Anticipating Diane

MST train terrain in Western North Carolina

Yesterday, morning, predawn, Diane Van Deren, 52 years old and North Face Athlete from Colorado started her 1000 mile journey on North Carolina's very own Mountains to the Sea Trail. She is attempting a record on the course.

Please visit http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/09/2055850/woman-to-run-1000-mile-nc-mountains.html
 to read parts of Diane's story and what prompted her to take on this quest.


Live updates will be posted here.


I am "anticipating Diane" as I will be joining her sometime today after work...not sure when or where-all depends on her progress. She and I will be running together likely up and over Mount Mitchell, east along Woods Mountain and through Linville Gorge: some 80-90 miles in 2 days. She is moving faster than anticipated, so I won't know my segments until later today.Yesterday my running buddy Dennis Norris did somewhere around 100 miles with her, and today, Doug Blackford is staged to be her trail companion.

Because Diane had a part of her brain removed several years ago to intervene against horrible seizures, her direction-finding and short term memory is affected. That is why Diane will be running with "guide runners" like myself for the mountain portion and other portions of her adventure.

I am really looking forward to meeting this kindred-spirit and joining her adventure for a couple of days!