So much for taking some time off.

That was my original plan when this week dawned with a weather forecast that resembled January and a body begging for a break.

Lingering stiffness and soreness in my left foot (since February) and left Achilles (since 2007) led me to the conclusion of putting my running on hold for the week. I had even called off my weekly Tuesday trot with a friend in order to rest. My reasoning was that a week off now while the weather is lousy might leave me fresh and pain free by the time something resembling spring emerges.

Sounds simple, right? Not for the jogging junkie that I am.

The week before, when it was 70 degrees, I received two offers to run on the same day - one in the morning, one in the afternoon.

I accepted both.

I'm not training for any races and certainly didn't need a three-hour run - with an hour off in between to pick up my daughter at school, then drop her off at daycare - but I couldn't resist. Why? Why do people smoke or shoot up? They're addicted. And so am I.

But after this past Sunday's run resulted in the same old foot hangover, a week off seemed like a no-brainer.

Then an e-mail landed in my inbox Monday morning. Its title read, "A bear on the streets."

Before reading it, I figured an actual bear was wandering through town, a common occurrence in Bozeman, and a reader wanted to give us a head's up in case we wanted to shoot it (No, not with a bullet; a picture).

I figured wrong.

The message was from Jan Suneson, who was writing to tell us that "a bear was going to be running the streets of Bozeman." Actually it was his brother Bjorn (Swedish for bear) who was doing the running, and he was passing through on his coast-to-coast jaunt. My first thought was, "good for him," and left it at that.

Then I read his blog. Bjorn wrote that he was running without a sponsor and wasn't raising money for charity, but rather, "I myself run for purely selfish motives, not to be self-important but because it's so fun."

I've secretly fancied a run across Montana, maybe along the Hi-Line, for no other reason than I think it would be a great way to see the state.

My original plan for Bjorn was to wait until he reached Bozeman Wednesday night, before interviewing him in his hotel room. Then a co-worker suggested I meet him along his route and run with him.

Great idea.

When Bjorn returned my e-mail late Tuesday night accepting my request to join him the next morning on his cross-country quest, I knew my plan to rest my legs was out. Like a smoker putting off quitting, I'll start my own version of "cutting down" next week.

I met Bjorn and his three-wheeled support system on Frontage Road just west of Headwaters State Park. We shook hands and off we went, trucks whizzing by and pelicans soaring overhead.

It was a beautiful morning: sunshine and light winds. Yeah, I'll start stopping on Monday.

As we strode on the newly paved road, I pulled out my recorder and, for the first time, interviewed a subject while running. In effect, I was getting paid to run. (I need to speak to my boss about doing more of this).

We ran together for about 25 minutes, and in that time, Bjorn told me how he doesn't get too far ahead of himself. Not with more than 2,000 miles still to be run. Yes, he's gone Pacific to Atlantic before, but...

"I'm quite hopeful that I can do it, but you can never know," he said as we skedaddled and prattled. "I have my schedule to follow, but I don't think any further than one day. Otherwise you will go crazy."

That's why I invited him over for dinner that night - running across the country sounds exciting, but it must be lonely as well.

As we munched on Sloppy Joes (Bjorn's first such foray into American fare), I learned that he was once a smoker; that he has completed some 60 marathons; and that his brother Jan once in-line skated alongside Bjorn, who was running, from Denver to Oklahoma.

The name Dean Karnazes also came up. Karnazes, an endless self-promoter, is known for, among other things, running 50 marathons in 50 states on 50 consecutive days. Bjorn, when he steps foot in the Atlantic in July near Tybee Island, Ga., will have run the equivalent of more than 110 marathons in roughly 100 days. Without any support or even an earpiece of iTunes. I'm sure Karnazes had the best of everything: food, accommodations, massage, etc.

Months before Karnazes' trek began, mass e-mails were sent to publications across the country. I know; I received one of them.

Bjorn? He said Jan has contacted maybe two newspapers thus far. I'm glad the Chronicle was one of them.

Me? I took Thursday off from running. But the sun is expected to shine again today.

Yeah, I'll start my running diet Monday.

Tim Dumas can be reached at tdumas@dailychronicle.com and 582-2651.

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