Westward, Ho - Winston-Salem = Journal

Lots of people have run across the United States. = Typically, a=20 support crew follows in a vehicle. Its job is to make sure = that the=20 Gatorade is cold, the socks are fresh, and the beds are = soft.

That sounded too easy for Scott Sehon.

Sehon wanted his run across the country to be unique. He = didn't=20 want the luxury of having a group of friends following in an = air-conditioned RV, ready to tend to his needs.

When he and friend Dave Bronfenbrenner set out from Sea = Bright,=20 N.J., on Feb. 24, they had no idea where they were going to = spend=20 many of the nights on their 3,200-mile trip across the = United=20 States.

They thought that the unknown would add to the fun.

And so far it has.

As of last week, Sehon and Bronfenbrenner have spent just = a few=20 nights outside in their sleeping bags. Runners along the = route have=20 gotten word about the two and have taken them in for the = night.=20 Often, Sehon and Bronfenbrenner will stop at a diner for = lunch,=20 start talking to locals and have a place to stay by the end = of the=20 meal.

'People who've done this before and have traveled with a=20 Winnebago, there's no way they've met a 10th or a 20th of = the people=20 we have,' said Sehon, who was talking last week on his cell = phone=20 while walking through Wyoming.

'If you had a car or motor home with you, then, really, = you'd be=20 running 20 miles every day with different scenery. You'd = have food.=20 You'd know where you'd sleep. That would be nice and = convenient, but=20 I wanted more of a challenge.'

Sehon is the son of Edward and Margaret Sehon, who moved = to=20 Winston-Salem from Sharon, Pa., three years ago when Edward = took a=20 job with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. He now owns a consulting=20 business.

This week, Sehon and Bronfenbrenner are in Idaho. They = plan to=20 finish in Florence, Ore., in early August. A group of = friends and=20 family, including Sehon's parents, will be there to welcome=20 them.

To keep track of Sehon's progress, check out his Web = site,=20 www.runtheusa.com

Sehon didn't start running until he was in 10th grade. =

'Once he started running, he never looked back,' Edward = Sehon=20 said.

Sehon ran cross country at Bucknell University in = Lewisburg, Pa.=20 There he met Bronfenbrenner. While in college, he, = Bronfenbrenner=20 and some friends drove across the country.

Sehon started to dream about running across the country.=20 Bronfenbrenner was game.

Upon graduation, they took jobs and began paying off = debts and=20 saving for the run. In the meantime, Sehon competed in his = first=20 marathon, the prestigious London Marathon, in 2002.

His parents weren't thrilled with Sehon's plans at first. = Edward=20 Sehon suggested they get a van to follow behind. Sehon = declined.

'His true ambition in all of this is self-satisfaction,' = Edward=20 Sehon said. 'It's like climbing Mount Everest, I guess. Why = are you=20 running across the U.S.? Because it's there.'

Sehon and Bronfenbrenner have made some adjustments. When = backpacks proved too cumbersome early into the trip, they = bought a=20 baby stroller. Now, they strap their backpacks, which = include=20 sleeping bags, pads, water, food and clothes, into the = stroller and=20 take turns pushing it through the countryside.

The first part of the trip was difficult. They ran = through snow=20 and 20-degree weather in New Jersey. It took their bodies = some time=20 to adjust to the physical demands.

They average about 22 miles a day. Though last week, they = took=20 advantage of the flat terrain and ran 32 miles.

Typically, they head out about 9 a.m., walk for about 30 = minutes,=20 stretch, then run. They try not to run for more than an hour = at a=20 time without taking a break. They finish in = midafternoon.

Sehon heard horror stories about the heavy winds in the = Plains=20 but so far that hasn't been a problem. They have run through = headwinds of about 40 miles an hour.

Last week, Sehon was helping friends and family make = preparations=20 for the finish.

'It's almost like it gave us a false sense of being = done,' he=20 said. 'But we still have 1,000 miles to go. It's like you = turn a=20 corner and you're going to see the ocean, but you know = that's not=20 going to happen.'

Sehon's enthusiasm has been buoyed by the support of = strangers=20 who have welcomed the two runners into their homes, paid for = their=20 meals or wished them well.

On Easter, Sehon and Bronfenbrenner woke to dark skies = and rain=20 in Missouri. They had no idea where they would spend the = night.=20 About six miles from their destination, a man in a pickup = truck=20 waved them over. He was also a runner, and they began a = friendly=20 conversation. He invited them to his house for a dinner of = pork,=20 potatoes, corn, rolls and salad. They toured his farm, = helped feed=20 his cattle and spent the night at the house.

'It's not hard to figure out we're doing something = different when=20 you see two guys pushing a baby stroller that is designed = for=20 running,' Sehon said. 'Any time we walk into a place, we = sort of=20 stick out.'

Once they finish, Bronfenbrenner plans to go to graduate = school=20 -- Sehon will head to Winston-Salem for about two weeks. He = plans to=20 spend most of that time on the couch watching sports with = his=20 father.

Edward Sehon expects restlessness to set in after a few = days.=20

'My guess is his wandering will not keep him here for two = weeks,'=20 he said. 'He'll probably sleep 72 hours, watch sports for a = weekend=20 and try to make plans for the future.'

Sehon hopes that future includes the marathon trials for = the 2004=20 Olympics. He needs to run a marathon under 2 hours and 22 = minutes to=20 qualify for the time trials. He hopes to make that time at = marathons=20 in either Chicago or Scranton, Pa., this fall.

Until then, Sehon inches toward the Pacific Ocean. = Whenever they=20 grow weary of running another 22 miles, they think of the=20 alternative - working.

'For the most part, we're happy to be doing what we're = doing,'=20 Sehon said. 'We never thought this wasn't a good=20 idea.'