Where am I?
Date written: 02/03/21
Days in: 4
Current location: Chicago, IL
Distance traveled: 19.94 miles
Distance left: 2251.51 miles
Current tracker: Honor Watch GS Pro
In the mid-20th century, countless people travelled down US Route 66, travelling from east to west in pursuit of new fortunes. And almost exactly 95 years after the route number was designated, I’m stepping foot upon the road too, albeit in a very different way.
I won’t give you a full history lesson here, but for the uninitiated, Route 66 started in Chicago, and travelled through eight states to end in Los Angeles nearly 4,000km or 2,500 miles down the road – it was most used during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, by people seeking their fortunes out west. It was in use from 1926 to 1985, but you can’t physically travel the entirety of the road any more, as many segments have been closed – I’m not travelling the thing physically, though.
I’m actually travelling the length of Route 66 virtually, in a series of chunks over the course of two years.
You could probably class me as an amateur runner – I’m certainly not a beginner, with a few half-marathons under my belt, and I go on short 8km or 13km trips a few times a week. But ‘a few short trips per week’ won’t get me far on Route 66, and to manage the whole route in two years, my stamina – and knowledge of tech – is going to be tested.
Why Route 66?
My decision to run Route 66 wasn’t exactly a random decision….
