DeWayne’s Story
By DeWayne Satterfield
8 time winner of MMTR

What a way to start the day. It was Thursday Dec. 11th and I was on my way to drop off some letters at the post office. In a nutshell I was traveling south on a fairly major highway when a person traveling north turned in front of me. One minute I’m thinking about the speed work I had planned for lunchtime and the next I am awakened with pounding on my window from the two witnesses who stopped to help. They were asking if I was okay...I vaguely remember the second and a half before the impact but not much else. I knew my chest was hurting pretty bad and my right knee ached, but the shock was masking most of the pain.

After x-rays and a MRI the diagnosis was a tear in the medial meniscus (cartilage). I knew the day of the accident that Rocket City Marathon was out, but after the MRI I realized that Mountain Mist was possibly out of the picture as well. Luckily I have a doctor who is sympathetic to runners. He explained that the tear in the meniscus is such that he would prefer to wait on surgery...that is until I start back running to determine the full extent of the damage. He really doesn’t want me to do Mountain Mist, but this is the 10th and I have completed them all. Even though I haven’t run in 3 weeks now, my plan is to complete Mountain Mist even if I can just make the cutoffs. I know most people will disagree with this, but I have pretty much made a career out of Mountain Mist and it means a great deal to me...so I at least want to finish the 10th.

I hated to end my winning streak this way. It would be easier in a way, if I had slammed my knee falling down McKay’s Hollow or busting it on a rock climbing up Waterline trail, but instead someone turned in front of me doing 45 mph and here I am just wondering if I can even finish. I know the person didn’t do it on purpose, but to be blunt....it still stinks.

I wish everyone the best and I know the battle up front will be a good one....I wish I could be there, believe me I do. Mountain Mist is the best race that I have had the privilege to be a part of and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have. As for the future...well I turn 40 in June, so I will try to be back in top shape for next year! Keep me in you prayers and trust me, I know this could be worse...I am very thankful in that regard. Have fun!