Distance today = 50.29 km; Total distance = 9052.06 km; Location = Whitelaw – 44 08.568′ N, 87 50.211′ W; Start time = 0900 Finish time = 1736

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/197944714

It’s amazing how a week of super hot weather can acclimatise you to running in normal heat. The past few days have been in the low to mid 30s Celsius, and I’ve felt perfectly comfortable all day.

Today I headed toward Lake Michigan. I really wanted to visit Green Bay and Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. This football team really punches above its weight – it has won some memorable Superbowls, even though it’s easily the smallest city to have an NFL team. However, I’ve found myself about two days short of getting there based on my schedule. So it will have to wait till next time.

The day was very pleasant as I ran through green pastures of corn and alfalfa and golden fields of wheat. The region is still obviously a bastion of previous Scandinavian and German settlers, as attested by the headstones in the cemeteries.

Following on from yesterday’s “question” theme, I thought I’d answer one that has been asked often of late – “how’s your ankle?”: I’m managing it quite well with some strapping (simple duct tape), which simulates the role of the sore tendon, relieving it from hyper-extension. Some days it’s great, and some days it’s not. However, it’s never more than an annoyance, and does seem to be getting better over time. I’ll be having a rest day in about a week, which should help as well.

Distance today = 53.48 km; Total distance = 9105.54 km; Location = Sheboygan – 43 45.276′ N, 87 42.772′ W; Start time = 0845 Finish time = 1733

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/198266714

A perfect day for running, with temps in the high 20s Celsius and a cool breeze. The Wisconsin countryside is also perfect for running. Rolling fields of corn, alfalfa, and wheat are interspersed between small clusters of forests and farm buildings. The barns are particularly noteworthy – large red structures in the tradition of Scandinavian barns.

I often think it would be great if I had a web cam strapped to my head, so that viewers of the web site can see exactly what I’m seeing as I run along. However, I think I’m probably five to ten years too early, as the data coverage at this point is far too sketchy to provide any adequate regular vision.

A journalist and photographers from the local Herald Times Reporter newspaper came out this morning and met me on the road to do an interview and take some photos. You’ll see some of this in Carmel’s photos from today.

Later I reached Lake Michigan and ran for a while along the shoreline. It’s an enormous lake, and certainly one of the top few in the world based on surface area. I’ll be running down the west coast of the lake for the next five days, until I reach Chicago.

I realised late in the afternoon that I was further from my finish for the day than I had anticipated, and I didn’t have my spare Garmin with me. So I had to race in to town, which didn’t help my ankle at all. Hopefully I won’t have any issues with it tomorrow.

Distance today = 50.79 km; Total distance = 9156.33 km; Location = Port Washington – 43 23.247′ N, 87 52.185′ W; Start time = 0844 Finish time = 1703

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/198573065

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/198569136

I headed off down the west coast of Lake Michigan this morning. The past several days have seen perfect summer weather, and today was a carbon copy. The light breeze meant the surface of the lake was, if not like a sheet of glass, then at least like one with a few blemishes and imperfections.

It was a very pleasant day of running, although without incident. I finished in the very picturesque and historic town of Port Washington. It’s easy to believe you’re on the ocean in this town.

Today’s question and answer is one almost always asked by journalists – “Why are you doing this?”: My standard answer if four-fold. When I first thought about running around the world, it was because I was excited by the adventure. Quite simply, I thought it would be a great way to see the world. I then decided it would also be an ideal way to raise money for charity, and Oxfam was the perfect candidate. Thirdly, since there’s nothing special about my ability pull off something like this, I’m hoping to inspire others to experience their own adventure – a walk across the state, a cycle trip from one city to another, whatever interests you. Finally, as many pointed out, I may as well look at setting a record. Now, that’s easier said than done but, as it turned out, there was no existing record for the Fastest Circumnavigation of the World on Foot, at least not according to Guinness World Records (or any other authority for that matter), so I thought I’d have a go. I want to point out, however, that, if I am successful, I will not be the first to run around the world, simply the fastest. Jesper Olsen has already successfully run around the world (twice), and Tony Mangan is currently involved in a very comprehensive world run that includes North and South America, top to bottom.

So, they’re the four reasons: adventure, charity, inspiring others, and record setting.

PS When I awoke this morning, my watch had actually discharged rather than recharged. This is what happens when the terminals are partially corroded. I cleaned the terminals and left it with Carmel to charge while I headed off with the spare. She met me with the watch at the 25 km mark. So, for a change, the spare Garmin link comes first today.