Today was painful. I had painkillers and an extra 45 minutes in bed to combat a headache at the start of the day. As I write this blog, the start from the Kroger supermarket car park in Springfield seems like a long time ago. Starting at a bitterly cold 0645, I made my way through Springfield, navigated my way past a few drunken bums and was soon on the now familiar highway 40 west.
I noticed a “bread stand” at the side of the road. What a great idea I thought - Wood fired sourdough bread. It sounded delicious. Far better than the dead animals that I usually see and smell at the road side.
The road was long, straight, flat and with a wide hard shoulder. More perfect conditions for running. The first meeting point was at 8 miles where I stopped for an omelette. The surroundings were very familiar as this was where I ran with Mark and Dave when they were on support back in 2011.
The next section was a brutal 9.5 miles. The back pain that’s plagued me in recent days was back with a vengeance today. The lack of a sports therapist on the team is really beginning to tell now. I’ve had cover at this stage in all of my previous major runs. I’ll just have to make do with the massage gun for now. On the plus side, the temperature had increased and it was nice to be down to wearing 2 layers. The sights were very pleasant. Despite the pain, I continued moving forward.
I met the RV again at the 17.5 mile point.
My lower back was killing me. Morale was rock bottom and I wondered how on earth I’d be able to continue today. John applied the massage gun to my back and then I had an hour of sleep. I woke up feeling pretty groggy. John said a worker at the garage would like to meet me. He’d previously given him a leaflet. His name was Kirk and he was kind enough to bring a nice bottle of water for my onward journey.
I started the final session of the day. I could hardly move so I asked for the poles. I certainly couldn’t carry waist pack or backpack so just took a bottle of water and agreed to meet John in a few miles time. I was able to get some decent pace using the poles without causing too much pain in my back. Listening to Take That’s 2019 live concert also helped. No really it did. I discovered back in 2011 that their music, particularly the live shows, has a calming and transformative effect on me. I turned due south at 21 miles.
I recognised this section from 2011; the Taylorsville Metropark. I remember Dave and I starting a particular day here.
Dave and I had finished the previous days running in 2011 in total darkness. Despite being able to see just in front of us, we sensed a drop off at the side of the road. The picture that I took today explains why.
The final 4.25 miles were the quickest of the day. I finished running at 1800 again having managed 26.3 miles. It was a total that I didn’t think was possible when I set off and certainly when I was in pain this afternoon.
On the latest strategy of finishing each day at 1800 John explains “As we approach the 25-day mark—roughly a quarter of the route—Mark asked me to share an overview of the daily strategy we’ve put in place. In an ideal scenario, Mark would run three sessions each day, each lasting about three hours and covering around 11 miles. These are spaced out with food and rest stops, creating a 12-hour structure. However, reality brings its own challenges. Factors such as weather, terrain, road conditions, availability of suitable stopping points—and above all, physical and mental fatigue—mean that while our days generally follow this pattern, the total mileage often falls short. Lately, we’ve been averaging around 26 miles per day. But as the terrain levels out and Mark builds strength, the goal is to consistently reach the 11+ miles per session target. That said, it’s a delicate balance. Progress must be gradual, and I have to push Mark to eat and drink enough to keep up with the energy demands. This is an ongoing challenge, as he struggles to take in the necessary fuel, and fatigue becomes a limiting factor. Still, we’re seeing small, steady gains. As Eddie Howe said to Mark recently, he’s doing a truly amazing job”.
The fund for St Benedict's has broken the £17,000 barrier thanks to some brilliant generosity. If you're enjoying following the journey so far and think my efforts are worth a donation, please visit and share: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025
TUNE OF THE DAY: ^DA - Mark didn't mention this in the blog notes so I've looked at the last song he had playing..... Stayin' alive x In Da Club...hopefully there weren't shapes thrown by the roadside to celebrate the end of the day! 😆
