Distance today = 51.76 km; Total distance = 6242.82 km; Location = Kimball (15 km north of) – 41 21.921′ N, 103 39.788′ W; Start time = 0956, Finish time = 1740

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/178626539

My second day back on the road, and I had to live with the soreness that comes after a break. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and bear it. It wasn’t too bad while I was moving – it’s the starting again after long stops that hurt the most.

After a couple of kilometres I passed from Wyoming into Nebraska. This is my seventh US state so far on the world run. It’s quite flat, with lots of nice farming land dotted among the prairies.

I ran the majority of today on US-30, also known as the Lincoln Highway. This was the first fully paved trans-continental road in the US. The interstate I-80 has taken over as the main road now, which suited me just fine – there was hardly any traffic on the US-30, despite it being an excellent road.

The Garmin data is now all up-to-date, but the tracker is suffering from the remoteness of where I’m now running. I have no reception during the day, so I can only get the tracker to update from the hotel wireless. This is not a problem if I finish my day at the hotel, but creates a “gap” when I don’t. Today was such a case – my official position is about 15 km north of the town of Kimball. However, it at least gives you a rough idea of where I am.

Distance today = 52.99 km; Total distance = 6295.81 km; Location = Gering – 41 49.327′ N, 103 39.748′ W; Start time = 0929, Finish time = 1708

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/178910350

It’s Libby’s birthday today!!!! Woo hoo!!! So we began, of course, by presenting her with her gifts, balloon and all. Believe it or not, it’s her first ever birthday in Nebraska!!!

Then, for me, it was on to the road. It was a hot day, which caught me off guard a little. Like all hot days, one feels OK early on, but the heat wears you down over the course of a few hours. By lunch time, and with 28 km under my belt, I was struggling. The soreness of the past few days didn’t help either. Luckily, the sky clouded over by 3 pm, and the last couple of hours were more comfortable.

As you will see when the next video is uploaded, the late afternoon saw some real drama. I had stopped to walk briefly while I checked my position on the phone. Suddenly, just two metres in front of me on the shoulder of the road, a very angry snake was ready to strike. If I hadn’t looked up when I did, I would have stepped on it and been bitten for sure. I’m not sure which variety it was, but I’m guessing a sidewinder, and it was more than a metre long. I watched and filmed for a while, as it reared up at each car and truck that passed by just metres from it.

Tonight we’re out for Libby’s birthday, and perhaps some margaritas. Tune in tomorrow for the details.

Distance today = 52.34 km; Total distance = 6348.15 km; Location = Bridgeport – 41 40.187′ N, 103 06.009′ W; Start time = 0928, Finish time = 1727

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/179252705

After a good night’s sleep – preceded, of course, by Libby’s birthday dinner at a great little place in Gering called the Steel Grill – I headed off for another day on the road in very hot weather.

Luckily for me, some high cloud obscured the full intensity of the sun, and I didn’t suffer too badly at all.

As you may recall, I got to run on the old Sante Fe Trail last month. Well, today I got to run on the old Oregon Trail. Both these old roads are former wagon train thoroughfares, which the early European settlers of the west used as they travelled across the country.

I actually passed a few old Pony Express Station sites on the Oregon Trail. Before the telegraph and railway, the Pony Express was the fastest way to get information across the country. Stations were located several miles apart, and were manned by a caretaker who looked after a “bank” of horses. A rider would race from one station to the next, then exchange the exhausted horse for another, in a sort of horse relay. Once again, it was very interesting to see exactly where all this took place.

I also passed through an interesting little village called McGrew. There’s a great restaurant/bar in town called the Pink Palace – it’s actually completely painted pink. Inside it is more like an Australian country pub than anything I’ve seen so far in the US. And apparently it used to be a brothel. It’s bizarre that the biggest building in town – a town with only a handful of buildings anyway – would be a brothel.

A few miles from Bridgeport I was met by local newspaper owners, Kevin and Susan. Kevin took some photos, before telling me how his aunt had cycled around the world about ten years ago. I’m guessing she may have been in her sixties at the time, so that’s quite an achievement.