DATE CHANGE! AUGUST 3rd & 4th first annual Running Water 24 hour relay event. A fundraiser for Living Water International and participating high school cross-country teams. 2 - 15 people per team. Sign up today at http://runningwater24.org
print off this poster and post it at your work or school. To help recruit your team and spread the word.
Food, Music and Friends! Don’t miss out 
Godspeed
Solo and Unsupported Run across America blog rerun. Posted every weekday at 8am. Buy the now complete book and full story at www.abrahamlouis.com/runningwater
I awoke to the sound of semi-trucks rumbling over the bridge at 4 a.m. Slightly board and a bit cold, I crawled out of the hammock to rebuild the fire. After watching the sunrise I packed up Ruby and hit the road. The camping site worked well and if the opportunity presents itself I’ll try the method again. It has been cold in the mornings, and I usually leave night gear on for the first few miles before slowly shedding layers as the day goes on. I occupy my time by playing games like trying to keep Ruby’s front wheel on the white line.
Solo and Unsupported Run across America blog rerun. Posted every weekday at 8am. Buy the now complete book and full story at www.abrahamlouis.com/runningwater
I awoke at sunrise and found that the wind had died down to a calm breeze. I later found out that the wind yesterday was gusting up to 45 mph. I slept a lot better compared to my evening at the wildlife refuge. I still get pretty cold at night, and wish I would have brought an extra layer. I had five t-shirts and wore every last one. My hammock location had worked well. Since there were no trees around I tied one end to a telephone pole and the other to Ruby’s wheel for a ground set up. The hum of the power lines put me right to sleep. It was 7am and I hit the road. Telephone poles turned into tooth picks as they disappeared over the horizon. It took me a long time to get loosened up, and I only made 12 miles before noon. Roys Gas Station on Route 66 was one of the surviors from the glory years. I was excited to have a sandwich at the, “cafe”. I guess that description on the sign was a work in progress. The lady working was as nice as could be. She would drive 75 miles from Yucca Valley to work at the Gas station for a couple of days before driving back. We took a picture in-front of the gas station sign for their facebook fan page. After I mailed a post card from the Amboy post office, finished my soda pop and orange I took off down Route 66.
I didn’t know what it was about the road but I was excited to be on it. Maybe it was all the strange items that peaked my interest along the route. There were not many trees but when I spotted one it usually held strange things like underwear and shoes. People would write their names on a mound that ran along the side of the road. They would use anything from colored rocks to clay pigeons. I thought it silly at first but after a couple of miles I started reading every single name written. I would wonder who they were and what they where doing. Throughout the day the roads were long and straighter than an arrow. I ran 34 miles only making two turns.
My body would go through these strange energy cycles. One minute I would be rattling off 5k’s like I had been training for a race. After about 25 minutes of this, I would slow to an awfully painful slow jog. Eventually, I would walk and then sit down on the side of the road, take a picture, have some kind of energy thing then 15 minutes later… It would start all over again. I did this all day long. The sun was getting low in the sky as I crossed a ridge and stepped into a vast bowl that looked exactly like the one that just took me a full day to cross. I ran three more miles shirtless then decided to set up camp under a bridge. It proved to be a good choice for a couple of reasons
1) It had a roof and two walls
2) strong poles to hang my hammock
3) I felt safe. I’m not sure why but I felt safe being connected to the road. Maybe I was spending so much time on it during the day my brain just assumed I should be under it at night. I built a giant fire, watched a distant train roll across the night desert and stared up at the biggest ring around the moon I had ever seen.
Solo and Unsupported Run across America blog rerun. Posted every weekday at 8am. Buy the now complete book and full story at www.abrahamlouis.com/runningwater
A decision was made. I would attempt to go around the mountains. The trade-off was a 4500 foot elevation and snow for extra miles. For the most part it was a gradual downhill route excluding one 3500 foot climb. It was another perfect sunny day, and I was excited to know I had a host family in the next town.
Solo and Unsupported Run across America blog rerun. Posted every weekday at 8am. Buy the now complete book and full story at www.abrahamlouis.com/runningwater
I woke at 6:30 to fill water bottles and mix my GU brew. After dropping the kids off at school with Chilto, we headed to where I had stopped running the day before. I started to put Ruby together when we both came to the horrible realization that Ruby’s wheels were left in there other car. Chilto was very nice about my mental lapse and drove us back to the house. By the time I was out and running it was 10am and I no longer had an early start to the day.
A locked gate blocked my entrance as I approached the Lake Perris State Recreation. I was hesitant to duck the gate and proceed but was left with little options. A sign on the ticket window read the list of fees for the park ($35 camping, $20 boating…) If the DNR stopped me, I would just kindly state, “their was no fee listed for run campers.” The park proved to be beautiful. With the whole road to myself, Ruby and I were off to a good start.
Eventually I wound my way out of the park, through Moreno Valley and over the Live Oak Canyon pass. The views were incredible with the San Bernardino Mountains as a backdrop. We were on a downhill course as Ruby and I rolled into Yucapia. Yucapia was in the shadow of a huge mountain with a dense population.
Doug picked me up shortly after I called and took me back to the house for some homemade turkey soup! We discussed my plans of passing over the San Bernardino mountains and both agreed it would be wise to stay clear of the 9,000 foot elevation and recent snow fall. My new route will take me south to Beaumont, east to White Water then I’ll stay on hwy 62 through Twenty-nine Palms.
For the amount of mileage I put in the past 3 days, (86 mi) I feel pretty good. I have some minor swelling in my feet, sunburn on the back of my ankles, a sore back and my wrists are starting to develop blisters from the tension of Ruby. I’m ready to hit the hay but will try to get a few pictures posted.
Solo and Unsupported Run across America blog rerun. Posted every weekday at 8am. Buy the now complete book and full story at www.abrahamlouis.com/runningwater
Day two is behind me and I must admit, I’m starting to feel the mileage. Kiki picked Jon and I up this morning and drove me to where I left off the day before. We had a few issues finding the location but figured it out and said our goodbyes. She took Jon to the airport, and I was off running. It was comforting to have Jon accompany me yesterday, and I’m grateful for the footage he was able to capture.
I ended up taking a different route then planned. I believed it to be less hilly even though it added a few miles. I have not fully tested its accuracy, but the odometer read 30 miles. Non-the-less it was a long route.
Today’s run did prove to be flat. It seemed like I was running along in the valleys for most of the day, though I did pass over two hilly ridges. These ridges were both long and gradual which were easier than the steep hills I experienced yesterday. A couple of hours into my run, I saw a hot air balloon rising above the approaching hills. Four hours later, I found its source. Balloon rides and indoor skydiving peaked my interest, but I had a lot of ground to cover due to my navigational errors yesterday and such childish games would have to wait.
At sunset I was losing energy and stopped at an ice cream shop. I downed a medium and ran a pretty impressive 5k in the dark. I reached my second day check point and waited on the corner for my host family to pick me up. Around 7:30 they arrived and ordered me a large pizza! They threw me in the shower and sent me to bed in a large double. I had no complaints. I wasn’t sore when I woke up but have little confidence in giving the same report tomorrow morning.
Below is the brochure for the 1st annual Running Water 24. Running Water 24 is a 24 hour relay race that will be a fundraiser event for Living Water International as well as an opportunity for High School cross-country teams to raise money for their team and up coming season. I am personally so excited for this event and to watch it grow. We are starting off with just one location this year but hope to grow the event nation wide with teams all 
competing against each other live online. (contact me if you are interested in heading up a location for next year) The event will be held on a track which brings up some interesting strategies if you really want to see how much distance your team can rack up in 24 hours. I would love to see a high school or college team with 10 to 15 runners just blasting quarters for 24 hours. The event will have a great atmosphere with music and food and plenty of teams with tents and things camping out for the 24 hours. So you can stay the whole time or just show up for a few hours to run your shift. So talk to your co-works, teammates, church group or who ever your evolved with and put a team together. 100% of your entry fee is donated to Living Water International for water projects around the world, plus what ever you will be able to raise on top of that. Traveling Trophy for top distance covered in each division as well as top fundraiser in each division. T-Shirts, Water Bottles and more included in your race packet. Check out runingwater24.org/registration to sign your team up. Email me if you have questions! abe@h2oride.org
Runners bringing an end to the water crises one step at a time.
Print off a pdf of brochure by clicking this link RunningWater 24 Brochure
Abraham Louis Clark
For Schools, Churches, Book and Running Stores – A presentation about living to a higher standard, acting on dreams, using your passions to help others, the water crises, high adventure and taking it all one step at a time. With a multi media presentation including video and pictures of compelling stories and high adventures. The presentation opens minds to realize the impossible is possible one step at a time. Following the presentation will be a short question and answer segment.
Requested fee for presentation $300 (+ travel)
My book “Running Water” will also be available for purchase ($15)
Upcoming appearances
Contact: abe@h2oride.org 
An ultra marathoner whom I, and many others, have quickly grown a deep respect for is Geoff Roes. He has dominated the ultra scene for a number of years but probably first became a common name with his 2010 Western States 100 mile win which has now been made into the remarkable and intriguing film “Unbreakable” 
His quite humble nature mixed with a relentless drive to push past physical limits is simply mind-blowing. His recent win at the 350 mile Iditarod invitational was unreal and a great example of his character. Such an event tends to shed light on exactly who we are at our core, this in itself has tremendous value. In modern-day society we do not face our core nearly enough to have any recollection of who we are and what we are made of. Geoff Roes defiantly found out what he was made of.
The Iditarod Invitational is a human-powered race through the Alaskan wild in the dead of winter set on the Iditarod trail. The race is open to bikers, skiers, and foot racers. Roes not only won the foot division but nearly beat out all the bikers as well. This was in large do to some extremely harsh conditions that brought the speed of travel down to a crawling pace, (Literally Crawling) With temperatures plummeting to -50 degrees at some points in the race survival becomes part of the game as well (not to mention having to cover 350 miles on snow) I have personally been in Alaska when it has been -50 degrees and basic breathing is difficult. When the air hits your lungs it feels like your whole chest is going to collapse.
Geoff Roes nearing the finish line of the 350 mile Alaska Iditarod trail invitational
One thing I admire about Roes performance was that he had attempted the race the previous two years and failed both times. I don’t know how many times in life we see the final product and success of an individual and later find how many times they failed before everything came together for them. I truly believe that fueled by failure is a trait of many successful people. Most people give up on something far to soon. Roes wrote up a very detailed race report about his experience. It is pretty long (it was a week-long race) but if you have some time it is defiantly worth the read. Roes character, respect for his fellow competitors and astounding drive to push pass human limits really comes through in this race report. Here is a short excerpt from his write up.
Day 6 / Mile 165 – 210 – “The wind had done its thing here also, and left in its wake some amazingly hard sastrugi drifts. It wasn’t the surface that was the comical part though; it was the lighting that was so flat that I couldn’t see what I was walking on. Numerous times I would walk off 2-foot ledges without having any idea that they were there. At times I was crawling on all fours just so I could feel what was underneath me. It was so difficult and absurd that it was funny. And so I walked, crawled, and inched my way upward toward the pass.” Geoff Roes
Often times it seems that the hardest part of an adventure is deciding what to do. What trail? What Country? What mode of transportation? In most cases we are only given so much time and it can be hard to decide how to maximize it. Below is a video that was posted on running and rambling blog. (they also reviewed my book “Running Water” Read Review or Read a funny review from Mellissa Morrow Read Review) The video is of a group of artist, photographers, filmmakers and writers who decided to take on the famous John Muir Trail. For 25 days they hiked through 230 miles of gorgeous sweeping mountain views. I am excited to see the full film soon. It is titled JMT The Muir Project.The trailer made be excited for a few of my friends who will be embarking on some pretty epic adventures of their own.
Troves back in Texas after riding 9,000+ miles around america on his bike.
King Troves Bain Gilbert III (he’s not technically a king but he probably will be some day with a name like that) he will be attempting to complete the entire Pacific Crest trail, this trail has been dubbed one of the most challenging and longest single track trail’s in the world. (It might be the longest in the world i’ll have to look into that) This will be his first major hike but far from his first major adventure. In 2008 Troves rode his road bike 4,000 miles from Austin TX to Anchorage AK as part of the Texas 4,000 group raising money for cancer research. Troves was also a key member of our small h2oride this past summer. The h2oride was a 8,840 mile cycling tour around the outer states of the continental 48 raising money for Living Water International. (Read more about that adventure HERE). Troves is two months out from his departure and we will defiantly be following his progress and try to get a Pre and Post Q&A from him about his journey. (Follow his blog HERE)
This next adventure is one I am very intrigued to follow because no one has ever done it before! It is extremely hard to find a legit adventure that has never been attempted. Carolyn and Santi Ocariz are going to attempt to Ski Across America! Ocean to Ocean in a similar style as my 2010 run. Using Roller Skies of course the semi-pro ski racing couple will be putting it all out on the table and using their gifts to raise money for the hungry through an amazing non-profit organization called Food For the Poor. Santi and Carolyn are in the process of answering some interview questions about their up coming journey which will be posted as an upcoming adventure spotlight post. Check out their website HERE skiacrossamerica.com. If you don’t think they will make it just check out their wedding photo below and you will change your mind!
Carolyn and Santi Ski across america route