Distance today = 53.50 km; Total distance = 10,069.81 km; Location = Arab (8 km south of) – 37 01.724′ N, 90 04.402′ W; Start time = 0853 Finish time = 1744

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/205595589

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/205595574

It was a tale of two half days. This morning was overcast and relatively cool, while the afternoon was hot, sunny, and extremely humid. Just another day I had to cope with.

Hannah ran 5 km with me this morning, which was great. She did end up with a sore hip flexor, so she obviously hasn’t been doing much running of late.

The first 15 km was on dirt roads. The rocks were very sharp and jagged, which I obviously didn’t like. Tomorrow involves quite a bit more dirt too – I’m not looking forward to it.

We saw an enormous amount of animals today, mostly alive, but there was a dead beaver. I hadn’t realised how big beavers can be. This one was the size of a wombat. However, it looked suspiciously like it may have been shot (rather than hit by a car). I hope my suspicions are not correct.

Some people have expressed a little concern about me running without a shirt. Don’t worry, I cover myself with sunscreen. It is virtually impossible to run in this humidity with a shirt that is completely soaked in sweat. It prevents my ability to dissipate heat. Running without a top is so much more comfortable.

I would like to mention someone I have told readers about before – Jesper Olsen. Jesper has just completed his second world run. He originally ran a west to east course in 2004/05, and since 2008 has been involved in a north to south run where he ran from Norway through the Middle East, and down to South Africa, then from the tip of South America to north-eastern Canada. It is a truly remarkable performance, and I’d like to congratulate him on successfully completing it. My other world runner friend, Tony Mangan, has just reached Argentina on his run. So far this year he has run from Columbia, through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, and is still going strongly.