I wanted to thank Kevin Slack for a great event. The Alligator Rock 15 
miler was a tough course with great volunteers and plenty of deer flies!!!

My real thanks goes to the Ultrarunning family. During the race, I started 
to really slow down. At the top of Hoffman Hollow, I noticed my hands 
starting to swell {I now know that is called heat edema. Fluid begins to 
pool in the extremities}. Steve Parsons was riding sweep in the race. I 
walked and shuffled the last four miles and Steve and I talked about gas 
prices, sports, trails and Family. I got to the finish, sat down for 
water, Gatorade and a banana. Everything felt ok. I thought.

I got into my truck with by buddy, Vic Ware. I turned on the AC. We headed 
out of the park and towards Goff's grocery. A half mile before the store, 
my hands were becoming numb. I couldn't grip the steering wheel. My vision 
was blurred. I lost hearing in my left ear. My lips were numbing and I 
could not speak well. I was in the middle of heat exhaustion.

Now comes the "Family" part. I pulled into Goff's. Vic asked me to try to 
get inside the store. I could not go any further. I was on the pavement, 
on my left side. My legs were cramping deeply. My chest area was starting 
to cramp. My heart rate was very rapid. {I later found that my heart rate 
was 120 & my blood pressure was 85 over 60}. Vic went inside and told the 
folks to call 911. They recognized me as they were looking out the window. 
Just then, my new found trail bike friend, Steve Parsons, came out of the 
store {I think}. Steve is a Fireman in St. Albans. He also was trained as 
an EMT. The first thing Steve did was check my pulse, get some ice packs 
under my arm and get some water. Not for me to drink. Steve saw that I had 
thrown up as I lay on the asphalt. He wanted to make sure that was washed 
away to make me more comfortable. He talked to me and got ice from inside. 
Then the rest of the "Family" stopped. Joni Adams, Bill and Lydia Young, 
Dan Lehmann and Kevin Slack. Kevin would later be my escort home. I felt 
good in the fact that my friends had all stopped to check on me. They did 
more than check. They rubbed my legs, they gave me Gatorade, they gave me 
shade, they raised my spirits. Once the paramedics arrived, they checked 
me out, waited until my pressure was up and heart rate down. They had me 
sign a paper saying that I did not want to got to the hospital. It said 
something to the fact that I could hurt myself further up to and including 
dying. Hell, I signed it. Most ultrarun application have the same 
wavier!!!

After coming around, Kevin drove my truck while I rode. Joni took Vic 
home. I was doing ok.

My wife, Mary Anne, hugged Kevin. Just as she hugged a guy 4 years ago at 
the Rattlesnake. Another Steve who helped me at Laurel Highlands. Sunday 
morning, Kevin called to check on me, Dan Lehmann called to say Bill Young 
was headed to the beach, but called him to see how I was doing. Vic 
called, too. He was really concerned. Just like all Families watch after 
each other.

I thank all of you. Not just for Saturday, but for all the times we have 
in the woods and all the fun we share. Thanks to all the Steve's and 
Dan's. We are a different group. Ultrarunners. Family. A great 
combination!!

Dennis