Hi friends and family,
I'm writing from the Westin Hotel in dowtown Oklahoma City (OKC), where the General Manager offered his office for me to read and send e-mail and catch up on some phone calls. I met some of the Denver Bullets and L.A. Lakers in the Westin front lobby when I arrived. My neck still hurts a bit from looking up while talking to them :) They are playing an exhibition game tonight here in OKC.
I have run a total of 2,590 miles since my start on the beach of Playa Del Ray (Los Angeles), and am now at the 47.5% point of my planned 5,450 mile Run Across America. The Run continues to be fun, beautiful and eventful!!!
Since my last update from southern Colorado, I have run over the Raton Pass (border of southern Colorado and New Mexico), through Raton, NM, to the Philmont High Adventure Scout Ranch in Cimarron, NM, east through Clayton, NM (where I took a rest day on September 11), into Texas and across the plains of the Texas Panhandle to Amarillo, over the rolling hills of Oklahoma, and into Oklahoma City.
From here, I will run south ~205 miles to Dallas, and then east ~215 miles to Shreveport, LA and then northeast (hurray!) through the southeast corner of Arkansas, along the Mississippi River to Memphis and Nashville.
I have been blessed with great weather, many sunny blue sky and low humidity days. I had two days of continuous rain and cool wind as I approached OKC.
Highlights since my last update include:
Hank and I
Running with Hank Humphreys (U.S. Marine, Viet Nam veteran, super-Patriot and ultra-marathoner) from Colorado Springs to and through Fort Carson, into Pueblo, CO (a very patriotic town and home of more Congressional Medal of Honor winners per capita than any town in the U.S.), over the Raton Pass into Raton. I met Hank during the Pikes Peak Marathon, and he and his family have been very supportive. Hank is a biologist and environmentalist with the Colorado DOT, and was very informative of the geography, terrain, roads, flora and fauna, etc as we ran. We laughed and joked through most of our runs as Hank continually referred to long distance runners as "mindless morons" and yelled the military "hoo-aah" greeting/chant when he felt inspired. Hank carries large American and POW/MIA flags on all his runs including 15 consecutive Death Valley Marathons!! The flags and the Colorado Springs media publicity generated honks, salutes, and patriotic shouts of support as we ran.
Philmont Scout Ranch
Running to and touring the Philmont Scout Ranch where my twin brother Chuck, good friend Dick Skillman and I hiked and camped as 15 year olds back in the summer of 1960. Thanks to the support of the PSR Camp Director, his assistant Brian Gray, and Ed for a great day of touring the PSR mountains, plains and valleys in a 4-wheel drive truck. The scenery evoked many great memories of our boyhood experiences.
September 11th
On September 11, I took a rest day in Clayton, NM to reflect on the events of a year ago. At the request of the Clayton VFW Commander, I spoke at the VFW sponsored memorial services
held at the Clayton H.S. attended by students, townspeople, clergy, police, firefighters and veterans. The morning services were well planned and executed. In the evening, I attended an evening service at the town Civic Center, and the next day spoke at the Clayton Grade School assembly. I was fortunate to be in this beautiful ranch and farm town to observe how deeply they feel for the victims and families of the Terrorist Attack on America.Boys Ranch
I ran to the Boys Ranch (about 10 miles south of Channing,TX) where ~750 disadvantaged and orphaned boys and girls live in a home setting environment with "house parents". The Ranch is operated much like the well known "Boys Town" where the children and teen-agers attend school, work the active ranch and farm including raising cattle, pigs, chickens, etc and participating in the milking, egg collecting and butchering. Much of the food consumed is grown and raised on the ranch. The ranch has its own post office, lighted football and soccer fields, museum, and church. I spoke at the evening cafeteria dinner and attended the "Meet you at the Pole" flagpole service at sunrise the next morning.
Amaillo Texas
In Amarillo, I stopped at Fosters House of Strings (music store) where I met Blackie Foster (owner and area music legend)and Jimmy Young (who had played with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys). Blackie and Jimmy asked me to return the next morning to jam with them and one of Jimmy's fiddle students. We picked, sang and grinned for 3 hours before I had to pull myself away for a 20 mile run. Also in Amarillo, I was invited to have a fresh fish dinner with the Amarillo Station 1 firemen. Three of the firemen had just returned from a 3-day fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico.
Bob Wills
While running through Pampa,TX, I took an afternoon off to drive down to Turkey, TX where Bob Wills (fiddler and band leader of the Texas Playboys) grew up and where his museum is located. Along with Bill Monroe and Stephen Foster (whose birth places I plan to run to), Bob Wills is one of my music heroes. It was great to see pictures, old LPs, Bob and his father's fiddles, Bob's cowboy clothing, etc, etc while listening to that great western swing music being played in the museum.
Oklahoma City
Over the last two days I visited and paid respects at the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial and Museum. The City has very solemnly captured the terrible violence and terrorism that occurred here in April, 1995. I met with the Museum archivist who plans to include information about my "Run Across America for Enduring Freedom" in their Museum archives.
I had a rather funny happening here in OKC the night before last. I stopped at a gas station to ask directions to a local mexican restraunt when I saw a middle-aged man coming out of the convenience store wearing a Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys hat. We excahnged greetings and names, and engaged in conversation, wherein Isiah Giles told me he had been a high school sprinter and had continued running while in the Marines. He gave me directions (about a mile down the darkened OKC street) and said "if your running across America, we should run to the restraunt". I politeley indicated that I had already run my 20 miles for the day and was in "rest mode". He wouldn't hear of it!! He challenged me to run with him since the restraunt was on his way home and he was on foot. I tried again to say "thanks, but no thanks" but those Marine vets can be very persistant!! I finally said "let's go!!", thinking he would break into a slow casual jog. The brother breaks into a full sprint, quickly leaving me 20 yards behind. Now I am challenged, so I picked up my pace to a sprint (which I really haven't done much of since my marathon training track work and race kicks six months ago). I caught my new friend and we ran neck-and-neck for a half mile at a fast pace. He then slows down and bends over sucking air. Thinking that my running for the day has finally and mercifully ended, I stopped to ask Isiah if he is alright, he says "yeah!", then without another word, bursts into another full sprint. I think to myself "this man is crazy", but I am crazier, so I take off after him, catch him, go ahead, then turn-on my last best effort to break him (I really want to stop running here soon). He tries valliantly to catch me then yells "Uncle" and stops, this time for good!!. We laughed, joked and exchanged names and addresses. He then very humbly asks if he could borrow $2.00 for a cab ride the rest of his way home!!! I really want to come back to OKC and run with Isaiah (he can keep the $2.00).
Conclusion
I continue to stop at fire and police stations as I run. Each meeting is its own story which I will remember forever. Having been a volunteer fireman for four years, I fully appreciate the hard work and challenges they face daily. At the suggestion of the Fire Chief in Boulder Creek, California, I am still collecting fire, police and sheriff office patches to show the NYC firefighters the interest and concern the emergency response units across the country have for them.
The media publicity has been great. Most towns I run through have run newpaper articles and/or radio interviews. I was on two OKC TV stations local news broadcasts.
Well it is getting late and I still have to run 20 miles south to Norman, OK. I am listening to the Oklahoma-Texas football game (a major shoot-out rivalry in these parts!!). I'll probably pass the Oklahoma fans returning north from the game being played in Dallas.
Thanks again to all on this distribution list who have supported and encouraged me on this Run. I think of you all every day.
Your friend,
Bob