Magic Letter Jitter
Friday 10th was my 19th straight day running, so I plan on a rest day Saturday and will update the blog then.
Amherst is just a few kms from New Brunswick, so I should be in Maine and the USA by the end of next week .
Tues 7 Dec. 51.7km Salt Springs.
Wed 8th 50.2km Debert
Thurs 9th. 55.6km Thomsons Station.
Fri. 10th 44.00km Amherst, Exit 3.
Sat. 11th Rest Day in Amherst, NOVA SCOTIA.
Sun. 12th Memramcook, NEW BRUNSWICK 39km
Monday 13th. 48.3km Salisbury.
Tues 14th. 55km Sussex.
Wed. 15th. 37km. Hampton.
Total for 43 Road Days = 1,907.2 km.
Rain, wind and cold was what I entered into my log book for Monday as I ran out of Antigonish on Monday morning.
It was a headwind, so much of my day was spent pushing Nirvana with my head down and on and on up those small hills out onto the busy Trans Canada Highway.
I am still running on the left side of the road, towards the traffic and in the hard shoulder. As I ran on I had to be alert as there were many wide vehicles carrying mobile home and such over-sized cargo. They often ventured into my hard shoulder. The wind was so strong my head was down for most of the morning.
I felt I was cycling again as I held and pushed the handlebars and looked down at the ground while watching my feet move in continuous unison. I can see the white stripe of the hard shoulder boundary under my right arm as I pushed on. I was not tired. I was in my own mental zone.. I was actually enjoying the discomfort, the challenge.
After 29km of this Mark, a merchant marine engineer pulled up in his pick-up. With a concerned parent look and tone said.
” I passed you on the road earlier and came back to see how you are”
” Thanks very much, I am fine. ”
” Are you hungry? When was the last time you ate? Would you like something to eat?”
” Breakfast time, I could do with a sandwich… You got one in the pick up? ”
Mark asked me back to his house for lunch. I found it hard to resist.
I told him I wanted to run the 2km to the junction where he turned off at Barney’s River. I would continue on from there later.
Mark’s wife, Rose had a delicious pasta dish for lunch followed by apple pie for desert.
They offered me a place for the night. I had only 31.5km covered today. My first instinct was: I could do with another 10! How about I go out on the road and run it and could you please pick me up later and bring me back in the morning! That’s stupid, I then thought..Call today a half day… I am not bound to a schedule…. Only 29th October 2013 at 7 Merrion Square North in Dublin…. At 2pm! That’s the nearest I got to a schedule..
I had a very nice afternoon chilling out.
Mark and Rose’s son, Keane came in from high-school classes.
Later for dinner we were joined by Jim an 80 year old Korean war veteran.
We heard some of his tales and jokes, a true character.
Then Mark talked about his time on the ships around interesting places like Greenland and remote islands in the arctic.
He also told me about the wildlife that he has seen in his back garden.
black bears, coyotes and a friendly moose that used to wander in from time to time.
” Did you not think of shooting it Mark? You wouldn’t have far to go to gut it out! ”
The wonderful family that the Tobin’s are packed me a lunch for the road.
A couple of hours up the road Ray a newspaper reporter from The News pulls up in his news van for an interview.
I get my thermos and food and climb into his van just as it starts lashing rain.
It’s a good interview. He has done some impressive research in just a couple of hours since Keane phoned him.
Then Ray shoots some video and takes some snaps. The main photo shows a big white Cisco truck which appears to drown me as it sped through massive puddles. In fact it didn’t. It was just a very clever dramatic shot.
I made a couple of stops and found it hard to get any rythm for the rest of the day. Ended up running 2 hours in the dark. I light up well with a headlight and a flashing red led light in addition to my high-viz vest.
I came to a small town called Salt Springs and knocked at the first house for water. I asked him could I sleep in his garage. He said there was no room. Across the road I made the same request this time producing the Magic Letter. The woman that answered said she would… ” Have to ask the Boss. ”
Husband or boss, I wondered.
She returned to say the Boss says no.
About 5 minutes down the road I see a big dome shaped garage. There is a grinding noise coming from within.
Skidoos are parked outside. I bang on the door. Inside Rob and Billy are putting up new lighting. They are surprised to see me, in the least. They invite me in to warm up by the wood-burning stove before we discuss me spending the night on their floor. The are a couple of friendly lads and soon make me feel welcome. I tell them all I need is the floor as I have my own food. I sit down by the stove, eat some bananas, drink tea.
We discuss my trip. They finish wiring the lights.
I say..
” No prizes for guessing which area of the garage I am going to sleep tonight?”
Billy sweeps an arc-shaped area around the furnace.
Then his 2 young children Maddison and Masson come in and say there is someone over in the house that wants to meet me.
I go over and meet Billy’s wife, Leanne. Uncle Tom and his wife Kerry have come over as they became curious of the world jog. I mention about the newspaper interview and Tom says he will bring the paper over in the morning before I leave.
We have a good laugh and Leanne says they have a fold down bed in their spare room.. More wonderful people in Nova Scotia, just like Newfoundland; the salt of the earth. How much I am enjoying this wonderful country and discovering it’s kind-natured people first hand.
In the morning Billy and Leanne went to work and left me to help myself to breakfast. I noticed my Magic Letter was gone! Every single item has its place and I noticed it missing when I went to pack my thermos away.
I remembered handing it to the woman in the second house who brought it in to show the Boss… Could I be so dumb enough to leave without it?
I think I can find the house but what if there is nobody home? I prepared a note with a forwarding address.
Tom and Kerry came over with the paper and never mind the report I couldn’t believe they brought over a giant sized bar of luxury Belgian chocolate and to prove they had been reading the blog overnight 4 bars of of my favourite Big Turk and treated me to a coffee also.
The report was accurate except for the bit where he seemed to get the impression I got a windfall when in fact I had received a small redundancy payment from my job when I lost it!
We went over to the lady’s house to see if she had my precious Magic Letter.
She said she gave it back to me. I had a desperate look around the yard.
Just then Kerry noticed a white object sticking down from behind the storage bag at the rear of Nirvana. I rushed over and yes it was the Magic Letter dangling close to dropping off and onto the road… How lucky was I?
I ran on towards the city of Truro.
I had had a contact there but poor communications in so far as every time I called I just got an answering machine. So I just ran on a bit more.
On the way a local ultra runner called Glen came out to run with me for an hour. He said he was one of about 3 or 4 ultra runners in Nova Scotia. No invite so I kept running. He had to rush back to his job so I stopped at a service station for coffee and overpriced bananas. On the way in a fellow who was loitering so much that I thought he worked there said.
” I saw you running with my buddy… Did he say anything about me? ”
I took an unusual first sight dislike and said.
” No who are you? ”
” I’m JJ, I cut down trees and I am the only one from around here that cycled across Canada! ”
” Were people good to you JJ? ”
” Yes I stayed in many homes and when I had no place to stay I usually slept in the cars in junkyards. ”
” What about the dogs? ”
” Out front I mean ”
” Hey JJ there is no payphone here and I need to call a contact about a place tonight can you let me ring from your cellphone please? ”
” I don’t have one. ”
He comes back a couple of minutes later and says..
” I can let you have 2 minutes on my phone. ”
I call and get the answering machine again. I tell JJ the story. No offer and its getting dark.
I give him back his phone and say..
” Thanks I only used 30 seconds.. You sure people were good to you on your Canada cycle trip JJ ”
” See ya buddy I gotta cut down a tree..”
I ran on into the darkness and exited in Delbert. Headed for Tim Hortons. Got talking to a lot of the locals. It seemed to be senior citizens night. Nice the way they go to a coffee place to socialise and not to a bar as in other cultures. In fact I have not seen many bars on my trek west.
One of them went up to the counter and bought me a $20 gift card for the store. He had been giving me advice not to take the Trans Canada Highway tomorrow as there is a mountain pass which could be a bit stormy. The local advice was to take to old highway which was relatively flat and less travelled. It would also have more services.
It had started snowing outside so I decided to stay in tim Hortons for the night as it was a 24 hour. Around midnight I asked the attendant if i could crash out discreetly in my sleeping bag behind my table!
” No problem.. You work away..We probably wont have many here tonight. ”
I had a solid 6 hours sleep. I was awoken by the manager who presented me with a $10 gift card signed from the staff!
I had a huge breakfast, filled the thermos and hit the road.
The old highway was very picturesque. Old wooden houses with the delightful scent of wood burning stoves, snow filled-fields looking like one big Christmas card.
Within minutes problem number 1 was solved: I spotted a post office, the first I had come across in over 2 weeks on the serviced starved Trans Canada. So I bought a couple of cards and posted them.
Everywhere I go I seemed to be causing a stir! The two ladies in the post office wanted the website address to follow my progress!
So I continued on loving these roads. I promise I will travel more on the secondary roads.
An hour later a big white truck pulls up and out hops the driver. He says.
” I saw you on the road the other day and honked at you do you remember me?! ”
” Hundreds of vehicles honk at me everyday! ”
He gives me 5 satsumas.
” No I drove by as the newspaper photographer snapped his picture! ”
” Shit! Was that you! You are the Cisco driver! Wait till my mom sees that photo of you splashing her little boy! ”
” And I only posted off that article an hour ago, pity we can’t have another look…” I added.
Around 4pm a local stopped me to ask me what I was up to. When I told him he offered me his mountain cabin, trouble was it was 15km out of my way.
” Thanks but no thanks! ”
It was 24km to Oxford. A bit further than I wanted but the terrain was now in my favour and I felt strong so I ran on as I didn’t know what else to do. I knew there was a Tim Hortons in Oxford. After 12km I came across a brand new only 2 weeks old Ultramar service station. This will do for today. The last 3 days were each over 50km run. I stopped and phoned my enthusiastic World Jog follower Alfred.
His enthusiasm is only rivalled by Katheryn Cochrane and family from Pascedna, NF!
Alfred from Amherst – which is just over 40km away – had offered to pick me up when I got about 40km of his house and he would commute me back the next day to run into Amherst.
So I had dinner and made arrangements with the kind lady in the service station to leave Nirvana there overnight.
Every time I go into a restaurant or cafe my instincts are seeking out two immediate facilities. 1 the heater and 2. The electric socket to power up my electrics.
Within minutes my 4 place table is usually full of cables, maps and bags…Like a bomb has hit the place.. Of course good-natured banter is always had with the waitress who is kept interested by a drip feed of trip tidbits as she carefully places a glass of water between cables and gadgets.
TO BE CONTINUED.
December 10th, 2010 at 2:46 am
Way to go Tony!
Province #2 is almost under your belt!
Canada can soon be checked off your list!
Keep your head up!
December 10th, 2010 at 3:51 am
I was talking about your run with a (fast) marathon friend tonight. Very hard to describe what you’re doing without using superlatives. Keep on truckin’, you’re an inspiration to many a runner.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Hi Tony,
You are making your way through Canada very well. Watched the video and the article in the paper is good. All fine here. Take care and keep on running
Ann
December 11th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
awesome read tony….gotta get some xmas light up sunshine in pASADENA today …bit chilly at 0 celcius…
take care
stewart
December 11th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Hey Tony,
I wore those socks today…I think they made me faster!!
Socks of a world record holder!!
December 12th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Happy to see that you are through Nova Scotia. We check on you everyday. You are one tough cookie. Mike and Linda
December 12th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
I think your gas! Always an interesting read. Keep her lit Tony!
PS – im still working on that other matter. Chat soon.
December 12th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Hi Tony,
New to this computer lark but never too old to learn. I was relieved to hear that the Cisco lad had not drowned you and wasn’t he nice to look after my boy. Take care Mam
December 13th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
hello tony,glad to see your making out well,the wife kids and myself wish you the best,it was amazing to meet you.keep on truckin.billy.
December 13th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
hey tony,
great going . Your an inspiration. The snow just about melting here in Dublin, time I got stuck into training . A few of us have entered the Berlin Marathon. Ya I know just a jog in the park for you. Buts its a mountain for me.
keep up the good work. Looking forward to your blogs.
cheers
Ray
December 14th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Amazing, sends shivers down my spine as I sit at my desk in work or on the couch at home and read up on your progress – went for my first jog in months today. I won’t embarrass myself by saying how far, suffice to say not very! Thanks for the updates, great charity and hope you enjoy every minute until October 23, 2013!! Bail ó Dhia ort.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
hey tony, just read your blog after seeing you in the Irish times, we played a bit of football together[i think] with Riverside United a few years back. Thats a wonderful thing your doing, keep on rollin, olly
December 15th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Tony – caught your story on runningtimes.com and spent the last day and a half reading EVERY post! You’re an inspiration – can’t wait till you make it to US’s Midwest. Stay safe, run strong, and enjoy this adventure.
December 16th, 2010 at 2:19 am
Hi Olly Great to hear from you! Yes i remember you when I played for Riverside.. That’s the bit about running to training in the tallaght all weather arena and the ankle injury too!! Good luck with everything, Tony
December 16th, 2010 at 2:21 am
Thanks Chris.. Please mail me your location as i got to plan a long way out! Tony