Sometime ago, I mentioned to my mentors, David Fairlamb and Mark Fleming, that one day on the run I would get up in the morning and run the entire mileage before breakfast. When I left the RV this morning, covered in mosquito bites, I really felt that today was that day. I started running at a pace similar to that which I'd finished the night before. Before I knew it, 4 miles had gone, then 8, then 12. I was only supposed to run four miles before breakfast. Somehow I managed to keep on running on an empty stomach.
When I got into double figures, my immediate target was to set a new record of miles ran by lunchtime. The previous record of 15 miles was set the day after I left Las Vegas. Today I managed 21.1 miles before lunchtime. Not only that but I'd been wearing tracksuit bottoms to stop my legs from itching.
I also had my mind set on an early finish. An early finish would mean a chance to get my blog updated and an early night. This, I thought, would give me a chance to start adjusting to tomorrows new time zone.
I reached the 24 mile point at 12:45 pm before finally stopping for my breakfast. The only reason I stopped was to attempt to talk to Jack, via Skype, on this Fathers Day. Unfortunately the signal wasn't strong enough. I settled for an old-fashioned telephone call all the same. After the call and porridge, I had a short tactical snooze.
After the restart, it was noticeably hotter and there was a challenging headwind. I had to put far more effort in to get the same speed as I did in the first session. I managed to run 32.4 miles and decided to stop running for the day. Something wasn't quite right. I was very warm and very sleepy. I almost fainted in the shower. After a tea of fish and Shelli's Homemade Southern Potato Salad I started to feel a lot better. I told her that it was as a result of her cooking but, in reality, it probably had more to do with the drop in temperature.
As I am writing this blog, the wind outside is really picking up. It may be that the support team and I find ourselves in Kansas in the morning and not because I've run there.
I'm now 3 days into the High Plains of Eastern Colorado. It's giving me an idea of what Kansas is going to be like when I reach it tomorrow. Long straight roads followed by long straight roads. If I am lucky, I get to see a 45 degree bend in the road twice a day. Running under these conditions could make a sane person go mad if they let it. Watch this space for some mental ramblings over the coming month.
