Day 74

Today was the day that they had all been waiting for - the arrival into PIE TOWN! But before we get to that part of the adventure, let's start from the top! The team awoke, and got breakfast at the Largo. After a quick bite to eat, they loaded up the only jogger they would need today into Andy's parents' rental car, and drove the 45 minutes to where they left off on Sunday. As they drove through Pie Town, Matt closed his eyes once again. At about 8:30, they began the 28 mile journey to one of the most anticipated stops on the Nation Run route.

It was a tough travel day for the trio with the elevation at most likely its highest point. They began the day at 7,000 feet, and finished at about 7,800 feet. No drastic climbs like previous days, but just a gradual incline for the guys to tackle. Andy said it was tough to catch his breath, and Ken and Matt were a little fatigued. The elevation may have had a role in these feelings, but they all pushed through. Matt found their first motorcycle license plate from Arizona, and there was an elk or moose crossing sign as well! The guys followed the winding roads, keeping an eye on the mountains looking for elk and bears. Andy really wants to spot a bear! Besides keeping an eye on the scenery, the day was spent counting down the miles to Pie Town. Matt has been excited for this day more than any other since the day that Andy sent out the route to all the guys. He told me he could remember a training run with Andy where he looked at Andy and said, "Hey, 87 days until PIE TOWN!" Matt could not have been more excited to finish the day's travel. He even planned on saying, "3.14 miles until Pie Town!" However, Matt forgot! It is too bad that he forgot, as it would have been a great reference to close friend Alex Lipsky and his love for the mathematical term pi. They also spent time joking around about how Pie Town was really Pi Town, and a bunch of math nerds lived there trying to figure out the equation for pi!

With 2 miles to go until they rolled into Pie Town, the guys reached one huge landmark in the United States - the Continental Divide! The elevation here is 7,796 feet. This is a huge accomplishment for the guys, as they were never sure how far they would get when they started. Today by crossing the Continental Divide and rolling into Pie Town it finally started to hit the trio.

Finally, the moment had arrived. The trio ran right into the town that had 3 buildings and a population of 8 people - Pie Town, NM. The guys met Andy's parents and went to the Pie-O-Neer to get a piece of pie! Kathy, who owned the place, told them that John Wallace III (seejohnrun.com) had arranged to pay for pie and ice cream for the guys! Thanks John for all your support, and the pie! Ken had a nice piece of apple pie, Andy had a piece of chocolate cream pie, and Matt rounded it out with a slice of triple cherry pie! All were excellent! They also had some spinach quesadilla, which Kathy said was on the house. Thanks Kathy! There was also a wager on how far the team has traveled. Andy said it was 1,771 miles. Ken was convinced he was wrong saying they had traveled 1,792 miles. They argued over it for a few minutes before Andy bet all of his jogger pushes for the next day on him being right. They shook hands and Andy fetched the maps. It turns out that the map reflected that Ken was correct! Andy will be pushing the jogger for both him and Ken tomorrow! Matt said that this was a foolish bet, because Ken looks at the map for a half hour at a time most days! It was a fun bet, but Ken was the victor in a big way.

Now this is where the saying, "It's a small world," comes into play. A waitress at the Pie-O-Neer was from Ronkonkoma, NY. To many readers, this may only be another reference to New York where the trio is from. However, their friend and my girlfriend Lauren is from Lake Ronkonkoma, NY which is right next to Ronkonkoma! Think that is cool? They overheard a couple that came in for pie say they were from Buffalo, NY. When they told the couple they were from Albany, the couple said they had lived there as well in EAST GREENBUSH! Matt and Ken are BOTH from East Greenbush! And just to make one more connection with this couple, the gentleman said he went to Siena College, which is where Andy's girlfriend Kaitlyn is the Assistant Field Hockey Coach! In the small restaurant, there were 10 people that day. Out of the 10, 8 were from New York! Matt was blown away and so excited that Pie Town brought people together today!

The rest of Pie Town consisted of a Post Office and another small cafe. Pie Town's slogan is, "It's all downhill from here!" because they are on top of a large hill and it is a downhill on either side of the town. Matt also wanted everyone to see what was written on a sign in Pie Town. It reads:

"Due to the strategic location of our town, folks have always found it a pleasant place to stop, rest, and refresh. The first merchant in town had such a demand for pie and they were made of such quality that it became justly famous. Local folks as well as travelers began to refer to the community as "Pie Town." And that's how we got our name!"

Along with this sign, there was another that said "PIE X-ING"! The day closed with a purchase of Pie Town t-shirts that read, "Pie Town - A little slice of heaven!" They loaded up the rental car once again, and drove back to the hotel. Showers and dinner consumed the rest of the night, so that they are ready for tomorrow's travel. For those of you who have been waiting patiently to see pictures of the adventures over the past week, the team sends their apologies. They have not had great luck with finding a computer to load them up on to, because Ken's died a few weeks ago. As soon as they have a computer with internet connection, they will put them right up for all to see.

Thank you to all for the endless support, and just keep movin'!

- Rick