Day 42

The day started on a down note. Sean's right knee wouldn't allow him to run or walk so he basically limped 18 tough miles today. Jennifer and I wish him the best and hope to see him and run with him soon.
I forgot to mention yesterday that Jennifer, Sean, and I crossed what I believe is the second longest trestle of the Run. Just three miles into stage 41 we ran across the Niobrara(sp?) River on a lengthy trestle about 150 feet above the water. We definitely enjoyed the views. Relatedly, today we ran across another nice trestle at mile nine over a deep ravine formed by a creek just north of the small town of Long Pine. Life is good.
The Cowboy Trail is a fairly flat rails-to-trails small stone covered trail. For the most part the trail is a joy to run. I note that there are some small portions of the trail that have been damaged by cows/horses/flooding or have not been maintained extremely well and thus have many weeds growing up through the small stones. Many of the original telegraph or telephone poles erected next to the railroad line 100 plus years ago are still in place - a tribute to the workers who installed them so long ago. Many of the old glass insulators are also still in place on the pole cross bars, and many of the railroad mile markers are still attached to those old poles still standing to keep the trail users company while enjoying the trail. Yes, life is good.
Jennifer and I were surprised by the amount of cloud cover today - which was greatly appreciated - but the day did turn hot as soon as the clouds broke-up. It was another team effort run as neither of us had the energy or motivation to push the pace today and as the day ended Jennifer was fighting off an achilles/calf issue. Maybe I need to eat more calories in the morning. I will give that a try.
Ainsworth to Stuart, NE 40.55 miles
Jennifer 9:04:53
Mike 9:04:53