the wool over our eyes from the start. Intelligence relayed false information of the firepower intensity the enemy possessed and we fell for it.  However courage and resolve for our cause and desire to finish kept us alive and kicking through the mission.  Moral of the story:  Beware the wolf amongst the sheep.

(Jackson, Dalton, Greylin)

Leg #24: For All the Non-Believers

Started uphill and just kept going uphill... for 5 miles, with 5 tunnels involved. Rated this one as a "Nasty Brutal". Fatigue has definitely set in with this group and major tears were shed at the end...

For girls who had never run much in their lives, we have come together and shown that even non- runners can push through with whatever you set your mind too! Turns out, we were the non-believers, unsure if we could do this ourselves.

Blog with you all later, it's nap time for Team Boose of the Caboose....

Leg #23: "Bruhhhh"

Dr. P and I had to run through pitch black darkness for 5 miles. During the run, all I could think about was "Bruhhh, why am I doing this?" "Bruhhhh, this is ridiculous." "Bruhhhh, can I just be in my bed right now". Then my right calf muscle started to cramp/hurt so it made the situation 10x worse. Made it through though.

Leg #22: "Hell"

This was a deceptive run to stay the least. The start was a good stroll through the dark. It was by all means scary (unseen things in the woods making noises); but easy nonetheless. The last few miles however, took my mind off of the creepy forestry. Those were the worst hills we've hit all things considered. Such as the dark, sweat, fear, and the anguish. Despite the chill of the night this was the sweatiest of the day.

Bo Hartman and Floyd Graber 

Leg 21; city lights

Started off what looked like was going to be another rough run but turned into a rolling hills flat run thank you sweet baby Jesus! We passed someone coming only in our direction every 30 seconds about and even got some much needed counseling from one driver on how we were going to die. Yeah I'm pretty sure if you payed attention to the walking Christmas trees running down the road there is no real danger thank you and goodnight!

Leg 20: Bridges Over Asheville

Matt and I had a great night run heading into Asheville.  The first three miles were a wonderful mix of downhill and flat.  Then mile three to four featured a series of high bridges over the various highways leading into Asheville.  The uphill was steep but short and gave way to a nice downhill to the finish.  We completed the run in 35 minutes.  It was a really refreshing change after a brutal second leg for us.  Now, we rest and get ready for another huge climb on leg #4.

~Jay

Leg #19: The HitchHiker

So my name is Clark and I got to run by myself at dark:thirty tonight. Unfortunately my friend Elena is having some issues and decided to run with us. The other unfortunate part is I didn't get to run with Brooke and Elena because I wanted to keep the pace up. 

While on my run I felt like I was flying down the road. I got to one point and saw a creepy hiker guy in the same side of the road as me. I quickly sprinted to the other side of the road to go past him. The vans said they were gonna be at every mile marker for me but I only got to see them at the 1st mile  marker and after that it was all me. I had to jump off of the road a few times because Jay said it was better for us to hop off the road when cars are coming at us rather than hope they move over to not hit us. It was really hard for me to see the mile markers as I was going but I came around a corner and saw lights and knew I was almost done. As I approached the finish I looked down at my watch and saw a time of 36:21. I was so excited because it is a new personal record! I'm now trying to cool down in the van with Matt really close to me after his sweaty run. Oh well! 

So Elena and I (Brooke) were moving along and had no problem till cars started slowing down asking us if we were okay. We said yes hoping they would drive away. All of them did but one. This car goes up maybe half of a mile and pulls off to a side road and sits there. It sounded like the car doors shut as if someone got out and then the car pulled away. So we were like freaked out to pass by, but we did and thankfully nothing happened. Then maybe a mile after that a creepy hiker approaches us with no lights and we about had a heartattack. He had long grey hair and we weren't too sure what to do so we ran little faster past him and didn't look back. Then from there every car we saw pulled off the side of the road we prayed that we were done. That failed like 5 times. So when we were almost done there was fireworks and we took that as a victory for us one finishing and two not dying. All we can say is two more to go...

Leg 18: operation tunnel assault

Group 4 mission 3:

Night has fallen, the omen of the Cliff Bar continues. Our dinner bar said "Start at Sunset" and our mission began precisely at sunset. We flew under the cover of night down Mt. Mitchell to the extraction point 5 miles below. Our injured crew member was hurting a good, more through the downhill but he muscled through. We fought through the waves of enemy's, reaching the bottom in 32:52 with a third leg surge from one member taking command and leading the assault. Overall the mission was a success and no casualties were suffered. 

G3 reporting, over and out 

(Dalton, Greylin, Jackson)

Leg 17: Muricale Run

Jay lies. After scoping out a so called "brutal" run, it ended up being a pleasant downhill glide. 

The smell of rubber was high in the air as Whittney came bolting out of the starting gates. After nearly losing her phone to the mountains, Whittney recovered gracefully with no casualties.

Kelcey took the lead at the 2 mile marker and raced on the last 3 miles. This was a record breaking run for the entire group, as well as individual times! 

Ruby was deemed the real M.V.B. (Most valuable Boose)!!  Jess is hurting pretty badly with her hip flexors and adductors. Hopefully she can make a recovery for our next run around 11:30pm. Certified Athletic Trainers are on it! 

A big win for Team Boose of the Caboose!! 

Kelcey Holcomb, Whittney Correll, Jess Thiry, Ruby Floyd

Leg #16: Sleepy Hollow

Dr. P and I (Cedric) had to run up Mnt. Mitchell through tons of fog. I was scared I was going to see the headless horseman run at me. I started contemplating life again. 

Leg #15: Beauty of the lake

As we ascended up past MT Mitchell it was an uphill climb. From there, we just kept climbing with nothing but a beautiful lake down in the valley to take our minds off of the pain an the agony our legs were feeling. This was the hardest run we have had to this point but lucky we were able to finish with a nice half mile downhill to end our Leg 3 run of the R4R.

Leg 14: Cougar

Just before Elena, Luke and myself (Aaron) encountered a wild cougar. At first the cougar was preying upon some groundhog. But, soon after I caught the cougars eye. The cougar just couldn't resist and began to target me. I barely escaped with my life.

On to the run, it started with a nice 2 mile down hill. Followed by 3 miles straight up. After both Luke and I nearly got taken out by a Buick we both were in a state of "I can't even" but the view on this run were totes perf on the upside. I came in at 44 minute with Luke and then Elena following shortly after. 

Leg #11: Battle for The High Ground

Leg 11, Mission 2

G3 has accomplished Mission 2 all personnel exhausted casualties nonexistent but minimal injury present to Corp. G-Easy.  All soldiers with strong spirits and resolve to accomplish the goal.  The mission was a trap from the beginning with an inviting downhill trail but the enemy was waiting...  A two mile firefight uphill with no end in sight until we battled the enemy to surrender and regrouped.  No guts, No glory.

(Greylin, Jackson, Dalton)

Special thanks to Complete Nutrition and 3PLENISH Electrolyte Replacement!

Leg #12: What the hill?

We started this run thinking it wasn't going to be to bad according to last years runners. They rated this run as average but we were definitely feeling more of a hard rating. Needless to say we started with a 2 mile straight uphill and we were not happy. After the 2 miles uphill, we got a nice mile downhill then nice uphill to finish. So all in all we were not happy. We are definitely hurting and the pain meds are coming out, ice is being applied, and we are elevating in the van. Hopefully we can recover some before the next run. But after dodging cars, falling in ditches, smelling a “skunk” (Clark) and dreading the hills we successfully completed it. 

Team crippled

Leg #13: Low Gear

Matt and my second run was rated as "brutal" and after 4/10 of a mile of downhill, we quickly learned why.  The last 4.6 miles of our run was an incredibly steep, never ending climb.  Matt was a trooper and climbed the mountain without walking at all.  Jay... well not so much.  Rubber legs finally received a small consolation when the last tenth of a mile finally gave the runners a downhill to the finish.  Matt's 44 minute time was a testament to just how steep and long the climb (1,600 feet elevation gain) was on this leg.   Brutal?  Indeed....

Leg 10: Switzerland No Longer Neutral

Leg 10 was a struggle with a cumulative 4 miles uphill and barely 1 mile down hill. 

During that monster we were introduced to a rainstorm and quickly understood the effects of water and moss on asphalt; as well as a parade of Camaro's.

 Whitt displayed her waddle of death as she climbed her way up! 

Switzerland was the name of the area and we were soon shown that it was not a neutral climb for us runners, as we lost one to the the battle, stay positive Ruby!

Kelcey Holcomb, Whittney Correll, Jess Thiry, Ruby Floyd 

Leg #9: Rainy Days

Cedric back again to share my experience. Dr. P and I's 2nd 5 mile run wasn't to bad until we got 2 and a half miles into it and it started pouring down raining. That rain had me so hurt l. Despite the rain I finished in 43 min and Dr. P in 46 min. #Run4Research 🏃💨

Leg #8 "Ignorance"

As Cedric wishes us good luck we began our journey uphill. It was a treacherous road until mile marker 2 where a slight downhill began. We ran a record pace with Jill manners as our special guest. It's "ignorance" Cedric says as he ran up the valley we had just run down. 

Leg 7: S.O.B. (shortness of breath)

For Aaron and Luke, the run didn't prove to be too impossible, but for me (Elena), it was pretty much the worst run ever. First half of the run, I had to go to the bathroom sooo bad I had to run off into the woods somewhere. While I was in the woods, I walked into someone else's poop.... Great. After venturing my way out of the woods, I found Luke looking for me. Then started the 2 mile incline that just kept getting worse and worse. Aaron ran on ahead to tag on the next people and Luke stayed with me who was practically dying. When we say shortness of breath, we mean it. I. Couldn't. Breathe. It was a little scary. But we worked as a team: Aaron ran up ahead to keep our time down and Luke stayed with me to make sure I didn't die.  Let's go Purp Sqaud!!

Leg #6: Old Lady Beattrice

Matt and I had a nice rolling up and down hill to start our run.  After about two miles of trading pace-setting duties, Matt leading the uphills and Jay taking the downhills, the run flattened out.  Miles four and five were mostly downhill, making for a fast, easy run.  We cruised to the finish in 33 minutes before giving way to Aaron, Luke and Elena and Leg #7.  

Leg #5: Fart Trot

The previous rating for our run is average. 

What started out as a flat/downhill turned into a little bit of rolling hills. It almost felt like we were running down the yellow brick road other then the road wasn't yellow, the leaves on the trees were. Then as soon as it got quiet, no cars, nobody in site, and a great view of grandfather mountain we started to feel what we ate before the run begin to shift downwards.. Therefore, it wasn't so quiet  anymore... It was then a fart trot. As gross as it may sound it was probably the only motivating thing that got us closer to the end because we were just laughing the rest of the way. 

Sussessful first run! 

-Brooke and Clark (Team Crippled)

Leg 3: Moove it, Moove it!

As group 3, better known as the "Boose of the Caboose", started our first leg out strong and together, Jess plowed ahead, while the rest kept a nice pace and started looking around at the changing colors; Kelcey suddenly noticed some friendly cows and wanting to practice her new skills, she started "yoohoo"-ing to them. Surprisingly all of the cows looked up in unison! 

Soon, this happy run turned into a game of dipping and dodging more vigorous drivers. 

As we were nearing our fifth mile, the group's confidence in the run turned into a struggle as the last mile was a less kind incline, but we all surged through, finishing strong with our hands in the air! 

Leg #4: Mission 1: Sierra. Oscar. Bravo

G3 just finished leg 4 , mission 1.  Mission was a success and all goals were achieved. Beginning with a 2.5 mile incline, the mission was off to a rough start. But have no doubt, the unit pulled through and battled our way across the treacherous war front! We spotted the enemy early, the viaduct. We carefully planned our strategy and executed it with extreme precision. From the Viaduct, we ran a reconassaiance mission on the valley below , thoroughly enjoying the view! 4 more missions until victory !  Special thanks to Complete Nutrition Tactical Division for support on our missions!

(Greylin, Jackson, Dalton)  

Cookies

Eating some cookies thanks to Mikki, Baldwin, and Katherine. Thanks guys we love you!!! ❤️

Leg #1: Alfredo Run

Where to begin no place other than app states football stadium. Our run took us through Boone into the outskirts of town an up to optical illusions. This run was one of the easiest runs we have ever ran an only had an uphill climb the last 2 miles. All was well until mile 3 when lasts nights Alfredo started to run on its own. Luckily it got tired pretty quickly and Bo was okay. 

View at the end of Leg #3

Leg three is finishing up....the views along the parkway are amazing!

Leg #2: The Transition.

This is Cedric Wilkerson (sophomore runner). Dr. P and I made "The Transition" from darkness to light getting on the parkway. I started off pretty fast, but I got 4 and a half miles in and saw a big fox run across the road. No lie I about peed my shorts for real. I was really contemplating life at that point. Dr. P and I both finished strong though. 

The Start

The 7th Annual R4R is underway.  Official start time is 6:11 am.  Bo Hartman & Floyd Graber are kicking off this year's run.  

Six hours until the run

We are getting ready to roll with tomorrow's Run for Research!  We are spending the night about 40 minutes outside of Boone tonight..... No rooms available due to an ASU home game Saturday.  So, the plan is a 5 am departure for Boone with a 6 am start to this year's R4R.  This is my seventh R4R event and I still get as excited as ever watching all of our students' preparation and hard work pay off.
It is so rewarding to see them accomplish something few of them would have thought was possible just a couple months ago.  So, wish us luck and please follow us on the blog during the run.  I am sure it will be entertaining along the way.

~Jay

Run for Research 2014

We are gearing up for our 7th annual Run for Research event on October 11 and 12, 2014.  This year we travel from Boone to Cullowhee (175 miles) along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. 

This year's running group features 18  participants.  They include:  Professor Jay Scifers (7th R4R), Preceptor Dr. Randy Provost (2nd R4R), Juniors Bo Hartman (1st R4R), Kelcey Holcomb (1st R4R), Whittney Correll (1st R4R) and Matt Wronsky (2nd R4R), Sophomores Floyd Graber (1st R4R), Cedric Wilkerson (1st R4R), Greylin Cleary (2nd R4R), Dalton Greer (2nd R4R), Jackson Roper (1st R4R), Brooke Donaker (1st R4R), Clark Edwards (2nd R4R), Aaron Krofchik (1st R4R), Luke MIller (2nd R4R) and Elena D'Argenio (2nd R4R).  In addition, this year's group of runner features two alumni from the Class of 2012; Ruby Floyd and Jessica Thiry (both 1st R4R) have accepted the challenge to join us! 

With eight returning runners and an excellent two months of training, this group is poised to break last year's record time of 27 hours 25 minutes and 49 seconds.  Please follow us along the way and provide comments of encouragement as we make our way along the Parkway!

~Jay

Leg 34: Don't Think, Just Run

The run started out pretty brutal with a nice sized uphill. Then after a whole we finally started going downhill. This lasted until we got off the parkway and onto the highway. There were a few hills and bad wind but it was mostly downhill. The last mile lasted forever. At one point, I remember Clark yelling "WHERE ARE THEY?!?" It was brutal because we were just so exhausted, we both just wanted to be done. I remember constantly repeating "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" over and over again. 

I was so relieved to be done. I remember Clark and I just hugging. We were lucky to have not too bad of a leg. I admire everyone who did this so much. It amazing to think that we ran 175 TOGETHER. We all did it together. Every single person pushed their hardest and they're all me and Clark's heroes. Clark was naturally more peppy than me for most of the time which gave me energy. This is definitely the hardest thing we've ever done but rewarding.

Clark and Elena out 

The Finish !!!!

The 2013 R4R concluded on the campus of ASU at 10:10 am.  The finishing time was an astounding 27 hours, 25 minutes and 49 seconds.  This time was one hour and 42 minutes faster than the previous best R4R time of 29:07 in 2012.  What a great run and a great time!  Thanks to all of you for your support again this year.

~Jay 

Leg 2E : #30 ghost whisper

Ghost voices, weird noises, and strange animals plague the last few miles of the parkway. 4am, paranoia starts setting in , the end is near... We're done... 47 minutes.. The Hill Haters!!

Leg 2D : #23 Slippery slope

And it's all down hill from here!!!! 5 miles downhill, 33 minutes!

The Hill Haters!

Leg 31: What's the Point Spread for Today's WCU Game?

Matt and I hobbled back onto the Parkway for our final leg of the 2013 R4R.  We weren't quite sure what lay ahead..... Other than more darkness.  By now the R4R team was on pace to run 28 hours, meaning our anticipated daylight run would instead be run in the pre-dawn darkness of 6 am.  So we trudged on an up and down and some more up 5 mile jaunt.  

Just as we approached the two mile marker, we heard a BIG rustling in the woods.  Big as in a bear or coyote that is.  Matt decided right then to do his best Usain Bolt impression and off he went into the darkness.  I calmly suggested that, instead of sprinting...which my legs clearly were not going to buy into, we just talk really loud to scare off whatever was in the woods watching us.  Without missing a beat, Matt started quizzing me about the spread of today's WCU vs. Auburn football game (it is Auburn -40 in case you care.... Thanks ESPN app)!

Well, I don't know if that did the trick or not but at least a mile of our run was spent making idle chatter about football.  Once we hit the three mile mark, the noises subsided and we were able to return to complaining about our aching legs.  

This last leg was not too bad.  Lots of rolling hills that led to our finish and the glorious reality that we had both survived the 2013 R4R.... Matt's first and Jay's sixth.  

~Jay & Matt 

Leg 20 and 27: Battered but Not Beaten

     Elena and I are beginning to feel the real effects of this run. Both of us are exhausted, I'm hungry, the right side of her body is dying, and we just want to finish. We have had our ups and downs which includes the rolled ankles and the shin splints, as well as easy downhill legs, so we have been pushing through with pretty good attitudes. 

     We missed the previous post about the run because we got in the van and were out like a light. We got to run with Andrew because he decided to make up for missing his first leg by running ten miles straight. I thought he was being ridiculous, but I wasn't going to stop him. He kept us going through this run while reminding us, every so often, that the last mile was a steepish hill. We got through the run without any major hitches and were able to tag the next group on. 

     On our most previous run we saw an animal really early in our run that was about cat size but we couldn't tell what it was. It kind if freaked us out and we were hoping the van would hurry up and get behind us.  We also saw a tiny little mouse scurry across the road, which didn't scare us too much. All I could really think about though, is the brightness of the stars. I kept wondering why they weren't as bright in Charlotte, where I'm from, but I remembered we have a lot more light to deal with in Charlotte. 

     Anyway, it is nap time in our van and I'm pretty tired. Sorry about the missed post but this one is long enough to make up for it. 

     Oh and the service Is terrible. 

-Clark and Elena

Leg 19: A True Shinobi

Night fell and all was dark. We had done more training drills in the dark than in the light. Christine had trained in Japan for 15 years with the shinobi group, and she was most confident when she had the cloak of the night. In the daytime we felt naked and open for attack or ambush, but in the dark cover, we were alive, free, and victorious. 

We had been rucking uphill for several clicks when our gear began to malfunction. There was no telling where or when we were, and it seemed like eveything changed when we exitted the tunnels. We had been using standard night vision goggles, which allowed us eyes, using the moon amplify everything around us. There was an electrical interference of some sort, which caused our goggles to flicker on and off for about five minutes. In that last few seconds before they went out completely, I saw an arial beast fly in the face of Christine. 

She didn't scream or show any signs of being startled. She was trained to never be scared. I was told of the drills they completed to enstill this skill in the shinobi group, and I am surprised she is able to sleep after 15 years of those absolutely horrid drills. Milliseconds after it lached itself to her face she had pulled it off with one hand and sliced it in half with her blade in the other hand. Harnessing the power of being startled into an instantaneous attack can be the different between life and death. 

I tried to see if there was any sort of wound, but all of our electronic equipment was fried. Even our compass was spinning haphazardly, which we could see only due to the tritium gas encapsulated on the needles. She said she couldn't feel that it had bitten her. Thinking back to the image in my mind that I saw it for a split second, I thought that it could have been a bat of some sort. But upon further review, I realized it couldn't have been, it didn't have an apparent mouth or even eyes. I distictly remember a slender needle like protrusion on what could have been its face. Overall, the equipment and the attack were a bad signs of what we were close to. We rucked on.

As we continued what seemed to be a few clicks, though it was impossible to tell, Christine was acting different from her prior state. I couldn't determine what it was, but something just wasn't right. Her respiratory rate was increased, she may have been sweating, and when I brushed up against her she felt cool and clammy. It wasn't good, and I feared that what attacked her could have been poisonous. Our standard med kit had nothing for the time or place we were in, so I continued to monitor her.

It wasn't but an hour after the attack and I saw a glissen of liquid on her face from the moonlight. I remembered that my compass was plated with small tritium gas canisters which emitted a small amount of light. When it was held up against her face, I was stunned. It was nothing like I had ever seen before. There was something growing out of where she was bitten. Slick, rigid tentacle-like strictures were originating from that one spot, and was covering the side of her face. It had to have been a parasite, and it was changing size relatively quickly. I decided it had to go.

I am no surgeon, but my years of my experience in the field have made me pretty handy with a knife. So, naturally, that was my go to method for extraction. With the compass as my guide, I wedged the knife between the tentacle and her skin, and with one swift flick of the wrist, cut one of the many tentacles off. Immediately, Christine went rigid and fell back. Fortunately, I caught her, but at the cost of nicking my knee with my trusty blade. I lowered her to the ground and re-assessed the situation.

She was breathing, unresponsive, cool and clammy, and had a pulse over 100. My electronic equipment was rendered useless, so I was merely guessing with the heart rate. I was thinking about leaving her, that was what we were taught in the training. When behind enemy lines, you have to do what you need to finish the mission. But this mission was starting to wear down on me, it was nothing like I had ever experienced. Also, she had been an invaluable squad member thus far, and without her I would be lone wolf. While big-screen Rhambo romanticized the idea of lone wolf, in the real world, lone wolves are killed by other packs, and don't last long. 

I weighed the options, and decided I had to hide her and move onward. I could pick her up after the mission was complete. She would do the same in a heartbeat. Just like we practiced in training. I made it to the next checkpoint almost too seemlessly. It was too easy. It is never too easy in real life. Unfortunately, lone wolves only make it in the movies...

Team Ninja Alpha Destruction Squad 

Christine and Josh

 

Leg 24: Twin Tunnels

Leg 24 started out benign enough with a gradual uphill followed by a pleasant downhill.  Then, once again, the road rose up in the form of a slow, long, winding hill...... For three agonizing miles.  The black of midnight added to our frustration as we kept waiting (praying really) to feel the hill crest.  Of course, with only the light of our headlamps to guide us, we could see only about 50 feet in front of us.  Our legs screamed that the incline was ongoing but the lack of light gave the impression that the hill was about to end.  Finally, with two miles remaining, the uphill gave way to a long, glorious downhill.  By the end of our trek, we had covered 5.3 miles in about 43 minutes.  Overall, not too bad considering the incline, the dark and the extra few tenths.  Five miles to go..... Now it is time for some sleep.

~Matt & Jay

Leg 18 Jennie's Fault

The other van was running legs so we leapfrogged ahead thinking we'd get a nap. We'll just drive our leg first and see how it looks Jill suggested.  It looked like a hill. 5 miles of a hill. No flats, no downs. Jennie's fault. Jennie drew a four. OK, a hill. Sun now low behind us and night coming. First leg with reflective vests and headlamps. Matt comes streaking in from his leg. First time he's looked a bit gassed. 15 miles now for him and a lot of uphill there too. We tag up and start our climb.  Moon now hanging where the sun was in the sky for our first leg. It's interesting what you think about on a run. Here you have to acknowledge the majesty of the mountains. You think abut things like gastrocnemius and soleus. Strong sounding names. They are winers. You watch the trees and the mile markers crawl by. Here comes mile two. Feeling pretty good. Then you notice the sudden increase in the effort of each step. Can't really see the subtle change in grade, but everybody that runs knows that feeling. Parkway telling you not to get cocky. Downshift. Run on. The valley floor is now dark, Visible only by the lights of the homes down there. Those folks don't see us clawing our way up our 5 miles. (Jennie's Fault, Jennie drew the four) The van leapfrogs us offering encouragement.  My run partners are both hurt. They still started the leg. I am in awe of them. I am in awe of this whole crew. These students come for rotations to my internal medicine practice and are always well educated, but this is a side of the program I have been wanting to see for several years. What a great idea for a fundraiser!  What a noble effort!  Runners all know the camaraderie of runners. This is really evident in this bunch.  Eventually 5 miles passes. Fully dark now. Josh and Christine take over again. 3 down. Two to go. What are those legs like? We have good maps and we can look. Maybe later.
Randy, Jennie  & Jill

Leg 15: Can I get a downhill run? Negative ghost rider

Our group can not get any type of downhill and it has been quite a run so far. Getting close to asheville we ran into all kinds of angry people getting off work, we got honked at lights flashed at us all because we were slightly in their lane. Give us a break were running our 15th mile here!

Leg 22: 3 miles of bliss and 2 miles of blisters

We finally got a downhill. I should be excited except what was to come completely destroyed all excitement we had. For roughly 3 miles we had a nice decline and then all of a sudden we climbed our worst hill yet. that started a uphill battle till we finally saw those flashing hazard lights where our group was stopped and signaled the end of our 4th leg

Leg 17: Hallelujah.....Downhill

Our third leg started with a gradual two mile climb, filled with lots of road kill.  Then, miraculously..... Finally...... Could it be?  Yes, downhill!!!!!!  Needless to say, this was the best part of our day so far.  The last three miles were a mix of downhill and flat...... Pure bliss for tired legs.  Matt cruised through the finish in 39 minutes and Jay was right behind in 40 flat.  A great run and only ten miles to go.  

~Jay & Matt

Leg 13: Dark tunnels, Dementors and Twisted Ankles

Clark and I started off at a pretty fast pace. We were lovin the downhills. A tunnel was coming up and Clark and I were pretty excited about having a tunnel... Little did we know how terrible that tunnel would be. 

In the tunnel, after all the cars passed us, it was pitch black and we couldn't see a thing. The whole atmosphere reminded me of a scene from a Harry Potter movie where the Dementors swooped out and attacked. While thinking about this and dreading the Dementors, Clark just let's out a yell for fun. I swear I jumped 15 ft in the air. I thought he was a Dementor who was about to attack me. 

A few moments later a car is coming and I move more to the side of the road to make room. I fall off the road into the gravel and twist both my ankles. I reach for the wall but miss it and catch myself on the gravel. Clark swears he twisted his ankle too. Everyone always says "don't go towards the light", but Clark and I definitely booked it to the light at the end of the tunnel. 

The rest of the run was painful but not too bad. I swear Clark has a 6th sense that tells him when cars are coming which definitely saved us quite a few times. Our time was around 38 minutes, so pretty fast, but we're both glad it's over. 

-Clark and Elena. 

🌁☀️ 2C leg 16: sunset paradise

A seemingly beautiful sight to see, running through rolling hills and over two bridges. A perfect moment to remember that the last mile and a half is a straight up hill doozy... 40ish minutes! The Hill Haters continue on! 

Leg 12: "Cannon has a Smokey"

It was an arduous trek, indeed. We travelled for what seemed like days. It was difficult from the heat, which seemed to boil the water from our body and form salt crystals over our skin. Our team kept reminding eachother to push fluids, but I couldn't drink anymore, it was so bloody smoltering. There was no recon mission this time, no, just pure rucking. We had our gear, eachother, and an innate thirst to dominate. We had all of the ingredients needed to conquer. 

We saw ahead a large cave, maybe manmade, and about five stories high. As we approached, we realized that it was, in fact, manmade, and by an advanced civilization. The architecture was so simple that it had to be advanced, with unworldly bright, blinding lights on the sides of this tunnel we knew this was far from our rudimentary LED/flourescent lighting systems that we were so familiar with. There was nowhere to go but through the tunnel, and our team silently hoped that our training had prepared us for what lied inside.

It sounded like a crack of lightning, and was loud enough to be. The sound was continuing and getting even louder. It had to have been an extremely high-voltage capacitor, since the cracking was continuous, and I could see the hairs on my arm shooting erect. The sound was now close, and unnerving. Around the corner, there was a large metal object, the size of a house, coming straight for our squad. 

We hit the deck, just like in our training, and barely avoided the high-velocity, massive machine. The whoofing of the trailing air pounded on our faces. We turned around to observe the floating metal machine and realized that what seemed to be pure electricity attached it to the overhead tunnel and allowing it to hover. I quickly realized we were far from anything made by humans in this century. We looked at eachother, and both realized we were questioning where, and when, we truly were.

Several more metal machines passed through this endless tunnel, all of different sizes and speeds. One that passed us was fairly small, with a large man on it with a very burly beard. It brought me back to a series of books had read in my childhood, but the name slipped my mind. All I was thinking about was the squads safety and the mission, a victory yet to be quenched.

We eventually made it to our next checkpoint. Everyone in the squad was still with us. I had been with so many squads with so many missions, but not every member made it in the past missions. We felt accomplished, but knew we were not even halfway done with our mission. Another day, another path, but still one goal. We thought we had overcame some hard endeavors, but they were trivial compared to what was ahead.

Team N.A.D.S. over and out.

Christine and Josh

P.S. Squad name order changed due to popular request (N.A.D.S. vs. N.D.A.S)

Leg 11

Mileposts 410 to 405. We are now over the highest point and headed for Asheville. Clouds and fog of earlier in the day are gone. People are breaking out sunscreen. Jay and Matt came zipping in and started us on our second leg. Long gradual climb to the Pisgah Inn then down for three plus miles. Kinda makes up for the slog up from Balsam this morning. This leg is all long views off to the  south until you pass the Pisgah Inn. More hemmed on by trees after that but who cares if it's downhill. We decided to call it "How do you spell relief?."  43:45 and Josh and Christine can have it from here.

Jill, Jennie and Randy.

Leg #9 : Deception

What started out as a peaceful 4 descent into a gorgeous mountain valley was ended by the unexpected straight uphill 5th mile... Great run over all, 37 minutes! The Hill Haters are still going! 

The Highest Point on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Leg 10: H Cubed (heat, hills, hell)

Leg ten was just plain "not fun".  Rather than the mountain we faced this morning in Balsam Mountain, Mount Pisgah threw a 4+ mile gradual, winding incline at us.  Add a mild BRP heat wave of 75 and you have all the ingredients of an "old man killer".   Mat breezed through the very challenging five miles in an impressive 37ish minutes.   Jay was not so impressive trudging up the hills in classic "Manners death-march" style.  In the end, Frying Pan Tunnel gave way to mile marker 410 and the thankful end of a way too hilly run.

~Matt &................ (Slow) Jay

Leg 5B: What the Hill?

Christine landed successfully, I think she was a ninja prior to her most recent training operations. However, my ipod headphones cord entangled my hand, which compromised my rolling arm to a chicken wingesque technique, and my head touched down with a firm kiss on the rough road. "Shaken, not stirred," or so the spys on the big screen said, with completely different meanings. They had it easy, and got kisses by ladies. Spies of today get kissed by immovable assphault. This was merely the begining, all I have to go is up.

Objectively speaking, our recon mission was 80% successful. We made it to the end of mile 4 before the incident. This meant we knew what to expect, the first three miles were all uphill at a 7-10% incline. The fourth mile was a 0-2% decline. We knew exactly what we had got ourselves into, or at least we had thought. 

After the predicted journey, we finally made it to the site of the incident. There were shards of glass and  mirror on the ground from the wreckage, tire marks, and mist from close cloud sent chills up my spine. We were blind from what was ahead, but what happened next took us completely by surprise, even with our training. 

Our noses slapped a wall, that was covered in spider webs, and we stopped in our tracks. We could not go any further, and we had just made it to the marker that said we had one mile left. It wasn't a mountain, it was a wall, which was at an estimated 90-100% incline. We considered jumping off of the side to our left, or climbing the seemingly insurmountable obstacle using the spider webs. We, of course, chose the latter. Christine is a ninja, as we know, so it came naturally for her. With myself, it was more challenging, but we kept fighting the good fight, and overcame adversity. We finally finished and tagged to the next team, with our spidey-ninja senses intact. 

Christine and Josh (nicknames TBA)

Ninja Destruction Alpha Squad

Leg 8: Tunnel Hikers

This run wasn't too bad until the last mile.  The road just kept hugging the mountain but eventually ended with a nice, cool down hill run. As mentioned in the title, we encountered a tunnel and some hikers that came out of nowhere. 

Luke, Dylan & Wilson

Leg 7: 750

An awesome 750 foot decline in the beautiful blue mountains of the blue ridge park way. 

Leg 5A: Tuck and Roll

It all began with the scouting. Lets just say it could have been the elevation, or it could have been the glare, either way, things spiraled into chaos quickly. During a typical recon mission, at about 10:00 hours, our caravan was ambushed. We should have seen it coming. It was broad daylight, and we were experienced veterans with a few rookies. We just should have seen it coming.

Black covered the right side of the van like a curtain, and our van rocked like it was hit by a wave. Before we could take a breath, the world was spinning and the seatbelt was cutting into my left clavicle. Our caravan was flipped, and by something so colossal we could only see the paws. Massive paws, larger than tractor tires. Next came the growling, it was deafening, and we were already stunned from the trauma. I had to close my eyes and cover my ears from the sound. I felt liquid on my fingers, I don't know  if it was from my nose or my ears, I didn't care. All I cared about was the sound that made my head feel like it was cracking open like a chestnut on Christmas.

 I awoke in a haze, and my watch showed 10:13. I looked at the rest of my team. Christine, my running partner, was unconscious, and others were kneeling outside. Our team lifted the van upright, and we turned around to make it to the rendezvous point. By the time we were closing in on the tag off spot, Dr. Provost was turning the corner of the hill, and was 15 seconds from where we were supposed to be. I turned to Clark, and we knew what had to be done. He kicked the side door open, and in one swift movement, took control of the steering wheel. 10 seconds. I readied myself for takeoff, but wait! Where was Christine!? She was awake, albeit concussed, and ready to jump out of a  van moving at 45 mph. 5 seconds. In one last effort we looked to each other and said, "just like we practiced; tuck and roll." 

Christine & Josh (nicknames TBA)

Leg 6: Windy but Without Wind

Our run started out pretty nice but we had to finish the climb to the highest point on the parkway. It was very windy trying to climb up the mountain. As we were climbing to the top, Elena began to lose her breath and was having trouble breathing. It was definitely rough but not a terrible run to start off with. 

-Elena and Clark 

Leg 4: The Turkey Trot

"Pick a card, any card" said Jay, and Jennie picks a 4. BRUTAL! Jill attempts to barter with other groups, sandwiches for a better run....needless to say there were no takers. So we started off our day with 2 miles of rolling hills followed by a 1000 foot climb over the last 3 miles. Really? A 5k. Uphill? But we get to be first on the parkway. Fast guys got us here. Now we plod up. Awesome scenery.  Amazing view above the clouds.  Just don't walk.

All said and done, could have been worse.  Jay said to give him 50 minutes.....gave him 49!  Feeling pretty prepared this year!   Catamounts on the run-  running like Buffalo!  1 down,4 to go!

Jennie, Dr. P and Jill

Gorgeous views from the Parkway

Leg 3: Balsam Bust

Leg three is a tease..... It starts downhill for half mile, then rolling hills for another mile and a half.   Just when you think (or in Matf's case SAY) "this isn't too bad", you turn a corner and Balsam Mountain stares you in the face and laughs.  Three agonizing, mountain climber-esque miles later, you find yourself huffing and puffing your way to the top.  Adding insult to injury, the 18-wheelers create a wonderful head-wind that stands you straight up!  All in all, it was a good but challenging first leg of this year's event.... And a proper way to welcome Matt to the R4R!

~Jay & Matt

Leg #2 : Frogger Lvl. Expert

Harder than expected. It turns out that mountains don't have tops, they simply vanish into the clouds and keep going... I'm glad we're good at dodging cars! We completed our leg in about 43 minutes so overall not a bad run. 

                       -Greylin, Zack, Dalton (aka. The Hill Haters) 

Leg 1: Five Dollar Footlong

This first run was fairly easy but one of us slowed down dramatically due to an intense urge to need to go #1. Aside from that, it was nice. Cold but nice.

We Are Off!!!!

The 6th Annual Mountain Jug Run for Research began this morning at 6:40 am from the campus of Western Carolina University.  The first of 35 legs are on the road headed toward Sylva.  

Mountain Jug Run 2013

Well, here we go again.... it is October 2013 and we have been training for more than two months for the 6th Annual Mountain Jug Run for Research.  We have another great group of runners this year, 18 of us in total.

The group includes faculty members, Jay Scifers (6th R4R), Jill Manners (5th R4R) and Rob Dingle (3rd R4R),  Clinical Preceptor, Dr. Randy Provost (1st R4R) & Graduate Assistant, Josh Edwards (2nd R4R). 

Students involved in this year's run include juniors, Daniel Carr (2nd R4R), Andrew Godinez (2nd), Zack Hartman (1st) & Dylan Rubinic (1st).  Sophomores students include Jennie Longo (2nd), Christine Poole (2nd), Wilson Thao (1st) & Matthew Wronsky (1st).  Freshmen participants (all 1st timers) include Greylin Cleary, Dalton Greer, Elena D’Argenio, Luke Miller and Clark Edwards.

This is the most experience group of runners we have ever had.....and also the fastest.  The group is aiming to be the first to break the 29-hour barrier on the 175-mile trek.  We depart in nine hours (6:30 am) from the campus of WCU and hope to arrive at the football stadium in Boone before 11:30 am Saturday morning. 

You can follow our adventures (leg-by-leg) the entire way to Boone right here! 

In the meantime,  please read about our adventure in the articles below....

http://news-prod.wcu.edu/2013/10/runners-ready-for-175-mile-fundraising-relay-from-cullowhee-to-boone/

http://smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/11882-wcu-students-run-to-boone-to-raise-funds

Leg 30: Shooting Stars & Fond Farewells

A lot easier than expected, needs a new rating (easy). It was mostly down hill with pretty lights and good weather. That run was a perfect way to end our 5th leg. We're finished!!!!! McNamara got to see her shooting stars (2) and is definitely sad that this is her last Jug Run. Definitely one of the most physically and mentally challenging experiences. Shout out to all of my lovely running partners (Alessa, Kayla, Elena, and Sarah Gilly), definitely could not have done this three years in a row without you guys. And to Kelly Hoots for getting me pumped for my last leg haha. Bye bye BRP. It's been real.

Sarah McNamara

Leg 23:

This run lasted forever. It was dark and scary the sound and fear wolves hung thick in the air. so we made the chariot to our travels follow us the whole time. They played music to try and help us along and finish. Our anxiety was swiftly relieved as we went through a few tunnels and the stars were beautiful. But it was by far the hardest run we have ran so far. All our limits and mentalities were pushed!

Leg 16: Cloud Hopping

In the Clouds was a first! We literally ran through a cloud. It was extremely foggy and basically rainy, which made it a little chillier than the last two. We almost got hit by a couple cars who didn't really see us until the last minute.. But we didn't so it's okay. And like usual for our group, we had a lovely slow incline. However, this time we had more steep declines which were very much appreciated. We were voted the buffalo hat winners for this round of legs!!!! We are buffaloooo!! We're all getting a little sore and are ready to catch up on some sleep (we've been watching hunger games).

Leg 15:

With more hills expected, the brothers marshall believed the next few miles of the upcoming run to be some of the hardest yet. Upcoming was craggy gardens, a spot of mountain that holds some of the steeper inclines and elevation changes from Mount Mitchell. The beginnings were tough, with marked increase of 5100 to 5400 feet, and a one lane road in the middle of the run made for slimmer and more narrow divides between these two buffalo and traffic than they were normally accustomed to. Another added bonus for the brothers marshall was a wonderful cloud that descended upon the mountain as they headed back down. It was beautiful as they headed into the last mile, cold, wet, and not nearly close to upset.

 

Calm, cool, collected and content.

 

The brothers. John and Aaron.

Leg 35: Toe Nails are for Sissies

Rarely does the road sign for Sylva or the site of Subway, Walmart or Pizza Hut evoke such positive emotions. It is wonderful to be back in familiar territory. Not even the climb up Catamount Gap can dampen our spirits. The 2012 Run for Research is in the books. Total running time 29 hours, nine minutes and seventeen seconds.

All nineteen who departed from ASU at 5:30 yesterday are in tow. Some slightly worse for wear. As the Blue Ridge Parkway always does, she has claimed her share of casualties. Among this year's injury list are: an Achilles Tendon, an enraged piriformis and sciatic nerve, an exertional anterior compartment syndrome and numerous toenails. This does not include the dozens of sore IT Bands, Gastrocs, and Hamstrings.

But at the end of it, we have met the challenge of the R4R. Many runners overcame physical and mental challenges beyond what they could have ever imagined. That is the beauty of this event. Everyone can be proud of their accomplishments.

Leg 28: Take It Easy?

Maybe it was because it was our fourth leg of the R4R, maybe it was because it was 4:15 AM, maybe Jon Mitzel lied to us, hell, maybe it is Zane Oliver's fault! Whatever the case, leg 28 of the 2012 R4R proved to be "not so easy".

The run began with a half mile gentle climb, followed by the day's. most wonderful downhill. Then, just as we were settling into a fast pace, a long, slow incline in excess of one mile in length greeted us. This uphill, coupled with the low oxygen pressures at 5,600 feet lead to some serious sucking-wind.

Thankfully, the last mile was almost completely downhill. Both Jay and Dan hit their pre-run goal times of 36 and 45 minutes, respectively. Leg four is finished, twenty miles in the books. All is forgiven Mitzel Inc. and Mr. Oliver. Our last run is on home turf. See everyone at WCU!!!!!!

~Jay and Dan~

Leg 24: Hooting with the Owls

Andrew and I begin our fourth leg with enthusiasm of the thought that the quicker we begin the quicker we are to finishing. The whole run was a long gradual uphill climb. I cursed myself through every step for the first two miles then Aaron with his car and music and I heard Sarah singing to the top of her lungs usher "scream"! I pretty much danced myself through mile 4. The hell set in again as we breached the last tunnel I started once again to curse every step. I have never in my life been pushed to the limits like I have even on this run! Again I would not have gotten through without my partner! -Kelly

Leg 21: Blue Lights Ahead

Leg 21 began with a pleasant little slow incline that lasted two miles. It was the kind of gradual hill that was tailor-made for the Queens of the Gradual Incline. Fortunately, it was dark enough that we could not see the hill spilling out in front of us. The only clue we had that we were running uphill was familiar burning sensation in our quads.

Then suddenly as mile two gave way to mile three, we realized we were lengthening our strides....a sure sign of having found some downhill terrain. Our excitement was short lived, however, as mile four greeted us with another gradual incline and the site of flashing blue lights!

Kelly had been pulled over (not really pulled over because she was already stopped) by the po-po. There was Jill frantically running Kelly's purse to her!

Fortunately for us and the R4R, the officer said we just needed to be careful and that we were welcome to continue our trek. Which was good news since Dan and I had already cruised right past the officer and continued our run.

Mile five was a glorious downhill and we cruised to the finish in 2012's first sub-40 leg. Some sleep and a downhill leg 28 are in our immediate future.

~Jay and Dan~

Nice!!

Upon emerging from the mist and clouds of mount Mitchell, we enjoyed the lovely surprise of 5 fun filled down hill miles!! Could it be true, was it a dream, were my achy muscles making me goofy... oh no my friend it was heavenly!

Leg 17: Jog in the park

At the beginning of the run I was told that this leg was difficult, but then right before running I was told that it is all down hill. I was excited so I changed into my short shorts from rugby and ripped my shirt off. I was glad to be nearly naked, because I was still sweating like crazy as I flew down the pleasant decent. Although I had a few aches and pains, I decided to run faster which surprisingly made the pain go away. Although it seemed like we were in one big cloud, people were easily able to see me with my blinding white legs, reflective vest, and "lusty lavender" Mohawk! If only the rest of the way could be that easy. - Team Awesome: Andrew and Kelly

Leg 10 - Look Away, neck punch

Andrew and I had the joy of running leg 10. It was beautiful again! Although we started out downhill, it quickly turned into all hills. Hence the name, it's like the parkway said "Hey! Look over there!" Then straight neck punch.
Kelly did not have fun, but like always she was able to stay strong and beast it out through the roller coaster of death. -Andrew G. & the one and only Kelly Hoots!

Leg 8:

After what was an enjoyable start running out of Boone, the marshall brothers began another enticing journey upon the parkway. This time, a short bit of an uphill climb awaited them upon their initial sprint off the starting line, but much to the chagrin of the brothers, a jaunt of a winding downhill road welcomed us upon their second run. Happily, the third mile marker wasn't noticed by either of the brothers, and an even faster return to the awaiting team occurred, making for dancing in the streets over their triumphant return to the team.

Buffalo up, ride high.

The Marshall brothers. John and Aaron.

Leg 9: Queens of the Gradual Incline

This group has decided we have been cursed with the dreaded slow incline that lasts for miles. BUT we have dominated. This run was definitely a tease! It was definitely more tough than the last one and we continued to have a slight incline. We are a little nervous about what to expect for the next one because we are staring to feel fatigued at this point! We saw some very pretty horses and a mule which was cool. Our next run is rated "hard" soo our goal is to finish ha. Yay parkway!!!!!!!

Leg 14: Sleeping Giant

First of all, I have to say that Meka is my hero! She ran the TOUGHEST leg of this year's R4R in one hour and never walked! This was 4.7 miles of uphill running with a total increase in altitude of almost 2200 feet! And this is from someone who had never run more than 6 miles before training for the R4R.

So, now for Dan and Jay's run. We knew it would be a tough leg with a pre-run rating of "brutal". The run started with a wonderful two-mile decent of nearly 1500 feet. But we both knew this foreshadowed what lay ahead. The further we ran downhill in miles 1 and 2, the more uphill running we would do in miles 3-5.

Of course, right before mile marker two, the sleeping giant that is Mount Mitchell reared its ugly head. The last three miles of our run was a climb to the top of the mountain, a height approaching 6000+ feet. We plugged on with the knowledge that no matter what we faced, it was nothing compared to what Meka, Megan and Jenny had just conquered.

Overall, this run was better than our first leg and we finished without difficulty. Now we can rest and prepare for our two night runs.

~Jay~

Leg 13 Stairwell to Hell

Meka, Megan, Jennie

Before the run started, we took a ride to see for ourself what we should be expecting. We were definitely intimidated by the steep climbs and never ending hills. We came back to an over look area and waited there for a little and then realized that we should probable drive back to the mile marker where we were going to begin the climb. We got there and saw that the other group had been waiting on us so we had to jump out of the car and start running. None of us was ready for this at all. We started our journey of the 5 mile up hill run. We passed some bikers who cheered us on then we passed this lady screaming at us to get off the road. Around each bend we prayed for a downhill but to our dismay none came...ever. We highly debated running straight off the side of the mountain just to put ourselves out of our misery. We all pushed through the pain, cursing at ourselves for doing this idiotic run. We finally came to the end and felt so accomplished! The pain sweat and tears were totally worth it!

Leg 12: Incline of Beauty

We started off strong excited to face off our second run. It was pretty flat for a few seconds and then we met our solid two miles of steady incline with massive blind curves. (We had to be ready to dive off the road at any second to avoid the cars.) but it was very pretty with the leaves all pretty colors and looking of overlooks and seeing the beauty! We then faced the last mile with the twin tunnels, but before we got to the tunnels we had another incline that was killer to us but has nothing on the next leg after us....

Caroline, Brittany, Christine

Leg 11: C7 to the max

3 fun filled up hill miles of various lovely steep grades! Thank you Mother Nature. Our quads and calves are feeling something. For those of you familiar with the WCU campus imagine running buzzards roost for 3 miles!! George, rob, and Corey buffaloed up and conquered the beast! Hip hip hooray for training

Leg 1: The Stampede Begins

Crouched at the starting line, the marshall brothers prepared to begin the buffalo's triumphant stampede back to our beloved home of Cullowhee. It was a dark, windy, and briskly cold morning, but the marshall brothers weren't phased. They were prepared, cool, calm and collected. Completely in the zone. Starting out, running past the rock, and on the footsteps of mountaineers, felt amazing. Wind in their hair, and smooth sailing before them. Within minutes, on the outskirts of Boone, darkness set it. The brothers marshall were faced with a tremendous challenge before them... Near absolute darkness, and the threat of on-comers, unaware of the stampede before them. Within the first uphill grade of the illustrious trot that the marshall brothers had paced themselves at, they were not winded in the slightest... But took in the beautiful sight of a starlit night. With a flash of downhill and the cheers of the team, they made it, safe and sound... The buffalo are on the move, ready to take on the parkway yet again.

Be a buffalo.

The brothers, John and Aaron Marshall

Leg 2: Convection

We (Sarah squared, Elena and Jill) lead the group onto the BRP at about 645 this morning. It wouldn't have been too chilly if it weren't for the wind! That dang convection! Two of the three miles on the parkway were uphill,with a lovely downhill finish. We got to see some very pretty stars and watched the pretty sunrise and the clouds turn pretty colors (pink is pretty). Overall, we can just remember the wind haha. Lookin' forward to leg number 9!

Leg 7: The Sixth Mile

Leg seven could not arrive quickly enough! After more than five hours of riding in the car and watching all the other R4R participants complete their first legs of the run, Dan and Jay were ready to hit the road. The run started out benign enough with some long downhills and some subtle climbs. Then just before mile three, the road turned ugly. A long climb of more than a mile gave way to a teasingly brief downhill that gave no hint of the hell that lay ahead. From mile 3.5 to the end of the run, the runners wound their way up a monstrous, seemingly unending mountain. Each turn held a promise of some relief, in the form of a flat or downhill patch. Yet, all that greeted the runners at each turn was another steep ascent and another winding turn. In the end, the final mile seemed to last forever.... Or as Dan stated, "the last mile felt like two miles!". Thus the name of this leg.....the sixth mile. The bad news for these two is that Leg 14 promises to be even more treacherous. Thank you R4R!

Leg 4

In your face!!!

Yes the parkway stared us directly in the face. The views were amazing, wanted to stop running and soak it all in. Then we turned the corner and Mother Nature gave us a 25 mph wind in our face!!! Hello she said! But like true buffaloes we kept going to the viaduct were we out ran the park rangers. We buffaloed up with Mother Nature!!

Leg #5 Scream in the Wind

It all began with the wind...at mile marker 305. We were racing to the top of the mountain screaming at the skies to reach the moon before the sunrise! Along the way the swift eagle rose to meet our expectations, the scurrying flying squirrel took fast to the wind, while his friend the bear watched from his breathless peak with wisdom from his many years! We yearned for the longing of rushing waters around us. At last we ended as the sun and moon met around us and the thought of many runs to come fluttered our minds with wonder.

Caroline, Brittany, Christine

Leg 3: Bitter Sweet

As we stood on the edge of the road we saw that it was slightly starting to get brighter out.  We tagged hands with group 2 and started off down hill with a cheerful attitude and fresh legs.  I was reminded to take it all in and enjoy the view and the experience.  This made Kelly look like a true upperclassman with her wisdom.  Not far into the run we got to a bridge with a man taking pictures.  Kelly told me turn around only for me to see one of the prettiest sunrises i have seen yet.  I knew that no matter how difficult this run was going to be, it was well worth it.  Continuing down the road i saw colorful leaves all around me.  I felt almost like I was back in New Hampshire.  Not only was the scenery familiar, but I also had my old sweatshirt on from middle school.   I began to think about the good days when I first started running. Then all of the fun and good memories went away when I saw the sign for grandfather mountain and started my assent up the terrible hill.   -Andrew Godinez 

Starting our first leg this morning, the sun was still ascending as Andrew and I were stretching to begin our run. At the first sight of sunlight we were joyful. I knew that amazing scenery was to be expected. Throughout the 5 miles not even words could describe our views. The sunrise, the mountains, and the fall leaves. Although I had previously taken into account as to how hard the run was going to be, I didn't realize how much I already relied on my running partner. I am sincerely excited about our next four legs! -Kelly Hoots

Leg 6: Picture Perfect

Megan Meka and Jennie
For our first leg this run was perfect. At the beginning we had one small hill and then the rest was all down hill and flat. We had many strange looks from many strange people and we all jumped a little at the site of a dead raccoon. A car full of boys stopped right next to us within touching distance trying to get our numbers obviously it was a fail on their part. After this run we have an awesome run to look forward to. This leg is rated as "insane" and many people have named it as total joint replacement. All I have to say is that this is going to be an adventure but we are going to accomplish it!

2012 R4R

The 2012 Run for Research kicked off this morning at 5:34 AM from the campus of App State University. We will be blogging along the 175 miles to Cullowhee over the next 28+ hours.