35 Miles of Flow

I woke up at 5am, quietly packed up, and had breakfast by myself. Lena and Marge had kindly prepared cereal for me the night before, so I helped myself to a bowl with milk and banana—simple, nourishing, and just what I needed. By 6:20am, I was out the door and back on the road.

My day began with a run through town to reach Highway 50. From there, I stayed on that long stretch of road for the next 30 miles until Highway 61 guided me into Hutchinson for the final four miles.

Today was all about the run. No mental logistics. No distractions. Just movement. I stayed loose, let my mind relax, and simply enjoyed the rhythm. Besides a few brief stops to drink, eat, and pee, I ran straight through. The weather was cool—perfect for a long run. No rain, and not much wind (especially for Kansas standards). I wanted to see how my body and mind would respond to a full, uninterrupted effort. The result? I felt really good. Strong. Present. And even excited for some rainy miles tomorrow.

It was one of those days where I fell in love with running all over again. Not that I’ve ever fallen out of love—but sometimes, when you're constantly planning the next stop, sorting logistics, coordinating everything—it’s easy to slip into tunnel vision. Today pulled me out of that. I saw the bigger picture again. This run. This mission. This dream. It’s wild and beautiful and deeply human.

When I reached Hutchinson, I made sure to finish at the road I’ll start from tomorrow—right downtown. Kathy, a friend connected through Donna and Ed, picked me up in her van and took me to Inman, where she and her husband Don live.

But we didn’t go straight home—Kathy gave me a full tour: her kids’ farm, the local school, the church, and some beautiful places along the way. Once we got to the house, I moved into my cozy room, and then we sat down in the kitchen and chatted easily for a while. When Don got home, we all had supper together: a warm soup, bread rolls, melon slices, a strawberry dessert, and a homemade cookie. Yep—spoiled again.

Now I’m tucked in and tired—but so happy. I’ve come so far already. The running is going well. And today reminded me, once again, how incredible this journey really is.

Thank you for being here with me, mile by mile.

What a project. What a dream. What a chance to live it.

See you tomorrow.