Distance today = 55.59 km; Total distance = 12,335.06 km; Location = Erie – 42 02.984′ N, 80 04.724′ W; Start time = 0822, Finish time = 1639

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/227805738

It was a slightly flatter day, but I noticed the difference. I felt quite strong at the end of nearly 56 km, and I put it down to the fact the hills weren’t as steep as they have been during the past week.

I am now just outside the city of Erie, which is located on the shores of Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes. It will be the third of these lakes I’ve seen on the run, and the first since Chicago.

This afternoon a reporter from the Erie Times, Jack, met me on the road to do an interview and take some photos. The scenery was very impressive, so I expect the article will feature a good shot.

I passed a Hawthorn Street today – a bad omen for the Sydney Swans in the AFL Grand Final. I haven’t seen anything to suggest a winner in the Rugby League Grand Final as yet.

Distance today = 51.43 km; Total distance = 12,386.49 km; Location = Ripley – 42 17.297′ N, 79 42.081′ W; Start time = 0810, Finish time = 1620

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/228191434

I had a very enjoyable run along the shores of Lake Erie today. And it was the flattest day of running in several weeks. To top it off, I crossed into my 21^st US state of the run so far – New York State.

I headed into downtown Erie this morning, and ran along the harbour. This was once a very important port in the region, and dates back to the era of the French. From there, I headed along Route 5, also known as East Lake Road, and followed it for the rest of the day, through local wine country. The weather was ideal all day long.

When Carmel tried to find accommodation, she was told there was an annual wine festival on this weekend. I had passed hundreds of cyclists, who were riding from winery to winery.  Apparently there were no vacancies anywhere in the region. Luckily, the local campground had a single old caravan spare, which we grabbed. As it turns out, we are in the town of Ripley, believe it or not!

Distance today = 49.64 km; Total distance = 12,436.13 km; Location = Dunkirk (8 km east of) – 42 31.595′ N, 79 15.107′ W; Start time = 0816, Finish time = 1555

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/228659184

I am drawing inexorably closer to Niagara Falls – only two days and I’ll be there.

Today was again spent along the shore of Lake Erie, although there was generally forest between me and the water. It was a cool day and rained a little, making it feel quite chilly. But I refuse to complain about the cold after the tribulations of this past summer.

An interesting weekend of football in Australia – Sydney won the AFL (the Melbourne based competition), and Melbourne won the NRL (the Sydney based competition). I love the irony.

Distance today = 51.06 km; Total distance = 12,487.19 km; Location = Buffalo – 42 49.059′ N, 78 50.749′ W; Start time = 0817, Finish time = 1606

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/229028263

It was a somewhat uninspiring day of running, with a lot of traffic on roads that led me into Buffalo. It’s a common experience – I can’t really recall a day of running into a major city that was a delight.

That said, the day passed quite quickly, and was better than I expected. I am now in the southern suburbs of Buffalo.

On a very different note, is there anyone out there who feels they are up to securing sponsorship of an RV (e.g. a Winnebago or similar) for the last leg of the run from Perth to Sydney? There must be some companies in Australia who would entertain this opportunity, which should give them quite a bit of exposure in return for the provision of a vehicle for three months. Let me know if you would like to give it try.