Garden City, N.Y. - On August 20^th, 2011, former Adelphi University cross country and track and field teammates Jeff Perez and Adam Clark, embarked on a cross country journey of a lifetime. Departing from Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York, they arrived in Huntington Beach, California under 100 days later by covering over 3,000 miles on foot.
 
The first leg of the trip began at Field #6 at Jones Beach and concluded in Leonia, New Jersey where they stayed at a friend's house for the night. Day one mileage totaled around 45 miles and was split into three runs. While in the stages of planning the expedition, they knew the trip would be a massive undertaking both physically and mentally. However, after the first day, they realized that a task of this magnitude was far greater than they had ever expected it to be.
 
“After the first day, I thought to myself 'OUCH!' and felt incredible soreness.” described Perez of the beginning of the journey. “I knew that going across the country was going to be tough, but it was proving to be more difficult than I ever imagined. It definitely set the stage for the rest of the way.”
 
According to Clark, day one proved to be the hardest day of the trek. “The mental and physical toll that 45 miles took on my body was far greater than expected.” he said. “After the first day, I realized that the mileage would need to be cut down and split up into a morning and late afternoon run in order to avoid the heat in the high afternoon.”
 
Both agreed that the mileage would need to be dropped down in order to prevent injury and preserve their legs and energy. “On days two through five, we took more of a conservative approach to let our bodies adapt to the high daily mileage,” Perez explained.
 
As they trudged along, the 45 miles they covered the first day turned into 1,000 miles by the end of the first month. “Reaching 1,000 miles was a great milestone” stated Perez. “On the same token, once the excitement settled, that fact that we still had over 2,000 to go kept us in check.”
 
Clark agreed that it was an exciting moment to reach that plateau. “There was a lot of excitement and satisfaction,” said Clark. “However, thinking about how much further we had left would only have made every day more difficult. So I took it one day at a time.”
 
Around five weeks in, the trip became more difficult when the two decided to finish on their own terms. Clark and friend James Eastman were left with the support vehicle while Perez and former teammate Ian Leavitt headed out down the road with a shopping cart full of supplies. No longer did they have each other for moral support, but were instead fueled by the desire and determination to complete the journey for their charities as well as themselves.
 
“There were certain aspects of the trip in which we had different views on,” said Clark of their separation.
 
“The fact that we decided to go about the trip on our own terms is irrelevant. What's important is that each charity benefitted from us running from New York to California,” Perez stated.
 
Prior to their start, the lifestyle they knew they would have to conform to would consist of a great amount of three things; running, eating and sleeping, day in and day out. As they recall, adapting to this “extremist lifestyle” was necessary in order to push through the daily rigors of running over a marathon each day for three months straight. However, according to Perez, saying you are going to do this is a lot different than actually doing it. “It quickly became very boring and mundane,” said Perez of the harsh routine. “It's the hardest lifestyle I have ever had to live by, but it was absolutely necessary in order to make a good amount of progress each day.”
 
“Living like nomads and 'roughing' it every day was tough,” Clark stated. “Surprisingly, the most difficult thing for me was that on the few occasions James and I actually had ideal sleeping conditions under a roof and in a comfortable bed, I could not fully enjoy it. Not knowing when the next time I would have sleeping arrangements like this caused me to sleep worse. It was very paradoxical.”
 
“When Ian left for home (a week after the split), going at it completely alone was certainly lonely and a little depressing to say the least.” Perez stated. “I woke up, ran/walked, ate when I got to 'civilization', ran/walked again, slept and repeated. I ate whenever I could and stocked up on cheap, quick calorie foods such as Oreos and PopTarts. The days became very boring and mundane, but I managed to make it through.”
 
Forging along, each of the two pushed the limits of their body and tested the human spirit for just over 90 days before reaching their final destination, Huntington Beach. On the afternoon of November 19^th, Perez “crossed the finish line” of the 3,000 plus mile trek with friends and family by his side as they flew in to accompany him in the final days of the trip.
 
“When I reached the end, I hugged my mom and then ran into the Pacific Ocean with my brother,” Perez recalls of the finale. “Being done was almost too good to be true and it did not hit me right away. I looked forward to this day for a long time, but it was almost surreal that it finally came.”
 
Just two days later, Clark accomplished the same feat. As he ran down the final stretch, Eastman, who had been driving the support vehicle, accompanied his longtime friend on foot and finished the final steps together.
 
“I was on the phone with my brother as I ran down the main road toward the end,” describes Clark of his finish. “I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life and it was incredible! I thought to myself, 'this is it.' The feeling that came over me was indescribable and I was overwhelmed with joy. Putting my feet in the ocean solidified the trip.”
 
While the two encountered many supporters and onlookers along the way and got to see firsthand the sites of the entire country and have dozens of stories and memories, each has his own favorite recollections of the trek.
 
“In Arizona, going from Payson to Scottsdale and descending from 7,000 feet to 2,000 feet in altitude was quite the experience. However, one thing that stands out in my mind is seeing a cactus in real life for the first time,” describes Perez. “Also, the geography of the country, specifically the West is beautiful. The entire experience in and of itself was memorable and I'm lucky in the sense that I was able to take it all in being on foot. Finishing was also a very warming time; something that I will never forget.”
 
Clark recalls the final three days in Orange Country, California at the conclusion of the trip. “When we hit Orange County, we met Frank Macy, a pastor at the Church of Christ in Orange County. He offered us room and board for the remaining few days, took us around, showed us the sites, museums and took us out to eat. It was a complete 180 from the 90 days of grinding that we endured. It made the final days almost like a vacation which made it all worth it.”
 
Upon returning home just in time for Thanksgiving, the pair admitted to regaining some of the weight they had lost over the past three months. Additionally, both expressed that they were happy to be home and are thankful for the small things in life like a roof over their heads, home cooked meals, and showers.
 
“I've been doing a lot of eating and sleeping,” explains Perez. “I gained four pounds in the first few days I have been back. I'm just relaxing and recovering and catching up with family and friends while readjusting to real life.”
 
Clark says of his return home, “I got home on Thanksgiving morning so it was nice to be able to eat a lot, especially good food. The anticipation of being home again and not have to get up early and run 30 or more miles is extremely satisfying and I am happy to be home.”
 
Future plans are similar for the Wantagh and Elmhurst natives as they both plan on picking up where they left off; Perez with finding a job and Clark with applying to graduate schools for psychology.
 
Perez stated his final comments on the trip; “This accomplishment is one of the most rewarding undertakings I have ever experienced. It makes you appreciate the small things in life. Despite the difficulty of the trip, I am very happy that I was able to finish what I set out to, but more importantly, support and raise money for Global Kids which is the most satisfying aspect of it.”
 
Clark left his mark with his thoughts; “This was such a great experience that I want to be more active and participate in more charity projects. Running will be a more recreational activity now mainly to keep fitness and go for runs with some friends and old teammates.”
 
When asked if he would recommend the cross country foot race to anyone else, Clark responded “Airlines would be much cheaper and faster.”
 
If you are interested in donating to their respective charities, you can visit Shannon's Fight and Global Kids.