the 32nd hour was another tough one,
morten klingenberg started,
but turned back.
fanny jean and haim malik did not make it back.

each one broke my heart to see them fall short of their goals.
i have come to think of them as personal friends….

but then i realized it has been the same with every runner who went down.
following them as they qualified.
all the exchanges as they fought thru the obstacles to be here.
you out there reading this,
unless you know some of them personally
you cannot appreciate what fine people we have in this race.
not just elite backyard runners,
but elite people.
people i am proud to count as friends
(regardless of what names they might have called me out there on the big’s trail)

the 20 runners who continued into yard 33.
it is the same with them.
i dont want any of them to be next,

altho we dont have anyone out there who looks to be in trouble at the moment.
this is the backyard.
the end can be slow and agonizing,
or it can be swift and terrible.

i still have to watch 19 of my personal friends meet that fate
(regardless of what names they might have called me out there on the big’s trail)

every one of those 20 has passed a trial by fire over the past day and a half.
they have already proven they are the toughest nuts to crack
and they are going to have to be beaten down bit by bit.

oh, and me.
10 glorious minutes of sleep,
only interrupted 3 times.
i am already up to 20 minutes cumulative since i got up (0400) saturday morning.
i feel mahvelous!

i seem to be below par at performing complex mental tasks
(like remembering peoples names)
but the important thing is that i feel mahvelous.