Hey y’all after an absolute smoker yesterday I just passed out. This week was rough as pain has really started kicking in. I’m pretty sure most of it is the torn labrum in my right hip from the accident, and even though my ortho said this walk shouldn’t make the tear worse, I’m having doubts. But we push forward, one day, one step at a time.
Day 78-This was the most painful day I’ve had to date. Covered sixteen miles from Cedar Rapids, to Norway, Iowa. I had planned on going further but the pain made it too much. A lot of gravel and uphill/downhill climbing. My labrum started hurting every time I transfer weight on the leg, and now my left upper calf/lower hamstring is super tight, and my entire hip joint hurt as well. A concerned citizen called the sheriff on me for being “suspicious”. I get it, I’m a random fat guy pushing a stroller through the gravel back roads where there were maybe seven cars that passed me all day. Got to Norway and took a wrong turn getting to their baseball field and ran into a group of people having a pool party. They were all pretty drunk at this point, but they asked what I was doing and invited me over for some food. Real food is always a yea from me. After talking for a while the host revealed to me that six years ago they’d lost their son to suicide in their garage, talk about strange that I ended up here. We also talked about how the mother has given her number to the funeral home they used if any other parents who experienced the same thing came through they could have help navigating their grief. She said she’s talked to 300 parents who’ve had a child commit suicide. Crazy how wrong turns leads us to the right places. I got to the ball field and once the semi-pro/high level amateur game ended I set up camp under an overhang/shelter. It was gonna rain so it’ll keep me dry….
NOT. A round of storms came through and no matter how deep into the shelter I got I still got wet. So no sleep was to be had, but at least I didn’t get struck by lightning. I guess.
Day 79- Covered 19 miles from Norway to Belle Plaine. Still hurting but it wasn’t a bad walk. Tyler and John with Belle Plaine FD offered me a place to sleep inside the station (which was beneficial since storms came through AGAIN). John took me to grab dinner at a local cafe where a member of his mens study group bought my dinner. Another gentleman (who I won’t name at this point out of respect for him) came all the way up from Ely (45 minutes or so) to drop off gatorades and some propel waters. We talked about his struggles with anxiety, depression and mostly panic attacks. He said he doesn’t get star struck ever, but that I was his “hero”. I still don’t really know how to process this. I don’t think anything about what I’m doing is heroic. Cops, firefighters, soldiers, they’re heroes. I’m just a fat dude walking for something.
Day 80- Another 19 miles from Belle Plaine to Tama, Iowa. A long, boring, hot walk. Temps got to 105 today. I got to Tama and had a long talk with Tama police chief Jason Bina. They offered a cot indoor and a shower. Chief Bina also talked about how they’ve developed a peer support program for their firefighters/emt/police officers who struggle with things mentally. They lost a beloved firefighter to suicide in 2017/2018 and no one knew until his note that he was even struggling.
Day 81- 22 miles from Tama to Marshalltown. About 5-6 miles in, the skies opened up. No lightning, there was thunder and then I got drenched for about 20-25 minutes. After the rain moved through Chief Bina stopped back by on his way into town, and dropped off some gatorades, a water and some cash. In Marshalltown the American Legion donated dinner, and a local newspaper came to interview me. The Marshalltown PD offered a place to sleep in their training room and a quick shower as well.
Day 82- Another 22 relatively comfortable miles from Marshalltown to Colo, Iowa. I let a farmer Wally who thought I was in a wheel chair when he drove by the first time and saw my rig. He came back by and we talked about the cause. Another farmer came by and dropped off some freshly picked sweet corn. I had nowhere to cook it and that made me sad. I love sweet corn in summer. I got into Colo and stood at the original crossroads of America, the intersection of the Lincoln and Jefferson Highways. I had a delicious dinner at the Nilands Cafe, and then the Colo Motel donated a room for the evening. The door was about a foot too narrow to get the stroller inside so it stayed outside whilst I slept.
Day 83- This was a muggy day from the start. It was only high 60s to start, and I was dripping early. Terrain wasn’t too bad, just a warm day. Covered 19 miles from Colo to Ames. When I got into Ames WOI out of Des Moines did an interview with me (although they mistakenly said I attempted suicide when I just came close to trying. My inability to move in the hospital bed kept me from it.) A follower of the Facebook page donated a room for the night in Ames.
Day 84- Today was another smoker. I started the day with an IV hydration session and B12 drip donated by a therapy service near the hotel. It was a short walk of 15 miles but it was over 100 the whole day. Met a gentleman, Nick who saw my story on the news (it went up quickly) and brought me some cold waters and some Liquid IV. A good way to finish the day and the week.
Im still in pain in the labrum although it’s lessened, but it’s still there. I’m about six days from Nebraska (maybe less if I can cover more ground on some of the cooler days coming up). One state closer to the end.
Go Bucks!
-Joe
