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- - - - DAY 1 - MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2008 - - - -

  Today's Distance: 33 Miles
  Today's Route: N.D. Border to 8 Miles West of Plevna, MT
  Today's Weather: 19º to Start... Sun/70º at end!
  Current Elevation: 2,808 Feet
  Total Distance Traveled: 33 Miles
  Total Distance Remaining: 587 Miles

Paul's Thoughts For Today:

Hello from Plevna, Montana! I am spending this evening with Wayne and Mary Mangold and just enjoyed a wonderful dinner. They are truly good people to be willing to take in this runner for a second time! The Mangolds let me stay with them in 2006 during my run across America. I've done the first ice treatment of my legs and feet and will soon be doing another one. I've posted some pictures in the column to the left, but the videos I made today are 4MB in size each and I'll have to post them when I have a faster connection to the Internet - which is slow! I'm currently working with a dial-up connection. Today was a 33 mile day and it began with a temperature of only 19 degrees. However, by the end of the day the temperature had climbed to 70 degrees and I was able to run in shorts and a singlet. Doing a run across Montana in the spring means that you have to be prepared for any and all weather conditions. I've got winter gear and warm weather gear, so I should be fine. The wind wasn't really a factor today. It was generally out of the Southeast at about 15 miles per hour, but the last 6 miles of the day were a bit tough in that it started to come out of the west at a bit more rapid pace. Wayne Mangold met me with his truck about 8 miles west of Plevna and drove me back into town, where I am for the evening. Tomorrow morning I will be speaking at the local school and then will put in a 30 mile day to the Powder River where I'll be staying with a family. The weather is supposed to reach up to 74 degrees with a few clouds, so I'll likely keep my shorts handy! Rob Remler is a dear friend of mine who has stepped in to be the technical support on this web site while I'm on the road. In fact, Rob posted some audio messages today that I had sent to him via cell phone throughout the day. You can listen to those by clicking on the audio links in the column to the left. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Nellie Rost for taking me in for the weekend and treating Vicki and I to a wonderful dinner. Vicki returned to Missoula on Sunday and on that day Nellie showed me around Baker, Montana and also took me out to one of the oil rigs that her son works at and I was allowed to get a tour in the rig. I must have been quite a sight... in my running gear and a hard hat. Nellie also brought me out a hot roll and hot chocolate this morning when I was on the road in the cold at 9:00am. She then arranged for me to speak with a reporter at the Fallon County newspaper. Nellie and I said goodbye in Baker and I truly appreciate her support of P.A.C.E. Trek. Also, Roy and Bev Buckmier drove me to the border this morning to begin the run. They are wonderful people and I stayed with them also in 2006. It was a good day, although the 80-pound weight of "Bob" will once again take a bit of time to get used to on these long days. I was really beginning to feel the weight at the end of the day when I had a several mile climb out of Plevna as I was continuing west. The elevation increase, combined with the wind, made the last 6 miles rather challenging. That's about all from this milepost. Day one of P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 is in the books. Thanks for stopping by to check on my progress. I don't believe I'll have Internet access tomorrow night, but will try to get a message to Rob to post onto this site. To all of the children around the world participating in this journey, I wish you good luck and a fun experience! I'm glad you're running along with me virtually. Take care and keep running/walking!

Today's Montana "Did You Know?"...
The name "Montana" comes from a Spanish word meaning "mountainous".

Today's Native Americans "Did You Know?"...
The earliest known people to have lived in Montana were the "Folsom People". Remains have been found near Helena (Montana's capital), around Medicine Lake and at other sites. It is believed that the Folsom People lived in Montana at least 10,000 years ago.

Today's Fitness "Did You Know?"...
Numerous studies have shown that active children are more likely to stay fit as adults and less likely to become obese and develop diabetes in early adulthood. They perform better academically, are more social, miss school less often, and are not as likely to drink and take drugs.

Your Turn! Share Your Thoughts With Paul...
Click here to sign the official P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 guestbook!

Thanks for stopping by this milepost update. Run back here tomorrow!

Keeping on PACE,

Along The Way...

While on my way to Plevna today I passed through the town of BAKER, Montana - home to about 1,700 people. Baker's early years first boomed when the Milwaukee Railroad came across Montana in the 1900s. It received its name from A. G. Baker, the construction engineer for the main railroad line. In 1915, a driller, seeking water, discovered natural gas. Many wells in the vicinity later produced oil in abundant quantities. Most of the downtown area was built during this time, and in the 1960s and 1970s oil and gas exploration was plentiful. No matter which direction you look in Baker, you will see stretches of scenery painted with golden fields and sandstone, arched horizon to horizon with the big, beautiful, blue sky. You can nearly imagine how the Indians lived, or what hardships the first explorers, trappers, and settlers must have faced. O'Fallon Historical Museum in Baker will fill in the details that your imagination may have left out. The story of fashion is exhibited on mannequins wearing clothes and accessories of the past. Also, the full-size taxidermy mount of the 3,980-pound Steer Montana makes visitors feel quite small. It's the largest steer in the world! The steer grew to be 5 feet, 9 inches tall and ten feet, four inches long. Born March 23, 1923 just east of Baker, Montana, the steer lived for 15 years and 4 months and was raised by Jack Guth, a former jockey. The steer toured local stock shows and circuses when it was alive. Baker, Montana offers a variety of year round activities including: fishing at Baker Lake; hunting for deer, antelope, pheasants, wild turkeys and rabbits; snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

Paul's Current Position In Montana

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