It's was a slow(ish) start to the day in cool, slightly overcast conditions. The first 2 miles were done on a road parallel to the Freeway. After that it was onto the Freeway yet again for the next 16 miles. And, of course, when on the Freeway, maximum concentration is needed. Mustn't forget that!
A Police Officer pulled over to check if I was ok as I descended into Mesquite. That's happened a few times now. It's good to know I'm in their thoughts.
The scenery prior to Mesquite was fabulous with huge desert cliffs all around me. It was quite a bit different to that of the Mojave Desert.
A Police Officer pulled over to check if I was ok as I descended into Mesquite. That's happened a few times now. It's good to know I'm in their thoughts.
The scenery prior to Mesquite was fabulous with huge desert cliffs all around me. It was quite a bit different to that of the Mojave Desert.
I actually found the town of Mesquite itself to be very well kept and tidy. It's certainly one of the more friendly places I've ran through in the USA so far. The town is right on the border of Nevada and Arizona. In fact, once through the town I was into Arizona. That's 3 states ran in so far.
Once I got to mile 26 I worked out that I was on for a 2045 finish. This was late by recent standards so I decided to put my foot down. By this time, I was on a minor road that twisted and turned through various mini canyons with huge drops at various points on the road. The last 5 miles flew by (I wish they could all be like that). Changing into a brand new pair of Brooks Glycerin 8 might have helped matters. I would have gone on to do a few more miles had the Freeway not got in the way. I would have had to do another 10 or so miles due to the RV not being able to stop and pick me up. The final mileage for the day was 31.35 miles.
I've been so focussed on getting the running done each day, I'd actually lost track of how many miles I've ran so far in the USA. I uploaded all of the data from my GPS watch and to my utter surprise I've actually managed to run 450.41 miles. I thought it was between 400 and 410. I've managed to burn 58,188 calories in the last 16 days and I've climbed 18,901 ft. Not only has real progress been made but I'm in far better condition than I thought I would be at this stage of the run. Blisters are well under control and no longer cause much of a problem. I have no injuries to speak of. Having Wee Kirsty on the team at this stage and for the next 4 weeks is a massive bonus. Of course, there is the weight loss that I'm currently experiencing too. I've lost a few chins and my legs are getting leaner by the day.
In summary, things are going very very well. Early indications are that I might just make it to New York. I'm sure there are many twists in this tale yet but, for now, confidence is high, optimism is present in abundance and the charity fund for St Benedict's Hospice and The Children's Foundation is building very nicely.
If you would like to add to the total raised and sponsor my effort across the USA then please use these links to justgiving.com.
(St Benedict's Hospice)
(The Children's Foundation)
