The First 1,000km Are Run!
24th and 25th November 2010. Baie Verte Junction to Deer Lake.
Yesterday: 51.9km. Today: 43.4km.
Total for 24 road days = 1,039.9km.
Got a little fright when leaving the Junction Inn this morning. I was locked in as the building didn’t seem to open till 10am. So I filled up my 2 litre Pepsi bottle from the bathroom sink… I don’t know about drinking this water but don’t they say drink dodgy water first and worry about illness later!
I carry iodine tablets anyway so it would have been only a minor inconvenience for my 50 odd kilometer run today. I managed to get out a back door after pushing a thank you note and the room key under the lounge door.
Didn’t get far, 400 meters to be exact before I found a place that was open for brekkie. Didn’t fancy a long run on an empty stomach.
This restaurant seemed to have a fascination with icebergs. All kinds of trivia on the menu card.
An iceberg found in Newfoundland was 6km wide, 13km long and 20 meters high and weighing several billion tons. It would have been able to provide a liter of fresh water for everyone in the world for every day for 4 years! Another one that drifted in from Greenland travels at an amazing rate of 7km per year and that’s considered fast! This one could provided 250 tons of water for everyone in the world and weighed in at 1.7 trillion tonnes!
I eventually got going. It was very cold, drizzly rain. I got to the top of Mt. Sykes and made a mistake of stopping for a cup of pot noodles with the water out of my thermos that I got from the iceberg place. They wern’t worth the bother and as I was at the top of the pass I got colder again!
It was a major battle trying to get my hands warm again, slapping them against my body. Slapping one hand at a time as I held the handlebars with the other hand. It was like this for almost two hours. Then I spotted two moose hunters parked on my hard shoulder on the way down the mountain. They waved me to a halt. I was making warming up gestures and was just about to ask to get into their pickup for a warm up when one of them said they needed to get moving after the moose and yet they both wanted to be ‘ entertained ‘ by my travels… Sorry lads… The show is over.. I told them I better keep moving before I get colder. Down the mountain it warmed up a lot.
Hunting season is always in the wintertime as the animals come down from the snow covered and cold mountains for grazing and warmth. Newfoundland has a huge problem with the moose running onto the roads. There were 660 moose and vehicle collisions last year. Many of the small motels I have stayed in are not very busy this time of year but get some business from people that don’t want to risk driving at night for fear of collission.
I ran into Hampden Junction, 51.9 for the day.
The local restaurant hadn’t even got an electricity supply, let alone an internet connection or an ATM which I badly needed as everything was run on a generator.
This time my ‘ high profile ‘ arrival barely raised an eyebrow, not even a question – I wondered had they been reading recent postings!
I camped in the local park under some steps for a local tourist attraction. I just pulled out my tarp and sleeping bag. It was so cosy that I had to take off my shoes, gloves and hat during the night.
The tarp was great.. No messing with pegs, poles, catches, fly sheet and all the usual mess that is created by unpacking bags when a tent is put up. I was on the road in 10 minutes.
The big news today was 1,000km were clocked up after 3.5km. I took a couple of photos of myself!
It was nice and mild today or comfortably chilly as I like to call it. The running was easy for the first 30km – nice and flat, easy climbs and nice downhills.
This part of Newfoundland, the westcoast, as they call it doesn’t seem to be as populated as the eastern part I just came through. I miss all my chats with the locals as I am not meeting many now as towns are further apart with little in between.
I keep forgetting to tell you that because Newfoundland has no southern road it has added about a week and a half to my time here as I had to go north and am now heading south to get to Port aux Basques ferry port to Nova Scotia.
On the Road at about 24km I met Katheryn’s father Stewart who has obviously been reading this blog as he brought me 2 Big Turk ( extra large bars) and shared his coffee with me We had a chat for about 20 minutes. He had to go to central Newfoundland on business and knew he would meet me on the road.
Thanks very much Stewart!
Katheryn sent me an invite to stay with her family before I left Ireland. She has been one of the World Jog’s most enthusiastic followers since she read about it on the Canadian Running Room forum.
Katheryn I ca’nt seem to get through to your number. No worries I told your dad my plan for tomorrow. See you all sometime late afternoon/early evening.
The Big Turk and sweetened coffee gave me renewed energy as I was zipping along at 11-12kmph. Through some beautiful countryside. Most of the snow had gone from the fields but some of the small roadside streams were frozen over.
Then I had a big energy dip about 5km before reaching Deer Lake. I think I should start carrying some bananas on the road.
I went into the truck stop and stuffed myself silly with muffins and ice cream before having a couple of pots of tea. Told the waitress I wasn’t hungry enough for dinner and spent about 3 hours on their wi fi. Then out of embarrassment I ordered the local Newfoundland dish, cabbage, corned beef, carrots and a nutty potato type dish of sorts.
Mangan never leaves anything on his plate but after an hour of swishing around salty corned beef in my mouth I gave up and surrendered.
Went across the road to a swanky hotel, think it’s called The Deer Lake Hotel.
Went in the door after placing Nirvana in full view of the window. Inside I was told they were closed!
” Closed but it’s not even 8pm! ”
” No sir this is the restaurant, the hotel is the other side of the foyer. ”
Had a glance over across the foyer. A hot chick was on the hotel reception. Went outside. Re-positioned Nirvana outside her window. Came back in. Flashed Magic Letter to hot chick. Big smile, lots of confusion. Manager is called out and tells me senior management would have to approve a complimentary night even though I have offered a story to their local paper interviewed in their hotel. Nothing can be done as senior management went home while I was swishing my mouth on blueberry muffins and corned beef across the road at the truck stop.
Hot Chick tells me a likely hotel is about a couple of minutes away. I question hot chick carefully and it turns out thats driving into center of town, about 5km away.
Yes, I am wondering if my Magic Letter or my own skills are having a dip in form.
I retire back across the road to truckstop to type this blog in the truckers lounge which I have gatecrashed. A sign says no sleeping. I turn up the heating. I intend to go in a have a shower . There is nobody in the truckers tv lounge but one keeps looking in the door every few minutes. Think he has a problem figuring out my logos, running tights outside compression shorts and charging gps watch. I expect to get kicked out any minute now.
November 26th, 2010 at 2:12 am
Hope your magic leter worked in the end. Don’tknow if they kicked you out or if you got a room. Guess they did cos your article ended so suddenly. Was out with Rosemary and girls from school tonight, thats why I’m online so late. Anyway glad to see that you doing well. Take care Tony
Ann x
November 26th, 2010 at 2:14 am
I meant to say congratulations on the 1000kms. Great achievement. x
November 26th, 2010 at 2:47 am
Hi Ann. I just turned the heating down…. Too warm
November 26th, 2010 at 7:06 am
Sounds like you’re having a great time
Say, do you never have problems with rangers at all? I’m just asking because as far as I know in Germany wild camping is illegal. Kinda sucks, what what can you do…
November 26th, 2010 at 10:37 am
No Problems Joe… I guess the Magic Letter will be well warmed up by the time I to Germany
November 26th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
A great read Tony.
November 26th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Hi Tony,
Glad to see you have reached over 1000kms. Keep on running. I have a big match in the morning. Playing Lourdes Celtic. If i score a goal I will dedicate it to you Mark
November 28th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Thank you very much Mark. You are very thoughtfu! I hope you had a good game today and enjoyed yourself.
Tony.
November 28th, 2010 at 5:44 am
Fair enough,
suppose you don’t have somebody run around the world every day after all
when you’re in Leipzig (or close to it) make sure to give me a yell.