A nice excuse to reconnect with high school friends.

was born in 1955 on a small farm about 50 miles north of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I started running in 1971 (only managed a quarter mile that first day),

graduated from Oconto Falls High School in 1973, and joined the Army as an officer in 1977. I continued to run on a regular basis but never more than four to five miles. I finally ran my first marathon (Marine Corps) in 1987 but had such a painful experience the last five miles that I was afraid to run another.

Meanwhile, my father died of pancreatic cancer in 1990. Since then, cancer has terrified me. Pancreatic cancer is the worst kind. Once it is discovered, it is too late to treat it, and you’re dead within weeks. After serving in various parts of the world, I moved to Newport News, Virginia, in 1994 on Army orders assigning me to Fort Monroe. I soon discovered that the area has a fairly large running community, and in 1998 I resumed running marathons (and then ultras) on a regular basis. I ran my second marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training and raised $2,600. After that, I began participating annually in the local American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I soon realized that I was getting pretty good at raising money to fight cancer. In 2004, based on a friend’s idea, I started my own 24-hour ultra race, the Virginia 24-Hour Run for Cancer, at a nearby nature park as a fund-raiser for Relay for Life. It started slowly but has become very successful over the years.

The first year we had 10 individuals and two relay teams and raised about $2,500. In 2010, we had 75 individuals and seven teams and raised almost $10,000. At my 35th high school reunion in 2008, I began reconnecting with many old high school classmates. One told me about a national organization devoted to fighting

pancreatic cancer, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN). I started to think about a way that I could combine my love of long-distance running with my need to fight against the scourge of this terrible disease.

The decision

After much thought, it occurred to me that I could use my high school classmates as a support system to do something I had dreamed about often—running across a state. [had already done two 48-hour runs and one 72-hour run (Across the Years) and was thinking about trying a six-day run. Running across a state would probduring August 2010. I immediately announced it to my high school classmates and running friends in Virginia. Most people probably wondered, “Why are you going to do that?”

There are many ways to answer such a question: because it’s there; because I can; to test my limits; to learn more about myself; to raise money for a good cause; to show people that an average person like me can do things that seem impossible; because I know of other people who have done the same kind of run and even longer; to inspire others to become fitter and healthier; because I think it will be fun; to reconnect and get closure with my high school classmates.

All of these are probably true, but maybe there is no way to really answer such a question. I knew I just had to do it!

Training and long-term preparation

Over the next 12 months, I ran many races ranging from 5K to 100 miles to get myself ready. I set up a web page about my run to allow people to donate online to PANCAN. The donations kept steadily coming in while I was training. Using Google Maps, I planned my route across the state. I decided that I would run northeast from the city of La Crosse on the Mississippi River through the center of Wisconsin, ending in the small town of Oconto on Lake Michigan. I chose this route because I wanted to run from water to water, it would be the shortest route, and I would be able to go through the town where I went to high school (Oconto Falls) near the finish. I clicked on La Crosse as the start point, Oconto as the end point, and chose “walk,” and Google Maps figured the shortest route for me. It told me the distance was 220 miles. Since I thought I could average about 30 to 35 miles a day, I decided that I would do the run in seven days. To minimize dealing with traffic at the start and to go easy the first day, I chose to start at noon on Sunday, August 8, and finish exactly one week later on August 15. That way I could begin with a half day and end with a half day and have a buffer for the last day in case I fell behind schedule.

Oconto Falls

From August to October 2009, I concentrated on short races, doing several

Shawano

Babcock Plover

La Crosse

5Ks, a 10K, a 10-miler, and a half-marathon. I wanted to get some speed back into my legs. In November, I ran a marathon, and in December, I did a 50K race. Both

to longer, slower ultradistance races to build up my legs for the 220 miles. In January, I ran 40 miles in one weekend, 20 on Saturday and 20 on Sunday. In February, I ran the Iron Horse 100-miler in Florida but made only 71 miles because of freezing temperatures at night. In March, I did the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach (4:16:52). In April, I did 50 miles during my Virginia 24-Hour Run for Cancer. In May, I paced a friend the last 38 miles of the Massanutten Mountain 100-miler. Finally, in June, I ran 84 miles at the FANS 24-hour race in Minneapolis. After recovering and running lots of slow miles in the Virginia heat and humidity during July, I pronounced myself ready.

Final planning and preparations

During the last two weeks before departing for Wisconsin, I carefully obtained all the stuff I would need and decided on my strategy for each day’s run. I ordered more of my favorite socks. Now [had 12 pairs of Wigwam Ultimax Ironman socks. I needed that many because I would use two pairs a day, changing socks at noon. I ordered another bottle of Succeed capsules. They are mostly salt but also have some potassium. Because I expected to sweat a lot, I needed to replenish my salt during the day as I drank water. I ordered another tube of Hydropel, a waterproof ointment for my feet to prevent blisters. I made sure that I had a full tube of Biofreeze, a great lotion to soothe sore muscles. I got two new pairs of running shoes.

I got another bottle of ibuprofen. I planned to take 800 milligrams before going to bed and another 800 milligrams upon getting up each morning. I bought another bottle of tincture of benzoin, a liquid to help in taping my feet. I had learned that the best way to prevent blisters was to tape my feet before I started.

Based on several years of long-distance running and on what others have done for such multiday runs, I decided to start each day around 7:00 a.M., alternate between running and walking with no more than 10 minutes running at any one time, walk all the uphills and run all the downhills, take a 1- to 1.5-hour rest for lunch and foot maintenance, drink a lot of water during the day, and eat three regular daily meals. I planned to drink about one bottle of water per half hour and also drink a bottle of vanilla Ensure every two hours. (Ensure is like an entire meal in a bottle.) I would also snack on pretzels for carbohydrates and beef jerky for protein. I would carry one bottle of water on a belt around my waist so I could drink constantly if I needed to. I would have my crew drive its vehicle about 2 to 2.5 miles ahead, park on the side of the road, and wait for me to arrive. I estimated that I would get to the vehicle about every half hour. I bought two small American flags, the kind you see marking military graves at cemeteries. I planned to mark the spot where I ended each day’s run with a flag. It would be easy to find the next morning. I reconfirmed the details of my route, my hotel reservations for the first four nights on the road, my classmates’ invitations to stay at their houses the last three nights, and my classmates who would crew for me.

| marked the end of each day’s run with an American flag.

Day 1 (Sunday, the start: La Crosse to Bangor)

On August 8, my wife, Terri, my daughter, Rebecca, and I left Terri’s brother’s house

Bangor

in Milwaukee at 8:00 a.m. in our rental car, West Salem

headed for La Crosse. After driving for 3.5 hours, we arrived on the outskirts of La Crosse and stopped for a quick lunch. We then drove to the start in Riverside Park on the Mississippi River and took some pictures. It is a very picturesque little park and had a statue of an eagle on top of a pillar near the water’s edge. At precisely noon, Rebecca and I started the run from that point. Luckily, the weather was cloudy and the temperatures were only in the mid-70s. We took off a little too fast, covering five miles in the first hour. We had to carefully wend our way through the downtown streets, avoiding traffic as much as possible. To get the best footing and use available paths, we often had to cross back and forth between the left and right sides of the road.

Finally, after about seven to eight miles, we were out of the La Crosse suburbs and into the countryside, with its idyllic farms and fields. We maintained a 5-mile-per-hour pace for two hours and then slowed to 4.5 miles per hour the last two hours. There were several big hills, so we walked the uphills and ran the downhills. Finally, at 4:00 p.m., we reached our destination, the small town of Bangor, and stopped, having done 19 miles. At the same time, my classmate Margie (Western) Roberts and her husband, Dave, arrived, having just driven up from Milwaukee. They would be my crew for the next three days. Rebecca and I rode with Terri to our hotel in West Salem, about four miles back the way we had run, with Margie and Dave following. After Rebecca and I took our showers, we all went to a restaurant for a nice dinner and good conversation. Then Margie and Dave headed to Tomah, where they were staying for the night, and Terri, Rebecca, and I went back to our hotel. We were in bed and asleep by 9:30 p.m.

LaCrosse

Day 2 (Monday: Bangor to Tomah)

After a good night’s rest, we were up early as planned, ate a continental breakfast at the hotel, and headed for the start point. We got there a few minutes before 7:00 A.M. and soon met Margie, Dave, and classmate Dale Trudell. Dale had driven from his home in Appleton (two hours away) early that morning to the hotel where Margie and Dave stayed in Tomah. He had agreed to run at least 25 miles with me. Rebecca, Dale, and I started the day’s run at 7:10 a.m. The weather was already warm and humid and got worse all day. There were a few clouds and there was only a little breeze. I resumed my pattern of running 10 minutes and walking five minutes, walking the uphills, and running the downhills. Rebecca and Dale

ran at a faster pace and often slowed down to wait for me to catch up. Tomah

For most of the morning, we averaged close to 4.5 miles per hour. The terrain was Bangor a steady stream of long, rolling hills with plenty of woods and beautiful countryside.

But since we were running along the shoulder

of the road, we had very little shade. Terri and Margie and Dave in two cars alternated at intersections waiting for us with water and food. By 11:15, we had 18 miles in and decided it was time for lunch. Dale had brought his lunch with him and opted to relax in the shade at the side of the road. The rest of us headed to a nearby Arby’s. I took my shoes and socks off, aired my feet, and reapplied some Hydropel. After a nice hour-long lunch break, Terri and Rebecca said good-bye and headed home. Margie, Dave, and I went back to where Dale was waiting, and we started the afternoon’s run around 12:30. My legs and feet felt great after the break, and we were able to continue along at the same 4.5-mph pace for two hours. However, because of the worsening heat (upper 80s), we slowed to 4 mph the third hour. The terrain was similar to the morning except that the uphills seemed to be longer and there was no break from the hot sun.

By 3:30, we had done 10 miles more for a total of 28 for the day, and Dale decided that was enough. I decided to add two more miles to shorten the next day’s run from the 35 miles I had estimated. I finished at 3:45, hopped in the car, and headed for my hotel in Tomah. After I showered, Dale, Margie, and Dave met me in the hotel bar, and we had a couple of drinks to celebrate the day’s run. Then Dale headed for home, and Margie, Dave, and I went to a restaurant for dinner. My college friend John Hanley joined us there. He is a brigadier general in the Army Reserve and had been on duty that day at Fort McCoy. After a great dinner, we headed back to our hotels. I was in bed and asleep by 8:30 p.m.

Day 3 (Tuesday: Tomah to Babcock)

Iwoke up early after another good night’s rest. Thankfully, my legs felt great again. This would be the first test of my ability to run 30-plus miles a day after running 30 miles. I had never done that before. After meeting at Margie and Dave’s hotel, we all headed for the day’s start, two miles past Tomah. Once again, we had two support vehicles. Dave drove John’s car and Margie drove theirs. That way John’s car would be waiting when he finished. John and I were on our way by 6:50. The weather was still warm and humid, but we had some clouds and a little breeze, and we ran mostly on rural, backcountry roads that were mainly flat. We spent a lot of the morning going through the Necedah Wildlife Refuge, where we saw and heard several sandhill cranes. I love the sounds they make. Being on narrow

country roads was nice because there was a lot less traffic. \ Babcock

For most of the morning, we still were

able to keep up a 4.5-mph pace, although @.

John started to feel the effects of the run just

before we stopped for lunch around 11:30,

when we were 18 miles in. The most he had

done before was 12 miles. We again main- © Tomah

tained a strict routine of 10 minutes running

and five minutes walking. We hopped into the cars with Margie and Dave and headed into the tiny nearby town of Babcock, where we found one restaurant in the center of town. It looked like the only inhabited place open. The service and food were great. After relaxing there for about an hour, we went back to where we stopped before lunch and resumed running at 12:45. The sun had now come out, and the temperatures were getting into the upper 80s, so our pace was slowed to 4 mph. As in the morning, we went through a quiet, wooded, mostly uninhabited area. We ran together for the next 10 miles, when John declared that he had had enough. He did great, doing 28 miles. Margie and Dave took him back to his car, and John headed directly back home to Milwaukee. I continued on for two more miles to once again get in a 30-mile day and reduce the miles for the next day. Luckily, I had overestimated the mileage for this leg. I thought it was 35 miles, but it turned out to be only 31 miles.

At 3:45, I was finished and we headed to our hotel in Wisconsin Rapids, about 14 miles ahead but the closest hotel available. After checking in and getting cleaned up, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant. Then we went back to the hotel and rested. After checking my feet carefully, I was very happy that I still had no blisters. I checked my phone messages and encountered my one big crisis of the run. My classmate Karen (Mortier) Mayer had a surprise inspection at her hospital in Chicago that morning. It would last four days, so she could not crew for me until Saturday, instead of Thursday. I then had to put plan B into effect. I called classmate Joe Theisen and asked if he could crew for me on Thursday instead of biking with me as planned. Then I called classmate Kathie (Allen) Taylor and asked if she could crew for me Friday, the day I was scheduled to stay at her house after the run. Thankfully, both agreed. I was in bed by 9:00 and asleep by 9:30 p.m.

Day 4 (Wednesday: Babcock to Plover)

I woke up to a cloudy and somewhat cooler morning, with temperatures in the mid-70s. Once again my legs felt well recovered from the night’s rest. After a quick breakfast stop at McDonald’s, Margie, Dave, and I headed back to the start

of the day’s run about four miles past Babcock. We arrived a little after 7:00, and I was on my way at 7:10 a.m. This would be my first Babcock day alone on the road, and I was anxious to

© see how well I would handle it. Because of

Plover

the clouds and cooler temperatures, I was able to keep up a 4.5-mph pace for most of the morning. The first 10 miles were more of the flat, quiet, backcountry roads similar to Tuesday. However, as I approached Wisconsin Rapids, the roads became much busier and I had to once again contend with running through city streets. I hated having to get on and off sidewalks to avoid oncoming traffic. After I finally got through the city, crossed the Wisconsin River, and got about 2.5 miles toward the next city (Plover), the sun came out and it heated up a lot. Having run 19 miles by 11:45, I decided it was time for a lunch break. Margie and Dave had found a great restaurant only about two miles away with a lakeside view. We had a fabulous fish-fry lunch, I did some quick foot maintenance (still no blisters), and I was back on the road a little after 1:00 p.m. The afternoon run was brutal. The skies were clear, the sun was relentless, there

was no breeze or shade, and the temperatures were in the low 90s. To make matters worse, this stretch of road was four-lane highway and perfectly straight. For the next 3.5 hours, the scenery never changed, the traffic never let up, and my pace slowed to 4 mph or less as time went on. Time seemed to slow down. But Iwas determined to at least get 30 miles in for the day. Luckily, reached 30 miles just after getting to the center of Plover, near my hotel for the night. Again, I had luckily overestimated the miles for the day. I thought it would be 37 miles, but it was only 33 miles between Babcock and Plover. At

4:00 p.m., I called it a day and checked in to my hotel. After showering and taking a very short rest, Margie, Dave, and I headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We had a great meal, took some final pictures at my hotel, and then Margie and Dave headed home to Milwaukee. Their three days of crewing duty were over. I called Joe Theisen to confirm details about his meeting me in the morning and crewing for me, did some more foot maintenance, and went to bed. I was asleep by 10:00 p.m.

Day 5 (Thursday: Plover to Symco)

I woke up to a forecast of “sunny, humid, and \ temps in the low 90s.” It was going to be a ® very tough day! But at least my legs and feet symco

felt good after my night’s rest, and I was able to have a good breakfast at the hotel before I started. Joe arrived a little after 6:30, I loaded my stuff into his van, and we headed to the start point a quarter mile away. Once again I would be alone most of the day, although Joe brought his bike with the intention of biking back to meet me after he parked his van for each of my water and food stops. I started the day’s run at 6:45 a.m. and settled into my usual routine of running 10 minutes, walking five minutes, and repeating. For the first four to five miles, it was the same as Wednesday afternoon, with heavy traffic on a four-lane highway and a relentless sun beating down. In addition, there were some very big hills to climb. I stayed close to the road, not wanting to run in the rough gravel on the narrow shoulder and risk twisting my ankle. The heat was becoming oppressive. Luckily, I had an idea that would save the day. Joe had a couple of old white T-shirts. I cut a strip off of one, soaked it in ice water, and draped it over my head and the back of

Plover

<4 At the finish of my hottest day on the road (day 5).

my neck. Then I soaked my hat in ice water as well and put it on top to hold down the shirt. I looked like Lawrence of Arabia, but it worked very well.

Around midmorning, after passing through the town of Amherst, I was finally done with four-lane highways and again on quiet backcountry roads. The scenery was perfect: rolling hills and fields with farms on both sides of the roads. It took me back to my childhood on the farm. Because of the heat and hills, I was just hanging on to a 4-mile-per-hour pace. By 11:30, [had 19 miles in and was about three miles short of the tiny town of Iola. I hopped in the van with Joe, and we had lunch at a nice café in the center of town. I ate what seemed like the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had, did some foot maintenance (still no blisters), and headed back to resume the afternoon run at 1:00 p.m. The temperature was now 92 degrees, and the hills seemed longer and steeper. Thankfully, Joe’s biking back to me for a mile or two between each water stop helped pass the time. I tried to hold a 4-mph pace, but as the hours continued I slipped to about 3.5 mph. At 4:00 p.m., having covered 30.5 miles for the day, I called it quits. It was definitely the hardest day so far.

If [had not used the Lawrence of Arabia technique, I don’t think that I would have made it. I was still about four miles short of Symco, my goal for the day. Unfortunately, this time I had not overestimated the mileage for the day. But since Thad planned 31 miles for Friday, I figured that I could gain a mile or two back then. After getting to the van, we headed for Joe’s house in Wausau. He and his wife, Vernell, had graciously offered to put me up for the night. It took about an hour and 15 minutes to get there. When we arrived, I took a shower, relaxed for a while, and had a great dinner and visit with Joe and Vernell. I found one tiny blister on the side of my left heel, but I didn’t think it would cause a problem. I called Kathie (Allen) Taylor to confirm details for linking up Friday morning and to prepare her for crewing. I went to bed around 9:00 and was asleep by 9:30 P.M.

Day 6 (Friday: Symco to Shawano)

I woke up early, had breakfast, and drove to Symco (where we would meet Kathie) with Joe and Vernell. I Shawano arrived a little before 7:00, said hello to Kathie, moved my stuff from Joe’s van to Kathie’s van, and said goodbye to Joe and Vernell. They were on their way to a weekend gathering with relatives in southern Wisconsin. The weather was looking good, cloudy and in the 70s. The forecast called for rain and thunderstorms. I was happy about that. I’ll take rain over hot sun any day! Symco I drove to the day’s start, four miles from Symco, with Kathie and was on my way by 7:10 A.M. The morning’s scenery was similar to Thursday’s—lots of rolling hills and quiet backroads with farms everywhere.

For the first couple of hours, it stayed cloudy and relatively cool. I kept up a steady 4.5-mile-per-hour pace. Around 9:30, I heard a couple of loud thunderclaps, and it soon started raining. It started slowly but gradually got heavier. I loved it! Compared with running in the heat, running in the cool rain felt wonderful. I even enjoyed being sprayed by all the oncoming cars and trucks. It kept up for about two hours. Then, as I was approaching Clintonville, it started to slow down, and by the time Thad 20 miles in (11:45) and stopped for lunch, the rain had stopped. I was in the middle of the city and once again had to deal with sidewalks and stop signs. I got into the van, and Kathie and I headed for a nearby fast-food restaurant.

After a restful lunch and some more foot maintenance, we went back to the start of the afternoon run. The temperatures had dropped into the upper 60s, and it felt awesome. I was on my way by 1:00 p.m. At about 1:30, I was joined by classmate Linda (Jarvey) Sharon and her daughter, Michaela, who drove from Green Bay (about an hour away). Linda was going to walk with me while Michaela biked along. She had volunteered the support earlier in the week, and I gladly accepted. With their company, I picked up the pace a little, and the afternoon went by quickly and smoothly. We went through more rolling hills and farmland.

By 4:00 p.m., I had 32 miles for the day and decided that was enough. I was about two miles short of Shawano, so I had made up a couple of the miles I lost on Thursday. It was the best day of the run so far! I hopped into the van with Kathie, and we headed for her house on Shawano Lake a few miles on the other side of Shawano. Linda and Michaela went back home to Green Bay. When I arrived, I took my usual quick shower, checked my feet, and relaxed. Kathie and her husband, Kevin, made a fantastic dinner. After dinner we were joined by classmates Carol (Jahnke) Kane and Kim (Allen) Szela. We visited for a while, they left around 8:30, and I headed for bed. Before turning in, I checked with Karen (Mortier) Mayer to be sure she was on track to crew for me the next two days. She was on her way from Chicago and would arrive much later in the evening. We confirmed the time and place to meet in the morning. I was in bed and asleep by 10:00 p.m.

Day 7 (Saturday: Shawano to Oconto Falls)

Saturday dawned sunny but cooler and less humid than earlier in the week. Once again Oconto Falls

my feet and legs felt revived after a good night’s rest. I was up at 6:00 a.m., had a Shawano Lake quick but filling breakfast, and met Karen,

who arrived at Kathie’s house early. After | Shawano saying good-bye and thanks to Kathie and Kevin and getting my stuff loaded in Karen’s car, we were headed to the day’s

start point by 6:45. We arrived at 7:00, and I took off soon thereafter. I resumed my alternating running-walking routine, with stops for water every half hour. I got to the outskirts of Shawano within 1.5 miles and took a shortcut Kathie had told me about on Friday. This allowed me to avoid downtown Shawano and probably reduce the distance by two miles. At this point, shortcuts were a definite blessing. I was running across Wisconsin, but I didn’t say I was going to do it the long way!

I was able to keep up a 4.5-mile-per-hour pace for the first couple of hours. Once again the terrain consisted of rolling hills with fields and woods. By 9:00, I was past the turnoff for Kathie’s house and heading toward the town of Gillett. With the cooler, drier weather, the morning felt great even though the sun was starting to heat things up a bit. But the traffic picked up, and I began encountering some long climbs. I slowed to a 4-mph pace and by 11:30 had 18 miles in for the day. I decided this was a good point to stop for lunch, as it was a key turnoff point. Based on looking at some Wisconsin maps and talking with Carol Kane and others Friday night, I had found a route using county roads that would save me another three more miles in getting to Oconto Falls. If I kept on state highway 22 and went through Gillett, I would have to deal with a lot more traffic. Karen and I found a restaurant for lunch in Gillett, just four to five miles away.

After a relaxing and filling lunch and my usual foot maintenance (still only the one tiny blister), we headed back to the afternoon run’s start point. I waited there a few minutes so Linda and her daughter, Michaela, could again join me for the afternoon’s run. We got started at 1:00 p.m. The sun was now high in the sky and the temperatures were back up in the mid-80s, so I used the Lawrence of Arabia technique again that had worked so well Thursday. With the narrow, gentle, rolling back roads and many farms that dotted the area, the scenery was great, and the traffic was almost nonexistent. I was able to keep close to my 4-mile-per-hour pace. With the company of Linda and Michaela, the time again went by fairly quickly, and I was soon approaching Oconto Falls. I planned to stop at a key intersection in the center of town. About a half mile away, we passed by Linda’s mother’s house, and she came out and took pictures.

As I got closer and closer, it seemed like the entire run was almost over! Although I had 17 or 18 miles to run Sunday morning, that would be anticlimactic. I now realized for sure that I was going to succeed and was almost perfectly on my planned schedule. I finished at 4:05, having covered 29 miles for the day. It was time to celebrate! Carol Kane had come to watch me finish and was nice enough to offer to buy us a drink and some food at a nearby pub. I quickly accepted, and we had a nice informal celebration for about 45 minutes. Then we each headed home with the intent of meeting at 7:00 p.m. at a local tavern for the official celebration planned by classmate Susan (Ellner) Krumrei. Karen dropped me off at classmate Susie (Elliott) Winters’s house, where I showered and took a short rest. Susie and her husband, Jerry, had offered their house for me to stay in for the night. I then went to the small victory party at The Udder Bar in nearby Spruce. About 12 classmates showed up, and we had a good time until around 10:00 p.m. It was great to see a couple of classmates I had not seen or spoken to since graduation. Karen dropped me off again at the Winters’s house for the night, and I was asleep by 10:30.

Day 8 (Sunday, the finish: Oconto Falls to Oconto)

I woke up to a perfect morning! The weather

was awesome—temperatures in the mid-60s, Oconto OCOnTS partly cloudy, light breeze, and low humidity.

This was the weather I had wanted all week!

After I had a nice breakfast and a short visit

with Susie, Karen picked me up at 6:40, and

we headed to the day’s start point. I was on my way by 6:50. It was great to be on the final leg of my journey, with perfect weather to enjoy. I quickly settled into my usual run-walk routine. I could have gone faster but decided to take it easy and really savor these last few hours on the road. I kept up my steady 4-mph pace. The route was scenic, passing through farm country again, and the traffic

was sparse. When I was approaching the outskirts of Oconto, I started noticing visitors. Classmate Dan Jung was waiting in his car as I approached. Carol Kane joined me on her bike, having parked her car at the waterfront. Then Linda and Michaela drove up and waved. The last two to three miles seemed to fly by.

Having passed through the center of Oconto, I headed for the waterfront on Green Bay (an extension of Lake Michigan). When I got close, I noticed cars everywhere. It turned out that a big fishing tournament was going on. I arrived at the water’s edge and walked out on the pier. It was 11:30. I had covered 16.5 miles, making 218 miles altogether! Then, as I had promised myself, I took off my shoes and jumped in the water to celebrate! The water was perfect. It was truly a moment to savor. After about five to 10 minutes of splashing around, I reluctantly emerged, hugged my friends who were there, and dried off. Susie and Jerry Winters drove up. We then took several pictures and said our good-byes, and Iheaded with Karen to her parents’ house on the outskirts of Oconto Falls. After getting cleaned up, eating some lunch, and making a quick stop at my family’s nearby farm, we headed to Milwaukee, where Karen dropped me off at Terri’s brother’s house on her way home to Chicago. I had a long night’s rest and slept in Monday morning. (It felt strange not having to get up and run.) Then I went to the airport and flew home to Virginia, getting in a little after 7:00 p.m. The big adventure was finally over!

Epilogue

Without a doubt, this was the most rewarding, challenging, and memorable running experience I’ve ever had. I thought I could do it, but I didn’t know for sure.

Celebrating
the end of day
7 in downtown
Oconto Falls.