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: 2009-04-05 2009-04-07 Africa

2009-04-06:
Distance today: 30.0 km (Accumulated: 12323.8 km)
Elapsed time: 03:10:55
Country: Africa

Start 08:36am in Azoso at intersection of the main rd. towards Gondar and the main rd. to Addis Abeba. 23c, clear and no wind.
Finish 17:56pm at hotel "Salam" in Maksegnit village 500m after km-marker 681 on the rd. to Addis Abeba. 28c, sunset and l. wind.

Non Stop becomes "stop" !

After the easy day in Azoso I was looking forward to a relaxed run in the highlands, continuing the recovery. That was not be the case !

During the stage the amount of children screaming their pledge "Money, Money; GIVE ME MONEY" increased rapidly and seeing the groups of kids sprint down the farmfields toward me after a while became a little stressfull as it got more agressive than usual.

After 20km I wanted to finish todays run early to build on the recovery and adaptation to the 2000-2500m. altitude. The were no unpopulated areas where I could set tent undetected by the large groups of children but I asked a farmer if I could pitch the tent in the shade of a few trees. At 11:15am I stopped and could enjoy shelter from the sun once everything was unpacked. At 3pm I was running again: For unknown reasons and despite gifts the farmer had decided that I could not stay there afterall. Huge rainclouds were gathering in the horizon and the wind was picking up rapidlya (the rain season is coming) so I packed quickly and ran on, looking for a place to stay for the night - luckily there were an uninhabited hillside a few km later. Up the hill, setting the tent, unpacking the stroller..

By 4:50pm I was running on again. Three men had arrived a little later and told me that I had to leave. Packing, streatching, getting the motivation up. Not too happyw. the situation !

Now its a question of finding a village fast before dark so I can stay in one of the small hotels wich usually can be found - If there is a village. There hadnt been so far today.

While Im running, pushing the stroller and thinking ab. the above and struggeling w. the motivation, screaming groups of kids appear at roadside again. This time including stonethrowing (what kind of contry greets visitors w. stonethrowing ? Its "a first" for me !). It is not simple to describe the emotions: when you are tired, thirsty, slightly burned by the sun, have 12 000km of non-stop running in the legs, been chased off' twice during the day, demotivated and now, hanging on to your last energy beeing met by stones.

- "This is not worth it" is the main thourght !! Nothing I know compares with the ghastly totality of the situation !!! A run like this needs to be a celebration of the contries, places and nature; it is run with emotions - else its not possible to reach the wells' of energy you need to draw from in order to run across continents, years and cultures. Long enough away from home and comfort to let both become a faint memory.

- Usually its a Fantastic experiense and a lifetime of impressions compressed into a year or two :-) Here its condensed horror: insects, heat, dust, broken down equiptment, tiredness to the core, screaming 'greetings'by kids, difficulty to find places to stay/sleep - plus now stonethrowing.

All in me wants to STOP.

Yet, there is a place very deep under the layers of personality, culture and emotions that Refuses the sole concept of giving up.

Out distant in the evening sun I see the beams light up a huge square rock on top of a mountain. Somewhere within me is that rock - and I am not going to give up yet !

Perhaps it is the core, of all of us; the will to persist and to survive. In whatever challenge Life have for us. And to refuse to give up.

The left leg had been hit hard during the last km of the stage. ButI found a place to stay in Maksegnit village. And 2 good things happened: I met the biology teacher Johannis who helped me through the kids from his bicycle and showed me a nice place to stay, hotel "Salaam" ("peace") ! And I got news from Kenya that MY SUPPORT CAR IS COMING IN 3 DAYS :-)

Untill then Irest and recover all inner and outer parts of me. The run is no longer non stop but it is continuing through its troubles !!!