20th Jan 2011 Cortland US13 and Main St. 40.7km = 25.3miles.

Tonight I am a guest of Melissa, Trever and Lukas. Many thanks.

21st Jan 2011. Cortland to 9 miles south of Ithaca. 50km = 31.1 miles.

Tonight I am guest of Ian and Sherry and family Many thanks

22nd Jan 2011. start 9 mls south of Ithaca finish Elmira. 40.2km = 25 miles

Tonight I am a guest of Paul and Wanda. Many thanks

23rd Jan 2011. Elmira to Tioga Jct. (Pennsylvania) 35.4km =22 miles.

Tonight I am a guest of Tom and Sheila. Many thanks

24th Jan 2011. Tioga Jct to Rexford ml marker 207 (on US6south) 50km =31.1miles

Tonight I am a guest of Jill and Tony. Many thanks

25th Jan 2011. Rexford to Caudersport 50km = 31.1 miles.

Tonight I am the guest of Kathy and Jim. Thanks so much

26th Jan 2011. Caudersport to Smethport 42.2km = 26.2 miles

Tonight I am Pete’s guest. Thank you very much

27th Jan 2011. Smethport to Kane            40.2km =     25 miles.

Tonight I am Lisa and Tom’s guest. Wonderful people, thanks so much

28th Jan 2011. Kane to Marionville.   40.3km = 25.1 miles

Tonight I am Dave and Mel’s guest.  Thanks a million

29th Jan 2011. Marionville to Shippenville. 37.1km = 23.1 miles.

Tonight I am John and Debbie’s guest Thanks so much 

30th Jan 2011. Shippenville to East Brady, 44.2km = 27.5 miles.

Tonight I am the guest of Bookie and Kathy Thanks very much

31st Jan 2011. East Brady to Butler, 37.3km = 23.2 miles.

Tonight I stayed in Butler’s  Methodist Church. Many thanks to Pastor Tim

1st Feb 2011. Butler to Deer Lake Extension, 41.4km = 25.7 miles.

2nd Feb  2011. Deer Lake Extension to Wellsville, OHIO. 45.2km = 28.1 miles.

Tonight and last night I am the guest of Tim and Mary-Beth. Thanks so much for your kind help

3rd Feb 2011 Wellsville to 8km east of Carrollston. 43.9km =  27.3 miles

Tonight I am staying with Charlotte and George. Thanks very much

4th Feb 2011. East Carrollston to New Philadelphia. 45.6km = 28.3 miles

5th Feb 2011. New Philadelphia to Junction US 36west/county road 10.

50.2km = 31.2 mls

Tonight and last night I am staying with Nancy and Jerry. Wonderful people! Thanks a bunch

6th Feb 2011 36W/co.rd10 to 2km east of US 229/62 junction.  44.4km = 27.6mls

7th Feb 2011. 2km east of US229/62 Junction to Centerburg. 42.5km = 26.4miles

Tonight  and last night I am the guest of Mark and Debbie. Thanks for helping with the dream

8th Feb 2011 Centerburg to 3km/2miles west of Ashley. 38.8km = 24.1 miles

Staying with Jason and Leighlay Thanks for your help

9th Feb 2011 3km/2miles west of Ashley to W.Mansfield 52.6km = 32.7miles

Guest of Julie and Pete Thanks for your great help

Total for 90 Road days: 3,975.2 km = 2,470.1 miles = 94.2 marathons

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I am going through the most amazing chain of hospitality at the moment… It’s just unbelievable!
Almost 2 weeks ago when the weather deteriorated my friend John Geesler from St. Johnsville called his friends in Pitsfield, Ma. I had been stormed caught in a storm in nearby Shakers Village. I had taken refuge in the local museum of the Shakers sect. The workers there made me feel at home and did everything they possibly could to make me feel comfortable.
John’s friends Beth and Brad arrive and take me to their home. It’s God darn cold…A cold wind is taking my face off.

Beth and Brad

They are fussing, checking my route and making phone calls down my route to try to organize places for me to stay.
I have a pile of laundry on the floor that they have offered to wash for me. Then I discover their labrador dog is licking my multidays old underpants!
Brad rushes over and the other labrador jumps up on takes his brathurst hot-dog off his plate. Brad just smiles and says the dog needed it more than him… The dog knew better than to touch the Food Demons!
They both have to be in work for 7am. So at breakfast I am pleading with them to leave the phone down and not be late for work on my account.
But Brad doesn’t care and insists on taking me for breakfast in a nice old fashioned diner.
I look at the menu and laugh. Nobody there can see the irony when I point out ” Irish Breakfast served on an English muffin. ”

So then I ran on and as mentioned in a recent post stayed with my friend the Kurahura Kickers in Little Falls NY. In all I stayed there 5 nights in Stan, Joann and Sweet Pea’s house. I took two rest days there and they commuted me back and forth for 3 running days.
Just as I got beyond their range another club member Mark and his wife Renne offered to put me up just outside of Waterville.
That day I ran 60km /37miles. Another member of the club, Dave Putney who I know from a race a few years ago clocked out of work at noon and joins me on the road for 31km/19 miles. We are joined for about an hour by Kelly-Ann a noted track team coach in the area. Its so fantastic running with other runners…It makes the time fly.
John has also driven out now it must be over 80km/50 miles but he doesn’t care. He delivers Nirvana. I wanted to run with the buggy this morning but he insisted. So he parks ahead and runs towards to run back to his pickup. John doesn’t run in traditional running gear. He prefers to wear his factory work clothes when he runs. He says his work uniform is very comfortable. I see him running towards me in his brown uniform. He jokes and says..
” I’m the UPS delivery man and I got Nirvana for you! ”

Running with the UPS man.

He told me of the story of the cop stopping him as he was running in his street clothes! The long hair and headband didn’t help!
Mark and Renne have a delicious chicken salad dinner prepared. They also invite John and Dave, another couple and Marks business partner Paul.
Mark is a bicycle shop owner.
Paul comes over in the morning to drop me back to my finishing spot. I run through some beautiful scenery that day. Its still biter cold. I don’t think too much about temperatures or even weather forecasts these days as I gotta run and whats the point of worrying… People are more worried for my safety than I am. I don’t even care about mountains… I am living my dream…Throw it all at me. I run into a junction town called Georgetown. My tracphone doesn’t work. So the lady in the gas station allows me to use hers to call Paul. I tell him I would like to run another 9 miles and ask him to leave to pick me up in about 40 minutes. Its an hours drive. No problem, he says.
On the way back we passed many Amish people AMISH DETAILS in their horse drawn black carriages.

Aimish horse and cart

Amish believe in a simple life without modern conveniences. I have been though they reject modern technology it is ok to use other peoples. John has had an Amish neighbor come in to borrow a cordless drill. A lot of the strict rules and regulations have been skirted about. For example they obviously don’t have a phone but some may have a pay phone installed in their garden! They ride their horse drawn carriages but accept a ride in someones car.
Today I ran over 50km/ 32 miles.

Paul drives me back to Junction 80/13 and on I go… My never-ending life of goodbyes. I get around the corner and am ambushed by the Cortland press. Someone has tipped them off as to my starting point and time and I am giving an interview that lasts nearly half an hour in the freezing cold (later I see a copy riddled with mistakes)
 I get to Cortland and John’s niece Melissa, her husband and their 18 month boy called Lukas are putting me up.
This chain of events just seem to be never ending.
A man named Peter has tracked me down to Melissa’s house. He is very keen to run with me for a stage of the world run. Melissa is very accommodating and invites him around at 6.30am. We have breakfast and set off. Peter tells me he has taken a day off work to run with me. Later I discover he has donated 100 euro to my charity Aware… Thank you so much Peter I got joined by an Dubliner called Innis who ran for only a short time as he was in a hurry off to New York City. Innis is a student over here these last four years. Word has gotten out of my run as Lynn has posted something on a triathalon forum. John has also contacted the Finger Lakes Running Club.
So Ian a sportswear and bike shop owner comes out. He has also raced many triathalons and ultra races. He is a race director for a 100 mile trail race.

With Ian outside his Finger Lakes running store

I am going to be staying with him tonight. He runs me into the town of Ithaca and we go to his store. He is incredibly generous and sponsors me a couple of pairs of shoes, some apparel, clothing and a massage stick.
I say to Ian that as todays run was a bit short and tomorrows is very long I would like to run another 9 miles to get my 50km. He picks me up 2 hours later.
I go back to his house and on the way way Ian was telling me his wife, Sherry had a baby girl Nora only two weeks ago. It would be a full and crowded house as Ian’s parents George and Brenda would be there and so too was Linda, Sherry’s mother..
” But this is too much for you Ian! ”
” Nonesence Tony we would like to have you as our guest! ”
I get talking to George..
He is very extroverted and a funny man.
” What kind of an Irish man has an Italian name like Tony! Come here Anthony! ”
I say. ” What kind of an American is called George? Saint George…..”
He says.. ” George Washington! ”
I say ” George Bush ” He almost pukes into his coffee!

Then Sherry asks.. ” How did you get the buggy here ”
I said. ” When Ian came along and Innis came along he asked him to put it into his car and drive it over here.”
So Sherry says.. ” I am not surprised Ian didn’t want to push the buggy…. He wouldn’t even push his own kids! ”
So Ian gets on the phone and finds a place for me to stay for tomorrow. A rival bike store in Elmira

Next morning at breakfast its a very full house with all the grandparents and a couple of friends come over.
Sarah a 17 year old high school student with a passion for running. She has already run a couple of marathons and 50km races. Her mam was a marathon Olympic trialist. Sarah tells me her passion for running is such that she was dreaming of a journey run across somewhere like the USA and then hours later she hears about me. They just had to come over for breakfast. They brought delicious cookies. Then Sarah says she would like to skip rehearsals for a musical she is performing in to run the 25 miles to Elmira with me!
On the way we are joined by Korey.. We run to Paul’s bike shop. He is out skiing but we let ourselves in as he suggested.
That evening I go with Paul and his partner Wanda to the local bike club’s annual meeting and pasta dinner. I am introduced to the members as an Irishman that is running around the world but many years ago cycled around the world… ” So he is one of us ” The members were told.
I am not sure but it sounded like they passed a vote to make me an honorary member. I give a talk for about 10 minutes on my world run.
One of the members called Tim says he would like to run a couple of hours with me… He gets teased a lot…Especially when I mention he has to push the buggy! Any time Tim opens his mouth at the meeting he is told to just go and push the buggy!
Paul puts some air in my tyres next morning as Tim and I set off.
We cross the state line into Pennsylvania and soon I have clocked up 2,000 miles.Then his wife and mother came to pick him up.
Its bitterly cold. Its about -17 degrees. Even though its so cold I am rarely out of control. I have good gear and am still loving the challenge. There is also a headwind with a serious wind-chill factor. It seems people are more worried for me than I am for me! I feel I have become hardened and dont even check temperatures and weather forecasts now… I still gotta run!
My plan for today was to run to Tioga. Yet another bicycle shop owner, Tom and his wife are my hosts tonight! This is the 4th time this week I have been hosted by bicycle shop owners.
I moved onto rural Pennsylvania highway 287 and enjoyed the run so much. It was very hilly but with little traffic.
On the way a man called Mark pulled up and asked if I was ok. When I told him what I was doing he gave me his coffee! One of the nicest coffees I ever had! If you are reading this Mark… Thanks a million!
I arrived in Tioga Junction thinking I was in Tioga. I phoned Tom as arranged to pick me up from the gas station. It was only later I realized I was about 4 miles short of town.. Ah well a short day to a very good week.. My best so far over 200 miles and just a little shy of averaging 50km per day.
I had a nice quiet evening listening to Tom and Sheila’s travels and telling of my own…

Tom and Sheila

And what do you think they spent a large part of the evening doing? They rang around their friends and found a friend of theirs in a town called Galeton that is going to put me up tomorrow.
My head is literally spinning with all the thank yous and goodbyes.. I am literally lost for words.. I am sometimes afraid my goodbyes and thank yous sound hollow but they are not… I just am having trouble coping and often just say that I don’t know what to say anymore…I am overwhelmed to a point of speechlessness as I bid my goodbyes. This is the hardest part of travelling.. All the goodbyes to wonderful beautiful people and only a small fraction of I will probably ever see again but I shall never forget…
I am doing the running….. But you my friends are making it possible

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