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Karma Chain

Am in a motel in Badger. 45km today. Total to date for 20 road days = 858.7 km.

Gander to Badger, 17-19 November 2010.

Got a nice early start out of Gander; just after 8am as Mike left early for work.
He had given me a contact for tonight’s destination in Notre Dame Junction just a little over a marathon away.

I clipped along the Trans Canada Highway enjoying the nice fresh morning that it was. Still can’t quiet believe I am living my dream after all these years, now more than 20 since I first got the idea.
It’s funny that no matter how hard the hill, how cold it is or any hassles I have I am still very upbeat.

The Trans-Canada is 7,777km long stretching from St. Johns to Victoria, B.C. It’s almost 50 years old and officially the longest paved highway in the world.

Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete DETAILS who had his foot amputated due to cancer became a cancer awareness fundraiser. He set out from St. John’s to run a marathon a day all across this, the second largest country in the world. Unfortunately Terry’s cancer worsened and he had to quit just outside of Thunder Bay.

To be honest the amount of hospitality I am receiving is astounding and to list all the incredible acts I fear I will bore the reader but anyway I feel they have to be mentioned.

Well I got stopped by a lad called Alfred who was on his way back to Nova Scotia. Alfred gave me his address and said I was welcome to stay in his home when I got to Amherst. He bought me coffee and a cake.

I arrived in Notre Dame Jct just after 2.30. The contact that Mike gave me didn’t work out as he wasn’t home. I waited a while and then went off to camp in the Provincial Park.

Next morning the nicest of park rangers greeted me as I was packing up…

” Morning sir! Did you sleep well? Not too cold?

”I drove by earlier and didn’t want to disturb you!

” You just come on over to the office when you are ready for a coffee! ”

Shelby told me that he has been working for the forest service for over 25 years.

He loves Newfoundland and in fact he has never been off the island.

He is going to the Virgin Islands later in the year for a 20th anniversary with his wife and says if he could go anywhere in the world it would be to Ireland… Yet another island… Guess he feels safer on islands.

” It’s funny you camping there I was only watching the television last night and an advert came on for Ireland..”

” The tourist board? ” I asked.

” No for some shampoo, Irish Mist I think, I just love the way they talk and love the way you talk!

” You got enough coffee there? Here let me empty out the fridge here and give you everything we got here for the road!

” But that’s your lunch?

” No that’s only the emergency food we never have an emergency here… Everything is so nice and peaceful here…

” You know Tony we got no crime on this island of Newfoundland ( about the same size as Ireland )

”Too bad I didn’t see you arrive here last night you would have had a nice warm place to stay.”

So I mixed some instant oatmeal and had another coffee then went to brush my teeth, couldn’t find my tooth paste.

” You go on in there, Tony and use mine. ”

So it was time to push on. I ran on past some wonderful scenery, beautful lakes and rivers which I am told are great for fishing.

There were lots of forestry workers out cutting down some pine trees. Oh that delightful aroma, I filled my lungs with it several times.

Great to be out in the open.

I came up to the exit for Bishops Falls, a small town of 3,600 population. Been having problems with people giving me accurate directions.

I mean I don’t ever want to go too far off the highway to a town as then I have to return without counting those kms. They usually say not too far only a few minutes drive! Not far for them, far for me.

Asked a couple of moose hunters how far to town.

” Just there ”

He points straight across the crossroads.

” Less than a kilometer? ” I ask.

He just nods.

Next thing I find myself on Main Street. Later I am told its the longest street in the world without a stop sign. About 7km long! Luckily its parallell to the highway and I don’t have to backtrack, I just subtract the access/exit bits.

On the way I am waved down by two old codgers Bob and Fred for a chat.. I thought they were putting up Christmas decorations. They are in fact preparing a fence to fight off the winter snowfall….

They are very busy, say they would love to have a coffee with me and press 8 dollars into my hand.

” Go and have one on us and warm yourself up! ”

I get about 10 minutes down the road and a trucker called Dave gives me a Pepsi and a bag of  sweets!

I run on. Spot a place that sells ‘ British style fish and chips ‘ I get about 20 meters past it and have to turn back so overbearing is the aroma.

The guy behind the counter is probably Indian from India. He gives me a huge plate of fish and chips with 3 pieces of cod for 9 dollars.

Three very young girls come in. They are probably about 7, 9, and 10 years old. They call him Jay.

They are very mature. They are are talking about the price of housing against the cost of rent.

Then the young one does what I have never seen any child in my life doing… She actually spends her money on buying bottled water.

It’s getting late now… Haven’t run far today as this town was less than 35km away from Notre Dame Jct. An easy day… A lot of dilly dallying…. This is what it’s all about running and having fun meeting the locals as I go.

I continue on aimlessly up Main Street. A red car pulls up alongside me.

” Are you the fellow we saw on the television that’s running around the world? ”

” Yes that’s me! ”

” Well me and the Mayor of Bishop’s Falls want you to stay in town. You got a bed for the night”

” Who is the mayor? ”

” I’m Liz and Bob my husband that’s driving is the mayor.

” We would love you to stay… ”

Liz gives me the address. Another 3 km up Main Street. Just wondering where the moose hunters thought I was going!

I tell Liz I will be there in about 20-or 25 minutes and if there is no sign of me to send out the posse.

So I push on Nirvana… I get an escort of 3 young boys on bicycles… My first escort of the World Jog.

Got many like this when I did my world cycle all those years ago.. Usually in the developing nations. Hordes would follow me on bicycles..

You could tell by their eager tone they couldn’t quiet figure out what I was up to. They used to follow me everywhere, even behind a hedge to pee.

I thought these lads were sneering at first. Then they became very friendly. Their names were Jordan, Brendan and Emmanuel.

” Where you going now? ”

” To Mayor Hobb’s house ”

” It’s just past the Church another couple of km away… You will like him…He is a very nice man. He used to be my teacher. ”

Inside their lovely house Bob tells me how difficult it was for him when he moved here first.

” I am a city man from Ontario and when I came here first and went to the store if I was third in line and it took so long to get served because the first in line was chatting so much to the shopkeeper. I was so impatient and frustrated.

”It’s so easy-going here now I am the one having the chat with the shop-keeper and keeping everyone waiting!

” Well we looking to do some big business with your country especially Limerick but now because of the recession things have slowed down a bit but we are working on it again.

” You know this town maybe very small but we got some well respected international companies here.

” You remember that Alaska oil spill a little while back?  Well the company that sorted it out was an oil specialist company from right here in Bishop’s Falls.

” The chief executive was well respected in the world of the oil business..

” Do you know Tony there was a Saudi prince that sailed his luxury yacht to Houston, Texas for an oil conference and expected to find our man there…

” Well you know what the prince did, he rang him up and I was there when he took the call in his office…

” Next thing the prince charters a jet to Halifax, Nova Scotia and comes into Bishop’s Falls in a helicopter!”

” Did he have any body guards Bob? ”

” For what? ”

” In case he got mugged, did he have any jewelery with him? ”

” Nobody gets mugged in Newfoundland, you know he had to have a second room for all his jewelery.. ”

” So you had fish and chips? ” says Liz.

” We had that last night, I suppose you don’t have room for pork chops now? ” What… Course I do… runners need to keep their protein going! ”

We had a delicious dinner and the crispiest veg I ever did eat.

Liz told me they always cook more than they need as they always have someone drop in or they pull someone from off the street.

Over dinner Bob told me about his work as a teacher in a remote aborigional indian reserve area of northern Ontario with the Cree Indians DETAILS . It’s in an area called Addiwapiskat in Fort Albany.

There is a high burn out of teachers there as young teachers go there thinking it’s going to be easy but it’s far from easy.

There is obviously the usual problems with alcohol abuse. It’s banned on the reservation but smugglers make a fortune selling a small half litre of spirits for about 110 dollars and it costs just 11 in the liquor store here.

” And where do they get the money for this? ”

” From the Canadian government… Many of the Cree spend all their money on alcohol..Nothing else just a couple of flasks a week. ”

” They think differently to us as they are so remote and out of touch, that’s understandable and they don’t have any concept of value.. ”

” You know they sell the most beautiful artwork you ever saw for about 20 dollars a piece, pieces which would sell easily for 500 dollars here.. Many of the teachers bring back lots of it. ”

” Let me wash your clothes ” says Liz.

His sharp eyes spots me changing into the best of my soiled clothes.

He will have none of that. Every piece of clothing I have is washed and I changed into the mayor’s Canadian sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms. Bob was once a fine hockey, tennis and cross-country athlete.

I get off before 9am and run the short distance to Great Falls Windsor. I think it was about 15k and I get there in less than 2 hours.

I make for Tim Horton’s famous coffee shop as I suspect they may have wi-fi.

The queue is out the door. I’m about 20th in line when a man up the top of the queue spots me, points to me and says to the waitress.

” You see him… I passed him on the highway and he is running around the world…Give him whatever he wants for breakfast! ”

Reg calls me forward, he already has his breakfast, gives me his Tim Horton’s credit card! I order a large coffee and a sausage and egg sandwich.

I sit down beside Reg. He tells me he used to own a paper mills which closed down a few years ago and now he enjoys his retirement…

We talk about the weather..He can’t believe I am travelling through in the winter.. He rushes off to Wal-Mart. I try unsuccessfully to log onto the internet.

Reg returns. He has bought me a portable grill fire..Its meant for charcol but he says the hunters put wood into them. It’s like a 1 gallon bucket with a big handle and a raised vent area underneath. He gave me a bottle of starter fluid and a packet of bungee chords to tie it on to Nirvana. says he would have tracked me down on the highway if I wasn’t still there.

I promise I will give it a try and if I don’t like it I can throw it away or give it to someone else.

I tie it to the top of the buggy..It’s not heavy, just cumbersome. later I stuff my tent inside it and put it inside and pull off the huge handle.

Out on the highway there is a bitter cold wind.. I am well wrapped up and am comfortably cool. 15 minutes later Mike passes in his company pick-up. He has a great job, driving around just delivering notes to people that don’t pay their bills. I get into his warm vehicle for a chat. He has bought me a chicken and chips lunch and a Pepsi as he knew he would bump into  me!

I am so stuffed I can only drink the Pepsi and tell him I will eat the food later.

He told me that during nine eleven his town, Gander hosted 6,500 people that were diverted there and there was a massive operation for a few days serving them 3 meals a day. He said there was a good book written about it. The conversation came up because Reg had said multi-millionaires had hidden out in Newfoundland and the locals gave them everything, even their own food.

I pushed on again, first it looked like rain then a few snow droplets. I saw a few ominous snow ploughs being transported back the direction I had come.

So what do you think Reg does? He goes home and tells his wife Madge about me! So Madge makes up some batch loaf cheese and ham sandwiches, trail nuts and dried cranberries and a flask of coffee and they are waiting at the entrance of what looks like a disused railroad yard.

I park Nirvana at the side and get into their military green-coloured Landcruiser. A couple of trucks turn into the entrance and I am worried my Chariot will get run over! Its nice and warm in the Landcruiser and I eat the sandwiches and who do you think turns up to find me eating sandwiches and not his chicken lunch? Its Mike on the way back home, so he stops and Reg shouts over…

” I am looking after him now! ”

Reg tells me that he loves helping people and if he never did anything for anyone ever again that he could never repay the things that were done for him.

Reg and Madge go off and Mike tells me he may not see me again as I am going out of his area now.

It’s about 15km to Badger now.. I run on, arrive about 5pm.

It’s another small rural town..

I go into the Ultramar service station. The attendant is very friendly..

She says it’s cold, I say yes but I am happy… I am very upbeat, I go outside and eat Mikes chicken dinner and drink tea on the bench outside…

Then I go inside to warm up…I am not so upbeat now!

I decide I will go over to Kellie’s Motel and try to use my  MAGIC LETTER (as described before, a letter of introduction from the Lord Mayor of Dublin)  and try to hustle for a reduction. I guess I could do this more often but it’s a thing I have to be in the mood for.

I go outside… A woman called Shirley is parked outside and sees I am running around the world. She says she wants to take my photo but its too cold outside..

She asks me to sit in the passenger seat, takes the photo, shows me what resembles a weird Halloween costume with my balaclava pointy headed up to the roof… She turns up the heater, apologises for the cigarette smoke in the car. Says she will follow the website.

She asks me what the charity is I am running for. I say an Irish charity called AWARE DONATE PLEASE! which councils mental health issues and aims to take the stigma out of depression. She says her daughter is a psychiatrist. Gives me about 6 dollars for Aware then takes it back and gives me her entire purse, including the purse for Aware. I count just short of 12 dollars! She says her husband is inside the service station and will be sorry he missed me! I was wondering what he would have though of me sitting in the seat beside his wife!

I wandered over the road to the motel. They are a Chineese family. They tell me it’s 68 dollars a night and I offer 25. The mother reads the letter and agrees. I say…

” Better to have something for an empty room than nothing?”

She nods.

Ming helps me up the steps with Nirvana and has to move the bed to get the buggy inside..

He turns on the heating….

I am toasty now!

Camping in Notre Dame Park.. The nice park ranger gave me breakfast.

The Mayor and the First lady of Bishop's Falls Bob and Liz Hobbs.

Main Street Bishop's Falls

Reg with the bucket heater

Just outside Gander

Moose wanderings on the road is a huge problem here. Some drivers drive very slowly causing further problems.

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7 Responses to “Karma Chain”

  1. Ann Says:

    Hi Tony, Glad u loving it and in a motel for the night. You sure are clocking up the kms. Take care Ann

  2. Katheryn Cochrane Says:

    Hi Tony! Glad you’re enjoying Newfoundland!! We have a thin layer of snow this morning,very wet!!
    Looking forward to seeing you here on the west coast! : )

    You’re living a dream!!
    Katheryn

  3. Phil E Says:

    Tony,
    sounds like your having a blast! You have a great story telling style!

    Phil

  4. Frank O'Connell Says:

    I enjoy reading ur blog I must say. Keep on truckin’ Tony!

  5. Ming&Jenny(in bager NL) Says:

    we wish you do great. take care and all the best.

  6. florence and charlie Says:

    hi tony.
    still wishing the best for you,thinking of you always. have a good xmas and keep in touch.ttyl

  7. theworldjog Says:

    Thanks very much Florence and Charles.. The experiences I have had with you I have talked so much about and the journalist all want to know about moose! Merry Christmas to you too! Please put your future comments on the very latest posts as very few people read the old ones! Thanks again for everything.. Still going strong!. Tony.

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About Tony

I have always considered myself to be an average runner. In school, I was even bullied for I was a sports wimp. Through hard work, dedication, perseverance, self-belief and a strong mind I succeeded in not only running around the world but breaking four ultra running world records during my competitive career. Having previously cycled around the world I didn't start running until I was almost 30. Then I had a dream of running around the world. For many reasons, I waited for over 20 years. One reason was to establish my pedigree as an endurance athlete. I started and finished my world run as the current World Record-Holder for 48 Hours Indoor Track 426 kilometres (265 miles), a record I have held since 2007. I also broke and still hold the World Record for 48 hours on a Treadmill 405 kilometres (251 miles) in 2008. When I retired from competition, more pleasing than any of my world, European or Irish records I had the respect of my fellow athletes from all over the world - in my opinion, sports greatest reward - an achievement I am most proud of. Then I finally put myself out to pasture, to live my ultimate dream to run around the world! This blog was written on the road while I struggled to find places to sleep and to recover from running an average of 43.3 kilometres or 27 miles per day for 1,165 road days. There were many nights I typed this blog on a smart phone, so fatigued my eyes closed. Many journalists and endurance athletes have referred to my world run as the most difficult endurance challenge ever attempted. During my expedition I rarely had any support vehicles, running mostly with a backpack. In the more desolate areas I pushed my gear, food and water in a cart which I called Nirvana, then I sent her on ahead to run with my backpack once again over altitudes of almost 5,000 metres in the Andes. I stayed in remote villages where many people had never seen a white person before. I literally met the most wonderful people of this world in their own backyard and share many of those amazing experiences in this blog. My run around the world took 4 years. There were no short cuts, I ran every single metre on the road while seeking out the most comprehensive route across 41 countries, 5 continents, I used 50 pair of running shoes and my final footstep of the run was exactly 50,000 kilometres, (almost 31,000 miles) I eventually finished this tongue in cheek named world jog where I started, at the finish line of my city marathon. I started my global run with the Dublin Marathon on October 25th 2010 and finished with the Dublin Marathon on October 27th 2014 at 3 05pm! Thank you for your support, I hope you can share my unique way of seeing the world, the ultimate endurance challenge! Read more...

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