Day 61 started at 0300 with Deb scurrying to shut the RV door and windows. They’d been left open to allow the nice breeze through. The issue was that we were now in the middle of a storm! It was some breeze! Oh how we laughed!
At 0600 the storm had stopped. I looked outside of the RV. The sky still looked angry to me.
I started running at 0627 a few miles west of Sylvia, Kansas. The rain started within minutes. There were also flashes of lightning in the vicinity. I was far from happy! The RV came to pick me up. We sat it out for an over an hour before the sky cleared a bit.
When I got back out, the temperature was as cool as I'd been in for a long time.
I made sure that I said good morning to the local cows. They jogged alongside. It was good to have some company.
Today’s ranch sign offering was pretty decent.
Possibly as a result of the recent rain, I noticed hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny frogs. It was a challenge to keep side stepping to avoid them.
At mile 9, I reached the town of Stafford where I was supposed to meet the team for food. I was going so well that I decided to push on for an extra few miles.
After a couple of quick bonus miles, I had a really nice wrap at mile 11. While the team had been waiting for me in Stafford they’d met some really nice people at the City of Stafford office. My bonus miles had cost me the same opportunity. We’d all been gifted some nice Stafford t-shirts. All was not lost however. I decided to forgo my tactical snooze and we drove back so I could meet them.
We met a really polite young lad outside the city office. His name was Ian. He was “dead canny” as we say in Newcastle. Deb gave him a Run Geordie Run T-shirt.
I met Deana Eisenhour and her staff in the city office. We had a brief chat and it was a real morale booster to hear their good wishes. More kindness shown in Kansas.
We drove back to the point where I’d finished running and I got back out into the now scorching Kansas sunshine.
Apart from the long straight Highway 50, there were some more cows to talk to and a few oversize loads to give plenty of room too.
I had another bite to eat at mile 18. Thomas and Deb are certainly feeding me well on this tour.
Before going back out, I applied some sun block. I didn’t realise it would be so bright on my face. Deb was in hysterics and thought I looked like a Smurf! (^DA - the injected humour worked a treat then! Another colour still to come...)
I was accompanied by Thomas for the next 7.5 miles. I’m not sure what the passing traffic made of us!
As the sun lowered in the sky, the Smurf-like sunblock was working a treat.
I made it to Macksville, Kansas at mile 29. I handed my backpack, cap and sunglasses to Deb. It was time for some pace I felt.
I started building the pace up. The slightly cooler conditions were in my favour. Miles 30, 31 and 32 passed by in the blink of an eye.
I had plenty left in the tank but I decided to end on 32 miles for the day. We drove back to Macksville where Deb and Thomas had found somewhere to stay overnight.
The now usual routine of Cherry Active, massage, shower, massage, feet elevation left little time to write the blog. Although I made time and its lights out at 2315.
I should mention that I burst through the 1500 mile point today. I’m more than half way across Kansas. In fact, it’s only around 160 miles to Colorado.
I’m aiming to be back out running at 0630 tomorrow!
TUNE OF THE DAY: Vengabus - Vengaboys. A bit of cheesy pop music to start this evening’s pace revolution.
The charity fund for St Benedict's is now edging closer to £23,000. If you think my efforts are worth a donation, please visit my JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025
