Not only did I retire from extreme running in 2016, I also packed away into the far recess of my attic the trusty BOB stroller that endured every step with me. If you've followed this blog for any amount of time, you know that I've written about a number of emotions, experiences and struggles concerning that 15-state adventure. Here are just a few (click on any titles to read the blog posts):
- How Hard Was It To Run Across America?
- Statistics For My 3,260-mile, 108-day Solo Run Across America
- It Has Been 10 Years Since I Ran Into The Atlantic Ocean
- "Run Forrest Run" -- Words That I've Heard Countless Times!
- Words Over 3,200 Miles In The Making
- Keeping A Promise -- What Does That Look Like In Action?
- 10 Years Since My Solo Run Across America
- Why I Don't Coach Others On How To Run Across America
- Want a FREE Pair of Socks? Just Run Across America!
- If I'm a Freak, Outsider or Oddity -- So Be It!
- Running Across America... and Experiencing a Hallucination!
- A Never-Before-Seen Video From My 2006 Solo Run Across America
- Have You Ever Had The Words "Get a Job" Yelled at You?
- To Me, It's Not "Just a Hat." In Fact, It's a Significant Reminder.
- The Best Sun Tan of My Life... And The Most Dangerous!
- Chasing a Promise -- Coast to Coast!
- One Result of Running Across America is Seen in Leg Transformation
- Summer 2006 -- A Journey, A Sacrifice, A Victory, A Painful Memory
- The Cost of Joining the Ranks of Coast-to-Coast Runners and Walkers
- My Run Across America Required 2½ Billion Pounds of Pressure
- Is Keeping a Promise an Unrealistic Goal?
- Make Good on a Promise? Preposterous!
Recently, my wife and I watched several of the videos at my YouTube channel from the various adventure runs. I watched those videos and had a mixture of emotions. I am pleased with what I was able to accomplish and with each picture and video I recalled the numerous emotions I experienced in order to successfully complete each journey. I look at myself in those videos and see a different man -- a man who was personally struggling in several ways, and not just with trying to run across a state or country. My life had been one that was rooted in perseverance... enduring... simply reaching for the future, for the next milepost. I am not that man any longer.
I'm posting this video at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time, which is 6:00 a.m. on the west coast. That is the time that I opened my eyes in Cannon Beach, Oregon to begin that solo U.S. run. As I post this writing, I can't help but to reflect back to that morning... the emotions I was feeling... the uncertainty that was in front of me. Today, my life is no longer uncertain. In fact, I have a peace and contentment that I never imagined I would experience. I am happy, I am whole, I am peaceful, I am blessed.
I no longer live under a running cap. My eyes are no longer shaded by sport sunglasses most of the day, and my legs no longer look chiseled and deeply tanned. I am not so incredibly thin and no longer have to wear an ID bracelet in fear that someone may find me injured or dead along a highway. I am no longer reaching for life's horizon with a feeling of loneliness. I am fortunate, I am thankful, I am wiser, I am complete.
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
