World Run II / Reports

The map shows the position of which the pictures for the day are taken (if any). The start and finish markers are placed at the first and last valid registered position. This is not nessesary the actual start and finish position, if GSM or GPS signals was not available.

Goto: 2008-09-25 2008-09-27 Europe

2008-09-26:

18
Distance today: 45.0 km (Accumulated: 4237.0 km)
Elapsed time: 04:34:04
Country: Europe

Start 9:26am at streetsign "Anyos ut 1-18" in Budapest. 11c, overcast and l. wind.
Finish 15:36pm. at km-mark 34 on r.31 near Mende village. 16c, half overc. and same.

10 percent report.

We have now completed 10perc. of the total distance we hope to cover by running from the Northernmost point in Europe to the Southernmost point in Africa. And back via the Southern point of South America through the Nort-Eastern point of North America.

Its time for a first few reflections on how the body and mind is handling the challenge along w. the main cultural and nature impressions:

Physical
In many ways the experience this far matches that of wr.1 - the first 2-4weeks the muscles are a bit sore as they begin tn adapt to the 'higher than usual' workload. The main challenge, physically, begin thereafter and during the next 2-3 months where the effect on tendons and joints sets in; avery high near-injury freqvense, even compared w. elite training. 2 or more 'indications' pr. week; soreness in achilles, shinsplint sympthoms, ancle soreness, itb. etc. The main task to fast pick up on the bodys signals before it becomes injuries - and use experiense and creativity to navigate around then (except pain-killer medicin and doping ofcource; this isnt bicyckling..).

The difference this time that I started out w. a knee injury from the tune-up' run in S. African 6day race (1.place) 3months before the start.

It began to heal somewhat after 1,5month but was increasing during the first month (!). The choice to do the Berlin 24h race 2,5 month into the run was partly due to that: as the body in daily training becomes stronger by adapting to harder workloads - thus I chose the gamble of putting a '24hour workload' into the run. Luckily it worked a week after the race and the injury has allmost gone (the result: 211km, route record, 1.pl.).I still need to do my strenght exercise of the knee-joint supporting muscles after the daily stages though, to keep it from reappearing too strongly !
For Sarahs part there has been astonishing few injuries except from blisters in the first 3weeks. And the present bouts of decease to the stomack - could be overload-symptoms or harmless. Too early to tell yet.

Mentally
So far the real challenge hasent started here yet. With 5000km just approaching its still very early days. As the 5km mark on a marathon, maybe :-)
There were some difficult moments adjusting to the world run way-of-life and dangerous roadconditions in Poland (after 2months) and I think its evident that the real reason was that the first 'comfort barriers' needs to be broken. Also a slight psycological 'hick-up' when a danish journalist running w. us the first few km kept asking how it fealt that there were 39 999km left now - would you ask a marathon runner the similar question after 100meter ? ;-)

The obvious difference from wr1 naturally beeing that I this time to an extend know what awaits (atleast up to 26 232km). And knowing that there sits a "wall" at 20-21000km that make your head spin'; that does not help much !

If anything this 2. run has in the warm-up been harder mentally (due to the longer dist. & and higher outside expectations) and easier physically.

Culture and nature
Among the 9 contries so far ( Nor., Fin., Swe., Den., Ger., Pol., Cze., Slo., Hun.).
Finland / Suomi has been OUTSTANDING and somehow the Finland people maneaged to surpass the brilliant and warm help in wr1 in their contry: 1000 km and help, corunners and support car every single Day !!! (I still cant comprehend it :-)) What a place to be a long dist. runner. And what an impression you gave us !!

Also the Czeck Republic was outright amazing in friendship, culture and nature . And after some unpleasant episodes in Poland my good friends Vlastimil and Petr Spacil picked up our spirits and confidence in the run !

But whereever we have met runners the support has been better than Good,its been Fabolous and has liftet our energy and inspiration each time !!!

Without you: no world run :-)

TAKK, KIITOS, TACKAR, TAK, DANKE, DJENKUJIE (SLOVAK ? Thanks !). THANK YOU Erik, Geir, Reima, Paive, el-Pertii, Juha, Esa, Hemio, Seppo, Aimo & Anja :-) , Micke, Christian, Charley, Jørn & Majbritt, Peter, Maren, Caroline, Ole, Alex, May-Britt, Brian, Vlastimil, Petr, Josef, Pranjal..
(and many more - I dont remember names v. well, but we remember the faces and persons :-))

And THANK YOU to our sponsors:
ECCO, LifePilot, Reino/Pyroll, ABC-Kids, Themcom, Outdoor Oasis.

Our webmaster - and my brother in law, Kasper !
Route co-planner, Peter Rietveld !

AND our main coordinator, GOOD FRIEND and support in both wr1 + wr2, Phil Essam :-)