Today was a tough old day in the scorching heat of New Jersey. The day started with Carlton’s secret porridge recipe. It contains an unknown amount of parts water to parts milk with banana thrown in for good measure.
A reasonably cool start to the day (22 Celsius) in Overpeck County Park at 0639 made for some quick (by my tour standards) miles early on. There wasn’t an ache or pain in my legs thanks to my trusty Cherry Active.
In reverse, I recognised some of the route from 2011. It still feels surreal to me that I’m running here again. In fact, the route will be pretty much the same all the way to Indianapolis.
At the 6.5 mile point I crossed a railway line. Looking left and right, I was surprised to see an approaching train! I backtracked and the barriers came down. I was very excited to see it pass with the horn blaring loudly. I’ve been fascinated with trains since the 2011 run across the USA. Although nowhere near as much of a train geek as some people I know. You can see footage of that train on the Run Geordie Run social media accounts such as X and Bluesky. I recommend using headphones and turning the volume up!
I got a message from the team showing their location at the 10.5 mile point. That was perfect timing as I was feeling really hungry and had just used the last of my water. Deb had made a magnificent wrap and I had some of last nights pasta. After a 45 minute break I was on my way again for the second session of the day.
The next section of the route took me through a lovely place called Montclair. I found it quite tricky to navigate as I was mainly concentrating on getting up the steep climbs as quick as possible.
At the 19 mile point, I got a message from Carlton to say that the next meeting point was at a place called Philly Pretzel Factory. I also received a similar message from Donna back in the UK who was tracking my progress.
So at the 21 mile point I stuffed my face with Philli Cheese pretzels and some cinnamon ones. While doing that, Steve turned up with some clothes I’d left at his place the day before the run started. It was good to see him again. The next time we’ll meet will be when he joins the support team at Page, Arizona in July.
The final session of the day coincided with the hottest part of the day at 29 Celsius. The final 8.4 miles were incredibly slow. The combination of the heat and for the most part, the lack of a path or hard shoulder made for a real challenge. The picture below was taken at the 23 mile point with the Livingston Mall just over the hill.
Carlton and Deb went to the nearby mall for a few supplies. They’ve done a brilliant job getting the RV up and running, storing all my kit away and making sure we have all the essentials.
I was pleased that Deb joined me for the final 4 miles. Having some good company was so important to get me over the line. It was such a hard slog though.
I took the opportunity to look back at the long road which I remember from day 100 of the run across the USA in 2011. After 2 days of running, I'm about 3 miles away from the start point on day 100 in 2011. That was a 60 mile day. A distance, especially given the circumstances, which still boggles my mind.
We were about 1/2 mile from the finish line when a man pulled over in his car and asked us if the “crazy man” up the road was waving at us. He was, of course, referring to Carlton. We could see him in the distance. We thanked the man for bringing Carlton’s antics to our attention. We later found out that Carlton was initially waving at a distant tree thinking it was me. I know not the quickest runner but a tree! Seriously!
Carlton had found a great overnight spot. This means that for the second day in a row, I’ll just have to get out of the RV and start running in the morning.
I had another, what I’m calling, Deb’s magic wrap for tea and many litres of water. According to my Garmin watch I’ve sweat out an estimated 8.4 litres of water today.
So after 29.4 miles the run is bang on target. In reality I think I’m 100 meters ahead of schedule, for what it’s worth.
Getting a shower in the RV was a challenge. My mobility was compromised after such a tough day. Deb assessed the damage that my feet have taken. There’s some nasty stuff starting to develop already. A soak in salt water brought some relief. Deb has some ideas to help with that. Changing socks after each session is one of them. It's nothing I've not seen before thankfully. Blisters forming in the usual places. A bit of chafing. It'll hopefully settle down after a couple of weeks.
As type this blog, we’ve got the RV generator on. The fan is bringing just a crumb of comfort. It’s absolutely roasting here in Morristown and it’s just gone 9pm.
A huge thank you to those kind folk who added £482 to the USA 2025 charity fund in aid of St. Benedict’s Hospice via https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025
The total raised so far is £14,626.28. Absolutely amazing generosity.
TUNE OF THE DAY: Sam Fender - People Watching
