runtheusa.com

2/5/2004 - 6:10 PM - Dave Update and Brief Reflections

“There is no way to comprehend how we will feel on that first day, as we stand with our feet in the Atlantic staring west. There is no way to know what the drudgery of covering 20 miles a day, everyday, for 5 months will feel like. But I'll tell you what, of all the pain, repetition, or bad luck that COULD happen, I am totally and completely ready for it.” The above passage includes the last thoughts of mine before beginning the run across the country. This is the first time I have read the words since posting them on the site almost one year ago. Wow, looking back on that first day, with our feet in the Atlantic staring west…. To be perfectly honest, the thought at the front of my mind was, “It’s really cold, I can’t believe I just ran through 2 feet of snow in my bare feet and am now standing in the 50oF Atlantic Ocean.” After the initial shock, we headed down the road and, for the first time, the weight of leaving for the trip was gone. From then on it would be left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, until we hit the beach in Oregon. As we headed down the first stretch of road all I could think was, “Okay, so were running, now what?” As the day continued we found ourselves continuously talking about what it would feel like to role up onto the beach in Oregon and soak up the whole experience. I can’t tell you how many times this discussion came up on the trip and how motivating it was in times of need. I also talked about the dangers that ‘COULD’ happen on the trip. I honestly don’t think that there was a single bad thing that happened on the trip. Yes, there were some set backs and unforeseen problems but nothing that caused us any major trouble. Anything undesirable that happened was taken in stride. We knew that if we just kept running we would be that much closer to the finish. Neither of us spent any significant time in a bad mood. Sure there were the miserably cold days, missing friends and family, but I would not have been happy doing anything else. As the miles clicked by and winter turned into spring, the trip became a way of life. Get up in the morning, run for 20 miles or so, meet some wonderful new people and go to sleep. I guess when I talk about it that way it sounds rather mundane but it really did not and does not feel that way. Everyday held new sites, new people, and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. The response on the web site was that much more inspiring so there was never any reason to doubt ourselves. If there was one misconception I had before the trip began it was the response of the people across the country. From the housing offers, readers on the website, and friendly smiles and waves of people driving by, I never imagined that we would receive the support we did. Before we left I was optimistically thinking that we would spend 30% of the nights indoors. To know now that we had housing offers for over 90% of the nights seems almost unrealistic. We had originally planned for a few hundred hits on the website a month. We ended up having an entire expected months worth of hits in just the first 3 days. And, not only did people smile and wave as they drove by, but several times they pulled over to talk to us and even give us a couple bucks to help us on our journey. There is no way to explain the feeling I have when I think about all of this. It seems impossible. All I can say is Thank You, Thank You to everyone. I haven’t talked very much about the final day to the beach and the thoughts that ran through my mind. I guess it’s because it wasn’t the most important part of the trip. Scott and I always new we would reach the coast and when the day finally came it kind of felt like we had accomplished the inevitable. It’s not until I look back to everything from the conception of the idea, the planning, the act of leaving, the miles on our bodies, and the people who supported us, that the true enormity of the accomplishment comes to mind. From a big picture view, we had just spent the last five months doing the exact same thing day after day to arrive somewhere that would have taken a few hours on a plane. The feeling in the end was the same we had had from the beginning. It wasn’t about the destination, it was about the journey. I don’t care how cliché that sounds, it’s the truth.

2/5/2004 - 6:09 PM - Scott Update and Brief Reflections

I can’t believe it’s been nearly one year since Dave and I jogged off the chilly beach in NJ. Running across the country had been a longstanding dream of mine and making it a reality was truly surreal. How in the world we made it across the US without a close call with an automobile, without being threatened, and without any real problems is something that still amazes me. Aside from the early injury setbacks caused by running with the packs on our backs, we never so much as rolled and ankle or tripped on a curb. Getting to meet so many incredibly generous people along the way kept our spirits high, and our attitudes good the entire trip. People often asked us if we got sick of each other. Absolutely not. We never had any real disagreements the entire trip. We felt so fortunate to be in the position of doing exactly what we’ve always wanted to do, that there was never anything to argue about. We were the luckiest guys on earth, and we knew it. That kept us smiling 99% of the time over the 160 days. The other 1% of the time involved some tough moments. I had a few spells on the trip where I really missed my best friend and girlfriend Bethany. There were also a handful of days where I’d wake up, look at hairy, gaunt, unrecognizable face in the mirror, and ask myself, “What are you doing to yourself?” But each day was brand new with fresh scenery and new friends. I can’t stress enough how amazing all of our hosts were. I think about them everyday. They all took in a pair of strangers at the drop of a phone call or an e-mail. They fed us, they did our laundry, they gave us tours of their towns, they told us the stories of their lives, they let us be part of their lives for a day or two at a time…..just as we let them be part of ours. There was never a moment when any host made us feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. They may never truly know how much they each mean to us. We’ve been home from the trip for just over 6 months. So if we’d chosen to turn around in Oregon, I guess we’d be home by now. Huh. Anyways, while we are home from the trip, we will never be finished with the trip. The trip was the beginning of new friendships, and a passage to the next part of life (not sure what that is though). Nothing makes me happier than trading e-mails with people I met along the way. That alone can pick me up when I’m having a down day. Getting an e-mail from someone who was once a stranger, but now forever a friend, reminds me of all the goodness and kindness there is the world. I still shake my head in disbelief when I look back on the trip, and look at how “normal” my life has become once again. Honestly, I have trouble sometimes talking about the feelings the trip gave me because it was my way of life for 6 months, and then it was gone. Losing that way of life was, in many ways, like losing a friend, but I made many new friends along the way. I apologize for how much this note jumps around, and if some of it doesn’t make sense…..but at times I do have a very hard time expressing my feelings about the trip. I’m not sure why, but I do. It was truly a dream. Please read Dave’s recent summary. It says exactly how I feel about the trip. Thanks to all of you, and please keep in touch…..Scott

1/10/2004 - 3:36 PM - Yes Dave is alive (1/10/04)

Well, it’s been a long time since the run has ended and I have been indescribably lazy about writing some sort of an update. My original plan was to write one after a few weeks which turned into after my marathon, then Christmas. Well, I have no excuse but finally after 5 months I will let you know what has happened to the other half since the run. The finish on the beach was great with lots of friends and family. On Monday the 4th (two days after finishing) Scott and I flew back to Philly and parted ways. Scott, getting a ride with Bethany back to his new apartment in Bryn Mawr, and me back to my parents house in Allentown. In some ways, I wish I could have gone home and sat around thinking about the last five months, but that wasn’t the case. I had just over a week to get my but packed and moved out to Berkeley, CA where I would be starting Graduate School in Material Science Engineering. So, for 5 days I attempted to pick and pack my way through twenty five years of clutter. I would be driving to CA and would only be taking what fit in Beowulf (my Pontiac Aztek). This time at home was entirely to short for my mother who had to worry about me wandering around the country for 5 months just to see me move to the opposite side of the country. Well, it had to be done, so after the car was packed and goodbye’s given I was off to traverse the country, albeit in a much easier and faster fashion. I had planned the drive to take about 4.5 days taking route 80 the whole way. However once I got on the road I was able to just go. With a stop in Chicago, IL, North Platte, NE, (with a quick stop in Lincoln to visit Ann Ringlein) and Winnemuca, NV, I arrived in sunny Berkeley after 3.5 days. One thing I must have learned on the trip was how not to get bored. Upon arriving in Berkeley, I had to wonder how often someone had finished a run across the country, flown across the country, and driven across the country all in about 1 week and a half. All that was left was to bike and ride a horse. Since arriving in Berkeley things have gone great. I am living with 4 other people (5 total) and couldn’t have picked better roommates. Classes were a little difficult at first having to not only get used to everyday life again but also the fact that I hadn’t studied or taken a test in 3 years. After the initial shock I was able to settle in and relax somewhat. Running wise, I spent most of the fall ‘pretending’ to train for the marathon. I had several set backs such as a bad case of poison oak (they don’t have this on the east coast), a strained calf muscle, small bicycle accident, and general laziness. So, after only two weeks over 70 miles, and two long runs of 20, I ran the Cal International Marathon on December 7th. Although my training had not been good at all, I decided to go out at Olympic Trials pace (5:24/mile, 2:22.00 overall) and hold on as long as possible. Surprisingly things went well through the first half in 1:10.30 ish (right on pace). At this point however I knew the body wasn’t going to last. I held on with the pace pack through 21 and was still under pace at 22 but then everything fell apart. I ended up running 2:26.28 which was a 7 minute pr so I couldn’t be to upset. It wasn’t what I had hoped but better than I had expected. After the race I tried to come back to quickly and am currently dealing with an IT band problem. Ugh. Oh well, it’s probably good for me to take the time off. I did go home over Christmas and was able to see my family which hadn’t been together in over 2 years. Over New Years, I saw Scott for the first time since parting in the Philly airport. As always, it was like we had just seen each other the day before. I have just recently returned to Berkeley and am getting ready for a tough semester. My research will be kicked up a notch, I will have 3 classes instead of 2, and I will have my prelim examinations this semester to determine if I am worthy of the Ph.D. program or not. I am very happy though as I have a girlfriend (3months), a great group of friends, a fun advisor, and of course beautiful California weather. With everything that has happened since the end of the run I haven’t had to much time to think about it. But I will say that it was an absolutely fantastic experience and without the support from our hosts and all those who followed us on the website it would not have been nearly as fun, exciting, easy, and completely unforgettable! Thank You Everyone!!

9/3/2003 - 2:43 PM - What I've been up to....Scott (Sept 3rd)

OK…so what have I (Scott) been up to since hitting the Pacific about a month ago? Well, not running much. My hopes of being in great shape and running a fast marathon at Chicago in October have been flushed in the toilet for a number of reasons. First and foremost the motivation to get out the door each morning to run has been virtually non-existent. I've run probably 10 times in the last month. I think the shortest I've run has been 8 miles. I even did a speed workout on the track in my first week home (repeat 5:05 miles with 400 rest), but after that I just didn't want to be tired all the time. Along the way I've also moved into a new apartment with Bethany, contracted a bacterial infection in my lungs, and severely strained my back from lifting boxes. I can barely bend over to pick up a pen off the floor right now. So, next weekend I am running with the Bucknell Alums at the Reach the Beach Relay in New Hampshire. After that I am going to take off 4-6 weeks with no running at all. Then, I'll re-evaluate things and perhaps begin training for a spring marathon. Right now I still plan to be in Chicago for the marathon (as a spectator), so if people want to meet up for a beer, I'd love to see you……Brian, Lori, Wanda, and others. Bethany got me a Playstation 2 for my B-day (along with GTA3), so I've put in some solid hours in front of the TV in the last month as well. I took a 10 day road trip too! I headed south to my parent's in NC and eventually up to Boston. In Boston I met up for a drink with Sara, a regular follower of ours when we were on the road. Thanks for hanging out! I glance at the pictures on the website every now and then. It's amazing how much of a distant memory the trip already seems. I'm busy with other things and moving on, as is Dave. In fact, when I last spoke to Dave (Sunday) he'd yet to look at the site once since we finished. He's quite busy adjusting to his new life in Berkeley. Thoughts of "what comes next?" bounce through my head every now and then. I feel like I want to do something else but I'm not sure what yet. For now I couldn't be happier to be settled and living with Bethany. I may go back to work at my old job, but am open to doing anything. So if you know of any job openings for anyone doing anything, e-mail me, as I'm all ears. More to come, I promise…..including pictures from the finish. Thanks…..Scott (Sept 3rd, 2003)

8/20/2003 - 11:41 PM - More to come!

Ok, so it took us 2 1/2 weeks to post the details about the trips final 3 days. For that we apologize. However, keep checking back as there will be 150ish more pictures posted. They will be from the final 50 days of the trip. In addition, we'll both be writing some longer essays as reflections of the trip. Thanks......Scott and Dave

8/20/2003 - 11:41 PM - Day 160 - Florence, OR to Pacific Ocean!!!!!!!!!

Saturday morning was the last day we’d wake up and think, “We have to run west today.” At around 10am everyone gathered at the house as we prepared for our final 2 miles. We stood around the house and socialized for nearly an hour before making the decision to go out and run. It was kind of strange because this was the day that we’d be running for, and everyone was there, but when it came time to say “Let’s go finish this thing!” we almost didn’t want to do it. A friend of Dave’s had told us in the middle of the trip that we should savor every minute because once we hit the beach it would all be over. That was very much in mind on that last day, but I was happy and excited above all else. So once the decision to finish was made, we drove two miles back to our last finish point, packed up the jogger one last time, took a bunch of pictures, and started to run. As we’d hoped, we were joined by most able bodied friends and family for those last two miles. They were quite festive. We had not seen a bottle of Mad Dog on the road since day 37, and wouldn’t you know it we saw 3 empty bottles in our last 2 miles. Those Oregonians must really love the stuff. What are the chances that we’d see 3 the entire trip, and then 3 more in the last 2 miles? Unbelievable really. Once to the beach, those friends and family who did not run were waiting to greet us. We stopped about 50 yards short of the ocean to hug people, take some pictures, shed our shirts and shoes, and take one last breath before making it official. Dave and I looked at each other and said “Let’s go.” We calmly jogged to the water, and despite its chilly temp (about 55 F), we never broke stride. The goal had been reached, the dream fulfilled. We gave a huge smile to one another, hugged, and called it a day. The shorted day of our trip (2 miles) was the sweetest and the last. . I could never add up all the hours, energy, and heartache we’d invested over the previous years just to make that moment of diving into the Pacific a reality. The truth is the only thing of importance is that we’d made it happen, and done it on our own terms. However, saying that we made it happen couldn’t be further from the truth. Take a look at the credits list. Every single person on it had a hand in helping us achieve our goal. No matter how big or small the favor, if you helped us, your name is on there. You are the one’s who made this trip what it was all about. We will forever have that list to look at and cherish. Many people on the list we will see again, and many we may not, but know one thing, you helped make our dream come true.

8/20/2003 - 11:17 PM - Day 159 - Florence, OR - DAY OFF

On Friday morning we woke up and had breakfast in the resort restaurant with Dave’s parents. With the entire day to do as we wished, we headed into Florence to look around. The town was small and quaint with lots of tourist shops. Dave was pleased to see a candy shop selling fudge. He got a half pound of chocolate and ate the stuff like an apple. On the way back to the resort we stopped at a beach point to walk around. There were lots of people walking, running, playing, and taking pictures. I (Scott) spotted a pair of bikers on the beach who appeared to be conducting a ceremony of sorts. I mentioned to Dave that perhaps they were starting or finishing a long journey. We’d heard on several occasions that Florence is a popular start/finish point for trans-con bikers. Eventually the bikers made their way towards us. We struck up a conversation with them, and they confirmed our inquiry about their journey. They had just completed a cycling trip from the coast of Maine. We spoke for nearly 45 minutes, sharing stories from the road. Once back at the resort, our friends and family began to slowly trickle in. First Kate (my sister) and Zan (brother-in-law) arrived. They were followed by my parents and Bethany. Then Mull, Joe, Mike, Kellem, and Lisa rolled in, then Wood, Saki, and Rick. Only Eric (Dave’s twin) and Karen (Eric’s fiancée) remained. In celebration of my 26th birthday I had dinner with the family at the resort restaurant. It was a so great to be reunited with my family again. Having them there was the best b-day gift I ever could’ve asked for. The second best……a Play Station! I never asked for it, and never expected it, but Bethany gave me a PS2 for my b-day, along with Vice City and Tiger Woods Golf. Wow, I really was the luckiest guy on earth (still am)! After dinner everyone went to the lovely house that MC Jonathan F. Mull rented for the weekend’s festivities. Plenty of beer was already going down when we arrived (9pm). I was given a few more b-day presents as well. They included a delicious cake (courtesy of Bethany’s parents) and 40’s of Olde English 800 and Steel Reserve Malt Liquor (courtesy of Rick, Saki, and Wood). Once the parents turned in for bed, us youngsters went out to see what Florence nightlife had to offer. While I won’t go into great detail, I will say that we looked a bit out of place. Nonetheless, we had a fantastic time and didn’t leave until last call (2am). I was really overwhelmed (in a good way) by having the company of my family and very best friends for my b-day, but more so for Saturday’s finish.

8/20/2003 - 10:51 PM - Day 158 - Walton, OR to Florence, OR

On our last full day of travel Jim Hill kindly drove us 45 miles to our drop point. We had about 20 miles to cover to reach Florence, OR. It was 8am when we were dropped and Dave’s parents were not scheduled to arrive in Florence until around midnight, so we had a lot of time to kill. While we ran nearly all 20 miles we took many, many breaks. The realization that the run was coming to an end was setting in, and perhaps taking several breaks was our way of drawing things out a little longer….or perhaps we were just really tired. The night before we’d been out drinking beers in Eugene until nearly 1am, so weren’t particularly well rested. In fact, I (Scott) had one of my only severe hangovers of the entire trip on that last full day of travel. I’m a complainer and I really let Dave hear about how poor I was feeling. We did stop for lunch that day in Mapleton, OR. Like we’d done hundreds of times before, we wheeled the jogger into a local diner, bought a newspaper, did the crossword, and chatted about nothing in particular. Sportscenter was on TV, and I watched it for a while. It was fun to think during that meal about how significant the moment was for us, and how seemingly insignificant the day was for everyone else in the restaurant. Our waitress was quite rude, and three men sat at the bar complaining about everything….but nothing in particular. To us it was really the last day of a life changing event; to them it was just another summer day with lots of shit to be done. A few hours after lunch we approached Florence. Dave and I had joked for weeks that we would celebrate our arrival in Florence by bowling a few frames and drinking beer. Immediately upon our arrival we got some Gatorades and sent a few e-mails from the library. However, once those tasks were completed we headed to the bowling alley. With the exception of a few guys at the bar, we were the only people in the place (it was 5pm on a Thursday). We bowled 5 games each and drank plenty of beer. Much of the time was spent laughing and reminiscing about all we’d been through. Really we concluded that except for a couple of scraggly beards we were relatively the same guys who’d left Jersey 158 days before. Once our arms were tired and our brains buzzed, we left the alley and grabbed some dinner at Taco Bell. At dinner’s end the time was just 8pm. We had nearly 4 hours to kill. I was really tired, and wanted to sleep, so we found a clearing in the woods and threw down our sleeping bags. The spot was just 2 miles from the beach and looked to be a great starting point for Saturday’s final run to the shore. Until 11:30pm, when Dave’s parents picked us up, we dozed under a clear night’s sky. Dave hiked around a bunch and at one point nearly got trampled by a dear. The sky was magnificent and I counted 6 shooting stars in just 30 minutes. Around 11:30pm, Dave’s parents arrived and we went with them to the resort. We chatted for a while before going to bed.

8/5/2003 - 5:54 PM - Long update and thoughts to come soon....i promise

ok, i'm back in philly trying to get life in order. this weekend was a fantastic. great to see so many friends and family. i (scott) am collecting my thoughts for a long essay to post here. it may come in a few installments, but keep checking each day for new journal entries and pictures. there are tons of photos to post. it will take a while to get them all up, but we will. thanks so much for all of your notes, support, help, encouragement, and even criticism. it's made this all wothwhile.....scott

8/2/2003 - 10:11 PM - Day 160 - Dave & Scott RUN THE USA!

Webmaster TubeSteak here. I have officially received word that today, 8/2/2003, Dave and Scott have officially reached the beach in Florence, Oregon. Much to their surprise there were THREE empty bottles of Mad Dog found over the last two miles! They will be completely bumming! Webmaster Wood flew out to run the last few miles with them and celebrate, and he has reported that approximately eight people finished the run together with Dave and Scott. Wood "claims" that many pictures were taken today. Of course, these pics will be posted soon to the site.

7/30/2003 - 8:05 PM - Days 156 and 157 - Noti, OR to Walton, OR

For runners of any/all abilities yesterday would've been the most fun and interesting day of the trip….as it was for us. I (Scott) am a bit rushed right now but will replay the highlights. We went into Nike with John Truax, who is the track and field spike designer. First thing in the morning was a running department meeting with most of the Nike running staff on hand. After getting to hear their story they asked that we share ours. Much of the day was spent touring the many departments and huge campus. We got to speak with Alberto Salazar for a while. At day's end we headed out for a run with Nike intern and NCAA Indoor 5k Champ Sara Gorton of University of Colorado. Before beginning our run though we stopped by Nike's "Oregon Project" house which has been fitted with oxygen removal systems to simulate living at altitude. Currently there are 5 men living there. Chad Johnson, one of the residents, joined us for the run too. We also met his housemate and several time Runner's World Road Runner of the Year Phillemon Hanneck. Despite temps in the mid 90's, Sara and Chad took us to a cool and shaded park for the run. We clicked off 9 miles at 6:30, which is par for their course. I was a bit tired and sluggish, but it was great to run with a pair of national class athletes. We grabbed some dinner afterwards and chatted for a while. Despite an invite from Chad to spend the night at the house we hit the road around 9pm and drove back to Eugene. We joked about if we'd slept there we could've cranked up a bedroom to it's max (18,000 feet), drank a beer, and woken up with brain damage. This morning we were back on the road for another 15-20 miles. The road we're on now has been the worst of the trip when taking traffic, no shoulder, and turns into consideration. It has not been a lot of fun. Take into account the mid 90's temp and we're not happy campers. Today's run left us just 25 miles from the Pacific. We got picked up by Jim Hill (former 13:19 5k runner from U of Oregon). He took us by his company SportHill clothing for a tour. We're now saying goodbye to Dave and Becky Dusseau who have hosted us for almost a week and given us full use of a car. They have been fantastic and I'm not sure how we could ever repay them or many people we've met along the way. I could write pages and pages about yesterday but must go. Track one of us down for a long run sometime and we'll tell you all about it. Time to go swimming over at Jim Hill's……..

7/28/2003 - 6:12 PM - Days 154 and 155 - Eugene, OR - REST

Hello from our extended break. I (Scott) had a great trip to Southern California. I got to visit with friends and family who I only get to see about once a year. I did get in a few runs of 8 and 12 miles along Huntington Beach. I took the rest of the days as rest days…..aka In-N-Out Burger Days….aka I went to bed at 4am and woke up with a hangover days. After a relatively light and tame social agenda for the last 5 months I abused myself in SoCal. As is always the case I was brought to my knees by the almighty "Shark Attack" at Sharkeez in Newport Beach. Only those who have experienced the "Shark Attack" can truly appreciate the pain associated with said beverage. I made it back safely to Eugene yesterday in time to enjoy a great cookout with Dave and Becky Dusseau. They hosted us last weekend for a night in McKenzie Bridge at their cabin, and are again treating us to beds and home cooked meals while in Eugene. After dinner they headed to the cabin and left the house and a car to Dave and I, and their 17 yr old son John. Dave and I were fully expecting the house to turn into something out of an '80's teen movie (think 16 Candles), but John headed out with friends and spared the house. Dave and I drove up to see Pre's Rock, got some ice cream, walked a few laps around Hayward Field, and then met Caitlin Wittreich (her father Paul ran with us on Day 21 out of Emlenton, PA) and her friends for a few beers. We had a great time but everyone had run up a pretty severe sleep deficit over the weekend, so we called it a night before 11pm. Today Dave and I played 18 holes of par 3 golf with Dave scoring a 1stroke victory. We then headed over to Hayward Field for our run. I'm still unsure why, but we both decided to attempt light workouts. I ran 2 x 1mile at 5:20 and 5:12 with 1 lap recovery, while Dave ran 3 x 800 in 2:18ish. It was 95 degrees and we hadn't drank anything all day, so I cut my workout short by 1 mile. While the heat hurt quite a bit it was great to run a workout on the historic Stevenson Track at Hayward Field. We're now getting cleaned up for a drive up to Portland. We will be spending tomorrow at the Nike World Headquarters. We've been invited to sit in on some running department meetings and will receive a tour of the campus. It should be great. We'll get back to the road on Wednesday to put a dent in our remaining 40 miles. Cheers, and thanks so much for all of the notes and e-mails! I can't tell you how much the support we've received has kept us going out here. Can't believe it's almost over……

7/25/2003 - 1:54 PM - Days 150 and 151 - Los Angeles, CA - REST (Scott)

Hello….just checking in from Los Angeles. Life on vacation is good. I went for my first run yesterday in 5 months that I started and finished by myself. There was no one to talk to, no baby jogger to push, no traffic to dodge, just the ocean to look at and my own thoughts to keep me company. The run was along the strand in Huntington Beach. It was 8 miles with the middle four at an accelerated pace (6:00, 5:45, 5:30, 5:30). Those four felt great. It was nice to finally get the legs moving a little bit. Marathon weekend is 11 weeks away, and I’ve got to build a lot of speed into my legs between now and then. The weather yesterday was perfect for sitting on the beach. I spent most of the afternoon there, and followed it up with happy hour at one of my favorite SoCal joints, Taco Surf. $1 tacos and $1 beers from 2-5pm everyday. Great stuff! I’ve also hit In-N-Out burger twice in three days. Nightlife has been easygoing and tame (by choice). I’ve slept in until nearly 10am everyday. Tomorrow I’ll be driving up to Ventura to visit my cousin Lee, his wife Kim, and their two sons. I am growing more excited everyday about next weekend. One week from today I’ll get to see my friends and family in Oregon. I’m coming to grips with the basically being done. No tears shed. It’s been a great ride, but there are lots still to do in life. I’d like to thank everyone for all of the great notes we’ve received on the message board and through e-mail over the last 2 weeks. Your support really means a lot to us, and we couldn’t have done it without you. We will answer all of the e-mails, but it may not be until we are done and back in PA or CA. Thanks again.

7/22/2003 - 11:23 PM - Day 149 - Eugene, OR to Noti, OR

Today began with an eight am wake up and a trip to Dunkin Donuts. Although we were disappointed in the fact they did not have breakfast sandwich’s, we did enjoy a taste of home. Palmer and Julie joined us as we headed out the door and walked with us for about 1/4 mile. After they departed, we spent much of the morning dodging traffic. The road was packed and there wasn’t much of a shoulder. Finally, after we got to the edge of town, we were able to start running. We carried the wave all the way to mile marker 40. We are on our last stretch of road and that mile marker meant there was only 40 miles to the beach. With 2 days of travel, we decided to call it quits for the day and Julie came and picked us up. Now the wait begins. We have gotten so far ahead of schedule that we will spend the next 8 days waiting to continue our trip. Scott had left on his flight and I am settling down to another night of rest. I hope not to think about the finish for a few days as it might just drive me batty. I will be meeting tons of people in Eugene so that will keep my mind off the finish. It should be a great week of rest and reflection. Scott and I will both try to add some entry’s throughout the layoff. Well, Palmer is coming to say goodnight so I must be off.....

7/21/2003 - 6:37 PM - Day 148 - Walterville, OR to Eugene, OR

Got a solid 10 hours of sleep last night. Felt good, and I (Scott) certainly rest easier the closer we get to the finish. In many ways I expected to feel like a child on X-Mas Eve leading up to our last days out......just so excited that I couldn’t sleep, but that hasn’t happened. Perhaps it is so strange for me to imagine not being out here that I’m having trouble processing how close we really are to being done. It is a remarkably similar feeling to the one I had before we left. I thought that I would have incredibly inspiring thoughts and be overflowing with excitement, but it wasn’t like that. It is very tough to describe really. Well, as close as we are to the finish in mileage (just 60 miles to go) we won’t stroll onto the beach for another 12 days. So there’s still lots of time to think about it. Much of my thinking time will be spent on the sunny beaches of Southern California where I’m jetting off to after tomorrow’s run. I’ve received permission from Dave to go swimming in the ocean if I’d like. I didn’t want to offend him if I chose to take a dip in the Pacific before we arrived on foot. This morning we had pancakes for b-fast and were on the road by 9:30am. The day was just a short 15 mile hop into Eugene. We made quick work of it and we’re sitting down for lunch by 11:45. We dined at a sub shop attached to Dunkin Donuts!.....the first one we’ve seen since Akron, OH. There was no debate about continuing on for more mileage today, because by finishing there today we’ve guaranteed ourselves b-fast at DD for tomorrow. After lunch we were picked up by Julie Caswell, a friend of the Bronfenbrenner family. We are staying with her, her husband Adam, and son Palmer for a few of our nights in Eugene. No plans for tonight. Just take it easy......

7/20/2003 - 7:30 PM - Day 147 - Nimrod, OR to Walterville, OR

Another beautiful day in Oregon. The sun was shining and the sights were beautiful as we hit the road around 10:00 am. Scott was feeling great and ready to run. I on the other hand was feeling a little soreness form coming down out of the mountains. I had plenty of energy, just not a lot of power in my quads. But whatever, and off we went. We had been running for about twelve miles when two bikers with gear in tow passed us. A little ways up the road they had stopped and we ran up to talk. They had come from Virginia and were heading to Astoria where they would be finishing. We chatted about our adventures and then headed on down the road. The temperature rose pretty quickly throughout the day and by the end of the run, it was well into the 90’s. Walterville is a small little town along the McKenzie River. We hit up the local restaurant and enjoyed a small lunch. Soon after, our hosts Catherine and Dale Beam arrived to take us to their home. They live up on the mountainside and although only less than a mile form the main road it feels like the middle of nowhere. You can see the surrounding mountains and here the flowing river. It is beautiful. Tonight we will be sitting down to some home cooked Indian food which Catherine actually learned to make in India. It should be a treat. Tomorrow will be a nice short day into Eugene. I can’t believe we are almost in Eugene……

7/19/2003 - 11:21 PM - Day 146 - McKenzie Bridge, OR to Nimrod, OR

Last night we had a great time here with Jeff Sherman. He has quite a library of old running tapes. We tapped into the films and watched full, uninterrupted copies of the 1972 Olympic 5k Final (Prefontaine) and Haile Gebreselassie’s 12:44 5k (11 second world record) from 1995. That was great entertainment for a couple of running geeks. This morning we downed some pancakes for b-fast before hitting the road. Our run was a relatively easy, slightly downhill, 19/20 miles. We clicked the miles off with no trouble. In fact, today was as good as I’ve (Scott) felt running on the entire trip. Needless to say, because I felt so good I spent much of the run day dreaming about a fast fall marathon, and wondering how in the world we’ve made it this far. Upon completion of our run I took a dip in the frigid McKenzie River, while Dave wisely stayed dry on land. We were picked up by Jeff Sherman’s neighbor, Dave Dusseau. He took us back to his and Becky’s (his wife) house for the afternoon. We dined on enormous and delicious steaks for lunch, sipped beers, and enjoyed the beautiful day. Brof snuck away for a few hours to read the Harry Potter book, Dave (our host) stole a nap on the hammock, and Becky and I chatted on the deck. Eventually we all decided to head to the Blue River Reservoir for a swim. The water was crystal clear, but crowded. We entered the water by jumping off of a 30 foot bridge. It was a bit frightening, but quite a rush…..enough of a rush that I went back for a second go around. After the jumps, we sat on the rocks and casually swam for an hour or so. Once we’d had our fill of sun and water, we headed back to the house for dinner. Again, Dave and Becky grilled a delicious meal that we downed in the comfort of the back porch, overlooking the McKenzie River. I’ve spent much of the day marveling that we only have 5 days of travel left. I think back to early in the trip and wonder how we didn’t go crazy from the enormity of having to cover 3200 miles. Somehow, someway we’ve almost made it. We will have over a week of time to kill in Eugene next week as we wait for our planned finish date of August 2nd to arrive. To kill the time I will be heading to Los Angeles for a 5 day getaway. So-Cal is one of my favorite vacation spots, and I’ve lots of friends there who I haven’t seen in quite some time. I am really excited…..Taco Surf, In-N-Out Burger, Sharkies, and Huntington Beach! After all of that I have the weekend of all weekends to look forward to…the party in Florence. Two weeks from this moment it will be in full swing, and like the day we left New Jersey, our lives will never be the same.

7/18/2003 - 9:49 PM - Day 145 - McKenzie Pass to McKenzie Bridge, OR

After a heavy nights sleep, we awoke to bagels, toast, and cereal. We weren’t in much of a hurry today because our host was not expecting us until 2:00 pm. We sat and talked with Charlie and the kids, relaxed, and finally got going around 10:00 am. We were on the road and running by 10:45 am. Today’s run was completely downhill. We dropped from about 5000 ft. to 1200 ft. over the course of the 20 miles. There were several sections that were very steep and I am sure we will be feeling it tomorrow. Overall though, the downhill enabled us to run from start to finish. A heat wave is coming through the area but thankfully there is a plethora of tall trees providing plenty of shade. The humidity is still very low so if we stay out of direct sunlight, we can stay relatively cool. We pulled into our finishing point at the ranger station at about 1:30 pm and sat around talking to the rangers until our host, Jeff Sherman, showed up to take us back to his place. They live in a small little mountain town that is really beautiful. The foliage is so thick that you feel like you are the only person for miles. After a quick lunch, we headed to see some of the local sights. We sat in a hot spring for a while and visited some of the waterfalls on McKenzie River. We returned to the Sherman’s, worked on the computer and will be sitting down to a dinner of Elk meat in a short while. Tomorrow’s run should be just as beautiful as today’s. Every step brings us closer….

7/17/2003 - 11:58 PM - Day 144 - Sisters, OR to McKenzie Pass

The day began with a 7:00 am wake up call. From there, it was off to the Sisters Athletic Club to start our day. We arrived in town around 7:45 am and hit up the local Deli for a breakfast sandwich. We headed down the road around 8:30 am and after a couple cell phone calls, we were off and running. Today’s run took us from ~3000 ft to 5500 ft of elevation at McKenzie Pass. Although it sounded like a big climb, it was spread out over 10 or so miles and wasn’t too bad. The run would also be one of the most scenic of the trip. We started in the high desert area with sparse trees and a lot of sagebrush. In the first few miles, the trees became taller and more abundant as we climbed up into the forest area. This was great as the scattered shade helped keep the temperature down. About 4 miles from the top of the pass, the trees opened up in front of us exposing a huge lava field. Only about 1500 years old, the cooled lava stretched about as far as the eye could see. It looked like we were on a different planet. This also opened up extended views of mountains off in the distant. For the first and probably only time of the trip, we were able to see Mt. Hood; the largest peak in Oregon and famed start of the Hood to Coast relay. We continued up the road passing in and out of the lava fields until we reached the pass; 16 miles into the day. On top was a viewing area built from the lava rocks. Once inside they had little openings in the walls that showed perfect views of each mountain peak. A quick rest and we headed down the other side. We didn’t really have any destination but we knew with a two day total of 40 it would be best to get at least 20 out of the way today. When we reached 20 miles, Charlie Kanzig arrived to take us back to Sisters for the night. The drive down took almost as long (not quite) as the run up as the road was really twisty and turny. It didn’t seem that bad on the way up but as we traveled down, I was glad to have it out of the way. Back in town, we had some food, worked on the computer and rested. We are in our last county in Oregon and besides a few rolls in the coastal mountains; it’s all downhill from here…

7/17/2003 - 11:57 PM - Day 143 - Sisters, OR - DAY OFF

Yesterday morning we got up around 8am, reserved a 10:40am tee-time at a local golf course, and headed into town. We grabbed some breakfast at the local bakery, picked up some golf clubs at the health club, and went to the course. Before teeing off we knocked a few balls around on the range and putting green…nothing too serious. The last thing we are, on the golf course, is good, so the point of the day was to relax and enjoy ourselves. As a twosome we got paired on the first hole with two other golfers who we’d play the round with. Upon introduction we noticed one of the gentlemen wearing a Bucknell hat. Quickly we learned that his son Ian (the other member of our now foursome) is the new offensive coordinator of the Bucknell Football Team. This coincidence made for a fantastic day on the course with our new friends. Ian and his wife recently secured housing in Lewisburg, and having only visited there a handful of times he was eager to learn about the town and school from a couple of insiders. So for the rounds five hour duration we traded advice, stories, mulligans, beers, and just had a great time. I’m anxious to say hello to Ian this fall back in Lewisburg, and perhaps share some more stories and beers then too. As far as the golf goes, well, we could’ve played better, much better! It didn’t matter though as the course was beautiful, and we’d amazingly been paired with the two guys we were meant to be paired with (whether any of us knew it or not). After the round we went back to Tate’s and got cleaned up for dinner. We were invited to join one of Charlie’s assistant coaches, Rima, for dinner at her parents’ house. Many members of Rima’s family from all over the country were in town to visit, so we had questions coming at us from all angles. It was a terrific meal and great company. We only wish we’d had the energy to stick around longer, but despite it being a day of rest we were quite tired. With full bellies and heavy eyes, we headed back to Tate’s for a full night’s rest.

7/17/2003 - 11:57 PM - Day 142 - Redmond, OR to Sisters, OR

Tuesday morning began like so many of our days happily have: breakfast with our hosts. Chris and Chrisi prepared us a delicious spread of pancakes as early morning fuel. By 9am we were in Redmond and ready to get moving. The day ahead was a flat 20 miles to Sisters, OR. We figured that with a short break or two, we could make it there by noon….we were right. The run was fairly uneventful, which is how we like them. The less excitement on the roads, the better. We’re so close to being finished that the last thing we need now is a close call with a car or a violent mauling by a mountain lion. Once into Sisters we made contact with one of our scheduled hosts in town, Charlie Kanzig. He gave us a warm greeting and introduction to Sisters. We walked down the beautiful main street and got some lunch at a local deli. He then took us to the house where we’d be staying for a night or two. The house belonged to Tate Metcalf, who was out of town but kindly left it open for our use. In addition to having use of the house, we were also left the keys to Tate’s truck….so we had wheels too! Charlie filled us in on the arrangements that Tate (owner of the local healthclub) had made to keep us busy and comfortable. They included a massage and 18 holes of golf. After getting acquainted with Tate’s we headed out for our massages. They were fantastic…I mean, who can really complain about a massage? We then grabbed some dinner before heading to Charlie’s cross country practice. He coaches the Sisters HS XC teams and invited us to meet his runners. We enjoyed chatting with the runners before and after practice. It brought back some fond memories for me (Scott), as Tuesday was the 10 yr anniversary of my first cross country practice. It was that night (10 yrs ago), that I had to agree to pay my father back for the running shoes he bought me when I quit the team….which in his estimation would be about a week. Dad didn’t seem too convinced about the whole running thing. In fact, after those first few practices I had to fight hard with my parents to let me run on the team, because the two weeks of mandatory two-a-day practices overlapped with a leadership workshop I’d been invited too. And really, what kind of future could running shape for me? A leadership workshop could surely make all the difference in who I’d become as a person. Right? Well those Air Pegasus dad bought me were in the trash 9 yrs and 99.1% of a transcontinental run ago. I don’t think dad’s getting his money back. After Charlie’s practice was complete, we went back to Tate’s for some sleep. A day of rest was ahead……

7/14/2003 - 10:59 PM - Day 141 - Prineville, OR to Redmond, OR

I awoke this morning around 8:00 am and headed into the house to check some internet stuff and talk with our hosts. Scott had left his watch outside the van (unbeknownst to me) and slept in until 9:00 am. This really wasn’t a problem because we only had 17 miles to cover. We enjoyed oatmeal pancakes and great conversation and finally hit the road around 10:15 am. We ran easy while talking most of the way. We pulled into Powell Butte after 8 miles and hit up the local convenience store. No.....we didn’t rob it, we just had a coke and a candy bar. After about 15 minutes, we headed out again and arrived in Redmond around 12:30 pm. We had a quick bite at the local deli and then were picked up by our hosts Chris and Chrissy Kuka. They both coach (one basketball, the other track) and teach at two different local high schools. After a little conversation and snacks, we headed off to the Deschutes Brewery to have some local micro brew. A few beers later we headed back to the Kuka’s house for some barbequed pork and pasta. We have just finished dinner, which was fantastic, and will be indulging in some ice cream later. We’re feeling great and enjoying the great company. Due to our August 2nd finishing date, we now have more rest days than travel days remaining in our trip. The last 3 weeks should go pretty easy as we have taken 11 rest days so far and have 10 to take in the last 19 days. I am excited to see the beach but even more so to see my family and friends....

7/13/2003 - 4:52 PM - Day 140 - Ochoco Reservoir in OR to Prineville, OR

This morning we woke up and didn’t feel nearly as sore as expected on the heels of a 40 mile day. For b-fast we shoveled down some eggs, toast, and coffee. Because yesterday was so long, we only needed to cover 8-10 miles today. By 9am, we were off and running again, anxious to get the day’s mileage behind us. Surprisingly, both Dave and I felt remarkably good today. The 10 miles we ran were some of the easiest in recent memory. That may be due in part to only having to cover 10 miles today. Regardless, by 10:30am we were in the van and headed back to the house for a day off relaxation. As I type this update I can look out the glass doors to the deck and see the Three Sisters Mountains covered in snow, and 45 miles away. We are surrounded by tree covered hills, and lush green farm fields....it is a spectacular view, and the weather couldn’t be better. We’ve made all off our lodging contacts between here and Eugene, do not have a day of running greater than 20 miles remaining, and have 10 rest days yet to take. If I didn’t know any better I’d think that we might actually make it to the Pacific. If anyone has some suggestions about how to kill 10 days in Eugene/Portland, we’re all ears. Right now we’re thinking of maybe renting a car to tour around for a week, and I may fly to LA for a few days. Who knows. It’s good to be happy and free.....

7/13/2003 - 4:50 PM - Day 139 - Mitchell, OR to Ochoco Reservoir in OR

On Saturday morning, Jenny kindly had us over to her house and cooked us pancakes for breakfast. Upon filling our stomachs, she gave us a ride back into Mitchell so we could get a start on the day. It was 8am, and all we were sure of was that the next town was 48 miles away, the next store was 40 miles away, and we would have access to fresh water 16 miles outside of town. We easily ran the first 7 miles of the day before starting another mountain pass climb. The climb was about a 6% grade that lasted 8 miles. There were a few points of relief where the road flattened, but for the most part it was a long, steady climb. Once to the summit we pulled into a campground to take a break and refill our water. The original plan was to hang out there all day while the sun was hot, and then cover another 8-10 miles in the evening. After an hour of sitting around, we both agreed that the temperature was reasonable enough for midday travel, so we got back on the road. We quickly and easily ran the next 8 miles, as the road was slightly downhill, and surrounded by pine trees nearly 100 ft in height. It was a beautiful day. After the hour we took another break on the roadside. We’d covered 24 miles, it was only about 1:30pm, we both felt good, and a store and reservoir were just another 16 miles down the road (downhill miles too). So we agreed to make the push that would bring our day’s mileage to an even 40. Once back on the road we did some walking, but running felt easier on the legs, so we ran mostly. As we headed down the mountain a VW camper pulled over, and a lady got out. She said that we looked like we were working hard, and offered us some cantaloupe, and mango. Neither of us were in an eating mood, so we politely declined. When we told her where we were headed, she said that she (Kim) and her husband (Dennis) lived close by, and we were welcome to stop by later for showers and sleep. It sounded great, and after some quick directions, we were running again. We still had about 11 miles to go, but the thought of a shower when we were preparing for another night out, made the miles palatable. About two miles from our intended stopping point Dennis came driving down the road to offer us a ride to the house. With the desire to go a few more miles, we agreed to meet at the diner/store and get a ride from there. That would give us an even 40 miles for the day, allow us to get a bite to eat, and allow us to cool off with a swim in the Ochoco Reservoir. Unfortunately the store and reservoir both proved to be disappointing. The store was not yet set up to serve food, and the reservoir was murky with algae, and didn’t smell terribly refreshing. We did get a snack at the store, and oil cans of Fosters, and sat outside on a picnic table to wait for Dennis. Just 10 minutes later we were at there house, showering, checking our e-mail, and told to make ourselves at home. Having left Mitchell in the morning with no idea where we’d sleep, luck was on our side. Kim and Dennis prepared us a delicious pasta dinner, and we traded stories about our travels. They kindly offered to host us for a few nights if need be, so before going to bed we made plans for Sunday’s run and returning to their house. After a very long day, we slept very well....

7/13/2003 - 4:49 PM - Day 138 - Dayville, OR to Mitchell, OR

The next morning we awoke early to get a jump on the day. We knew it would be hot again and with 32 miles to cover, we wanted to hit the road. So at 5:00 am we were up and packed. We hit the road around 5:30 am. We had been told that the road steadily rises out of the canyon we were in and then drops into Mitchell were we would be finishing for the day. What we didn’t realize what it was a 25 mile rise before dropping into Mitchell. After downing a few granola bars, we started running. After a few miles, I commented to Scott that the cart felt like a ton of bricks and we were both working really hard. At this point we turned around and realized that what we thought was flat road had actually been steadily going up. We continued on for a little while longer and then the road really started to go up. We decided to walk the really steep parts because they were really wearing on the person with the cart. We ran on and off the rest of the way up the mountain as the terrain changed from steep to not so steep and back. Finally, the road began to head down. However, this proved to be more painful than the up part. In the first 25 miles of the day, we had gained about 2500 ft. in elevation. Now, we were giving it all back in only 7 miles. The road was dropping at about a 6%-10% grade and really tore on the quads. Knowing what lay ahead in the next couple days, we decided to walk most of the way down the mountain. The last time we had run down a hill like this, our quads paid for the next week and we didn't want to go through that again. So, even though it took a little longer, we finally rolled into Mitchell around 11:30 am. We had actually covered the 32 miles relatively quickly due to the terrain. When there isn't any place to stop and rest, we just keep going and going. Anyway, Mitchell was another tiny town that was setup really well for travelers. They had a local park that provided camping and a place to shower. We hit the cafe for food and the general store for more supplies. As we sat in the shade resting, Jenny Deluca (the Forest Ranger at the John Day Fossil Beds) pulled up. We had been given her name by Brad Ward (the head of Admissions at Bucknell for the West Coast) and had been in phone tag contact. She offered us a ride to Prineville so we could scope out the next two days of travel and pick up some extra provisions. After getting back from there, she took us out to the Fossil Beds to camp for the night. It was beautiful out there with many painted hill formations. We hit the sack around 8:30 pm. Unfortunately, the mosquitos were back with a vengeance. A little interjection. For some reason, the mosquitos don’t like Scott but they LOVE me. Sitting here at the computer, I can count at least 30 bug bites I have received in the last 48 hours. Despite coating myself in insect repellent and staying mummified in my sleeping bag at night, they still get to me. I have at least five bites on my feet for crying out loud. Scott on the other hand does not have a single bite. He even sleeps outside his bag sometimes. It is quite frustrating. my only guess is that he doesn't have a reaction to them but it sure is feeling very unfair. Anyway, I think we will have a place to sleep for the rest of the trip so I won’t have to worry about it any more. I hate mosquitos.......

7/13/2003 - 4:48 PM - Day 137 - Mount Vernon, OR to Dayville, OR

Lets see....We woke up at the Stowers and headed out the door around 7:00 am. We were on the road by 7:30 am and feeling pretty good. Our plan was to run the 23 miles into Dayville, rest through the heat of the day and then cover another 8 or so miles at night. The run went pretty smoothly and quickly. It did start to get hot in the last few miles, but we had plenty of water and stayed relatively hydrated. We pulled into Dayville around 11:00 am and headed to the local cafe. Dayville only has a population of about 100 people but is setup for people passing through. The local church leaves their doors open all the time so after finishing lunch, we headed there and grabbed a shower. We sat inside for most of the afternoon napping, doing crosswords, and avoiding the heat. It was one of the hottest days of the trip so far and luckily, we were staying cool inside. Long about 5:00 pm, we headed back to the cafe for dinner and then hit the local convenience store for supplies. The next town was 39 miles down the road and there were no provisions between. We covered the next 8 miles at a relaxed pace, passing through the John Day Fossil beds. We found a great place to camp around 7:30 pm, setup camp, and were in our sleeping bags by 8:00 pm. It was still really warm out so we tried lying out in the open. However, the mosquitos decided to attack with a vengeance so we were forced to wrap up. This proved for a rough night as we not only sweat to death, but had to listen to the incessant buzzing of the mosquitos. Needless to say, we slept, but it was not very refreshing.

7/9/2003 - 7:07 PM - Day 136 - Prairie City, OR to Mount Vernon, OR

This morning it was tough to get out of bed, even for Dave (which never happens). We were both in very deep sleep when the alarm beckoned us at 6:30am. Still dazed, we were in the car by 7am, and on our way back to Prairie City for our day’s start. In Prairie City, we had a long, slow, and delicious breakfast at a diner. The owner of the diner, and several patrons were quite interested in what we were up to. Route 26 is heavily traveled by ‘across the country’ bikers, which people have grown used to, but the folks in the diner didn’t quite know what to make of us. Once we made it clear that we were in fact on foot, they chose to quietly ask each other speculative questions about us, rather than ask us themselves. They were talking just loud enough for us to hear them, and some of what we heard was rather the funny. The highlight of the conversation went like this, “What in the world are they running to Florence for? I’ve heard of people biking, but not running!” Response: “I dunno, but I sure hope it’s to see a psychiatrist, ‘cause them boys is crazy.” I couldn’t help but just sip my coffee, smile, and think to myself, “Yeah, maybe I am just a little bit nuts. Check please.” Once out the door we got right down to business. We hadn’t eaten a huge breakfast so running almost immediately did not pose a problem. The 13 miles to John Day went pretty quickly. Our quads were sore from yesterday’s long, steep decent, but we still felt good enough to run 11/13 miles. For the last 300-400 miles we have been noticing a trend in road side litter…..lots of empty cases of Keystone Light. For much of the trip the most common litter was cans of Busch and Busch Light beer, but out here the motorists prefer full cases of Keystone Light. We haven’t just spotted two or three empty cases in the last month (it takes a lot more than that to pique our attention), we see an empty cardboard case of the stuff about every three or four miles. We have not developed a theory about this yet, but it is certain that Bush is no longer the beer of choice for motorists. Once into John Day we made a few quick stops. Dairy Queen for a Blizzard…..for me (Scott). Another sidebar…..Dave is now one day into a boycott of DQ. Since Kirksville, Missouri, where we hit our first DQ of the trip, we have probably made about 15 return trips. In those trips 15, I kid you not, our order has been served correctly twice, yes TWICE! We order the same thing every time, and they mess it up every time. In Jackson, WY we had the same person take our same order on three straight days, and we were served three different things (none of them correct). So Dave now refuses to eat DQ. Because it’s usually not my order that gets botched, I have not thrown in the towel on the franchise that Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, once said an NBA referee could not manage. Well, I don’t know who can manage them, but certainly the one’s we’ve hit have some serious issues. OK, so after DQ, we hit McDonalds for a Happy Meal (Dave), and a gas station for Powerball Tix (me). Tonight’s Jackpot is now about 250m clams. Dreams of a fully restored late 60’s El Camino dance in my head as I fall asleep at night…..250m would buy me an entire fleet, and I would probably have enough left over to hire Dave and Rick as my drivers. The last 8 miles of the day to Mount Vernon were easy and went quickly. Once into town our host, Dick Stowers, picked us up and brought us back for one more night at his home. We’re now taking it easy, making some phone calls to set up accommodations for the rest of Oregon, and gonna put on Back to the Future. Yeah, we’re gonna be back to the future of our lives really soon. Nothing like a 160 day detour from life to make you forget that you’re almost 26 and have no idea what you want to do on August 3rd, or the next 74 years.

7/9/2003 - 7:02 PM - Day 135 - Mile Mark 200 on rt. 26 to Prairie City, OR

On Tuesday, we actually awoke relatively dry. Our water-proof bivy sacks and sleeping bags had done their job and although they were completely soaked, we had managed to stay warm and dry throughout the night. We were however quite dirty. As Scott said before jumping in the shower later, “I think my scalp is infested from last night.” …and when he washes his hair just six days from its last cleaning, you know it got really dirty. Anyway it was early, 6:00 am, and after a few power bars and homemade banana bread from the Pinto’s, we were off again. We had about 2 miles of climbing to the summit before heading down the valley. The day was full of up and down as we crossed three different “passes”. Ten miles into the day we arrived at Austin Junction. It was basically an intersection with a store and café but hey, we weren’t picky. We headed up to the door to enjoy some food. Well, they were closed, all day, so that was out. As we sat gathering energy for the last 15 miles of the day, 2 bikers (Bob and Bill) pulled up. They were biking across the country from Seattle, WA to Princeton, NJ and had spent the night camping behind the store. They were pretty bummed that the store was closed as well, but hey, what are you gonna do. Anyway, we exchanged stories for a little and then they were on their way. As we went to leave, Brad one of our hosts in Brogan pulled up. He was on his way back to Portland. He came bearing gifts and we both rejoiced as he pulled out a large bag of Oreo’s (from the Smith’s). For some reason, they were exactly what we wanted and we scarfed them down rather quickly. We headed out up our last pass of the day and (thanks to the Oreo’s) I was feeling great. It was about a 7 mile climb to the top of the pass at 5280 ft. but we just kept trudging along and made it in about an hour and a half. A quick rest at the top and down we went the other side. We ran the last 8 miles into Prairie City and had dropped to 3000 ft. in elevation. It was not kind on the quads. However, we both felt pretty good and the chicken strips at the Prairie City café tasted extra good. Dick and Evelyn Stowers picked us up and took us to their home in John Day. We sat, relaxed on the couch, watched a movie, and dozed in and out until dinnertime. After a great dinner, we headed to the local church softball game. Scott controlled the outfield in left while I played shortstop. A few dazzling plays and many hits later, the team had won. It was a shellacking as the final score after 6 innings was 27-3. Like Scott said before the game started, “We didn’t run 2800 miles to lose.” Anyway, the game was fun and the people were great. We arrived home around 10:00 pm and went to bed immediately. Wednesday will be our first flat day in awhile and should give us some much needed recovery….

7/9/2003 - 7:02 PM - Day 134 - Ironside, OR to Mile Mark 200 on rt. 26

We arose in Ironside to a pissed off cow mooing its head off. It was time to get up any way so we headed downstairs and enjoyed eggs, toast, and bacon. Carolyn gave us a ride out to route 26 and off we went. We would be spending the night out so we didn’t have any real destination to get to. We had heard of a couple campsites but weren’t sure how reliable the information was. So, we took off running down the road towards Unity. With just one quick break (when we crossed into the Pacific Time Zone, woohoo!), we had covered the 18 miles to Unity and were sitting down to a nice lunch. We read the paper and did the crossword as usual and then headed to the local convenience store for some supplies. We stocked up on tuna fish, Ritz crackers, and water and, after checking with the forest service on the campsites ahead, we headed out. Over the next 12 miles, the scenery changed from dessert sagebrush to mountain trees. Although climbing most of the way, it was some of the most beautiful landscape of the trip. The higher we went, the taller the trees got and we were provided with shade that saved us from the scorching sun. It was actually quite pleasant. We pulled into the campsite around 4:00 pm and sat down for a rest. And we sat, and we sat. Darkness wasn’t for another five and a half hours and there wasn’t much to do. Eventually, we ate dinner and setup camp. As we crawled into our sleeping bags around 7:00 pm (it wouldn’t be dark for another 2 hours but hey, there was nothing else to do), we heard thunder and noticed the sky getting a little darker. We hadn’t seen a cloud in nearly 2 weeks and there we were, our first night out in three weeks, and it looked like it was going to rain. We packed up our stuff so it wouldn’t get wet. For some reason we were to lazy to tie the tarp over us, but we were sure the clouds would pass overhead quickly with just a few drops. Well, we were wrong. Around 9:00 pm, the rain began to fall and fall and fall. While trying to stay as dry as possible, we crawled under the tarp and used it kind of like a blanket. It rained until 3-4 in the morning; what a mess.

7/9/2003 - 7:01 PM - Day 133 - Brogan, OR to Ironside, OR

On Sunday we decided to split the day into two twelve mile sections. Our hosts, the Smith’s, were hosting a community fundraising brunch that we wanted to stick around for. The problem was that it didn’t start until 11am, well past when we wanted to be on the road. We found a solution. At 8am we hit the road and ran twelve miles west on route 26. Brad Philipsen, a friend of the Smith’s, then picked us up and returned us to Brogan for the brunch. The meal was quite a production. Prepared for 400 people it was complete with eggs, homefries, toast, sausage, beer, and the main course: calf fries, AKA Rocky Mountain Oysters, AKA bull testicles. Dave didn’t give them much of a chance (picture him trying to eat vegetables….. this was quite similar). I (Scott), however, cleaned my plate, and then Dave’s. The food and company were both fantastic. We spent most of the meal chatting with Brad, and Gail Bateman (our host from Vale). Done eating around 12:30pm, we decided to return to the Smith’s for some midday r+r, as the temperature had risen well into the 90’s. At the Smith’s we watched golf, ate Oreo’s, and napped. Around 3:30pm we decided it was time to find some motivation, and knock out the day’s final 12 miles. So Brad kindly drove us back out of town, and sent us on our way. We ran most of those 12 miles without a break. Fueled entirely by Rocky Mountain Oysters and Oreo cookies, my body (stomach) felt a little out of kilter. However, we made into the small town of Ironside, OR alive, in one piece, and without any serious gastro intestinal situations. Our hosts in Ironside, the Pinto’s, greeted us at the door with smiles and a pitcher of water. We sat on the porch, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and chatted for quite a while, before heading inside for showers and dinner. Dinner was simple, yet delicious. Our bellies were filled with salad (well, mine with salad), lasagne, bread, and cake….oh, and a few Busch beers. After dinner we conversed with Jerry and Carolyn for a short while, before hitting the pillow at a modest 9pm.

7/5/2003 - 9:42 PM - Day 132 - Vale, OR to Brogan, OR

We awoke to another huge meal. Waffles, sausage, and bacon. What a great stay we had with the Bateman’s. They treated us well and the rest day was perfect. Today was a 24 mile jaunt north to Brogan, OR. The sun was out with a vengeance and by noon, the temperature was in the 90’s. We set-off around 9:00 am. Once we hit the outskirts of town we started running and went all the way into Willow Creek. Willow Creek consists of a school and a Cafe and that’s about it (although the school sign did say welcome Dave and Scott, Coast to Coast, only 400 miles left). It was quite touching. We stopped in the Cafe to enjoy the air conditioning and get a drink. Our hosts for this evening (the Smith’s) had given me a gift certificate for my birthday to enjoy whatever we wanted from the cafe. I slurped down a thick chocolate milkshake and Scott downed a satisfying Coke. As we headed back out into the heat, we still had about 13 miles to go. So, we put our heads down and trudged on. Scott and I have somewhat decided to add to our running every day. We have both gotten back into the habit of doing push ups and sit ups. I had been doing them everyday until Macomb, IL and hadn’t done any since then. Now the finish is near and the desire has returned. Today was also the first day we started doing striders. We both threw in a couple of pickups throughout the day (when we were not pushing the cart) and it felt great. Our legs do feel a little more tired but some of that was the mileage of the day and the heat, not just the pick ups. We will see how our bodies adapt and go from there. We arrived at the Smith’s around 1:30 pm. We relaxed for most of the afternoon chatting about small town Oregon. We are now sitting down to a great meal and I am sure we will leave the table quite content. Scott and I also worked on the schedule for the last month. Due to gaining days, we are a bit ahead of our August 2, finishing date. We will also probably gain another day or two across Oregon due to the isolation of our route. However, this will enable us to take the last week real easy as we ease our way towards the shore. Hopefully, we will have a fairly accurate schedule on the site within the next few days....

7/4/2003 - 9:44 PM - Day 131 - Vale, OR - DAY OFF

Last night we had a fantastic time in small town Oregon (Vale). Gail and Conrad prepared a huge grilled beef dinner, complete with a birthday cake and presents for Dave. After dinner we all headed out to watch the 89th Annual Vale Rodeo. It is a four day event that takes place each year over July 4th. The night’s events started with the Suicide Race. It was a cross country horse race that started on the backside of a mountain, just outside of town. The competitors race their horses up and over the mountain, cross a large creek, and then finish just 100 yards later in the rodeo arena. The race was incredibly exciting. One competitor broke away from the field early and appeared to have the race won. Coming into the creek crossing his lead was about 200 yards, however when the horse hit the creek (about 4 feet deep) the rider went straight over and into the water. While struggling to remount his horse, another competitor caught up, crossed the creek without incident, and sprinted on to victory. It was really quite exciting. The crowd of 3,000 then turned their attention to the full schedule of rodeo events. With beer in hand, we took our seats and enjoyed the night. We saw everything from bull riding, to calf roping, to mutton busting….that was my (Scott) favorite. Mutton busting involved kids about the age of 4-6 riding sheep, as grownups would ride a wild horse. All of the kids were decked out in full cowboy garb, and took it quite seriously. It was fantastic. The rodeo lasted from 8pm to 11pm and was followed by a town wide dance party in the rodeo arena. I regret to inform you that we skipped out of the dance party to get some sleep. It was a fantastic night though. On several occasions Dave and I joked about what fun it would be to attend such an event with our friends Jon Mull and Joe Culbertson. Ahh, just the thought of it warms my heart. This morning we did not have alarms set….we just slept until we didn’t want to anymore. By 9:30am we were both awake at the kitchen table gazing at another huge meal. Biscuits and gravy, bacon, fruit salad, and eggs were on our plates. After breakfast we relaxed for a while before Conrad asked a magical question, “You guys want to go golfing?” Without hesitating we said yes, packed up the car with some clubs, and headed out to the local nine-hole course. Conrad, his son Sean, Dave and I had a great time. Neither of us had swung a club since last September, but we held our own. The weather was great, but pretty warm (95ish), so 9 holes was the perfect amount. For those keeping score at home I shot 46, and Dave shot 51. We both played quite well on the first five holes, but as the round continued our putter (we shared one) let us down. I can’t wait to play when I get home in August. Once home from golf we showered and watched a few hours worth of “I Love the 80’s” on VH1. The show has become a favorite of ours on the trip. Our TV stint was followed by yet another huge meal of tacos and tamales. It was delicious and we’ve really eaten a lot in the last 24 hours. The rest day has been fantastic. We’ve spent time on the couch and on the golf course….what’s more American and patriotic than that? Oh, drinking beer is?….well we’ve done that too. Happy July 4th everyone. Yesterday was Dave’s B-day, and today is our course’s B-Day. Granted, many of the roads on our course weren’t around 227 yrs ago, but the wagon ruts and ideas that lead to highways, which eventually lead to interstates, were being formed then. Just 400 miles to go…….

7/3/2003 - 7:13 PM - Day 130 - Nyssa, OR to Vale, OR

Happy Birthday to me! After a great nights sleep, we were dropped off in Nyssa to begin our first full day in Oregon. First things first, however, and we sat down for a nice breakfast in the local café. After working on the crossword and downing our pancakes, it was time to hit the road. After 2 miles of digestion, we started running and coasted along until we had about 7 miles to go. A quick break and we were back on our feet and running. We have pretty much run all the miles in the last two days and it feels great. Hopefully the mountains in the distance won’t take too much out of our legs. We pulled into Vale around noon and made a quick stop at the local Dairy Queen. Scott was excited because it is the first DQ we have stopped in on the trip that has had the Mud Pie blizzard (a favorite of his that we had yet to see.) After satisfying our cravings, we headed the last half mile to our hosts' house, the Bateman’s. We will be spending the next two nights here as we have decided to take the 4th of July off and celebrate. Unfortunately, the yearly road races in Vale (mile, 5k, and 8k) have been cancelled due to construction and the rodeo being in town, so there will be no firecracker race for us this year. This is probably a good thing, as it will allow us to actually rest on a rest day. Thank you everyone for the birthday notes and cards. Not to sound cheesy but this is the first time my twin brother (Eric) and I have spent a birthday in different time zones. Thus (with me being two minutes older), it was the first time Eric has been older than me his entire life. Enjoy it bro and I hope everyone has a good time at the annual birthday bash. Flip one for me…….

7/3/2003 - 7:13 PM - Day 129 - Caldwell, ID to Nyssa, OR

Yesterday we had a fantastic computer setup, and actually worked on it for about two hours to send Webmaster Wood another 60 pictures for the website, but we failed to write an update of the day’s activities. So here it is…..we hit the road in the AM around 9, with 24 miles to cover. The first two miles of the day were walked, before we ran for a lengthy hour and fifty minutes. That is one of the longer spurts of the trip without a break. To get our legs marathon ready (most likely October 12th race) we need to start doing some longer continuous runs without breaks. I’d (Scott) like to have my long runs ready to be 22-24 miles when I return to Philadelphia in early August. That shouldn’t be a problem. I’m already looking forward to doing 24ish miler with Terrance “T-Bone” Shea in the Boston area in mid to late August. He is one of my senior advisors for the marathon, and we always have great chats on long runs. If things go according to plan, we should be running together in Chicago on Oct 12th. Oh, so Brof and I took about a 45 minute break after our long spurt. From there we legged out the last 8 miles to the Idaho/Oregon border in about 58 minutes. As we approached the bridge over the Snake River, we joked about how excited we were for our first border crossing on Day 4, and how disappointed we were that there was no “Welcome to Pennsylvania” sign to greet us. Well, we were just as excited for yesterday’s border crossing, and just like the day into Pennsylvania, there was no sign welcoming us to Oregon. Those will be the only 2 pictures missing from our scrapbook. Every other state that we ran in had a “Welcome to….” Sign. Oh well. The license plates were enough to confirm that we were in fact in Oregon. No more than three minutes after we stopped on the roadside, our host for the night, Matt Brown, pulled up to get us. He promptly ushered us back into Idaho, where we would spend one more night. Once back at the Brown’s, Matt went back to work and left us to have free reign over the house. We spent most of the afternoon uploading pictures into our Yahoo account. Matt’s wife, Sherri, arrived home from work around 3pm. After saying hello and chatting for a while we got back to work on the computer. Soon our noses began to perk up a bit, “What is that smell?” AHH, warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We didn’t even have to go to the kitchen to get them. Sherri, kindly delivered them to us on a plate. Boy did they taste good. Matt got home from work around 5:30pm and we agreed to head out for dinner and a movie. Dinner was at a yummy Mexican place, and the movie was Terminator 3. I’m sometimes weary about sequels unless they’re gonna live up to the standards of the first one or two. Terminator 3 did not disappoint. Lots of explosions, lots of good Arnold humor, and only about 3 billion people died. Sorry to give it away, but Judgement Day actually happens. I couldn’t believe it. I remember in T2, August 28th, 1997 was slated as Judgement Day. Of course that caused us living in the MODS at Bucknell to tremble in great fear the first week of school. What was the point of going to class if Judgement Day was coming? Anyways. It didn’t come then. But it happens in T3. Well, I suppose our Judgement Day will arrive the morning August 2nd when our friends and family judge if we’ve sobered up enough from my b-day bash (August 1st) to stagger the last 5 miles onto the sandy beaches of Florence. AHH, it’s just 29 days away.

7/1/2003 - 4:31 PM - Day 128 - Boise, ID to Caldwell, ID

After a great nights sleep, we awoke to homemade pancakes and beautiful weather (courtesy of the Macomb’s). We headed out the door around 8:30 am. We altered our route a bit to pass through Caldwell, ID instead of Middleton. This enabled us to travel closer to our host’s house and it didn’t add any mileage on to the trip. We walked along for the first 3 miles of the day enjoying the somewhat cooler weather and navigating the miniscule shoulder. After three miles, the traffic died down and we were able to start running. The rest of the day went pretty quickly as we arrived in Caldwell around 12:00 pm. We stopped and had lunch at Subway and then hit up Dairy Queen for a Blizzard. David Babble picked us up around 1:00 pm and we headed back to his house for a shower and some rest. We are now enjoying the company with his wife Leslie and their four boys. Later today we will probably head to the pool and then enjoy the rest of the evening. Tomorrow we will have our last border crossing. Woohoo!!

6/30/2003 - 11:17 PM - Day 127 - Regina, ID to Boise, ID

Wow, I’m (Scott) really tired. This morning our host, Dennis McComb, shuttled us 24 miles out of town to our starting point. Our day’s plan was to run back to the McComb’s house for another night’s lodging. We were on the interstate and running by 9:30am. Neither of us felt particularly good or energetic, but with just 14 miles of interstate running left for the trip, we were anxious to get done. Those first 14 miles did pass relatively quickly. We stopped for lunch at a Burger King. Our breakfast had been small, but we didn’t want to fill our stomachs in the middle of the day, so we dined light. Despite not eating much we did spend nearly 90 minutes in BK resting and working on a crossword puzzle. Once out the door we had about 10 miles to cover, but we did not feel in any hurry. We walked about 5 miles discussing our faint memories of some of college’s greatest benders. That kept us entertained and made the time pass quickly. As we entered downtown Boise we found some bike paths that followed the river. After checking some maps we realized that the paths headed in the right direction. While we sat on a lawn a few ladies rode by on bikes and said, “Enjoying your jog boys?” We smiled and nodded our heads. As they rode away Dave looked at me and said, “Let’s catch ‘em!” So we jumped up and took off at a 6 minute pace to give chase. The ladies had about 150 meters on us from the start. Initially we cut into their lead, but then with the help of some down-hills, it was back to 150 meters. We had no plans of giving up. We cranked the pace down to about 5:30 and held steady, slowly narrowing the gap. After 7 minutes of the hardest running we’ve done since Boulder, we had the pleasure of seeing the ladies’ expressions as we pulled even with them. Luckily we caught them when we did, because we had to go left about 100 meters later, and the ladies went right. After the excitement, our day was pretty bland. We took our time over the last 4 miles to stop at Baskin Robbins and make several phone calls. Once back at the McComb’s we showered, and headed into Boise to get Dave some running shoes. Dave was pleased because the local running store had the model he has been looking for since Illinois. For dinner the McComb’s had some friends over, prepared a pasta and sausage feast. We’re both pretty exhausted and ready for bed. Today’s temp was again in the 90’s (4th straight day) so that is taking its toll. Aside from some general fatigue though, we are in perfect health. Dave’s ankle is back to 100%. Mentally we’re very, very excited for Wednesday’s border crossing: Oregon!!!!

6/29/2003 - 4:37 PM - Day 126 - Mountain Home, ID to Regina, ID

We awoke early this morning so we could hopefully be done before the day got really hot. After being dropped off, we got a quick breakfast from McDonald's and headed down the road. This would be the downfall of me (Dave) today because for some reason my body rejected the food. My stomach was in a knot within the first 2 miles on the road. I kept feeling like I wanted to puke but was avoiding it for some reason. Anyway, we started running after a few minutes and covered the first 12 miles pretty quickly. My stomach was making every step uncomfortable but besides that we both felt pretty good. Despite starting early, the sun was heating things up quickly. After a short break at 12 miles, we hit the road again running. We tried following a side road that was supposed to take us to the next exit but it petered out within a mile and forced us back out onto the highway. We ran for about another 6 miles before I had to stop and curse McDonald's for awhile because my stomach felt absolutly dreadful. Scott was very patient with me and we soon were back up and running. We pulled up to an underpass with about 4 miles to go and stopped to take a drink. At this point I was ready to pull the trigger because I couldn't stand it anymore. However, I didn't go through with it and after getting several good burps out, things actually settled down (only three hours after eating the crap.) Anyway, it had reached 90 - 95 degrees Farenheit but the last 4 miles for me were the best of the day. I finally felt normal. As we neared our final off ramp, Ritu (an old friend) gave me a call and we chatted all the way to the finish. We called Dennis Macomb (our host) and he drove out and picked us up. Tonight, we will be heading to a barbeuqe as it is the end of the River Festival hear in Boise. We will be treateed to good company, good food, and fireworks. Although finishing the third highest mileage week of the trip, we both feel pretty good and excited about reaching Oregon.

6/28/2003 - 8:11 PM - Day 125 - Glenns Ferry, ID to Mountain Home, ID

We were not expecting today to be easy, and it wasn’t. After a relaxed breakfast chatting about running and triathlons with Susan, we loaded up the car and made the one hour trek back to Glenn’s Ferry. By 10am the baby jogger was in motion on the freeway, with a blazing sun rising over our backs. From the moment we started there were very strong headwinds (25-20mph) impeding our progress. We did our best to ignore them, and got through the first 8 miles rather quickly. We rested at an exit for about 20 minutes and had a chance run-in with the Crumrine’s, our hosts from Hazelton. From the exit we chose to take old route 30 for the next 18 miles into Mountain Home. While the route would be about 2 miles longer than the interstate, we knew it would be much safer and have far less traffic. Five minutes after restarting our engines from the break, we had a tire go dead flat on us. The stop to change it took about 15 minutes. Having covered just 8 miles, the day seemed to have come to a stand still. The sun was getting very hot, and we had a long way to go. Once the tire was fixed and we set off again, we began to discuss the dilemma we were in. On one hand the 30mph winds were keeping the air cooler than it’s mid 90 temperature, but on the other hand the winds made running extremely difficult…..but if it weren’t for the winds we’d be roasting in the heat. It was a no win situation, but we did our best to slug through the wind, taking breaks about every 15 minutes to down some water. Eventually our destination, Mountain Home, drew nearer and all was well. About 2 miles outside of town we stopped to speak with a man in the midst of a transcontinental bike ride. He began in Astoria, OR and is headed for Portsmouth, NH. We exchanged road stories for a while, before heading our separate ways; ours west, his east. It was interesting to see that he had about as much gear as Dave and I do combined, and he is finishing just a week after our August 2nd conclusion. Just a 45 day trip for him. Once into Mountain Home, our host Andrea Day picked us up and took us to her house. We are now resting comfortably and have a very low key evening planned. Today wore me (Scott) out pretty good, and tomorrow’s temp is supposed to hit triple digits. With another 25 miles to cover, we need to get a good night’s rest. We finish 5 weeks from today.

6/28/2003 - 8:10 PM - Day 124 - Bliss, ID to Glenns Ferry, ID

They stay with Jess Price was great. Susan Vickery (our host for Glenn’s Ferry) would be picking us up at 12:00 pm so we had to get up and on the road. . After a quick McDonalds stop for breakfast, we hit the road around 8:30 am. It was a beautiful day. The wind was calm and the temperature had not risen too much being that it was still morning. About 5 minutes of walking, we started running and didn’t stop until we were about 10 miles down the road. We took a short drink and assessed our situation. The east bound part of the highway was torn up and the traffic was down to one lane each direction in the west bound lanes. We couldn’t travel on the road anymore because there was barely enough space for the cars let alone two crazy’s and their baby stroller. So, we hit the dirt. It actually worked out pretty well. Despite covering the next twelve miles this way, we came across almost no construction. There was one guy cleaning a truck with a water hose, and one guy driving a small flatter. Besides that, we had the entire east bound highway to ourselves. There were times that the packed dirt became sand, which made pushing a little difficult, but we no longer had to worry about traffic. As we neared our finishing point, we got a little confused. The map had exit 121 and exit 120. We had planned on meeting Susan at exit 120. However, as we approached exit 121 a sign read, “Exit 121 in 1 mile, next exit 9 miles.” Confused that there was no exit 120 we took a seat to rest. We decided that exit 120 must only be for east bound travelers, thus no sign for those of us traveling west bound. So we took a chance and continued down the highway another mile. Luckily, our assumptions were correct and we arrived at exit 120 around 11:45 am. In the last 30 minutes the sun had taken hold and it started to get very hot. Gratefully, Susan pulled up about 5 minutes after we finished and we were headed back to her place in Boise. The drive to her house was a little disconcerting as we saw the future miles we would be covering. In an hour car ride, we had seen our next four days of travel. We arrived in Boise and immediately went to Susan’s going away party. Susan definitely sacrificed a lot to put us up. She not only drove 80 miles (one way) to pick us up, but is moving to Oregon next week. So, in case her life wasn’t hectic enough, she decided to take in two complete strangers off the street. We are really grateful, and have had a great time. After the going away party, which included a screening of “Jackass: The Movie”, we headed to the local pool for a dip. Then, we were off to dinner at Bardenay in downtown Boise. It was great, and after a quick stop at the grocery store, we were sitting back at her place watching TV and enjoying a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We went off to bed and slept soundly through the night.

6/26/2003 - 11:56 PM - Day 123 - Jerome, ID to Bliss, ID

Before getting a move on this AM, our host Lance treated us to breakfast at Perkins. The food was good, the weather looked great, and it was shaping up to be a fine day. We were off and running at 9:00am with 24 miles to cover. The mileage today can be summed up in one word…..easy. Perhaps being well rested, perhaps the perfect weather, or perhaps being at just 2500 ft (as opposed to 6000-7000) is making things seem easy. Maybe it is all of those things, but one thing is for sure….we felt great today. The 24 miles were gone in an instant, and we were sitting on a guard rail waiting to be picked up by 12:30. Also, most of the 24 miles were slightly downhill. The only drawback is that we did spend the entire distance on the shoulder of interstate 84. We got picked up by Megan and Alicia, friends of our host. They drove us to Jess’s (our host) and we were showered and relaxed by 2pm. We spent the afternoon reading, tooling around on the computer, and I (Scott) bagged a 90 minute nap. Jess was home from work by 4pm, and prepared us a delicious pasta dinner. We just watched the movie “The Recruit” and have our eyes set on bed. It seems the local TV coverage we received on Tuesday night has gained us some notoriety out on the roadways because for the last two days we’ve had a disproportionately high number of cars honking and waving at us. Yesterday three different cars stopped to ask if we were the guys they saw on the news. One man even handed us a $5 bill and wished us luck. Because the exchange took place in front of a Dairy Queen, there was only one thing we could do with the money….get Blizzards. I have only one rule when it comes to the lottery….start playing when the payout reaches triple digits. Now is one of those special times. So inevitably some of our time over the last few days has been spent discussing what I’d do with the $150 million Powerball Jackpot. I have grand plans for the cash if it were to come my way….first and foremost creating a Bucknell XC Alumni Mansion in Lewisburg to house alums on our weekend returns. The plans run deeper (details to be released if I win), but of course much of it would be shared with my friends and family. However, because Dave insists that I’m wasting my $$ by playing, I insist that he won’t see a nickel of my winnings if I hit. If I were to hit, some people would probably call me the luckiest man on earth, but they’d be too late. Dave and I have already given ourselves that title. We’re doing exactly what we want without a care in the world…..

6/25/2003 - 7:27 PM - Day 122 - Hazelton, ID to Jerome, ID

Well, today finally felt like summer. With temperatures in the upper 70’s and the sun shining, today was great. After a great breakfast of eggs, bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes (provided by the Crumrine’s), we headed out into the morning sun. We walked off breakfast for awhile and got to running. The scenery didn’t change much from field after field but we did see corn fields for the first time since Illinois. I thought they only grew potatoes out here?! Anyway, as we ran into the town of Jerome, we enjoyed another burrito lunch. Although not even comparable to the ones we ate in Pocatello, they were still pretty good. We took a quick stop at Dairy Queen (they got our order right for the first time on the trip) before heading to the interstate exit. Lance Wuthrich picked us up and brought us back to Twin Falls. We stopped to take a look at the gorge and the large bridge spanning it. We were informed that it was one of the only bridges were you could legally base jump and/or bungee jump from in Idaho. We are now showered and working on the computer. The Wuthrich’s have two computers hooked up to DSL so we should be able to get a lot of work done. We will try to post as many pictures as will fit in our yahoo briefcase. Tomorrow will be a dull day of running on the interstate but it looks as though we will not have to spend another night outside in Idaho. Thanks to everyone who has helped.

6/24/2003 - 5:33 PM - Day 121 - Rupert, ID to Hazelton, ID

After a very laid back and easy stay with Mary Rogers in Rupert, we were ready to roll this morning. The first 90 minutes of the day were spent having breakfast and reading the paper at Kathy’s on the town square in Rupert. The food was delicious, the service fantastic, and we kicked the Twin Fall’s paper’s crossword puzzle’s @ss. We take great pride in successful completion of a crossword puzzle, and today was just the second time we’ve done it. They provide a good daily mental exercise that help keep our minds from rotting away. Once out the door we walked about 3 miles before beginning to run. While running we were interrupted for an interview by the CBS affiliate from Twin Falls. That took about ten minutes, and they followed us for nearly a half hour shooting different camera angles. We ran for about 10 miles before taking a break. Unlike yesterday when we ran on little sleep and empty stomachs (and felt awful), we felt great today. The weather remained cool, and showers looked possible, so after a short 2 mile walk, we ran then next 10/11 into Hazelton, ID. During that stretch we got soaked by rain for just the third time on the trip. Not too bad for 121 days. However, the rain was tolerable because the temperature was in the mid to low 60’s. After getting drenched by rain, the sun came out and we were dry by our run’s end. Upon our arrival in Hazelton we stopped at a local Mexican restaurant and inhaled some burritos and cokes, before proceeding to our host’s home. We are all showered up and relaxing now. Our hosts are the Crumrine’s, parents of Casey, who we stayed with in Pocatello. Today’s 21ish miles of running felt remarkably easy. Everyday my mind goes back and forth about whether or not my (Scott) body will be up for 10 hard weeks of training upon completion of the run. At times all I think about is using this huge mileage base to aid running a fast marathon this fall, but at other times I think that all I’m gonna want to do once we finish is not run for a while. For me it feels good to be worrying about how or if I’m gonna use this run as training for a fall marathon. It feels good because I know we’re almost done, and after 121 days I’m perfectly healthy. Just 39 days to go……

6/23/2003 - 10:35 PM - Day 120 - Some-place-on-some-road, ID to Rupert, ID

Although our resting place last night seemed a little fishy at first it wound up working out pretty well. The only problem during the night was that, despite being the second night of the summer, it was the coldest night of the trip (mid 30’s). The night sky was one of the clearest we’ve seen in our lives. Without turning his head, Scott counted 6 shooting stars in a twenty minute period. We managed to stay warm enough to get some sleep but we are definitely thankful to be inside tonight. We arose around 6:30 am and got to packing up the campsite. As Scott mentioned this morning, cleaning up the campsite is one of our least favorite tasks of the trip. We got moving around 7:15 am. The air was still quite cool and would remain so the rest of the day. So far we have had to wear hats in gloves for the first two days of summer. It is summer right? Anyway, it is better than 90 or 100 degree heat so I guess we should be thankful. The day went by pretty quickly as we had the most desolate scenery of the trip. There was nothing to see but fields and fields of sage brush; and I mean nothing. With about 8 miles to go in the day we topped one last rise and Rupert appeared in view. Although a small town, anything to focus on was great. We ran to the historic downtown square and hit up Doc’s Pizza for a great lunch. Mary Rogers, our host for the night, picked us up during her lunch break and dropped us off at her place to snooze and watch movies. It was nice to be done early (12:00 pm) which allowed us some great relaxation time. Around 5:30 pm, Mary arrived home from work followed closely by her friend Michelle, and her daughter Neeka. After a quick meeting with the mayor of Rupert, we sat down to a great spaghetti dinner followed by deserts galore. Needless to say, I (Dave) ate too much sugary stuff; although, can one really ever have too much sugar? Anyway, we are now preparing for bed which thankfully will be warmer and softer than last night. Places to stay for the rest of Idaho are quickly coming together and it looks like we will be lucky for most of the state. It feels good to get 120 days out of the way with only 40 remaining. But although we both have the feeling of wanting to be done, neither of us really wants this to end.

6/23/2003 - 10:34 PM - Day 119 - American Falls, ID to Some-place-on-some-road, ID

After a fun rest day, we got dropped off at the American Falls exit by Bryce. The stay with these guys was great and they have hooked us up with their parents for lodging for at least another two nights in Idaho. Much thanks. Upon being dropped off, we headed into the diner at the truck stop to enjoy a big breakfast. This would be our last place for a sit down meal until we arrived in Rupert (Monday), 50 miles down the road. With stomachs full and provisions obtained, we headed off down the highway. Although seemingly rested from our day off, we didn’t have any place to be until dark that night so we took things pretty slowly. Despite using the ‘ignore it’ method on my ankle, it still hurts a little (not surprisingly). So I (Dave) guess I will have to take care of it if I want it to get better. As I am writing this, (24 hours and much attention later) it has improved dramatically and will be better in no time. It’s not really that bad, as it hasn’t slowed us up a step but I want to heal it before it gets worse. Anyway, the day went by pretty quickly with some running, walking, and sitting. We finally pulled off the road about 8:00 pm to find a place to camp. We knocked on the door of house to see if we could sleep in their yard, (so as to feel a little safer.) However, the man who answered couldn’t speak English. Being unable to explain the situation we decided it better to go on down the road to find another place to sleep. We pulled off into the sage brush and set-up camp. Despite there being many thorny things on the ground, once we lay down we were actually pretty comfortable. The only downer was that the temperature was quickly dropping and, from reading the paper, we knew it was going to be a cold night. Oh well, it could have been raining….

6/23/2003 - 10:32 PM - Day 118 - Pocatello, ID - DAY OFF

Friday evening we went out to dinner in Pocatello at a local Mexican Restaurant. The ISU guys are gonna have to e-mail us the name, because I don’t remember…..and it was worth remembering. For under $9 you could get a 24oz Corona and a burrito bigger than a dictionary. The burrito was one of the best I’ve ever had. The place is a must stop if ever in Pocatello. After the meal we went to a few bars for beer and chatter. Nothing terribly memorable, just great times with our new friends. We were in bed around midnight and looked forward to sleeping in. The day off was great. Friday night we each scored about 11 hours of sleep, and had no plans for our rest day. In fact, it was such a day off that we spent five hours within arm’s reach of a computer and never once checked the website or thought about updating it. For lunch we dined at The Bistro, a local spot where Nolan (one of our hosts) works. There, we ate a bunch, sipped beers, and watched the USATF Championships on TV. Rare is it that track is on television, so when it is we make every effort to watch, and do our best not to criticize the coverage. It’s a beggars can’t be chooser mentality. Once done with lunch, and back at the house, we watched “Matrix Reloaded” on the projection screen TV. Our hosts had an amazing collection of DVD’s, many of which just got released in the theatre. So during our four day stay we had a wide choice of movies that we’d otherwise be paying $8 to see at the mall. After the movie we began to think about getting to bed. It was still early (8pm) but another good night’s sleep would feel great. However, before heading to bed we ordered some pizza and watched Casey play some Vice City. As the game was concluding, and our hosts were formulating their evening’s social agenda, Nolan looked at his watch and delivered the funniest words I’d heard in at least 118 days, “Welp, it looks like beer-thirty.” With that, our hosts headed out and we went to bed. Yes, we actually passed up going out for beers on a Saturday night. The 10 hours of sleep we got felt great, and the stay in Pocatello was fantastic. Bryce, Casey, Nolan, and Raul are all really great guys, who we gelled with immediately. I look forward to seeing them all again sometime in the near future. Perhaps we’ll all get together to watch Bryce run in the Oly Trials 800 next summer in Sacramento. I (Scott) hope so…..

6/20/2003 - 7:57 PM - Day 117 - Chubbock, ID to American Falls, ID

Last night we headed to the bar around 5:00 pm for dinner and trivia. Casey came with us and we talked, played, ate, and drank the night away. Finally around 11:00 pm, we headed home; Casey made it home a few hours later. This morning, the weather changed again. After many days of hot sunny weather, we awoke to a very windy and slightly chilly day. To top that, we have finally run ourselves into a corner and will have to take the interstate out. Yes, we have reached a part of the country in which the only way from point A to point B is via the interstate. Luckily, Idaho is one of a few (if not the only) states that allows pedestrians on the highway. We got dropped off around 8:30 am at the local Burger King. Both feeling rather lazy, we sat, ate, and read the paper until we finally got going around 10:00 am. Feeling no rush and rather unenthusiastic, we moved along slowly and talked for the first 5 miles of the day. With the wind blowing quite strongly in our face, we were in no hurry to get running but we had to go at some point. So after sitting for about 10 minutes we headed off down the road. Our bodies felt tired, but good, so we moved along at a decent clip. We stopped again after only 5 miles to make some calls and talk to the poor people on the east coast who are getting drowned in rain. I have heard that it has been raining heavily… just a little. We got going again and this time covered the remaining 11 miles. After taking 4 hours to cover the first 10 miles, we covered the last 11 miles in less than an hour and a half. The ISU guys came and picked us up again for a third night. We have had a great time with them and greatly appreciate the hospitality. We are up for another afternoon of movies, relaxing, and enjoying doing nothing.

6/19/2003 - 6:41 PM - Day 116 - Blackfoot, ID to Chubbock, ID

We woke up this morning feeling great. Today was our shortest day (not counting rest days) since coming out of Ogallala, NE more than 30 days ago. We ‘only’ had 17 miles. After throwing back a couple of Breakfast Jack’s (from Jack in the Box) we got on the road. We had a long stint of running and arrived in Chubbuck, ID before we knew it. We stopped at a local restaurant to get a milkshake. One thing that has amazed us (and slightly pissed us off) is the wide range of milkshakes in the trip. Maybe I’m not thinking right, but when I order a milkshake I intend to be able to drink it through a straw. Anything thicker would just be normal ice cream…right? Anyway, we received frosty thick milkshakes that had to be eaten not drank and it ruined a great day (sort of). Not that they tasted bad, but darnit when I want a milkshake I want a milkshake. Anyway, we are now sitting in the basement of Bryce’s house watching a projection movie screen. Our bodies feel pretty refreshed and we are ready to keep rolling. The ankle pain is gone and we are nearing the 4 month mark. Cheers to the days ahead.

6/19/2003 - 6:41 PM - Day 115 - Idaho Falls, ID to Blackfoot, ID

We left Idaho Falls around 7:30 am. Even though we slept out, we both felt relatively refreshed. Seven miles down the road was the town of Shelley where we knew we could get a warm breakfast. We started running and despite a nagging pain in my (Dave) right ankle, we made it there within the hour. My ankle was tweaked climbing Teton Pass and has been a bit of a nuisance. However, it gets better everyday and will be gone by the end of the week. Back to breakfast...we stopped in a small little diner with a great atmosphere and enjoyed pancakes eggs but unfortunately no French Toast. After feeding, we headed back out on the road. The sun was heating the air as the temperatures quickly rose into the 90’s. We ran pretty steady all the way into Blackfoot, ID. Once in town, we headed to the library again. Once again, the Idaho Public system let us down. Ten open computers with internet access but because we weren’t from Idaho we couldn’t use them. We did manage to get a hold of the number for the Cross Country coach at Idaho State University. We called him and he got us in contact with Bryce Knight. He ran the 800 at Idaho State University and is still training in the area. He came and picked us up and took us to the track house for a much needed shower. We made some calls and then headed out to dinner with a bunch of the guys. We had a great meal and great conversation and returned home to bed by 11:00 pm. It was a great stay and we will be back tomorrow.

6/19/2003 - 6:40 PM - Day 114 - Mile Mark 358 on some road to Idaho Falls, ID

Our bodies were really sore and beat when we headed down the road on Tuesday morning. We came across a gas station about 8 miles into the day. There we stopped for about 90 minutes to eat some grub and rest our tired bodies. We still had 15 miles to Idaho Falls, ID but neither of us wanted to move. Such is life. I (Scott) recall very little about those 15 miles other than it was hot and I didn’t want to be on the road. Once into Idaho Falls we made our way to the public library to get on the internet. Unfortunately their computer system is only set up for members right now, so we were told to go to the UPS Store 2 miles away where we could pay $6/hour for computer use. All the while there were 4-5 open computers in the library. Upon receiving the bad news we sat in the library for a half hour very angry and trying to figure out what to do. Despite a population of 50,000 we didn’t have a place to stay and were awaiting a lodging offer phone call that never came. We did not want to cover two more miles to pay for internet access. After a half hour, a librarian had mercy upon our souls and said that she could get us on the internet afterall. Our tired, dirty, and pathetic looks must have found a place in her heart that caused her to reach out. Unfortunately the internet would not fully open the pages we need to view, and crashed about every 10 minutes. We accepted the fact that we just weren’t meant to be on the internet, and left the library to get something to eat. While heading to a local bar we stopped and chatted with some Idaho Falls firemen. They told us about public park on the Snake River that was open for free camping. The park was just 2 miles out of town, and fortunately in the direction that we’d be heading. So we filed away that info, and hit a local bar for some food. The bar, The Frosty Gator, had a huge selection of beers, a great menu, and NTN interactive trivia. We hit the jackpot! It was around 4pm when we entered, and after 8pm when we left. We would’ve stayed later if it weren’t for waning daylight (we thought) and still having to find our sleep sight. Within 20 minutes of departing we were at the campsite. It looked great, and with lots of daylight still remaining (it was 8:45pm!) I dove into the Snake River for a bath, er, I mean swim. It felt fantastic, and quite refreshing. Fortunately the sleep situation was a complete 180 from the night before. There were no mosquitoes, and the temp was about 70 degrees. We slept like rocks!

6/19/2003 - 6:39 PM - Day 113 - Victor, ID to Mile Mark 358 on some road

Well it’s been 4 or so days since we last updated the site. We’re alive, covering the miles without too much trouble, and have slept out a few times. On Monday morning we departed Victor, ID with Swan Valley set as our final destination. Getting to Swan Valley required us to cross another decent sized mountain pass. It was not nearly as steep as Togwotee or Teton, but taxing nonetheless. After about 21 miles we rolled into Swan Valley at 2:30pm. In Swan Valley we ate some lunch and sat in a restaurant for a few hours, while storms passed by. Because we had no place to stay in Swan Valley, and there were no campgrounds nearby, we headed out of town at 4:30pm with no particular destination in mind. Before leaving town we each had one of Swan Valley’s “World Famous” square ice cream cones. It was ice cream scooped out in the shape of a cube….and incredibly anticlimactic. By 8pm we’d covered another 19 miles, making it 40 for the day, and were about out of gas. We found a safe camping spot in a field overlooking the Snake River. After am evening snack of tuna and Oreoes we climbed into our sleeping bags for some much need rest. While trying to settle in we ran into a major problem…..the temperature was still around 80 degrees and there were mosquitoes everywhere. Within minutes of zipping up my (Scott) sleeping bag I was soaking wet with sweat, but pulling the bag down meant inevitable attack from mosquitoes. Dave was in much the same predicament. The solution to our problem was suffering through a very unpleasant and restless night. Coming off of a 40 mile day, it was the last thing that we needed. Come to think of it, I never need another night like that again. Oh well, we did manage a few winks of sleep, and were on the road again by 7am.

6/18/2003 - 2:06 PM - Confirmation of Life

Heard from Scott last night on the phone. They were in Idaho Falls, actually on schedule with the site due to an unexpected day off. They have logged 65+ in the last two days and are doing well. They slept out the last two nights, including in Idaho Falls which is population 50,000. Too bad no one came through for a bed there. They were drinking (shocker) and playing trivia when I talked to them. Sounds like it's going well. Still on track for an August 2 finish in OR. Scott apologized for the lack of new pictures, but fast internet connections are hard to come by when you can't even find a bed. They'll post when they get to a computer. Please, please, please reach out to any contacts you have out there and help them out to find a place. Later on ~Webmaster Wood

6/16/2003 - 11:46 AM - Day 112 - Wilson, WY to Victor, ID

We awoke early and headed to Wilson to begin our trek up Teton Pass. Lisa Batchen met us at the Martell?s house for the run and off we went. Lisa is an ultra runner having completed many many races in the past. Currently, she is gearing up to do 750 miles of racing by September including 400 miles of racing in 5 days. Anyway, it was another beautiful day with temperatures in the low 60?s and clear skies. The pass consisted of a 2500 ft elevation gain in the first five miles of the run. Needless to say we walked. We made it to the top relatively easily and stopped to enjoy the view and take some pictures. As we headed down the other side of the pass we continued to walk. The first three miles down were 12% grade and the pounding was severe enough without the running. After the three miles we began running. The road was still dropping but not at such a harsh decent. We crossed into Idaho around 13 miles and stopped to contemplate two states left. In some ways it seems like were almost there but at the same time we have almost 900 miles to go still. The last five miles was on and off running into town enjoying the conversation and view. Lisa is an expert on nutrition and health relating to blood type. She intrigued us with her different take on endurance training and the terrific results that have been achieved. We finished up at the emporium in Victor, ID and enjoyed one of the best milkshakes we have had on the entire trip. The Hervig?s came and picked us up and took us back to their place for a grilled cheese lunch. We then headed up to the local ski resort. Lisa is head of the Spa there and we were treated to swimming, a hot tub, and a fantastic massage and the hands of Dana. It was very relaxing. We headed back to the Hervig?s around 5:30 pm for a dinner of steak, salmon, garlic bread, and corn on the cob (the one vegetable I eat). It was great. We sat and talked into the evening. This is the last place we have lined up for the next few days so we will enjoy the coziness of being indoors?

6/16/2003 - 11:09 AM - Day 111 - Wilson, WY - DAY OFF

Yesterday provided exactly what we hoped it would?.rest. By not waking up until 9:30am w