At long last, the task of replanning the final quarter of the route across the USA is complete. I now have a full coast to coast route from Coney Island, New York to Huntington Beach, California.
It has taken me a good 12 hours today, as well as many hours in recent weeks, to re-plot a challenging and, at times, mind boggling course from day 71 right through to the finish line on day 100.
You'd think it would be a simple case of taking the total milage (which is 30 miles longer than before and now sits at 3180 miles!!) and dividing it by 100 to give a nice steady set of consistent days. It's not as simple as that unfortunately. Plotting the route became quite a tactical exercise with some days exceeding 40 miles which will be done at the height of the US summer.
I've spent much of today reflecting on my own capabilities and limitations. The new route and the physical and mental demands it will place on me and also the support team over a 100 day period, hover precariously between chances of success and failure. It won't be easy. It will take us to the absolute brink of breaking point. It will take an unprecedented amount of effort, discipline, luck, clever thinking and absolute bloody mindedness to succeed. When I'm writing sentences like that, I know that I'm setting the right kind of challenge.
Following the regular weekly update I give my sponsors and support team this Thursday, I'll talk more about the changes I've made and the extreme challenges that we'll be facing on my blog and socials. In the meantime, there remains no doubt in my mind that this will be by far and away the most difficult running challenge I've ever undertaken. I, of course, include the last USA run in 2011 and the 2013 Australian coast to coast effort too in what was their hottest summer on record at the time.
Getting to the finish line in 100 days is only the first of the two part goal for 2025. There is the small matter of raising at least £60,000 for St. Benedict's Hospice. I'm sure you'll agree, once you learn more about the route, that the 3180 mile run across the USA will be very worthy of sponsorship.
Speaking of which the fund is growing very nicely indeed over at my JustGiving page. Any donations, in aid of St. Benedict's Hospice will be gratefully received.
