Just a short run this morning, however, I threw in a few brief (50 metre) flat out sprints. I’m not sure these benefit me too much in terms of Sunday’s 11 km race, but I reckon it’s good to mix up the speed a bit. Running at speeds that range right across the spectrum – from flat out sprints to long and slow multi-day adventures – helps to keep the right balance, and prevent muscle groups from either suffering atrophy or from becoming too narrow in their range of motion.

This is something I now realise in hindsight. While running around the world, the leg muscles I used became very specifically tuned to that task. All the others faded away to nothing. My gluteus maximus muscles suffered in particular. I recall one friendly comment – “you used to have a big arse and now you’ve got none at all”. And I could not, for the life of me, run to the top of a set of stairs – I had to walk the last few steps. It wasn’t too much of a worry at the time, as I was well aware of the rationale for being like that. But in normal times I prefer to be more balanced.

Runners’ World magazine has indicated it will be running a story on my world run in a coming edition (not sure which edition as yet). In fact, I had a long interview with a journalist yesterday. It’s the biggest running magazine in the world, so the story of the world run should reach even more people.

And finally, it’s Carmel’s birthday today. It’s the first birthday she’s had at home for three years. In 2012 we were passing through Chicago and in 2013 it was Ceduna in South Australia. I’m sure she’d like to be on the road for some future birthday too. Let’s see what happens.

I also thought I’d repost the link to Carmel’s on-line photo book  about the world run, in case you haven’t seen it. Just click on the right hand page to turn to the next, and try to view it on a large screen.

http://www.momento.com.au/gallery?cpid=1575172&auth=52ef5b04ec6ac8.11540117#sthash.x7bx4v8u.dpuf

On This Day

Jul 17, 2012

(I had a day off for Carmel’s birthday and didn’t post a blog on this day, so I’ve included the post from the next day instead).

Distance today = 34.95 km; Total distance = 9402.72 km; Location = Monee, Illinois – 41 25.450′ N, 87 44.569′ W; Start time = 0921 Finish time = 1441

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/200669341

I only ran a relatively short day today, and commuted back to Sissy and Bob’s at Evergreen Park, as they are having a party. I’m looking forward to meeting their family and friends and, well ….., everyone knows how I love a party.

I spent yesterday productively. Besides being Carmel’s birthday (and she really enojoyed the day), I managed to acquire a new Garmin watch, so the link now includes the map and graphs again. Thanks to Jim and Bev at Running Excels Chicago for their help with this, including the free running singlet.

Hannah, Carmel, and I also attended a baseball game last night. We went to historic Wrigley Field to see the Chicago Cubs play the Miami Marlins. It was a packed house and quite an atmosphere.

Today was spent making my way out of the greater Chicago region to the south. It has taken me the equivalent of over two fulls days to cross the city from north to south, such is its size. I’m now heading toward my final “appointment” in the mid west – the meeting of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers just north of St Louis. I have quite an interest in the confluence of great rivers, ever since I visitied Manaus, where the Amazon and Rio Negro meet. I’ve already run over both the Mississippi and Missouri already – now I want to see where they meet.

I’d better get ready for the party now. Sissy, Bob, and the boys have been fantastic and incredibly hospitable, and we’ve really enjoyed our time here. I’ll report on the party in tomorrow’s blog.

Jul 17, 2013

Distance for today = 56.94 km; Total distance = 23,309.56 km; Location = Ceduna – 32 07.638’ S, 133 40.422′ E; Start time = 0835, Finish time = 1707

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/343857749

It’s Carmel’s birthday. She celebrated it last year in Chicago, and tonight she is celebrating in Ceduna. They are chalk and cheese as towns, but that’s the nature of a world run – a year can get you a long way.

It was another long run into Ceduna, at nearly 57 km. Jeff ran the last 21 km with me, which was his longest run since 1976. Chook and Silvia joined in for the final 11 km. I’m a bit tired, as I had to endure a strong crosswind for the first half of the day. It was a bit of a struggle over the last few kilometres.

Peter and Jane are back with us, so tonight’s birthday festivities involve eight. I am writing this from the Ceduna Foreshore Hotel. Tomorrow I head south, toward Streaky Bay.

PS The server for the tracker appears to be down, and it is not showing me in the correct location, which is right in the middle of Ceduna.