I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to take an easy week soon. Well I didn’t mean it to be this week but it just kinda happened what with 2 days cut short due to imminent ice rain, 2 offers of a place to stay before my day was finished and an offer of a rest day.
 
Mark who is the Owner of Camaro’s Steakhouse drove out about 50km/31 miles to me on Monday morning to see if I was ok and needed anything. He caught me just before I turned off the road to Stanberry for my break. It’s wonderful that people are going to so much trouble to ensure my welfare.

Mark the owner of Camaro’s

In Casey’s gas station a customer called Tom asked me if I was working on the bridge. He was referring to my yellow Hi-ziz vest..
” No I am working on the road… Working on running around the world! ”
Then I asked him about how the condition of the roads and bridges and how they became to be neglected.
” About 20 years ago we were promised new infrastructure. The federal Govt. allocated Missouri a huge amount of money. Some of the work was done but never finished. They ran out of money and later we found out that the money was embezzled out of the state. ”
 

Later someone else told me that embezzled was too harsh as the problem was more of a mismanagement of the road upgrade funds which eventually got diverted to other project.
 
” But I thought President Obama came to office promising to upgrade every road and bridge in the country creating tens of thousands of jobs? ”
Hysterical laughter from everyone in a packed service station.
” Well he meant Illinois but forgot about his neighbors. We always get forgotten about. ” Said the attendant.
 
After an hour’s break I hit the road again and run on towards Marysville. The roads, shoulder and bridges are getting worse the further west I go in Missouri. I wonder about the accident rate on the roads here. Surely it must be significantly higher? Many dangerous bends are not properly protected.

HEAD UP RUNNING OR MISSOURI MISSERY!

Today I saw 6 and 10 foot lengths of rebar just lying at the side of bridges with broken away concrete. How can this be allowed to happen in the United States, the most powerful country in the world?

 I remember my talk last month with the boss of construction company working in Louisiana. He spoke of the around the clock unlimited funding for the rebuild in the aftermath of hurricane Catherina. the reality is that rebuild is going on and nobody wants to live there. Many people are leaving undamaged home, moving to a safer state. Here most Missourians I have met are proud people despite the economic carnage. I have not seen a single construction worker in the state. 
 
The ice rain that was expected last night never materialized. This afternoon as I was running through Nodaway Valley it started raining sleet. A little at first. Then it rained a little heavier.  I decided to finish early.
I came to a farm and rang the doorbell. A young girl called Jenny came out. I asked if I could sleep in an outbuilding. She suggested that I should call her father on his cell phone! I assured Jenny that it would be a better idea if she phoned him.
So she did, my website was checked out (as is my usual suggestion) and her father, Chris came from working in his workshop to meet me.

Chris with his daughter Jenny.

Chris brought me out a sleeping bag to  lay on the concrete garage floor along with an electric heater and a chair.
” There you are. “ Said Chris, then he added.
” I am sure you won’t be stealing any of my tools or chains from here as you got enough weight to be pushing! ”
Further browsing of my website and I was invited inside to shower, launder,eat and be asked howI got across the ocean within ten minutes! 
Sandy his wife came home from her work as a principal in an infant school.
So Sandy phones her father Karl and tells him to come over for dinner. Karl was born in Germany and came to live in Missouri 50 years ago. He didn’t waste any time when he found out that an office worker worked in nearby Conception Abbey was also German. They soon married. They converse in English. He has no trace of a German accent and speaks like an American.
Karl told me about his hobby. He collects animal traps. Old antique traps. I never heard of such a pastime but apparently it is a popular one. There are dedicated trap magazines and auctions all over the mid-west. He recently drove to Nebraska to check out some bear and wild game traps. I was soon calling him… Karl von Trapp!
Being a smart ass I asked him how many mouse traps he had. He said he has none as they are rare and valuable.
” If I had an old mousetrap I could get $700 for it. ”
Karl invites me to lunch tomorrow as he lives near Maryville and I will be passing by his favorite restaurant, a place called Grays. It’s 17 miles away and knowing my recent record I take a chance and optimistically say I will be there at 1pm. However I get an early start and am going by a junction at 11.30 just as von Trapp shouts over to me.
” It’s just a mile up the road. ”
It’s actually about 4 and up a long hill. I am cussing him for not stopping to take Nirvana in his pickup. Actually I made a rare slip up last night by not asking him to take her then.
 I hardly have my hat and gloves off when a journalist friend of his comes in and says.
” You must be Tony?”
Ambush!
Dustin is a nice guy. I am impressed by his quality of questions and his sense to do a good job. He tells me the weekly newspaper deadline is tomorrow but he is going to hold it over another week to research my world run properly.
I am complimented when Dustin tells me that this is the biggest story he has covered in his several years as a journalist.
He normally covers sports and local affairs.
The interview went on for an hour over lunch. Karl hardly gets a chance to open his trap. He leaves and I have forgotten to take his picture.
Outside Dustin takes his picture for the paper.  I finally get going afer over an hour and a half. Its starting to sleet again. I should be concerned about where I will stay tonight but I am not.

I am not very religious but I know something up there is looking after me. I feel I have some  kind of a guardian angel or something .It was the same when I was on my world bicycle trip all those years ago as a kid. Things always seem to work out.
An hour later a pretty blonde pulls up in a pickup.
” Hey you want a ride? ”
I get this a couple of times a day… College kids and even grandmothers.
” No thanks I never take a ride I am actually running around the world!”
“You know its supposed to snow 2 inches tonight and what are you going to do tomorrow? ”
” I will worry about that tomorrow….A lot of the time these things people worry about don’t happen! ” I reply.
Half an hour later Ben a corn and soya bean farmer pulls up and I  am offered another ride.
” No thanks but I am looking for a place to stay tonight. ” I say.
” Well I got a fixer upper house that my son uses for hunting. If you like you can stay there tonight and I will bring you back here in the morning? ”
” Thanks.” I say and snap a finish location photo. Once again I finish early as some offers are too good to pass up, even if I finish an hour early.
On the way to Burlington Junction Ben tells me that this year corn and soya bean farming is poor due to so much dampness. Last year was average and the year before was good.
He tells me he was married for 22 years but is now divorced these last 30 years. His wife owns a cafe in town called Kiss My Grits Caff. They are still very good friends.
We arrive there so as I can get some food for the night. I am unsure if the lady that served me is his ex and forget to ask.
She gives me 3 large chicken steaks, crisps, pastries, a loaf of bread and fills my thermos. Ben wont let me pay. He puts it on his tab. 
At the house we light the wood burning stove and I change out of my wet clothes.

There is no water as a water pipe is burst. I got enough water for drinks from 2 one gallon jugs of water.

Ben says he will return at 7 am and we will go for breakfast.

BEN THE CORN AND SOYA BEAN FARMER FROM BURLINGTON JUNCTION SAVED MY DAY

Over 5,000 kilometers and 3,100 miles have been run please feel free to make a donation to my charity Aware. The donate button is on the sidebar.

3,100 miles is roughly the distance from New York to LA. I got to run almost another 2,000 to get to the west coast because my run began in Ireland and included Atlantic Canada. Only about 240 runners and walkers DETAILS  have made an officially recognised coast to coast crossing of the USA.

THURSDAY 10TH MARCH: I AM TAKING A REST DAY IN TAMMIE AND MARK’S

Mar 9th 2011. Burling Junction 5km/3miles west of to Tarkio.  32.1km = 20 miles.

Tonight and tomorrow night I am a guest of Tammie  and Mark of The Wild Horse Bar, Tarkio. Thanking you so much for your great help.

Mar 8th 2011Ravenwood to Burlington Junction( 5km/3 miles west of) 40.6km = 25.2 miles

Tonight I am guest of Ben. thanks for your kind help

Mar 7th 2011  Albany to Ravenwood  41.2 km = 25.6 miles.

Tonight I am the guest of Chris and Sandy. Thanks so much for all your kind help

Total for 115 road days = 5,120.1km  = 3,181.5 miles = 121.34 Marathons.

I have been spoilt by all this great hospitality I am receiving. It’s been over two months since I last camped. Most of my nights have been spent in American homes giving me a great insight into family life in this country.

And then there are the great American breakfasts… Eggs and more eggs!

Before leaving home I rarely ate eggs. I often bought a six pack, ate two. The other four would sit on the egg rack of my refrigerator for a month before I finally threw them out. Here I have at least two or three a day. Scrambled or sunny side up, that’s usually one of my biggest decisions of the day now.

And then there are the pancakes with lashings of butter and maple syrup spread thickly with my knife till it soaks in and then yes pour more syrup on or as Boyd suggested a few days ago…. Peanut butter as well!

When I stay in a motel or other location I just can’t function without my breakfast.

I rarely look at the breakfast menu. I just ask for one of those big hungry man breakfasts of egg, sausages, bacon, hash browns and toast. I hate making that decision too between the ‘ hungry man ‘ and the pancakes so that vital decision is usually resolved by having a couple of pancakes on the side.

On Friday morning I wandered back about 10 minutes the way I had run into town the day before. I was looking for a cafe and hated this walk in the cold. A wasted effort. Today I would run 50km / 31 miles but begrudged this walk back along route 136. All the way back to the Cowboys Grill. A very nice diner which had John Wayne pictures, spurs and other western memorabilia adorning the walls.

I ate my strip lion fried steak in silence drinking buckets of free coffee refills as is the American way. If I don’t die from cholesterol I think I will die from heart disease.

I have noticed in some other restaurants in Missouri that people smoke. They smoke a lot even behind the counter.

After I had finished as is the custom the owners Twyla and her daughter Mary started chatting to me about my journey. They were exceptionally friendly, even snapping some photos and gave me breakfast on the house.

By the time I got on the road for the run to Princton it was nearly 10.30.

The towns are further apart now. Lately I have not been having my usual two stops at gas stations as I may just run through a services less village. If it’s not too cold I will just stop by the side of the road but even then there are not many comfortable places to stop and sit. There are less guard rails here in Missouri. Closer to Illinois I was shocked at some of the dangerous stretches that are unprotected. Dangerous bends with large unprotected drop-offs and dozens of rivers with no side rails. The rivers just ran right up to the hard shoulder where they were blocked out by large blocks, often leaving a large hole dangerously close to the edge of the shoulder.

No night running is not advised in Missouri! There were some very old bridges too. I could see the broken concrete with the exposed rebar.

After lunch there was a lot of urgent bird activity. Thunder cracked, lightening flashed and it rained buckets, Ireland would have been proud of it!

I had about 24km/15 miles to go to Princton. I should have stopped and sought shelter but I didn’t. That would have made it a short day mainly due to my late start. Instead I soldiered on and on in the rain getting to 1 mile east of Princton.

Shells don’t work too well in the rain. In fact they don’t work at all. That’s why when running rain is the weather that I hate most. Most people think it’s the shell that’s leaking the rain in but in fact the body gets saturated because the body sweat can’t escape due to rain remaining on the outside of the shell. The advice is to back off  the effort but with running and pushing Nirvana that is impossible. Walkers can often remain dry with moderate effort expenditure.

So in cold weather the runner has to think about changing into dry clothes as quickly as possible as there is always a risk of hypothermia.

I ran onto Pete and Peggy’s dairy farm. I was cold, wet and shivering. It was scary how this could happen to me in such a short time.

Pete brought me into the office they had adjoining their barn. I turned on the heater, changed clothes and warmed up to some of Peggy’s delicious hot chicken and veg soup as I dried my clothes around the heater.

What will it be like in places like Patagonia and other more desolate spots I wondered. Would I be so lucky to find a farm or house in a wilderness. Perhaps the lesson for the day is to watch for bird activity and other signs of breaking weather and find shelter, even pitching a tent and finishing early.

After the evening milking Pete came in and talked to me about how the unions are destroying the country.

There is a major dispute up in Wisconsin, a state which is nearly broke. The new governor wants to sack 2,000 unionized teachers to make the necessary savings in an effort to prevent a crisis. Well the Wisconsin senators that had to vote on this just up and left the state. They are gone missing so as they don’t have to vote on the issue!

I heard a former Texan senator being interviewed on NPR radio today. He was telling how a similar situation happened in Texas years ago and a group of the Texans just rented a house for a few days hanging around playing cards and drinking beer and whiskey till after the vote. He said one of the Senators was so boisterous that they had to gag him for fear of their hideout being discovered.

Pete’s view is that public servants  have it too easy, especially teachers that only work nine months of the year.

” Years ago people got public service jobs because they had no skills and could do nothing else. Then the union got involved and now they get overpaid for inferior work. ” Said Pete.

” It seems to me the Wisconsin governor wants to break the unions. ” I said.

Next morning I was shattered and despite the clamor of the milking machinery from the early morning milking I couldn’t get up till nearly eight  o’ clock. Pete came in as I was packing up and told me he has 80 cows and each one has a name. he knows them all by name and never gets confused!

I ran the one mile to the local cafe. It was packed with very young children and their parents. Apparently there was a tots basketball competition. It’s just after nine and they are back here celebrating already! It was so busy with all the tots and parents that I drank about 5 coffees and waited an hour for my order.

I finished my breakfast and then all the questions. More photos and just as I am am going a reporter comes in. He had been tipped offed.

It’s nearly eleven o’ clock so I give him the Reader’s Digest short and brief  interview and scarper after a photo!

Up the road a German Sheppard dog runs up to me. He caught me by surprise as he wasn’t barking his head off like every other dog I pass. He runs beside me for about 20 minutes. I am a bit concerned as sometimes he comes a bit too close for comfort. I do 180′s with Nirvana to fend him off. He probably meant no harm but I can’t afford even one bite by an excited dog. The dog is all over the road. Cars slow down. I ask the  drivers to phone the cops but my pleas are just ignored.

Later in the afternoon a cop does come out and tells me he has had many calls from concerned citizens regarding someone pushing a baby down the highway. Silly buggers why didn’t they call about me doing the 180′s with the dog?

Today was a decent day, I ran just a little shy of 30 miles after a late start.

I arrived at Camaro’s Steakhouse in Bethel to find that tonight they have an eat as much as you want buffet till 9pm!

I polished of 3 heaped plates of steak, roast beef, pizza, chicken, salad veg and pasta. Then 2 huge plates of deserts. Pies, tarts and two tubs of ice cream! Yummy what a night and even got a couple of steaks for the road. 

I got permission to camp around the back. Nobody from Missouri contacted me with an invitation and I have not seen any runners.

I didn’t sleep well around the back of the steakhouse as there was piped country and western music that went on non-stop all night.

Shattered again I lie there for over an hour dreading the thoughts of wrapping up my tent and all the gear.

Finally at 9.30 I am wheeling Nirvana out when Camaro’s owner Mark calls me back for coffee and then cooks a monster omelet with peppers, mushrooms, cheese and onions.

I eventually start running at 11am. I am getting worse!

I am very tired due to the lack of sleep I guess and when I stop in Albany at a gas station there is a group of farm hands that tell me there is freezing rain due tonight. On the way out of I tune my radio to a local station and the freezing rain is confirmed.

I am about 20km/12 miles short of my destination, Stanberry and have decided I will have to go barn searching again as I want to be off the road early. 

At the west end of Albany I stop at the Countryside Inn. I produce the aforementioned Magic Letter and offer my usual 20 bucks. The two very friendly women there, Bonnie and Jennifer give me the room for free

At 31.4km/19.5 miles, today was one of my shorter days.

LISTEN TO SUPERTRAMP’S BREAKFAST IN AMERICA PRESS  HERE

Thanks to Bonnie, Rob & Jennifer at the Countryside Inn, Albany, Missouri for a complimentary night in their beautiful and luxurious motel.

The generosity of the American people is quiet staggering!

To view the NBC television interview press   HERE

Mar 4th 2011 Unionville to Princton 50km = 31.1 miles

Staying on Pete and Peggy’s farm. Thanks so much

Mar 5th 2011 Princton to Bethany  46.1km = 28.6 miles

Camping behind Camaro’s Steakhouse Thanks very much Mark  :)

Mar 6th 2011. Bethany to Albany 31.4km = 19.5 miles.

Tonight I am the guest of the Countryside Inn, Albany, Mo. Thanks very much Bonnie, Rob and Jennifer

Total for 112 Road Days = 5006.2 km =  3,110.7  miles. 118.64 Marathons

There was a little overnight snow in Ipave. It never really stuck and was all gone after a couple of hours of nice sunshine as I forged on and on on route 136 west. This road goes all the way to Colorado, just 750 miles away. It’s going to be a special moment for me when I cross that state line from Nebraska and run into the first town, a small place called Wray. I sent the mayor of Wray 2 emails informing him of my world run and my love for Colorado. I told him I lived in the state from 1994 to 2002. A huge part of my 20 years of dreaming about this trip was dreamt about while running on the roads and trails of the state. In many ways it will be a sort of homecoming. Disappointingly I have not had a reply from the Wray mayor. Dublin and Wray the only two places in the world I will be requesting some kind of a welcome. I would also love to have a Colorado flag to carry over the state line. Alas such things are difficult for me to arrange on my own.
 
Mac who had overheard Carol in the bicycle shop talking about my trip had come out to the edge of Macomb to greet me. He was with his wife Barbara.

 Mac and Barbara in the house Rich let me stay in.

I loaded Nirvana into his truck and ran the last hour into this university town. A coach from the university track team also came out to greet me. I think his name was Doug. He seemed to be a bit disappointed that I was already being taken care of.
Because Mac lived a bit far away he directed me to his friends house on Washington St.
Rich and Mo (Maureen) live next door to where Rich’s mam used to live.

Maureen ( Mo) and Rich.

 His mam died only last month so it is a difficult time for him but he seemed to be more than happy for me to spend a couple of nights there as I also wanted to take a rest day.
That rest day was spent catching up on my endless emails and a bit of blogging. Later I was invited over to Bill and Diana’s house for dinner with a couple of their friends. A few more people came along later and as we all sat around for what was probably a one hour questions and answers session of the world run. Diana was recording the session for playing back at the running clubs Christmas party! Not sure if she was serious but that’s what she said.   
Diana also wrote an article for the newspaper PRESS HERE TO READ. Next morning, Sunday I was run out of town by Rich, Marge, Lauri! Anna ran a bit further about ten miles while Diana chauffeured Nirvana in her pickup.

The Macomb Runners

It was raining heavily.
” Tony you will know you are in the American heartland when you see jet black earth like we got here. ” Said Anna.
I treated Anna and Diana to our second breakfast that morning before we departed.
A  couple of hours later I was running into Carthage. Diana and Mo had been working hard to find a contact for me there. They came up with a lovely couple called Chet and Ruth who seemed to be totally devoted to each other after 50 years of marriage. They are both retired school teachers.

Chet,Ruth and Miss Audrey

I had a pleasant evening chatting to some of their friends as we scoffed pizza and ice cream while Miss Audrey, their terrier cleaned the floor of any crumbs.
On the way out of Carthage I pass the prison where Mormon founder Joseph Smith was lynched by an angry mob. It seemed the locals were outraged by Smith’s bigamy and overpowered the prison guards.
I understand there was an attempt by a politician to apologise for Carthage towns infamous deed but one person told me that that unpopular politician was told that if Smith was around today the town would probably do the same thing again.
 
I crossed over the Mississippi river by running for 10 minutes along the pedestrian footpath into the town of Keokuk. Keokuk is in a little corner of Iowa.

The Mississippi

I will just run 4 miles of that state. However even in those 4 miles I gave another interview for the local newspaper! Someone had phoned the reporter and she was waiting for me with a sharp pen at west end of the Mississippi.

Then I ran straight out of town and before departing Iowa came to the factory gates of the Roquette company. A French company that makes sweeteners. Apparently they received many other sweeteners in the form of tax dollars and what did they do?
As Bud and Trudy of Local Union 48G told me.

Trudy and Bud

” They just sacked their entire workforce and employed cheap scab labour. ”
Today they were taking their turn on the picket which has been in place since September.
They keep warm by burning broken pallets and scrap wood.
I go a bit up the road and come to the second factory gate.
Ron, Dave and Randy are manning this picket as the scabs drive trucks through the picket.  They are sitting in a rickety hand-built shack which is heated by a wood burning stove. I drink a coffee in the shack with them.

Ron, Dave and Randy

They are all Vietnam vets. ” Globalisation… That is what it is. Things are going to get worse. ” Said one of the lads.
 
I crossed into Missouri. Last night I had been wondering about where to stay tonight. I am all out of contacts.. There doesn’t seem to be any runners either on the horizon. While sitting in Chet and Ruth’s last night I noticed that there is a Baptist church in Wayland. I decided to send an email to my good friend John Walshe and his wife Debbie.  John is the pasto of the Baptist church that I spent Christmas at in Cliffton, Maine. I asked them to do the ‘ dirty work ‘ and phone the pastor in Wayland.
So pastor Dan greets me at the entrance to his house that he shares with his four children and wife, Heidi.

Dan, Heidi and family

” Tony we are delighted to have you stay for the night.. It’s a great privilege for us. I cried with joy when John asked me! ”
” But I hope you don’t mind because I have invited about 20 people over to see you and we are going to have some pizza and ice cream ”

” Of course not Dan…. That’s a normal night for me lately! ”
 
Next day I had a good run to Memphis, Missouri. A 54km / 33.6 mile day. So I decided to dust off the Magic Letter and look for a discount in the Oak Ridge Motel. Viola, the manager took one look at it and refused my $20 offer.” I would like to help you on your journey with a complimentary room. ” MAGIC LETTER DETAILS

After breakfast some guy called Gilbert from WGEM Newstalk radio phoned the motel for an interview.

” So where will you be for Paddy’s day? ” says the presenter.

” The middle of the Nebraska praries ”

” Why don’t you run faster and get yourself to somewhere like Denver and get a bellyful of Guinness? ”

” Caus I don’t drink alcohol.. ”

 
On the way to Lancaster I clocked up 3,000 miles for the run. Dan had arranged for me to stay with Boyd and his wife Connie.
Boyd is a kind of a roving Evangelist pastor. He had many interesting stories like how in 1957 he was working on a ranch in Colorado with a guy called Rattlesnake Larry.
” Well Larry would just go up to pits of the rattlers and fish them out with his stick at the rate of one a minute! 
” Then he would sell the serium all over the world for vaccines. ”
And then the story of the 400lb wrestler. 
” He was the state champion and could go nowhere without people staring at him. 
” Then we heard about another wrestler that would give him a good fight for his money.
” So we asked him to fight the other guy…
” Don’t tell me anything about the other guy… Just tell me about the money! ” Said the champ.
” But he is a big guy! ”
” I told you 3 times I don’t care just tell me about the money…
” It turned out the other guy was a monster.. 800lbs and nowhere to get a grip on him he was so big!
” Well our champ went for his knees, weakened them and then whipped him.
” They have both given up wrestling and became born again Christians.
” We even had the two of them in church together..
” Champ said it was the first time nobody stared at him…
” They were all wondering where the big guy was going to sit…
” Of course he couldn’t… He ended up standing! ”
 

Connie and Boyd

It was assumed I would go to Bible study that Wednesday night I arrived at Boyd’s place. He was in a hurry out and so I went along.
The Baptist minister delivered a passionate show encouraged by dozens of ‘ Amens ‘ which were uttered at appropriate moments by the congregation.
A prayer list was drawn up for all the people known to be ill or in need of prayer.
Boyd stood up and told of my world run so I was added to the prayer list. I stood up and said I needed all the help I could get, answer a few questions and heard a few more amen’s.
On the way out a kind man slipped me a $20 bill and told me my next meal was on him. I managed to hold back from saying an ‘ amen! ‘
 
On the way back to Boyd’s place he told me he had a place for the next night in Unionville but the pastor of that church had to go to a saddlery meeting and that I would have to go with him. We probably wouldn’t get home till after 8pm. I asked if his wife could pick me up.
” No I wouldn’t put her in that position. ”
” How do you mean Boyd? ”
” Well us religious people must be careful we are not subject of gossip or accusations so I would never pick up a woman hitchhiker for instance and if you were a woman I would not have picked you up. ”
” So Boyd are you saying that you, some of your pastor friends and their spouses would not get into a car be in a house alone or any other location alone with a member of the opposite sex? ”
“ Yes I am and do you know the preacher Bill Graham… He is the world famous Evangelist preacher?
” Well he wouldn’t even get into an elevator if he was alone with a woman…. So what will I do will I call my friend in Unionville back. ”
” Please call him to thank him for the offer but I will take my chances elsewhere and wouldn’t like to inconvenience him. ”
 
Over breakfast Boyd and Connie called up the local television news company. Over the phone I gave a brief outline of the run and agreed to an interview on the road to Unionville. I think they were a bit put out when I said I don’t usually answer my phone when running so it was pointless phoning. I had said I believed in keeping things simple.

” Come on out to 136 I am easy to find… If I stop for a coffee you will see the buggy outside. ”

 They didn’t turn up.

 Well it was a beautiful day running to Unionville.  I arrived just before 4pm and had a late lunch in Deb’s East Side caff. I asked if I could camp around the side and was surprised when I was told no that the cops might not like it. I was starting to wonder how friendly the town was when someone told me to go to the sheriff’s office in the town square as they usually issue motel stays for people that are stuck. So I mosied on over to the sheriff and asked if he had any floor space for me and my sleeping bag!

A phone call later and I was sent over to the Alamo Motel on the west side of town.

” Are you the runner? ” Tim, the young lad that owns the motel says to me.

” Yes that’s me. ”

Pose for a photograph while holding key 111.

 ” Good I’ll send that off to the newspaper! ”

 Later I went over to his office to mooch a coffee and get him to sign my witness book for the world run. There are no coffee makers in the room so he is giving me his own. I tell him not to bother and just sit down and drink on in the office.

 ” So do you get many people sent in here from the sheriff? ”

 ” Yes quiet a few and I only took over a couple of months ago.

 ” Late night crashes when the people are not hurt..

 ” Then a couple of weeks ago we had a huge snow storm and the snow was halfway up to the roof. A couple of motorists were following their gps and it wasn’t working in the storm so they ended up a county road that wasn’t plowed. They were trapped in their car for hours. Then a couple of police officers went to rescue them. They were trapped also so the four of them stayed there the night till rescuers could dig them out. They got the motorists out but it took another couple of days to get the cars out. That was only two weeks ago, so where were you running 2 weeks ago? 

 ” Indiana, I think I was writing about the end of the winter! “

The designer of this site Simon Evans is ready and willing to design your very own website

 Simon has a wide range of web designs not just travel to his credit.

I know from personal experience that he goes the extra mile to ensure satisfaction and even offers tutorial advice.  He was incredibly patient with a website novice like me.  We must have exchanged over 100 emails during the setting up of this website. A website set up by Simon will be some serious value for money!

Please email Simon at: simonsprogevans@gmail.com

And visit his own website from his own around the world bicycle trip. http://revolutioncycle.ie/

Thanks a million Simon… I am delighted

Thanks  to  Viola the manager of the Oak Ridge Motel in Memphis, Missouri for a complimentary room

Feb. 27th 2011  Macomb to Carthage, Il.  41.9km = 26 miles.

Tonight I am the guest of Chet and Ruth. Wonderful people Thanks so much

Feb 28th 2011  Carthage, Illinois to Wayland, Missouri. 44.7km = 27.8 miles

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DISTANCE RUN IN THE 4TH MONTH:  1,286KM  =  799.7 MILES

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MISSOURI IS MY 10TH US STATE OF THE RUN.

Tonight I am the guest of Pastor Dan and Heidi Thanks for a lovely evening

Mar. 1st 2011. Wayland to Memphis, Mo.  54.1km  = 33.6 miles

Tonight I received a complimentary room in the Oak Ridge Motel, Memphis, Mo. Thanks so much Viola

Mar 2nd. Memphis to Lancaster.  36.7 km = 22.8miles.

Tonight I am the guest of Boyd and Connie.  Thank you so much

Mar 3rd 2011 Lancaster to Unionville. 45.9km  =  28.5 miles.

Tonight I am the guest of the town of Unionville who put me up in the Alamo Motel.

Thanking you so much

Total for 109 road days = 4878.7 km = 3,031.5  Miles. 115.6 Marathons.

Last Saturday for my rest day I ran and walked up and over the muddy trail hills. I completed just one of the  four 7.1 mile loops  of The Kennekek Road Runners Fat Ass fun run in Danville. I ran it  gingerely just to be part of the spirit of the event. It was great having a laugh with some of the runners. I ran it with caution as I didn’t want to slip or fall.

Running with the Buffffalllloooeess!

 I felt that some of the inclines a mountain goat would have shook his head at. On the trail just after crossing over one of the rickety plank bridges which straddled the ankle deep icy cold water I met my friend Tracy Thomas whom I have competed against many times in ultra races in Arizona and Texas. She runs for The Second Wind Running Club who along with Kevin and Janet’s club, The Kennekek Road Runners.

Running with Tracy

All the runners here have a fascination with the buffalo. In fact the greet each other whether it be on the trail or in the street with shouts of  BUFFFFFALLLLLOOOOO!
The Buffalo Warrior is a symbol of big medicine. This awesome creature, so rare, so beautiful, lets his divine presence be known to all who follow. Leading the herd over the snow covered meadows, he is master of all he surveys. This magnificent animal fears nothing except extinction of his own kind.

Back at the house Kevin excelled that night by preparing a huge meal of bangers ’n mash! He had gone to the trouble of googling the recipe as he wanted to cook a unique meal for me. Top marks Kevin!

Next morning was Sunday so I set out for Champaign with Kevin. He was going to run about 16km/10miles with me till we got to the Nugget bar. We set out from the Illinois state line where I finished on Friday. We ran through old and new Danville Kevin pointing out the court house where Abraham Lincoln practised law. The area is steeped in Lincoln history.
Kevin a success entrepreneur also pointed out the 3 buildings he owns. His own office block, a building he is leasing to a bank and another office building.
” It wasn’t always like this Tony… ”
” I came from down south Mississippi way. And when I was in school the other kids used to laugh at me. You see our family was very poor and could not afford new clothes.
” They got second-hand clothes for me and my brothers and sisters.
” Well the other kids at school used to make fun of me saying things like…
” Give me my shirt and shoes back Kevin! ”
” Well I decided right there and then I didn’t want to be poor for the rest of my life and was the only one in my family to get a college education. ”
” What did you study Kevin? ” I asked.
” Economics… I studied business and economics. I soon figured out that I needed to work for myself to get rich. When you work for someone else you will never get rich.. Even if you get $100 an hour there are only so many hours you can work. ”
” Then I got thinking about what kind of work would deliver the best return..
” You see Tony if you manufacture cars it takes a huge amount of money for the first pro-type and even if the second one is cheaper it is still huge money. ”
” Then you need all the parts, you got to pay people to assemble the parts you buy, paint it, storage and distribution costs etc…
” So I figured software design. I studied accountancy software after finding my niche. ”
” So now my first prototype may cost a lot of money from Microsoft but how much do you reckon the second will cost when I copy it? ”
” I see what you mean Kevin, buttons! ”
” And I don’t have all the purchasing, storage and distribution costs of other industries. ”

I made two long stops that day while running along routes 136w and 150w. Tracy joined me on the road for an hour. She is very busy now with her pottery work. She is going on vacation in two days time and needs to prepare her hand craft for drying out in her two week absence. She returned with he friend Laura to pick me up just outside of Mayview just after dark. I had run almost 54km, 33.4 miles.
The next morning after breakfast in Tracy and Laura’s beautiful house  I was interviewed by a running friend of theirs.  Jodi a journalist for the News-Gazette. Jodi did what most journalist I am encountering fail to do… Get the facts right, nice job and I had it on my website before it hit the newspaper shelves.

On the way back to Mayview we stopped to pick up Brian another ultra runner I competed against in the Across The Years 72 hour race in Arizona. Always nice to run with old friends and runners. Brian pushed Nirvana for 16km/10 miles in the drizzle through Urbana and its sister town of Champaign, a university town. As we ran over some cobbled-stoned roads in the west of the town I asked Brian if he knew of any place to have coffee. Cell phone was whipped out to tell his running buddy Tony to turn on the coffee maker.
A mile later we arrived.
” What you up to today Tony? ” I asked.
” Nothing I am at a loose end watching daytime tv. ”
” You wanna run with us for a bit? ”
”  I can’t. ” Says Tony.
” Why is that? ”
” Already had my shower! ”
” I see. ”

Just outside Champaign I was ambushed by a photographer for the Gazette. A one snap photo shoot and I hardly had to break stride.. Nice one.
So I ran on on this wonderful day. Road day 100 of the world run. The rain had stopped. The snow has almost all melted in the fields. Some glorious running past the corn fields. Every so often there was a corn mill to mill, store and distribute the corn kernels down a conveyor belt into waiting trucks.

For the last hour of today’s 50km/31mile run into Farmer City I was joined by Amy and Sara. They had gotten off work early to run with me. Much appreciated, thank you very much.
Somehow I had gotten my brain in a twist. Amy has arranged for me to stay with her mam and dad tomorrow night and the next night. I thought Amy lives with them but she in fact lives in Champaign.
So Amy says.
” Where you staying tonight Tony? ”
” With you! ” I answered.
Confused I don’t think so look.
As we ran along at a nice 10km pace Amy is on her phone arranging a place for me with a workmate.
We arrive at said workmates house. He is putting down a new floor and looking for an excuse to finish early. We go into his house, I sit on his tool box and kick off my shoes.
Just then my mobile rings.
” Hey Tony where are you? This is Matt I am up and down the highway looking for you as your supposed to be staying in my place tonight! ”
So Matt is directed over to Amy’s friend’s house who is a bit concerned that my departure may mean he will have to go back to work now. I make an embarrassed exit!
It’s been getting a bit like that lately. I have been staying with so many people that my head is in a spin. Every morning before I go down the stairs I have to brace myself to ask myself who’s house I am staying in so as I don’t get confused when I say good morning.
I am usually the last one up at night as many of my hosts retire for the evening while I am busy checking emails. I have to make a mental note of where my room and the bathroom are as it wouldn’t do to go into the wrong room! On one occasion I came out of my room in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. All the doors were closed. Not wanting to take a chance… Which one is it, like Russian roulette well….. I just held my pee  till the morning. I have also become an expert at the various shower levers and buttons that change the water from the bath supply to the shower head. The pull down ring design which just under the main bath taps mouth has caught me out twice. On both occasions I have had to get dressed again to ask how to run the shower.
Eventually I got over to Matt’s house. He had prepared a nice steak dinner. Great! I am keeping my iron content levels up well these days.
Matt is preparing to set out on an over 4,200km/2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail hike  PCT DETAILS from just north of the Mexican border with California right up into Canada. It will be a four or five month backpacking trip. About once a week or every 10 days he will come to a town off the trail to resupply his food, shower and launder his clothes. The PCT is similar to the Appalachian  trail I mentioned last month. The hikers all look after each other. Local people also come out to assist. Any kind gesture offered to the grateful hikers is referred to as ‘ Trail Magic. ‘

I ran into Heyworth and stopped in the Pit Row Bar for a huge lunch. The friendly bartender didn’t ask me any questions, he just left me to eat. I heard him talking about some footballer who had done some kind of a trick and they showed it on ESPN. He said they had a million and a half  You Tube hits that very morning. Then I get a text from NBC TV Illinois to ask where I am as they want to shot some coverage for the news. So I leave without saying anything about the world run. Just goes to show one never knows what’s happening in ones backyard.
Half an hour later a white hatchback car glides slowly by. The cameraman is in the trunk with the hatchback door open. He is zooming in on me. I pose as I sip from my water bottle. Amy’s dad Bob came out this morning and picked up Nirvana so I am running nice and relaxed and at a decent clip too. The road was quiet so the hatchback drove on the left side of the road as well as parked in the middle with hazard lights on. Anywhere he could get a good shot. He got some good ones too as there was little shoulder. As a truck came barrelling towards me I was running on the gravel and even on the uneven grass surface along the ditches. When the traffic passed I ran back onto the road. So then it was time for the interview. A good 15 minutes. I was very happy with it. So was he but not sure when it would air.

Bob said he would meet me at McDonald’s in McLean, a part of the route 66. When I got there he was talking to a friendly Irish-American cop called Tom. Tom gave me his business card. Bob joked saying that Tom pulled him up for loitering as he stared down the road waiting for me. Meanwhile Tom had asked Bob for my website and checked it out in his squad car. Tom shook my hand and welcomed me to town. I got my opportunity I had long waited for to have a debate about the mindless people that phone the cops thinking I am running with a baby down the highway!
” Surely Tom that’s what a jogging stroller is for and surely it is not illegal to take a child out running on the highway? (in a safe and visible manner)  Even in the winter the highway is equally for all pedestrians and the onus should be on motorists to drive in a safe manner? What do Scandinavians say? There is no such thing as cold weather only poor clothing! ”
” Absolutely Tony. ”

Bob drove me over to his house and on the way pointed out a bank of 32 windmills of which one was on his land. Later I heard these windmills  are a huge energy source and pay for themselves in a few years.
It cost  the state about a million dollars to build each one including all the ground work, connecting underground cables and serious foundation required.
I asked Bob’s wife Vera about them and did she think they are ugly.

THE STATE PAYS THE LANDOWNER A RENT FOR USE OF THEIR LAND

 
” Well we had a meeting before construction and the general consensus was that we would become accustomed to them. After all aren’t pylons and telegraph poles ugly and haven’t we become accustomed to them? ”
Good point.
I parked Nirvana in the garage of Bob and Vera’s farmhouse. In the garage was Bobs collection of about six Corvettes.
” You know Tony I am a former insurance man and each of these Corvette’s has a death story! ”

Steak, sweet potatoes, crunchy veg and a delicious salad for dinner..
” I am so full I cant eat anymore! ” I said.
” So you got no room for ice cream Tony? ”
” I always make room for ice cream   ”
Then Bob has a brainwave.
” Hey Tony when you start from McLean in the morning you come right by the end of our road around lunchtime. ”
” Will you have more steak and ice cream? ”
” Sure! ”
” See you at one! ”

VERA AND BOB.

Then on Thursday morning after Bob and Vera have spent two days commuting me and treating me like a king in their house it’s time to say goodbye. A couple of days ago we were strangers. Now I have two more solid friends. I thinking of all of the wonderful people that have hosted me and gone so far out of their way to make me so comfortable and happy. My eyes water. I cry, I am sure they see me but they understand. I am crying my eyes out at this as I type this two days later. The world is full of wonderful people and just a few bad apples try to spoil life’s great party.

I continue running along route 136. I am listening to my Ipod for the first time in nearly two months. I had gotten out of the habit in the bad weather. Now on the road I have a one ear rule and just like I used to sneak it illegally under my hard hat when I worked in construction.
I was listening to the Sterophonics’s  Have A Nice Day  PRESS HERE TO PLAY when an lady pulled up in front of me and gave me a bag of red grapes.
” I saw you on the road and you look like you are doing something important so I went home to get you these. ”
She hurriedly jumped back into her car.
” Whats your name? ” I called out.
” Bridie. ”
I ran on into Havana. I was hungry. From the east side it looked like I had run through the town when I stopped just before the railroad tracks. On the map it is a decent size town. But now there was no cafe in sight. So I stopped at the County Market supermarket and asked.
” Well sir if you want a coffee you can just go on down to the bakery section and help yourself to our complimentary coffee. ”
I am pouring a cold coffee from the dregs of the burco when a friendly clerk called Chelsea offers to help.
” Sorry it’s cold and almost empty sir. ”
” What I heard all about your delicious coffee and ran all the way from Dublin for it and you tell me you are out of it! ”
So Chelsea goes inside and comes out with a larger cup and offers to reheat it.
Coffee spills on my sleeve from the burco which I have by now tilted almost horizontally.
I am eating one of Bob’s steak sandwiches as I wait for Chelsea.
” So tell me one thing she says.. ”
” How can you afford to run around the world? ”
” I bring my sandwiches into supermarkets and drink coffee dregs. And you can read about it on my blog”
” You know I must be the only person in the world with no computer. ”
” Good I was going to write about you and now I can really write what I like. Unless you borrow your brother  or sisters computer! ”
” I am an only child.. ”
” Good then I can really write what I like about you! ”

Running over the W. Lucas memorial two lane bridge was a bit scary as there was not footpath. It was about a kilometer long and I decided it was safest to run it with the traffic to my back. So what if they had to wait. This way they had more advanced warning. I got over in the end without too much bother.
An hour later I met my host for tonight on the road. Steve, his wife Carol and their 17 year old daughter Sierra.

STEVE AND  SIERRA

Steve and Sierra ran with me for the last 45 minutes while Carol drove and became the official photographer for the day.

On the way back to their home in Petersburg we stopped at an historic Lincoln village which had been recreated to show what village life would have been like in Lincolns time. We stopped at the old shop that Lincoln used to own and live in. I am thinking..
” Nice cabin to camp in and I wonder what it would be like to sleep in Lincolns bed. ”

There was a few inches of overnight snow but nothing serious. Carol is rushing off to the airport as she has a race in Florida…It seems more  like a girls weekend to me. Steve has a 15km run in St. Louis. A sporting family they are both members of my friend Tracy’s  Second Wind Running Club.

Carol brought Nirvana over to R and M Cyclery in Springfield to have a brake assembly I asked Chariot Carriers to have sent to me. I figured it would be a good idea to have a brake going down the steep descents of the Rocky mountains. The wonderful people of R and M Cyclery fitted the brake for free. Thank you so much!

While Carol was talking to the owner about my world run another man called Mac was listening.

” So where is he going to next? Asked Mac.

” To Macomb. ” Said Carol.

” Well I know someone that can put him up! ”

I was all out of contacts till this encounter happened. Something always seems to work out. I am either very lucky or there is an angel looking after me.. Same with the weather over the winter!

SATURDAY 26TH FEB. I AM TAKING A REST DAY IN MACOMB, ILLINOIS.

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For Original Article Click  HERE

Running the world Submitted by Jodi Heckel on Mon, 02/21/2011 – 3:55pm

It was a gray, drizzly Monday morning when Tony Mangan set out on day 100 of running. His trip today would take him from Urbana to Farmer City, just a sliver of his goal of running around the world. The 53-year-old Irishman started his journey at the Dublin Marathon on Oct. 25, and it brought him through Central Illinois this past weekend.

Mangan was in Danville Saturday, and he spent Sunday night in Champaign at the home of Tracy Thomas, a fellow ultrarunner. The hospitality he’s received on his trip has far exceeded his expectations. He’s been able to find a home to stay in for much of his trip. He knew Thomas through ultraraces, and she arranged for places for him to stay through Central Illinois. Other times, he’s stayed with strangers who’ve opened their homes to him. “I can’t remember the last night I’ve had to rough it,” Mangan said. He’s also had other runners join him for portions of his trip. Thomas ran with him on Sunday. After a huge breakfast at Thomas’ house Monday morning that consisted of a saucepan full of oatmeal, four eggs, two yogurts and coffee, Mangan ran through town with Brian Kuhn of Champaign, also an ultrarunner. Meeting people — runners and non-runners — has been the most enjoyable part of the trip for Mangan. He makes it a rule to stop twice a day at a gas station, restaurant or bar to have a cup of coffee or something to eat and talk to people. He nearly always gets free refills on his coffee, and sometimes gets a free meal. The idea of running around the globe had been growing in his mind for 20 years before he set out. “It entered my mind after one of the great runner’s highs, the endorphin highs,” Mangan said. But unlike others who might dream of such an endeavor, then forget it when reality set in, the idea brewed in Mangan’s subconscious for years. He loved travel and has done a lot of long-distance biking. He read travel books and was attracted to stories of long-distance walks and runs. He began running around the time he turned 30, doing 10K races and marathons. Then he moved to Colorado in 1994, and in the eight years he lived there, he became an ultrarunner, racing in mountainous trail runs. Mangan had a successful career as an ultrarunner, setting world records for 48-hour runs on an indoor track (about 265 miles) and treadmill (about 251 miles). Then he decided it was time to pursue his dream of running around the world, so he left his construction job in Ireland and set out. He pushes a modified jog stroller he’s nicknamed “Nirvana,” that holds camping gear, clothes, food, spare inner tubes and tools, and his netbook computer and a few other electronic gadgets. Cart and contents weigh about 70 pounds. After running the Dublin Marathon, Mangan ran across Ireland to the westernmost town of Dunquin. He flew to North America and started running at the easternmost point, Cape Spear in Newfoundland. He’ll continue west to Colorado. Crossing the state will be a “major, major highlight. I love it so much. It’s like a homecoming for me,” he said. Then Mangan will head south for Mexico, Central America, and South America, where he plans to run to the southernmost point, Tierra del Fuego. One of the places Mangan is most anticipating is Peru, where he’ll make time to see Machu Picchu. “I spent a year previously in South America and never went to Peru,” he said. “It’s a sin. One of my biggest travel regrets. This time I’m going to put it right.” Mangan will fly from South America to New Zealand and continue through Australia, Indonesia, southeast Asia, China, Kazakhstan, Russia and back to Europe. He plans to finish his run with the 2013 Dublin Marathon, assuming he has no major injuries or illness that slow down his progress. By the end, Mangan will have covered between 26,000 and 27,000 miles — the equivalent of 1,000 marathons. He’s been averaging almost 200 miles a week, and he’s about to discard his eighth pair of running shoes. He takes a rest day when the opportunity arises or he feels he needs one. He recently ran 25 consecutive days before taking a rest day this past Saturday. He expects logistics to be more difficult in areas of the world that are more sparsely populated, and where he doesn’t know anyone or speak the language. He’ll need to carry more of his own water in some places, and get visas for China, Kazakhstan and Russia. For right now, though, it’s about running the next 25 or 30 miles. “It’s a great lesson for living in the moment, taking one day at a time,” Mangan said. But he has imagined what it will be like running those last 26.2 miles, remembering all the places he’s been. “When I’m running the last marathon in Dublin, I want to go through (my memories) like snapshots, all the way around my route.” Tony Mangan is documenting his run around the world on his website, www.theworldjog.com, where he regularly posts updates on his blog. The website also charts Mangan’s progress. Through his run, Mangan is raising money for Aware, an Irish charity devoted to treatment of mental health issues and eliminating the stigma of depression. Readers can link to information about the charity through Mangan’s website