Distance today = 56.78 km; Total distance = 9813.97 km; Location = Edwardsville – 38 47.332′ N, 89 58.733′ W; Start time = 0830 Finish time = 1746

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/203712507

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/203712490

I had the pleasure of running much of today on cycle trails. And when I wasn’t on these trails, I was on the old Route 66.

Early in the day I actually ran on remnants of Route 66 from 1930 to 1940. There should be a video of this on the Home page soon. A new section was then constructed and in use from 1940 to 1977, after which the nearby Interstate highway took over as the Route 66 section in this region.

I passed an original Shell petrol station in the town of Mt Olive that was constructed in 1926 and run by the same person until 1991. It only ever served Shell petrol to passing Route 66 motorists. The bowsers are still there and in perfect condition.

Soon after, I found myself on a cycle trail, and was rarely off one for the rest of the day. It was a long day, but it puts me very close to the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, which I will run by tomorrow. And Hannah arrives tomorrow to join us for nine days, from St Louis to Memphis.

Anyhow, that’s enough from me. Now it’s time to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony and the real athletes.

Distance today = 41.25 km; Total distance = 9855.22 km; Location = St Louis – 38 38.093′ N, 90 11.123′ W; Start time = 0853 Finish time = 1528

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204034967

I ran a relatively short day of 41 km into St Louis, as Hannah arrived this morning. She will travel with us for the next nine days, as I make my way down to Memphis.

A few kilometres into the day, I stumbled upon a local fun run, the Mud Mountain Race. I got talking to one of the race directors, Mike, and we had a photo taken and exchanged details. Later, by complete coincidence, I passed Mike’s home just as he was arriving back. He gave me another drink and ran with me for a while. It’s always nice to interact with other runners from the regions I run through.

Soon after, however, it started to get really industrial. Oil refineries, huge piles of coal, grain silos, train lines, barge traffic on the river – and a strong smell of crude oil and other petrochemicals.

I did run past the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The Missouri didn’t appear any wider here than when I passed over it in Pierre, South Dakota. Nor did the Mississippi downstream (after the two rivers had merged) appear any wider than in Minneapolis-St Paul. The drought must be having a real effect.

Much of my running today was again on bike trails. One of them went for miles along the Mississippi levee. Here’s a bit of trivia for you. Some readers are probably familiar with the Led Zeppelin song When the Levee Breaks from their fourth album. This song was actually written, not in 1971, but in 1929 by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy, in response to the great Mississippi floods of 1927. So, today I got to run along the Mississippi levee which ultimately led to Robert Plant singing “Mean old levee, taught me to weep and moan.”

Running on bike trails is a two-edged sword, as these trails often mean missing out on shops and petrol stations where I can get a drink. I survived, however, and am now in St Louis, not far from the big arch. I did have a slight stumble, which aggravated my hamstring attachment tear. Although the injury doesn’t hurt while running (thankfully), it does hurt a lot in the mornings when I get up, particularly when I’m sitting. I’m not overly concerned about it, though.

Distance today = 57.71 km; Total distance = 9912.93 km; Location = Festus – 38 12.740′ N, 90 23.764′ W; Start time = 0827 Finish time = 1755

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204534418

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204534389

I ran, not just my longest day for quite some time, but also my hilliest. The landscape south of St Louis is completely different to what I’ve been running through recently. It is hilly and full of forests. I did not see a single farm or crop all day.

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s report that I’m now in the state of Missouri – my 13th US state of the run so far. I also passed 8,000 km run in the US today.

When I awoke, it was raining steadily, although quite lightly. The region really needs rain. Half way through the day the sun came back out. I reckon the locals would have preferred a few more days of rain.

I don’t know if it was the hills, but I ended up with a really sore muscle up high on my right hip. I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but I’ll have to be careful with it.

Finally, it was another great win for the South Sydney Rabbitohs on the weekend. As the old saying goes “When the Bunnies are doing well, the universe is in tune”.

Distance today = 51.14 km; Total distance = 9964.07 km; Location = Farmington – 37 47.273′ N, 90 25.243′ W; Start time = 0856 Finish time = 1705

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204884238

It was a beautiful run today, through thick Missouri forests on quiet back roads. It was a pity it was 37C and extremely humid. This detracted from my enjoyment of the day.

Carmel and Hannah had to stay with me for much of the day to ensure I was adequately hydrated. I had not realised it could get so humid in the centre of the country, but the forests lining the Mississippi River seem to trap the moisture. I was completely soaked in sweat all day long.

I just saw an amazing statistic on the weather report. The average July temperature for St Louis this year has been 99.5F (37.5C). There have been more days above 100F than in any previous July in recorded history. It’s predicted to be 101F tomorrow.

My milestone for the day was that I reached 5,000 miles run in the US. I have a big milestone coming up tomorrow, in case you didn’t know. Unfortunately, I know it’s going to be very uncomfortable.