04.16/17.10: "Run with Jazzy"

This is one of the most amazing stories I've heard of. Jasmine "Jazzy" Jordan, after her parents, owners of a trucking company & oversize load escort service, lost one of their escort drivers to cancer, decided to run across the country to help raise money for the St. Christopher Fund (they provide funds for un-/under-insured truckers). She finished her run in June but her website http://www.runwithjazzy.com has t-shirts for sale and documents her journey. There's also a link to the St. Christopher Fund for donations.

The shots of her in the black top were shot late Friday morning, at which point she was just east of Dandridge, TN. After getting ill John Smyth couldn't make it but the Hatfields - Randy, Karen, their son, & Randy's brother - came out. Karen ran about 3 miles with her while the guys did her entire morning run on bicycles. I was planning to run the last 1½ miles or so with her, but she broke off early because of the heat. Then my wife called to tell me she forgot her keys, so I had to go home and let her in and missed her Friday afternoon run.

The shots of her in the white top were shot Saturday evening, between Newport & Cosby (still in TN). She'd come out for her second run and after a miscommunication Saturday morning I finally got to run with her that night (we started about 7:30 or so). Never having done this before, I figured I was probably going to be in over my head very quickly and after 1.2 miles I had to take a break. After riding in the escort truck for a bit I got back out and covered about 1 mile before having to stop again. After another rest break I got underway again and this time, aided by a downhill stretch, made it 1½ miles (for a total of 3.7 miles), at which point I called it quits for the night. A young man named Chad came up from Chattanooga (2½-3 hours away) and joined us during my final part of the run and he ran with her the final 3 miles or so, until she broke for the night at about 8:45.