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- - - - DAY 11 - THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2008 - - - -

  Today's Distance: 40 Miles
  Today's Route: Roundup to Ryegate, MT
  Today's Weather: Around 64 degrees, partly cloudy
  Current Elevation: 3,652 Feet (437' More Than Yesterday)
  Total Distance Traveled: 282 Miles
  Total Distance Remaining: 338 Miles

Paul's Thoughts For Today:

Today the tendon in my left foot felt the best that it has since day two when I injured it. This was a 40-mile day to Ryegate and along the way I received some very nice surprises of encouragement. First, Steve Kosnar and his little daughter Eileen drove up to Highway 12 from Billings to find me on the road. It was so encouraging to see Eileen holding a handmade sign reading "Go Paul!". I took a break off the road and talked with them for awhile. Steve also supplied me with a Powerbar, an apple and a banana. Thanks Steve! It was very nice of them to take the time to drive 50 miles north of Billings to wish me well. I truly appreciate it.

The wind was a factor once again today. The first 15 miles of the day were pretty nice, and then I re-entered prairie country. The trees disappeared and once again the wind was in my face. It made for a bit of difficulty, but I managed. When I was about 14 miles from Ryegate I saw a school bus turn off about a quarter mile from me. It parked and a bunch of kids started getting out. I figured that it had to be students from Ryegate School, who are participating as a team in P.A.C.E. Trek 2008. I was right! They began running toward me down the edge of Highway 12, which had me a bit concerned since there are many cars and trucks traveling that road at 70 miles per hour. It was so great to see the kids and we took a group picture together. Then, we ran about 200 yards back to the bus and I said goodbye until tomorrow morning, when I'll be speaking at their school and answering their questions about P.A.C.E. Trek and other things. So, I'll be getting a later than usual start on the road tomorrow.

David Bruner met me at Ryegate Park and took me to his home where I met his wife, Patti. They are absolutely wonderful people. Dave teaches at Ryegate School and Pattie works at the local bank. Patti made a
fantastic dinner and I was able to get some laundry done. We chatted awhile and then I began my nightly ice treatment to my feet and legs. Now I'm pretty tired and am going to get some sleep. My left foot felt really good today and I managed to run about 25% of today's distance. I'm trying to slowly increase the percentage of daily running without overstraining the tendon. The weather cooperated today and I had a few clouds and a temperature around 64 degrees. Tomorrow will be a 29 mile day to Harlowton - which will mark the halfway point of this trek across Montana. Hopefully the weather, and wind, will cooperate!

I want to share with you some very nice comments I've received lately from team leaders:

What a great experience and way to motivate kids to run. They are eager to participate, and look forward to your daily reports.

We run on the track. We play sharks and chase each other.

The kids are having a great time... I'm now walking and jogging 3 miles a day and doing water aerobics twice a week and have lost 10 lbs over the past 2½ weeks. This is good for me.

Good job... What a trek! Our kids here in California don't get to see plains or prairie, so those pictures have helped us to explain that landform to them. Thanks!

We are having so much fun! The kids are so excited each day to walk! A parent told me today that "this is what education is all about." Keep on going!

This is a great motivator. Keep it up Paul.

We are really enjoying this project, the weather is great and everyone is running our homemade half mile loop at school!

What a wonderful project! We set up a half mile running loop around our school and kids are running like crazy! Every team is really having a lot of fun. We are from a small town and it is fun to see the kids jogging in the evenings around their neighborhoods.

Hope your day is going well. We had some very ambitious students that walked over the weekend... We looked at you pictures from the weekend and listened to you audio files during class.

Keep up the good work. We are really trying to keep up.

Our 2nd graders are very motivated to run and fascinated with your website which they visit daily!

Can't imagine pushing a baby stroller in snow with a strong headwind. You rock!

We believe in you, Paul; you're going to make it; be safe; thanks for letting us join you; and we hope your foot heals well. Think of the VeggieTale song "Keep Walkin'".

Today's Montana "Did You Know?"...
Montana covers a land area of more than 147,000 square miles, making Montana the fourth largest state in the nation. In area, it can accommodate Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York, and still have room for the District of Columbia. Yet, Montana's population is just under 1 million, making it the sixth least-populated state in the U.S.A..

Today's Native Americans "Did You Know?"...
At one time or another, these tribes have lived in the state of Montana: Assiniboine, Bannock, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Crow, Flathead, Gros Ventre, Kalispel, Kiowa, Kootenai, Nez Perce, Shoshone, Sioux.

Today's Fitness "Did You Know?"...
Lack of exercise is the primary cause of obesity among kids ages 11 to 15. Instead of being active, kids are spending more time playing computer games and watching television. One quarter of U.S. children spend 4 hours or more watching television daily.

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...

Today brought me through LAVINA, Montana. Lavina was founded just 40 miles north of the Northern Pacific railhead in Billings by one of the Territory's best known pioneers, T.C. Power. In earlier years, T.C. Power was well established in Fort Benton when rush to the gold mines increased river trade on the Upper Missouri. T.C. Power knew with the coming of the railroad there would be a stage line to answer the demand for a direct over-land route to connect the railroad with his holdings in Fort Benton, so in May of 1882 he organized the Billings - Benton Stage Company. It was the first north-south line to carry mail on coaches. About midway on the stage line there was the river that cut its age-old course through the trees and tall grass meadows of the wide Musselshell Valley. T.C. Power chose an ideal site for a station, and said "With Clate Warner and other hired help, we put up stage stables, mess house, bunk house for the men to sleep in, a store, and of course my saloon. That was the biggest business of them all." Even though he was appointed as the first postmaster, he made the rounds of the stage line every month... but none of the stations pleased him as much as the one on the south bank of the Musselshell River. The stage stop became a hub of activity. However, surveyors chose a new town site a mile downstream in the wide bend of the Musselshell that had been the old Indian campground. A few months later, on February 16, 1908, the first passenger train steamed past the old stage stop and pulled up to the depot in what was now New Lavina.

Paul's Current Position In Montana