Day 30 of the run across the USA 2025

The night in the motel was a mixed bag. It was good to get a shower but I had a terrible sleep. If recent weeks are anything to go by, poor sleep equals a poor days mileage potentially. 

I set off from Plainfield at 0601. It was dark and it was raining. At least I had a path however. I’d trade rain for that any day. 

I met John at a Speedway garage at the 3.5 mile point for some breakfast. Porridge as per usual. After that John made his way to the RV rental place. It took me just less than an hour to meet him there. 

The place hadn’t opened up yet and we didn’t know how long it would take to fix / swap the RV. Consequently, I loaded up my backpack, waterproof etc and went on my way. I was prepared to be self sufficient for as long as it took. 

I ran past a lot of yard sales throughout the day. They were reasonably popular with what seemed like passers by pulling up to each one for a mooch about. I spotted a couple of things that could have livened up the RV. One was what I called an “RV Buddy” in military gear and there was also a stuffed animal. Sadly I don’t carry cash and we just don’t have the room otherwise I would been all over those purchases.   

There were a lot of messages on one of the team’s WhatsApp channels regarding the RV fix / swap. First of all we were getting a bigger RV then a battered old like for like one. It was like Bullseye - have a look at what you could have won. 

John refused to take the battered one. That’s the last I heard from him for a while. As I made my way along Highway 40 and further away from the RV depot, all kinds of things were going through my mind. The worst of which was the staff “convincing” John to take the RV of their choosing. My AI illustration captures quite well what I saw in my minds eye. 

At the 13.5 mile point I could see two cyclists in the distance. When our paths eventually crossed, we stopped for a chat. I think we all knew straight away that each party was travelling across country. 

I found out that Mike and Wayne were travelling from Flagstaff, Arizona back home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They had loads of questions for me and I really enjoyed chatting with them. I only wish I had time to find out more about their journey. We shook hands and we wished each other a safe onward journey. 

Just as I was leaving them I heard that John had a new RV. One that worked. I’d totally forgotten about the potential hostage situation. I messaged him to make sure he beeped the horn at the cyclists when they went past. I later heard that he did. 

Following the brilliant boost to my morale, I started to pick the pace up. The road surface and hard shoulder size was perfect. 

With the help of some AC/DC on the iPod, miles 15 and 16 flew by and I met John in the “new” RV at a Dollar General store in Stilesville. It was such a shame that this was the last safe meeting point for quite a while. I neither had the hydration or calories to continue on what was beginning to become a very warm day. 

I ate a good portion of pasta and ready salted crisps. 

It was followed by a chocolate spread and banana wrap. It was an absolute lunch of champions. 

For the first time since day 1, I didn’t have a tactical snooze and got back out into the heat of the day. 

I had my daily call with Dave Fairlamb and another one with Donna. She’s trying to find some massage for me further down the route. It’s proving difficult. 

I met the RV again at 21.5 miles. I was parched and had ran out of water. I chose to wear my hydration backpack again and off I went after a 10 minute sit down. 

It was really warm by this time and there were a few small climbs to contend with. I had a call with my son Jack and that helped to pass a few miles. It’s this section of the day that I’m really struggling with mentally so all of these calls really help. I had to end the call a little earlier than I’d otherwise have liked as I could feel myself “crashing”. A cereal bar helped with that. I also used the last of my water over the final miles. 

I made it to South Putnam bang on the 27 mile mark and decided to end there for the day. At the time of writing this blog, we are at a nearby overnight stop with the potential of a quiet nights sleep. It’s the local school car park. 

Tea tonight was two bagels with peanut butter followed by omelette and bacon. It’s the most that I’ve eaten for quite a while. 

I’m pleased to report that the new RV’s shower works and it looks like the auxiliary battery is working as it should. This has 70,000 more miles on the clock than the original one and is quite grubby. I really don’t mind as long as we can shower and flush a toilet. 

Credit goes to John today for standing his ground and getting the RV he wanted swapped over. He then had to empty one RV into the other. Not an easy task in the midday heat. 

The two previous RV fixes have been farcical. Firstly, the battery that was changed in day 8 in Carlisle, PA was the incorrect type. Then, on day 22 in Columbus, the wrong inverter was used and powered incorrectly (according to the engineer today). Basically we didn’t stand a chance. We may not be out of the woods yet, but so far so good. The toilet flushes and I’ve had a shower. Pure luxury. 

TUNE OF THE DAY: Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC. That’s the tune that started the midday pace revolution.   

We are perfectly aligned for a 31 mile day tomorrow which will take us to a Kroger car park on the outskirts of Terre Haute. With a good sleep tonight, and some good donations to St. Benedict’s Hospice tomorrow then I’ve got every chance of getting there. 

Continued thanks to those that have donated to St Benedict's Hospice. 

If you would like to donate, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025

Day 29 of the run across the USA 2025

Today was a day I’m glad I survived. Day 29 got underway at 0600 to the east of Indianapolis in Cumberland. Despite a decent sleep in the Walmart car park I felt quite tired. 

I just about managed to cross the road amidst busy traffic at 3.5 miles to meet the RV for breakfast. As well as porridge, I had to have a 30 minute tactical snooze. It’s most unusual to feel that tired so early these days. 

I got going again and spent the next 6 miles trying to find a way through roadworks. I think John had similar problems in the RV. 

I heard from John that he was moving from the next meeting point. The RV had attracted a bit of unwanted attention so he moved a little closer to Indianapolis city centre. 

I noticed a lot of sad sights as made my way through more roadworks. Closed businesses, derelict properties, homeless people and many unhealthy looking people. 

I met the RV again for more porridge. I didn’t hang about and was soon on my way again. 

I made to the city centre of Indianapolis after 10 miles. The sights and sounds were a refreshing change compared to the earlier part of the day. 

I ran past the baseball ground which I remembered from 2011. 

I got a call from David Fairlamb as I crossed the White River and ran away from the city centre. It was the usual update but it ended with much laughter. I haven’t laughed a great deal recently so it was nice to let it all out. 

As I got to the 13 mile point, through yet more roadworks, my heart sank. Where a bridge should have been was just a huge gap. There was no way through. I quickly plotted a detour and back tracked a bit. I think it added 1.5 miles to the route. 

The detour took me through a huge cemetery, onto a really poor quality road before crossing route 36.  

In fact the end of route 36 was just around the corner. That’s the road that I spent 1000 miles on from Denver back in 2011. 

I eventually got back on Highway 40 and met the RV at 16.5 miles for some pasta. Unfortunately, I needed another 30 minute tactical snooze which I could ill afford to have. 

The next section was up there with any of the risky running I’ve ever done. Running parallel to the airport, there was no hard shoulder or path for 4.5 miles. I spent a lot of time stepping on and off the road or sometimes just hoping for the best. 

A hard shoulder appeared at mile 21 and then a path all the way to the finish line at mile 22.7. This is where my digs are for the night. A motel. So a shower is back on the menu. John is staying in the RV outside so I’m feeling 1% guilty about that.

The RV will be getting some attention in the morning just a little way down the road. It’s make or break time to resolve its issues. Life on the road will be even more difficult if they aren’t resolved. 

The next target is to make it to Effingham in 4 days time. That’s 126 miles away. John will leave the tour from there. By that I mean, drive to St. Louis and handover to Alan who will then drive back towards me. Alan is then on the tour all the way to the Rocky Mountains. 

TUNE OF THE DAY: Lonely Road - mgk and Jelly Roll 

The charity fund smashed the £18,000 barrier today which is great news. Continued thanks to those that have donated to St Benedict's Hospice. 

If you would like to donate, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025

Day 28 of the run across the USA 2025

An unprecedented 5 hours of unbroken sleep was had last night from 9pm to 2am. Boy was that needed. The main reason for the quality of sleep was the quiet church we parked outside in Knightstown. Utter bliss. 

I set off just after 6am on Highway 40. John drove me back to last nights finish point and I set off with a stiff back and needed to use the walking poles. 

I made it back to Knightstown after 3 miles and had porridge and painkillers for breakfast. I set off soon after and what happened next was most unexpected. 

I was running unencumbered for once with just a bottle of water and a hi viz vest on my single layer top. I was only a few feet into the run and it started to rain. Heavily. I started to pick up the pace knowing that I would suffer with the cold rain if I didn’t. 

The miles flew by as the painkillers kicked in and the porridge was converted to fuel. I suspected I was on for a record “by 10” distance and continued to build the pace. 

I took some water off John at the roadside at about 8 miles and didn’t hang around. 

I was really pleased that I passed 10 miles by 0940. That’s a new tour record. 

It seems the people in this area love a yard sale. I spotted at least 6 during the course of the day. 

I met the RV at the 13.5 mile point just before it started to rain. As per our new plan, I had some more porridge. I also chose to sleep for an hour to avoid the torrential rain. 

I headed back out for a 5.5 mile section. Unfortunately, the rain started again. I was well prepared though with waterproof socks to help limit the damage to my feet. 

It was really cold at first but as soon as I found some pace I warmed up. 

On 16 miles, I spotted what I thought was a familiar sight in Greenfield. It was statues of the Blues Brothers. At the time, I thought they were the same ones that we’d seen around here back in 2011. Now that I’ve revisited the old photos I can see that they are different but it's the same location.

There were other bits and pieces to see in Greenfield too which made a change from wet roads. There was a bit of information on the “national road”. We know it as Highway 40 and have been on it since Washington, Pennsylvania. I’ll continue to run on it all the way to St. Louis. 

I reached the RV again at 18.25 miles. I wolfed down some pasta and was straight back out again. 

David Fairlamb rang for his daily check in. He was telling me that he’d just finished some VersaClimber classes and used my run to motivate the participants and put things into perspective. I believe he did the same with his Beach Bootcamp the other week. That kind of thing is nice to hear. I’ve also seen comments across social media along the same lines. In fact, Steve Parker on X said “We are all right behind you Mark, keep on trucking, proud of your efforts and you inspire so many of us to get off our arses and look after ourselves better.”. 

David was dismayed to hear about our continuing RV issues. To remind readers, we have no running water so can’t shower or easily wash dishes, can’t flush the toilet, have no fridge and no lights (which explains why I put my socks on inside out this morning). The latest situation is that John will be taking the RV for attention to Cruise America first thing on Friday morning. The depot is at Plainfield which is the other side of Indianapolis. 

The journey to the RV meeting point at 24.5 miles saw my energy drop off a cliff edge. I was so slow it was painful. This was exactly the same situation as yesterday (and a good few other days for that matter). I had some more pasta (with crisps poured in much to John’s shock). I also asked for a wrap and I had a cake too. It’s possibly the most I’ve eaten on a break. Had the road been safe last night, I would have taken the same approach yesterday. 

I left the RV feeling a little better and it wasn’t too long before I was able to find some pace again. 

I reached the suburb of Cumberland with 1 mile to go and took my foot off the gas. The sun was shining and there were a few sights (mainly shops) to look at. I was pleased that the last refuel stop had given me the energy required to carry on. 

Today’s finish point was a Walmart car park. This will be our digs for the night. Absolute luxury. 

The charity fund is incredibly close to the next barrier of £18,000.  Continued thanks to those that have donated to St Benedict's Hospice. 

If you would like to donate, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025

TUNES OF THE DAY: Never Forget followed by Relight my Fire (Live Odyssey tour) - Take That. 

Regular followers may know that Take That (especially the live albums) take me away to another place while I’m running. They make me feel safe and secure for some reason. I first discovered this while running in Indian Valley, Utah in 2011. People may laugh at that but it’s a fact. 

Donna and me went to that gig (twice) back in 2019. Great times. 

Tomorrow’s plan is to make it through Indianapolis and come out the other side. Roadside support from the RV will be challenging around the city centre but I’m sure we’ll manage. 

Finally today, here are the usual maps and so on. I’ve included some larger maps for a sense of progress.  

Day 27 of the run across the USA 2025

My back felt a lot better as soon as I woke up today. The alarm was set for 0530 and the first task of the day was to down a protein shake. 

As I stepped out of the RV at 0600, I felt a sharp pain in my back. It felt like a real setback. I limped on, away from Richmond, Indiana feeling pretty despondent. The sign showing 61 miles to Indianapolis gave me a little boost. The incentive of getting back to the big miles and reaching the next major city by Wednesday evening was a reality. It was something to aim for short term in this massive campaign of targets and milestones. 

The hard shoulder was wide enough but it contained ridges which reduced where I could run. 

I made it to Centerville at 0715 where it was time for breakfast. John and I agreed that I’d do a near 10 mile stretch to the other side of Cambridge City while he went ahead and did some laundry. 

There were a few things to look at on Highway 40 today but mainly long stretches of road as far as the eye could see. 

I met John at 13.5 miles where he had some good and bad news. The good news was that he’d managed to do the laundry. He’s like a laundromat machine now. The bad news was that the RV was still losing auxiliary power. As a reminder, this means that we will lose the fridge and ability to have a shower. Oh and lights too. 

I had 2 wraps and a 30 minute tactical snooze. These power naps consist of 10 minutes (I think) of sleep and 20 minutes wondering how long is left while dreading the sound of the alarm. It’s my worst nightmare. 

The rain started just after noon but was very tolerable. I was caught between keeping dry and over heating in my rain jacket. I opted for overheating. 

With soaking wet feet, I limped to the RV at Lewisville at 22 miles. I got in, dried my feet, pulled a few bits of skin off and put some new socks on. 

The next session was very tough. The pain in my feet got considerably worse as the miles went on. I found the solitude on the long stretches of Highway 40 the hardest thing to cope with. Dealing with a physical and mental battle was just too much. I had to admit defeat. I was suffering. Big time. 

While I waited for the RV, I recorded my thoughts on the Run Geordie Run Facebook page. You can see that here - https://fb.watch/zS1x4UJzvh/? 

I swiftly got in the RV when it arrived. It was a dual carriageway so had to be quick about it. I later said to John that if the road had been better from a support point of view then I could have taken an hour or so out, taken some painkillers and finished the miles. 

There is now a considerable mileage deficit. It’s 133 miles. The highlighted part in the image below shows where today’s miles should have been. The blue dot shows where I currently am. 

There was a deficit of 47 miles at this stage of the run across the USA in 2011. It would later go on to peak at 177 miles. The Appalachians and the damage to my feet, pain in my legs and back are the difference this time. The mountains are behind me now until I get to the Rockies. Leg pain is under control. Back pain is improving day on day as I hoped. It’s my feet that are causing issues. Again. They have really regressed since Deb left the team last week. 

John and I think I have a fuelling issue too. The current strategy of having a protein shake, then doing a few miles before having porridge for breakfast has worked consistently well for the last 3 days. I’m able to reach 10 miles by 10am. Although I cut it fine today. 

Tomorrow, I’ll be eating more porridge at the first major meeting point. That’s usually between 12 and 14 miles. I’d like to forego the tactical snooze at that point but I feel that it does help. 

John asked today when I’d consider quitting. He really doesn’t know how I’m managing to keep going given the state of my feet. My reply was that I wouldn’t consider quitting. The only thing I’m considering is to keep moving forward and to keep raising funds for St. Benedict’s Hospice. 

The charity fund is incredibly close to the next barrier of £18,000.  Continued thanks to those that have donated to St Benedict's Hospice. 

If you would like to donate, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025

TUNE OF THE DAY: Alive - Chase and Status 

Today’s miles, as tough as they were, are dedicated to the memory of Allan Foster who recently passed. In 60 years, he was never apart from his wife. My condolences go to her and his friends and family. 

I’ll close today with a couple of messages I received. They didn’t take away the pain in my feet but they did help to boost my morale. 

KAREN - “Just wanna drop you a line to let you know what an absolute tower of strength you are. I know there are days when you won’t feel that, and because you’re in a deficit with the miles on some crazy level in your head you might feel like you are slipping? 

Every single step forward is closer to your goal. EVERY.SINGLE.ONE!! So even on the days you don’t hit your target you are still moving FORWARD.. 

I can’t even imagine the pain, tiredness, mental exhaustion & level of drive you have to have to spur you on??!! CRAZY levels of endurance.. you have already way surpassed what most folk can say they have ever achieved for themself or charity endeavours. 

So today’s message is really just to say quieten down any doubts. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Every mile is another mile conquered & another mile behind you. 

I hope today brings some positive encounters, good weather and a strong mindset to keep pushing you on.  

You crazy mofo!!!

I woke up thinking about something I have wanted to do but have put off & off because it’s gonna be hard. Then I thought about you and realised it’s nowhere near hard so get on with it." 

DAVID - “Hello Mark. I'm not sure if you will see this message but I just want to tell you what an inspirational bloke you are and what a great job you're doing. it looks like today has been a tough one although I'm sure most of them are. I hope you manage to get some good rest tonight and tomorrow is another day. Please don't ever feel like you're letting anyone down if you don't hit expected daily targets. what you're doing for the hospice is truly amazing and you're an amazing person. 

Anyway, that's enough of that. Hurry up and get back. The toon need a new sporting director! 🤣. Take care mate." 

There are also a heap of comments on the Run Geordie Run Facebook page which I’ve just caught up on. I see them all. It all adds up to some brilliant support. 

So goodnight from Knightstown, Indiana. Tomorrow it’s Indianapolis or bust.