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The first rays of sun beamed over The Loess Hills as I backed my truck up to the trail. After a light warm-up of basic calisthenics and stretching I organized some bananas, bagels, granola bars, running chews, Gatorade and water on my tail gate. I deposited a dollar in the donation jar and gazed down trail. No music. No pre-race camaraderie. No starting gun. After a few seconds I started to run.
End of The Line
As railroads expanded west during the 1800’s the term End of the Line was used to announce the last stop on a railway. However, for the passengers on the train the phrase represented where civilization stopped and the Wild West began. It meant you had better be tough, gritty, and smart because there was an outlaw, hustler, or rough individual around every corner looking for the next green horn to step off the train to swindle, steal, or kill.