Before the pandemic, I struggled to find joy in running. Just not motivated and inspired to run more than four days a week, yet even that became tough. I ran 30 mile weeks, but my heart wasn’t in it. Not really.
Just as the Covid-19 pandemic started, a notification on my facebook feed came through, The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k, put on by none other than Lazarus Lake (aka Gary Cantrall). To be part of a race put on by the man who created the Barkley Marathon, just seemed like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I registered right away and the goal was to complete the1000k/620 miles across Tennessee, in 4 months or less.
As an average runner who gets injured pretty often, five miles a day seems possible. But the longest distance I have ever run was 26.2 (technically is 27 miles, as I took a wrong turn in a marathon). I don’t run every day. Could I do this every day, starting May 1 to August 31? That’s four months. A lot can happen in four months. I was right, a lot did happen, but nothing like I expected.
The course starts in Memphis, “the bottom left hand corner of Tennessee ” and finishes at the top right of Tennessee, in the Appalachian Mountains. In the beginning of May, you had some super bad ass ultramarathoners who completed the 630-mile race across Tennessee in several days, which is insanely impressive. Technically it was 1021k/630 miles. But in true form, Laz approximates the distance and it’s actually farther than you thought. Just like The Barkley. But the race is about covering the miles – whether you ran, jogged or walked, it didn’t matter.
Joining the Facebook group changed everything for me. Laz’s words of wisdom, sprinkled with virtual kick to our butts, he kept us motivated. Laz shared his race progress, including the things he saw and people he met. Laz came across a homeless dog he rescued. That dog is now in his forever home, thanks to one of other GVRAT participants.
It’s the stories from the 19,000 participants and 78 countries that intrigues you. Every day, runners from around the world posted images depicting beautiful scenery, interesting encounters with animals and of course, weather conditions. Some runners headed to the trails while other runners opted for parks to log their miles. Many runners, like me took to the deserted streets near our homes.
These amazing runners faced huge trials and tribulations in their personal lives; loss of a job, family member or a pet. Other runners faced daily challenges of dealing with cancer, financial struggles, surgery, accidents or any multitudes of hardships. But none these runners didn’t back down or shy away from completing the distance. This perseverance deserves the greatest admiration. When a runner posted a story or photos of an accident or fall, everyone else one in the group virtually picked them up and helped them to keep going. The difference between GVRAT and other races was not who finished first, but the encouragement to help everyone finish.
I finished the 630 miles in 68 days and quickly learned other people were still continuing their journey to the 1,000 mile mark. So I joined them and completed 1,000 miles in 100 days, but my goal was to become a BAT (back across Tennessee) for a total 1,270 miles. And on August 29th I completed the distance, with a 15-mile run in Newport Beach, California.
I know there’s a general consensus that a virtual race is not the same as a regular race or ultra. And they are 100% right. This 4-month virtual race was so much more than I ever expected. At a time, where we all feel isolated and disconnected, this race, GVRAT, all 19,000 runners provided a sense of belonging I haven’t felt in a very long time. My heartfelt thanks to Laz, Steve and the 19,000 runners of the GVRAT, it was an inspiring experience.
Content in Contexts 