It’s the final countdown to the SOUTHERN ODYSSEY! A 200-ish mile, 12-person relay event that takes approximately 24 hours to run.
I. AM. SO. EXCITED!
My camp director, friend, fellow runner, and all-around spring of inspiration and energy, Paige, approached me in the summer about the Palmetto 200, a race with a similar premise that I had run in April 2012. I told her how much fun running through the night on next-to-no sleep is and the rapid bonding that takes place when you spend almost 24 hours straight in the van together (minus the runner on the road, of course). We sang, we laughed, we rejoiced at IHOP when each of our final legs was over.
— I have to give a shout out to Van 1 here because that’s how close we are. We still have reunions and are planning a triumphant return to the Palmetto 200 in April. Watch out for the Clemson Thundercats! —
Returning to this post and this race, did I mention I am excited? We are the “Old Guns and Young Ones” and with a person as creative and driven as Paige at our helm, we have an Awesome logo:
Our team is a motley crew of Paige’s friends, former camp counselors, and friends of teammates – we even have a baker! We start at 11:00 AM on Friday October 12. As of right now, our lead off runner is Paige and there could not be a better fit for the job. I am hoping to be the individual to run the final leg, quite an honor.
If you’re still wondering about the logistics: Most people will run between 14-18 miles split over three legs. Legs are not equidistant as they are arranged between the exchange points. We will start in Rome, Georgia and end in Kennesaw, Georgia. During the evening hours, we will be required to wear blinking lights and reflective vests and to carry flashlights or wear headlamps. No earbuds or music for runners, but beats are sure to be bumping in the van. Have other questions? Contact Me!
I will also be tweeting about the entire adventure under the handle @C_Sums and grouping tweets with the hashtag #SouthOdd. There will also be a follow up blog, but don’t expect anything until Sunday evening at the earliest, I’ll be sleeping until then.
Sneaking a Van 1 picture in here from last year:
Or two…
