From Albuquerque to St. Louis

Tucumcari, NM. Small famous rail road town along RT 66. Treated to natures best light show - lightening and thunder blasts in spectacular showing. Jogger tires taking too many flats. Staying at the Blue Swallow Motel, owner Bill and Terrie are very kind host, very retro RT 66 rooms and nostalgia. Bill a former BMX bike racer found the right rugged tires for my jogger and saved me a day not having to search for them in the next distant town. Traveling to Tucumcari: stop and
rest at the Blue Swallow, Bill and Terri will take good care of you.



Texas: More open land and ranches, warmer temperatures now as I droop in elevation. Well groomed roads and stiff littering laws.Rancher stops me and offer me a ride to the next town, I tell him that I running across the USA and RT 66, accepting a ride would 'compromise my run' he says"no o ne will know, true I say but you and I" and God he says finally understanding and makes a donation to The Way to Happiness Foundation. Adriane, Texas, I pick up John MacGuire who will crew me. „“Road shock without running a baby jogger and having support and a car takes a while to sink in“. The jogger becomes a big part of you and the road-like family. John a ultra runner himself is very competent and savoy on crewing and navigation - a great cook, John cooked many healthy meals along the way. John was just a stellar crew to have. Amarillo a big town and we faced a rough neighborhood section, being warned by local police and people, John safely leads me out of Amarillo and enjoying the majority of a great and proud city with its own marathon and many local races. With the heat now over 100 degrees I became dehydrated urinating blood - John pulls me off at 35 miles and we get my fluids back that evening - next day still urinating blood, it begins to come back to normal with John's careful monitoring and insisting I take in more fluids - easy to get lost in the challenge and beauty of run and forgetting to stay hydrated.



Oklahoma: Rodeos, cattle ranchers, famous bull riders, gas around $2,44 with friendly country people with very thin RT 66 roads to run along. Humidity increasing and heat here. You become drenched with sweat after 4 miles - I'm changing my running clothing more often. Each time I'd run into a new state would be a almost a religious experience -you leave another state and run into a new one - that's really „Golden“ as any Trans USA Runner would say. Feet holding up - despite a very swollen toe-blisters are never an issue for me so far. Thanks to Injinji Toes socks www.injinji.com one of our proud sponsors. Narrow roads mean big trucks and you are constantly moving from their wrath and wind which many times blows my hat off. A wave I give to each trucker who makes room for me - many do - some don't care, just stay out of their path - many times I've dropped off the road and into a steep bank avoiding these „solid metal speedy carriages weighing tons'' - valuing my life my family, friends and then the run.
Oklahoma City is a big town with many lakes, big running and cycling town. A complex route of the city and Rt 66 whereas Tulsa was much easier and enjoyable, a very upscale city, great roads leading me out of Tulsa.



Kansas. We are averaging about 35-40 miles a day - we quickly run through Kansas and have some nice scenic legs through this Americana state. Camping off roads and farms and ranches, and a nice motel and shower is nice.

Missouri: 'The Show Me State“. Famous for Mark Twain, the Pony Express and Outlaw Jesse James and many deep caves and caverns Joplin, Mo a nice old town-we get nice TV coverage here with the TV Anchor directing us to scenic historic Rt 66 sights.. John and I have our camping plans stopped with a pounding rain storm in Mt Vernon, Mo, ironically John's last night with me - we depart from „Rescue“, MO.

John MacGuire

In ultra running and sport we call our crew Heroes and Angels - John proved that - his crewing and help was great and much appreciated - I lost a special friend as I began my run with my jogger not having John with me - re-adjusting to the weight and mechanical motion I did not have as a runner takes a good day or two. Passing through Springfield and now picking up fellow Badwater crew Steve Shepard. Steve does a great job crewing and his wife from Houston goggles out our route via his Blackberry and we find 'feeder roads' along I-44 and connect up with RT 66 when we can, not to say I did not run on I-44-filling in missing Rt 66 sections. Steve crews me into St Louis, his work done and much appreciated. Steve a strong runner himself ran several miles with me while crewing me and prepping for the Houston Marathon.

St Louis: Gateway to the West. Rich with Americana history, Jazz, writers T.S. Elliot, Stan Musial baseball hall of fame and Charles Lindberg and Thomas Jefferson to name some. The famous ARCH is my stopping point. St Louis has a big running community with scenic green parks to run and areas to cycle. I'm really worn down as I stop here two months straight without a break - my 56 year old body tells me to chill a bit - Steve departs and my transition with my friend Brian Miehl takes place. Brian works with our local Way to Happiness Chapter and we schedule public speaking and fund raising events and press. Our Foundation is very well received and thought of. Brian takes time and gives me „a cook's tour“ of St Louis. Very unique and beautiful city to see St Louis has their own marathon in February which I have been invited to participate.

To be continued: On to Chicago with 300 miles to run to the end point of RT 66.

John Radich