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! “

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 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