Distance today = 50.51 km; Total distance = 8524.80 km; Location = Kellogg (4 km south of) – 44 16.526′ N, 91 59.300′ W; Start time = 0908 Finish time = 1727

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/194032109

I won’t keep going on about the heat and humidity, but suffice to say that over 1200 “heat records” have already been set in the US this summer alone. Today half the country was over 40C.

Instead, I’ll focus on the fact that I got to run right alongside the Mississippi River for about 25 km. I’ll get to do more of this over the coming days – one of the great pleasures of the world run.

There are several names for the road along the river that I’m running on. Besides Highway 61 and the Great River Road, I found out today that it’s also called the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway. For those who remember the 1970s series Little House on the Prairie, you may recall that Laura was a real person who recounted her childhood in a series of books, from which the TV series was made. I didn’t realise she was prominent in these parts.

I had lunch in the town of Wabasha, and learned that it was the location for the movie Grumpy Old Men. The Mississippi must freeze in parts during winter, as those guys did a lot of ice fishing (through a hole cut in the ice). Or maybe they fished on one of the many adjacent small lakes.

I’m really looking forward to the start of the Tour de France tomorrow. And that’s followed by the Olympics, so there’s lots of great sport coming up to take my mind off the run for a while.

PS I forgot to turn my watch back on after a stop today, so have had to add on the 510 metres that was missed.