20 Years Since I Ran 3,260-Miles Solo Across the U.S.A. at Age 41

Twenty years ago today, I started a transcontinental run at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon... heading for the Delaware coast. I averaged 30 miles per day for 108 days while pushing a 65-pound jogging stroller loaded with gear, food and water. That 15-state journey included the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Appalachian Mountains -- all to promote youth health and fitness. Now, at age 61, I'm looking back on that adventure and remembering all that I was feeling on that first day.

Actually, the first day was one of the easiest of the entire journey. I ran 22 miles from the Oregon coast to "Camp 18" on Highway 26. It was an 88-degree day with only 443 feet of elevation gain. My journal entry for June 23, 2006 included this:

"What a wonderful first day of this trek... The weather was perfect, with sunny blue skies and only a slight breeze. I gathered some sand and water in a small jar from the Pacific Ocean as a keepsake and then said a few words to those who had come to the start. After hugs and handshakes, it was time. I began the run with my four children (ages 6-13) running alongside me down the beach a ways to where the beach access ramp was. After getting the stroller ("Bob" - short for "Beast of Burden") out of the sand, I had to empty the sand from my shoes before beginning. Then I took off down highway 101, waving goodbye to family. It was definitely a day of varying elevations. The road seemed to either be going up or down, with very little flat ground. Getting up the coastal mountain range was like an initiation into this trek... I stopped for lunch at mile 11, taking a 1/2 hour to enjoy some shade. I then continued on the narrow coastal road where there was often either a very narrow shoulder to run on, or no shoulder at all. After running 22 miles, I stopped at Camp 18... It was a challenging first day with plenty of traffic heading to the coast for the weekend (I run facing traffic). All in all, it was a good day and this journey is now underway."

I remember that first day so vividly. I had waited so long to start the run across America, my first attempt in 1986 at age 21 being a failure. To succeed 20 years later, in 2006, was such a blessing!

You can click here to see various statistics and details about my solo U.S. run.

Gotta Run,

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

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

I Did Not Give Away The Stroller I Pushed Across America

Today, I read an article in the Delaware Cape Gazette that contained some details about my coast-to-coast run... and some inaccurate information. It was written by a Lewes, Delaware resident and I sent an e-mail today to get some of the statements in that article corrected. In today's original article, the writer stated: "...he averaged 30 miles a day pushing an 80-pound stroller named Bob. I still have Bob. Paul gave it to me as a keepsake of the challenge." That is NOT true! The BOB stroller that I pushed across America in 2006 (and as shown in the accompanying photo) is the same one that I pushed across Montana in 2008; Alaska in 2009; Germany in 2010; and the Mojave Desert in 2011. In fact, click this link to read about the stroller being in my attic! 

In all honesty, there are times when I really wish that I wouldn't have made that promise and run across America in 2006. Over the past 14 years I've seen inaccurate and/or misleading information -- and sometimes direct lies -- about my 3,260-mile, 15-state run from the Pacific to the Atlantic. I personally paid thousands of dollars to do that run -- to keep a promise I had made to 97 elementary children -- and missed an entire summer with my four children, who are now adults and live hundreds (and in some cases, thousands) of miles away from me. In fact, only one of the school children that I kept that promise to has communicated with me since the 2006 run -- and the last contact was nearly 9 years ago.

For 108 days I hurt, bled and cried my way across the country. No fame or riches came from it, and none was sought. There are no documentaries about it, no books dedicated to it, and no awards as a result of completing it. I simply ran to keep my word, and I nearly died 7 times in the process. Was it all truly worth it? There are days when I really wonder. Regardless, I still have BOB... that stroller I got in May 2006 and pushed across the United States, Montana, Alaska, Germany, and the Mojave Desert. Its wheels are pretty worn -- similar to my legs -- and now gathers dust in a dark attic. Together, that stroller and I achieved some running adventures that many said were uncommon, unfathomable and unprecedented. You won't find my name in any record books or the stroller in the Smithsonian Museum. And, I'm okay with that.

At the end of the day, a man's character boils down to his faith and his integrity. I'm determined to go to the grave with both.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

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

How Many People Have a Jogging Stroller With 10,000 Miles On It?

Between 2006 and 2011, I pushed a B.O.B. Ironman Sport Utility Stroller thousands of miles across states and countries while promoting youth health and fitness -- giving countless presentations at schools and on military bases. I used the same stroller for all of my running adventures. When I first got that stroller in the spring of 2006, it came with an owner's manual that outlined many warnings of what to do and not do. Of course, I wasn't pushing a child in the stroller, but rather gear -- food, water, tent, clothes, electronics, and more.

Here are some of the "Warnings" from the manual that came with my 2006 B.O.B. Ironman Sport Utility Stroller -- and some comments about my use of it.

"The parking brake is not designed as a stopping brake. The brake should not be used to slow or stop the stroller." -- When you're running down the Rocky Mountains or the Appalachian Mountains at a grade of 6 to 11 percent with a heavy stroller of gear, believe me... you will use any braking options available! So, I did indeed use the parking brake as a brake to slow and stop the stroller. It broke about two-thirds of the way across America and had to be replaced.

"Do not attach parcels or bags to the handle or frame of stroller... as stroller can become unstable and tip over." -- I chuckled when I first read this. As you can see from the photo accompanying this writing, I had gear bags on the stroller, a food bag, and water reservoirs hanging off of each side. I had all of it pretty well balanced so that the stroller would stay upright.

"The maximum load of the stroller is 70 pounds. Do not exceed maximum load as stroller will become unstable." -- As I ran across America, Germany, Alaska and Montana, the weight of the stroller was around 70 pounds. However, when I ran across the Mojave it was weighing in at around 100 pounds due to the amount of extra water that I had on the stroller. It did just fine and definitely proved to me that it can withstand more than 70 pounds.

"The stroller is not equipped for use after dark." -- I regularly ran with the stroller in the dark. In order to be safe, I placed reflective tape on the stroller as well as lights that illuminated from the front and back.

"Do not use stroller on stairs or steep inclines. Stroller can tip over." -- The maximum incline I had the stroller on was an 11 percent grade in the Appalachian mountains, and also in a portion of Germany. It took some strength to keep it under control, but I managed. Also, I typically hauled the loaded stroller up and down stairs in hotels and other locations. The shocks on it held up just fine.

"Never pull a loaded stroller backwards up stairs. Doing so could damage the suspension system - leading to frame failure." -- I did this many times due to the extreme weight of the stroller. it was much easier to haul it upstairs by pulling it backwards. After nearly 10,000 miles, the frame has yet to fail.

"Always use Wrist Safety Strap." -- I never used it. Not once. The strap was just a nuisance considering the amount of hours I was on the road each day. However, if  you had a child in the stroller, using the safety strap would be wise!

By the way, Runner's World magazine ranked the B.O.B. stroller as its Editor's Choice for 2019. After all of these years, the B.O.B. (Beast Of Burden) stroller is still coming out on top!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

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

My "Beast of Burden" (B.O.B.) Stroller is Permanently Stored in the Attic

I recently took apart my BOB Stroller -- which I used on all of my solo adventure runs across the USA, Germany, Alaska, Montana, and the Mojave Desert -- and stored it permanently in my attic. It is in its special storage bag and will sit in the back of my attic in somewhat of a time capsule that perhaps one day my children will uncover. Since I completed my last adventure run in 2011 (becoming the first person to run 500 miles all alone from the south rim of the Grand Canyon to Badwater Basin, Death Valley), the stroller has generally been assembled with all of its gear in tact. As many of you know, in November 2016 -- at the age of 51 -- I retired from running across states and countries to promote health and fitness. Since that announcement, I have had people who have wanted to get their hands on my support stroller, and they have quickly learned that I am not willing to give up BOB.

As I was taking apart the stroller for the last time, I actually had complete peace. I've had such peace since retiring from extreme ultra-endurance running in 2016. As I was packing away the stroller, my wife came into the garage and smiled... knowing that I am satisfied with what I have accomplished in my running career and am truly happy and content with not only the milepost I am currently at, but also with the mileposts that I can see on life's horizon. I work full time in a law firm; am the father of four wonderful adult children; am experiencing for the first time the joy of being a step dad; and, am blessed to be married to the most amazing woman in the world. Life is indeed good and for the first time in my life I have nothing to run from or to run to. I feel that I have finally arrived at where I've wanted to be.

Those of you who have followed my athletic adventures since 2006 are very familiar with my reliance upon the B.O.B. stroller to help support me as I would run between 30 to 50 miles every day across a state or country. To be completely self sufficient required me to devise a way to carry the essential gear, food and water... and B.O.B. was the answer. Through this blog I've shared many details about how I accomplished the running endeavors I have across vast land masses, and I wouldn't have been able to do any of it alone without the support stroller I modified with a solar panel, lights, water reservoirs, and more.

Thanks to the B.O.B. Company for making my 2005 Ironman Sport Utility Stroller so durable and reliable. B.O.B. and I had quite a run!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

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

My "BOB" Stroller Is Not For Sale, Trade, Bargain, or Free!

A couple of months ago I received a message from an ultra-endurance runner who had read a blog post I made last November about retiring from running across states and countries. Did he congratulate me on my accomplishments? No. Did he have questions for me about how to plan and execute a solo run across a massive land mass? No. Instead, he wanted to know if I was interested in giving up "BOB" (my trusty stroller) because he wanted it.

I'll write this once and I want to make it very clear: MY BOB STROLLER IS NOT FOR SALE, TRADE OR BARGAIN -- AND ESPECIALLY NOT FREE. I used the same stroller to conquer my solo runs across America, Germany, Alaska, and the Mojave Desert. That stroller got me through every mile and although it may not be worth much monetarily, it means a lot to me from the standpoint of what I endured with it.

The stroller is a BOB Ironman Sport Utility Stroller from 2006. Back then it retailed for around $300+ and was considered to be the toughest stroller on the market. Of course, I added various components to it (CamelBak water reservoirs, a solar panel for charging electronics, lights, and more), so it's actually a bit more costly than people may realize. I've shared in this blog some details about BOB, and anyone who wants to put their own stroller together for doing an extreme solo ultra-run may learn something from how I set mine up. However, my BOB stroller will not be going anywhere with anyone. And yes... the stroller sits in the corner of a room in my home and looks just like it did after I finished crossing the Mojave Desert in 2011. And for those of you who don't know, "BOB" stands for "Beast Of Burden" -- which it truly was as it weighed about 80 pounds and I had to push it every step of the way! The picture I've posted here is one I took early on during my 2006 run across America.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

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