Running America 08

Some Random Favorite Moments …

Kevin Kerwin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:58:55 +0000

Some Random Favorite Moments … click on photos to view larger images.

Steve inadvertently drives some cattle.

Interview with Buck by his cabin in the Nevada mountains.

Dogs Across America

Photographing Charlie in Nevada desert…

Interview with Tiny, the Colorado oil-rig trucker. I am on far left and stand 6′6″.

Shooting bottle rockets with Lindsey and Hannah, who were rafting the Mississippi.

A Mom uses our megaphone to call her son from a creek in Colorado, to do an interview with us.

Crossing a fog-shrouded Mississippi river.

Halloween with VQ Orthocare’s Robert Spieler…

A daily event: Where’s Rick? There he is!

Shooting at sunset, almost every day.

Recovery Period

Kevin Kerwin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:39:35 +0000

Every event of this sort has a recovery period. Both Marshall and Charlie finished their journeys and we have all started to return to our respective lives. The daily texts and phone calls from crew and runners have started to dwindle. It seems winter is almost here, and we’re all wondering where Fall went to, knowing that we were just too preoccupied to notice.

Both my producer, Kate, and I have begun the work of completing the film - budgets to go over, footage to review, and the all-consuming task of assembling a film from the 300+ hours of footage we’ve shot over the last 53 days. Thankfully, we have two amazing editors in Julie Snider and Rob Tortoriello of Madhouse Post in New York to help shape the film. A couple days before the finish, Kate told us of a dream she had where her entire body was a map - her veins were roads pulsing and vibrating, her arms were maps of states, she had clearly internalized the entire experience into her being. I had a dream that night where I loaned our two cameras to my college basketball team and entrusted them with completing the film. Wow. This was actually more like a nightmare…

For now, stay tuned for a final weeks wrap-up and more blog posts as we get into post-production. And my biggest thanks to the crew and all of their hard work…

Media Management Superstar, Shooter, Driver,
Assistant Camera, Impersonation Master: Cory Gegner

Director of Photography Extra-Ordinaire, Cat Lover, Pancake Aficionado: Andreas von Scheele

Superlative-Inspiring Sound Man, Spanish to English Translator,
Funk to English Translator, Proponent of the corn chip: Steve Clack

Deserving-of-Cult-Status Performance Driver,
Orienteering Master, Multi-Tasker,
Soon-To-Run-The-Entire-Film-Industry Production Assistant:
Amira Soliman

Tireless where-is-he-now rock-climbing running-down
2nd unit director of photography, special-needs food activist, master
of the Pittsburghese: Rick Baraff

Super-duper double super tireless organizer, mapper,
orientation specialist, information-gatherer, route-explorer, producer:
Kate O’Neil

Honorary crew member, soon-to-be director, master of
the film “frame”: Dr. Paul Longevin

The Crew

Great Days Ahead

Charlie Engle — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:06:13 +0000

Running America 2008 may be over but the goals will live on. My goal of changing America’s attitude towards childhood obesity will continue until the job is done. My personal goal of exploring my physical and emotional limitations will continue. And my goal of breaking the Trans Continental record will live on until I am successful.

Running America 2008 was a complete success on many fronts. We touched thousands of lives as we crossed the country. We visited towns and schools that we will always remember. We saw landscapes and sunrises that are now etched into memory. Running America was never about running for me. It was about having an experience, learning more about myself and interacting with Americans. Running is the selfish part that is necessary for me to forge ahead. Having a goal is critical. Reaching it is not so important. My goal was to set a new record. That didn’t happen this time. Maybe I will reach this goal next year.

Optimism abounds in America right now and I plan to remain optimistic about my chances of breaking this record. I made many mistakes in planning for RA08. The work load leading up to it was overwhelming. I was exhausted even before I started running. Thankfully Marshall was able to benefit and fight thru to the finish. He has run for a very long time and he truly deserved this opportunity.

That’s it for today. I will continue to post blogs here every couple of days for the time being I will be announcing my next adventures in the very near future.

As always, thanks to all of you who have tracked this journey and helped me along the way.

Charlie

Speaking Freely

Marshall Ulrich — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:43:37 +0000

“As Marshall says, if you can dream it, you can do it. Marshall did it. He finished his run across the country breaking both of the grand masters and masters record. He also says the only limitations are in your mind. Obviously Marshall limitations are very, very few”

spoken through SpinVox

Speaking Freely

Marshall Ulrich — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:36:25 +0000

“At 7:10pm today Marshall finished his trans continental run. He broke the grand master’s as well as the master’s record. Marshall averaged 58 miles a day over the entire 3045 or so miles. That’s 58 miles every day for 52 and a half days. Equal to just over 116 marathons.

Marshall was especially honored to have Frank Giannino who still holds the world record for running across the country there at the finish. It was fantastic to have him there, he is great and he still holds a very solid and amazing record.”

spoken through SpinVox

Speaking Freely

Marshall Ulrich — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:51:35 +0000

“Marshall is on 57th Street heading towards Times Square. We will head South on Broadway and head down towards City Hall. It is 5:48pm in the evening. Thanks.”

spoken through SpinVox

Speaking Freely

Marshall Ulrich — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:38:51 +0000

“It is 4:35pm and Marshall is running in New York City. He has crossed the George Washington bridge and is proceeding approximately 1 mile so far, down Riverside Drive. He should reach the City Hall approx 6:30pm this evening.”

spoken through SpinVox

Speaking Freely

Marshall Ulrich — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:52:06 +0000

“It is 3:49pm. Marshall is within less that half of a mile of the George Washington bridge and will enter into the State of New York as well as New York City the island of Manhattan.”

spoken through SpinVox

Speaking Freely

Marshall Ulrich — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:47:45 +0000

“Marshall is at mile 15 at approximately 2:30pm today. His final day. It’s about 5 more miles to get to the George Washington bridge. And a total of a approximately 19 miles left to get to get to the steps for City Hall.”

spoken through SpinVox

Speaking Freely: Final Day

Marshall Ulrich — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:11:10 +0000

“This is the final day for Marshall, running across the country. He has approximately 31 miles remaining to get in to New York City on the steps of City Hall.

As reported last night. Marshall ran 61 miles yesterday which brought him exactly to an even 3000 miles. That’s the equivalent of 114 and a half marathon’s in 52 days.”

spoken through SpinVox