World Run II / Reports

The map shows the position of which the pictures for the day are taken (if any). The start and finish markers are placed at the first and last valid registered position. This is not nessesary the actual start and finish position, if GSM or GPS signals was not available.

Goto: 2012-04-07 2012-04-09 Usa

2012-04-08:

9
Distance today: 30.0 km (Accumulated: 34531.0 km)
Elapsed time: 02:51:58
Country: Usa

Start 10:30am., 12c, allmost clear & light wind, at cross of Hecker Ave. & Hwy.1. Finish 14:24pm., 16c and same, at cross of Norman St. & Hwy.1 in Bridgeport.

Barefoot across the Usa... !

Since running through New York City there has been some hectic logistics in connection w. making my way up along the East Coast, but with good help from Arpan from SCMT it has worked out well. There has also been some struggeling w. motivation; I guess mainly due to 3 reasons - first the somewhat cold/unpleasant experiense of running through this part of Usa (we are not talking weather ;-), partly I am sure: due to the "tired grumpy runner" syndrome setting in around 30 000km and partly because I in world run one had my finish point of North America in New York City. So; its hard not to slide down the path of thinking: "I could be on my way to Europe now; or Scandinavia" - Wich I ofcouse am, just a much longer and slower one than the one by airplane !

Yet; there are things to pick up the motivation to continue the run, even here where it to my surprise is at a lowpoint only matched by the months of stone-throwing while I ran through Northern Ethiopia a few continents back.. For one, the spring is catching up at about the same pace that I am running North, so its been a 1 month spring-day here with blooming cherry trees, flowers, grass getting green again and birds making a concert of it :-)

Another major motivational pick up' was meeting another runner. And what a runner - Rae who is running barefoot (yes, Barefoot: as in NO Shoes along the highway) !

By now I've met runners running across the continents; especially Usa and Australia has been the setting of many such run's - I think its in the 40' numbers when running across Usa; and even at periods regular races across those continents. Sometimes with big media 'hu-ha' and other times not.

Even world running has become a thing that is shared by a, narrow-, circle of runners now; for example my good friend Tony Mangan is on his way around the globe; at present in South America doing a strong effort: www.theworldjog.com

But then comes this young girl along; unassuming and running on here bare feet. Now that's an effort too and in my book' it easily trumps many of the high-profile run's across the western world continents. What guts to embark on this kind of run :-)) I complain about the danger of running on the highways here in East Coast USa - But imagine doing that, barefoot !!!

The website is:
http://flavors.me/raeainslee

... We had a very enjoyable meeting after the run; Ray making her way down towards South through the area, and I making my way up towards Boston and hopefully the canadian border in about one month from now. We where hosted by another ultra-runner, Arpan, who also had helped while I ran through Manhattan and now once more played a positive role in making this part of world run two possible !! It became an interesting talk as the evening sun set: about running across continents; food (always a popular subject among ultrarunners ;-), injuries; routes and plans - and the experienses so far.

On the latter point I have to say that it gave me a big comfort to learn that it was not only me who had the 'less than favorable' experiense of the East Coast; atleast it eliminates a bit of the "grumpy old runner" element that I suspected played a big part in why I didnt enjoy that part of the run. And it also made it unlikely that the main explanation would be the economical downturn that the contry has gone through since I ran through it last, in 2005. Originating from the Mid-West Usa she could confirm the positive, helpfull and very pleasant impression I had got of the contry when I ran the West-East route across.

I be sure to follow her progress and I can recommend it for others too; a very inspirational run ! And the same goes reg. the run my friend Tony is doing; equally un-assuming and equally honest to the sport of ultra-running :-)

My respect to those two runners; I am proud to share my passion for this sport with them !

NB: Once the inspiration is back to better levels I'll get the last few days reports online. To my surprise its been difficult to get internet/wi-fi at the motels in this area (!) unless its 100usd and up' prices.. So this report is send via the free wi-fi at a mc-donalds restaurant on my run along the highway one. But atleast the gps-track via the endomondo link is online for all the stages now !