PeaceHq

Nuclear Free Future Run - 2004
Arrival

Arrival
Saturday, July 31st, 2004

   Two old compatriots rolled into Portsmouth, Ohio a little after dark on a saturday evening. We were veterans of quite a few events between us and excitedly anticipated this one. For peacemaker John Toren it was the first longer run he had been able to attend in several years due to personal committments. Unfortunately the directions to our host's for the overnight were a little sketchy and we were forced to stop at a gas stop store for directions. John asked directions of a small group of teenagers in the parking lot and was immediately hit up for cigarettes. He got his directions, but his big heart cost him $2.00 which he gave to the kids for cigarettes and to call a parent to come and get them.

   With renewed directions we were quickly joining our fellow runners/walkers at our host's house. Our campsite for the night was the side yard, in downtown Portsmouth, of Jimmy (2 Bears) and Che Addington. In the great tradition of generous people who support the runs, Jimmy and Che had provided a veritable feast for our dinner. As John and I entered the yard we were greeted by the cheers of our fellow run/walkers: Jim Toren, Jon Blickenstaff, Mark Webb, and Terry Stagman. We were a solid core group who faced 356 gruelling miles to cover between Portsmouth and Oak Ridge over the next 6 days.

   After dinner the usual camp conversations ensued with coffee. We caught up on old friendships, and began new ones. Mark Webb, a recent college grad and runner from last years Nuclear Free Future Run, was a welcome addition to our core group, and especially appreciated by us older run/walkers as he could provide 10-15 miles /day. It was also great to see Terry on the road again after a layoff to rehab a knee injury. The camp talk of old runs and exciting stories continued into the night, but eventually we had to rest for the challenge of covering 68 miles tommorrow. The neighborhood strangely quieted for a saturday night as the runners/walkers found their respective rest,

TIL THE AM!
Participants

Jim Toren
John Toren
Jon Blickenstaff
Jon Burkindine
Larry Crane
Mark Porter-Webb
Terry Stagman

Day 1 - To Louisa Ky

 Home