On August 5, 2008, uber ultra-runner Karl Meltzer set off on the biggest race of his life. His challenge: to run the entire length of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail in less than 47 days. Definitely daunting. Absolutely grueling. Probably insane. But when he does it, he’ll rule the AT as the guy who conquered it, all of it, the fastest on two feet. This is going to be Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Clock – and it’s going to be good.
       This week's winner: John Wallace the ThirdSubmitted by Marit Fischer on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 00:53This week, John Wallace III of Seattle, WA is the winner in the "Guess Karl's Hours" contest. John's an interesting guy. Between September 26, 2004 and January 27, 2005, he ran a 3,800+ miles route across the U.S. from California to Georgia. His journey itself, which he also tracked online, is intriguing – he calls it his "adventure of a lifetime." But also cool is his compilation of a very comprehensive list of others who have made or are planning to make a transcontinental trek. Check it out. Harper's FerrySubmitted by ggoodson on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 21:24Karl is done for the day. 54 miles in a little more than 13 hours. We are sitting in Harper’s Ferry, and looking forward to some rain tomorrow. Gathland State ParkSubmitted by ggoodson on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 18:32Karl has been having a great day and is on his last section, heading into Harper’s Ferry. He has been keeping up a steady pace pretty much the entire day, and from the looks of it, we believe he’s going to call it a day after this next leg (but you never know!) We got the blues. In a good way.Submitted by Marit Fischer on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 13:41
Not cotton. Not white. (Yeah, I don't know what we were thinking with the first Where's Karl shirt either. Who wears a white cotton tee when dirt and mud and sweat are on the agenda? That one's obviously the kickin-back-at-the-coffee-shop version. This one's the gettin-after-it-on-the-trails version.) So there you go. Get it if you want it. Don't if you don't. Lunch UpdateSubmitted by ggoodson on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 12:5912:51pm: Karl has been running strong. He stuffed his face when we stopped at Rt. 77 with a burger from Sheetz down the road. Folks from the ATC around Maryland have come out and been really helpful in giving us suggestions on where to park, what to expect, etc. It makes our job easier and the help is definitely appreciated. On the RunSubmitted by ggoodson on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 11:509:49am: This morning has been a rush. Well, it has been quiet, then a rush, then quiet again. After the last post, Billy and I took care of the RV a little bit, took Binger for a quick walk, and hit the road. Rattlesnakes, anyone?Submitted by ggoodson on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 07:07Talking with Billy in the RV, I almost completely forgot to tell you about a highlight from yesterday’s run. So Billy was running behind Karl on a section yesterday. On the Road AgainSubmitted by ggoodson on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 06:18This morning was a bit rough getting up and at ‘em, but Karl is once again southbound. He got off this morning around 5:47am after a breakfast of eggs and bacon. Tomorrow we’re going to look into cooking him something else (maybe French toast?). Retired for the DaySubmitted by ggoodson on Thu, 09/04/2008 - 21:20Done for the day. 51 miles in 14 hours and 9 minutes. Karl came strolling into the final stop for the night at around 7:07pm. Michaux State ForestSubmitted by ggoodson on Thu, 09/04/2008 - 16:1210:17am: Billy and I just parked in the Pine Grove Furnace camp store parking lot, with John following close behind. Karl came through the last checkpoint around 9:35am, staying for about five minutes as he downed some cake, a half a sandwich, and some red bull. |
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