Dave McGillivray's Day-by-Day Journal
May 9-11, 2004

Below is an update of the last few days of the adventures of TREK USA, a 25-day, 10-person relay across America from San Francisco, CA to Boston, MA from May 1, 2004 to May 25, 2004. The relay is scheduled to end inside Fenway Park on the night of May 25th before the Red Sox / Oakland game.

Don't forget to check out the trek web site at : Trek USA

Tom L. updates the journal section and Bob L. updates the photo gallery every night. Check it out! Also, check out the SCHOOL PROGRAM section each day, too, for updates. We have over 20 schools participating in the TREK, including my adopted school, St. Augustine School in Andover, where my sons, Ryan and Max, attend.

TEAM
Dave McGillivray - DM-----Tom Licciardello - TM
Mike Thompson - MT-----Josh Nemzer - JN
Mike Barry - MB-----Bob Lussier - BL
Paul McGovern - PM-----Fernando Braz - FB
Hap Farber - HF-----Bill Lapsley - BL
Bob Whirty - BW

SUPPORT KEY: Ron Kramer - CAPT. -----Zoe Alexi - ZA
Dave Leonard - DL-----Lyn Licciardello - LL

SUNDAY, MAY 9TH (DAY OFF- MOTHER'S DAY!!)
Actually took the day off and celebrated Mother's Day with all the "guys." Just got caught up with a lot of DMSE and BAA work. Stayed at the Steamboat Grand Summit Hotel...beautiful place. Did radio interview at night on Competitor Magazine radio show with Bob Babbitt and Paul Huddle. They are located in San Diego, CA.

MONDAY, MAY 10TH
(Steamboat Spring, CO to Greeley, CO)
Whiners: DM, BL, JN, MT, PM, BW, ZA, RK
Moaners: FB, TL, BL, HP, MB, DL, LL
Woke up to our coldest temperatures - 29 degrees. Actually felt refreshing. Once again, SUN!! Amazing-no one single cloudy or rainy day on this entire trip (yet)-knock on wood. Team in good spirits. Everyone working well together. Approximately 20-miles in to the Moaner's run, we finally met our first cross-country "trekker," 67-year-old Dr. Admiral Dewey Sanders who is walking coast-to-coast from Virginia Beach, VA to San Francisco, CA also to raise money for at risk youths.

He was being followed by his wife, Dottie in an SUV. He left in February and was averaging 32-miles a day. He said, "meeting you guys, was the highlight of my walk so far!" Pretty impressive. He indicated, too, that he has run 31 marathons but never Boston - maybe next year now! He gave me one of his three walking sticks - I was flattered but I do hope I will not have to use it. He even emailed me already tonight. Check out his web site at: Dewey's Walk

Today we ran through perhaps the most "beautiful" part of the country so far - Cameron Pass (10,276 feet in elevation) and along the flowing Cache la Poudre River.

Coach Nemzer demanding I pick up the pace down the Rockies.

This was a detour from where we originally were scheduled to run which was over Estes Pass in out to 13,000 feet in elevation which is the course I ran in 1978. However those roads are presently closed with 5-6 feet of snow on them! Ironically, a local marathon was held here yesterday (Sunday) on the exact road we were running on. We missed it by one day - would have been a huge coincidence if we were running through this area on the exact same day as the marathon! It was managed by Jon Sinclair, a former world-class runner from this area.

At about 4:00PM on today's run, we saw some clouds and it actually started raining out - in fact, it started hailing! The weather in the mid-west is so unpredictable and I think we are going to be in for a lot of mother nature's challenges in the days ahead.

I found one more penny today. This part of the Trek for me just isn't going too well!! Have only found a total of 15 cents now. What a disappointment! However, today was the first day I felt I ran pretty hard and picked up the pace. It was refreshing to finally get out of the high altitude but in retrospect, I think it just made us all that much stronger.

We finished the day in Greeley, CO today. As the team walked into the Fairfield Hotel lobby, an older gentlemen collapsed right in front of the team. Our resident doctor, Hap Farber, immediately went to the gentlemanis aid, beginning CPR and other live saving techniques. An ambulance was called. The man either was having a seizure or a heart attack or both. An ambulance and fire engine arrived to take over. I hope and have to believe that Team TREK, and in particular, Dr. Hap Farber, helped save this gentleman's life. More good being accomplished along the way.

Weather: SUNNY, cool and then in the 80s. Rain later in the day.
TOTAL Distance for the Day: 168
TOTAL Distance for the Trip: 1306
TOTAL Money Found (by me) For the Trip: 15 cents

TUESDAY, MAY 11TH
(Greeley, CO TO Wray, CO)
Whiners: DM, BL, MB, MT, PM, BW, DL, LL
Moaners: FB, TL, JN, BL, HP, ZA, RK
For the first time a friend from the area we were running through joined us on the TREK. Creigh Kelley from Denver, CO drove an hour up to Greeley to meet us first thing in the morning and ran my first 6-mile split with me.

Friends are those people who help you keep the pace honest.

Creigh is a well-known race management professional who directs races, owns a timing company and owns an event photography company. He also is a race announcer at many of the countries top profile events. It certainly was a pleasure to have Creigh join the TREK for a few miles. We are looking forward to having other friends join us along the way.

During my second split, I actually saw bisons (buffalos)! You don't often see them roaming your backyard! This truly is the agriculture area of America!!
In some areas we literally saw thousands and thousands of cows assembled. Bill said it looked like a cow concert and Zoe yells out, "yeah, who's playing, the Cowsills??" That's a lot of beef!! Holy cow!!

We have a bunch of comedian runners and support crew among the group. The runs today have been much easier than in the past week. Coming out of the higher elevations (8,000-10,000 feet) and being a little acclimated to these altitudes makes for easier breathing at these lower elevations. Roads were undulating but very enjoyable today. Later in the day, the winds really started to kick in and seemed to approach 20-30 mph.with tumbleweed scampering across Rt. 34. Felt like a scene out of The Wizard of Oz! We are hearing about possible tornado warnings in the area -yikes! Button down the hatches!!

Physically, I am feeling very good and getting stronger and stronger as each day passes as it seems everyone is. The only thing I am a little cautious about is my calves. I haven't had major problems with them in the past year and I am praying that remains the case for the next two weeks. My pace has picked up a bit occasionally dropping below 8s. However, I (as well as the entire team) need to be patient and not overdo it even if we feel good.

Finally, out of the desert and out of the mountains - let's now hope for no tornados!

The team is working extremely well together. We truly have a great system down for the relay. Bob and Tom are doing a great job on the web site: trekusa.org. Ron continues his Captin duties. Our support crew of Lyn, Zoe, Dave and Bob W. are doing an outstanding job - as is Bob Ell from home (he and his wife Kathryn are expecting their first child). Our PR person, Linda Fechter, is turning out the media throughout the US. And, of course, our home support crew, our wives and children, are both our inspirational and emotional support system.

Received an email today from Sister Kathleen of St. Augustine School. The kids are following us each step of the way learning about state flags, flowers and birds. They also are walking and running each day in the school yard, accumulating the same amount of miles as we are across America.

It so great to be able to get emails from so many friends while out in the middle of no-wheres-ville. Of course, that was impossible 25 years ago. Then, I had to pick up mail at GENERAL DELIVERY at post offices all across the country. What a difference.

By the way, Iive left my watch on Boston time the entire trip. Does get confusing sometimes, but, by keeping it on east coast time, it's easier for me to know and follow what my kids are doing and where my wife is during the day.

It's a WORKING trip across the country.

WEATHER: Partly Sunny, cloudy, windy, windy, Windy, 90 Degrees High
TOTAL Distance for the Day: 152
TOTAL Distance for the Trip: 1458
TOTAL Money Found (by me) for the Trip: 15 cents