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: 2011-10-16 2011-10-18 Equador

2011-10-17:

42
Distance today: 31.0 km (Accumulated: 29285.0 km)
Elapsed time: 03:07:29
Country: Equador

Start 09:57am., 25c, thin clouds & light wind, at km-marker on lightpole "70.140" on E80 to Cuenca. Finish 14:31pm., 34c, half cloudy & same, at km-stone "40" on E80/E59 to Cuenca. [gps-distance was 1km longer than what the km-markers read today. Most likely due to not keeping a straight line all the way].

Dehydration...

After yesterdays de-tour, it was apparently now time for dehydration.

As I hope most realize, this is not a common thing in the world run's. In fact one of the main skills needed to complete these runs are to know where the limit of the body is at any given moment - and Respect that. Its not about ''forcing the body'' or other things as "mind over matter", "pain is temporary, honour is forever" etc. (and other one-liners one hear in movies or from people who wants to appear 'tough' ;-)

I think ultrarunning in general is about understanding the body and learning how to improve it slowly through training as well as how to build the mental capacity to overview 'the impossible'; those two things goes together in our sport.

And therefore I am embarrassed to say that today was one of those rare days in nearly 30years of longdistance running that I failed to keep calm and listen to the body all the way. The consequenses you can see from the pictures. Why ? Hard to say - there should be pleanty of routine: running through the Sahara desert in North Africa in 40-51c heat earlier in wr 2, the Australian Nullabor desert by summertime in similar conditions in wr 1; through steaming humid & hot Mozambique.. and much earlier learning the 'basics' since my marathon debut as 15year old.

But that didnt help much today.

My only explanation is that it is quite close to equator, the altitude is a bit high (around 2000m. alt. today) so the sun and uv-rays hit harder; and not least the nature here in Equador is Amazing to a degree which I havent seen anywhere else across the continents. So its easy to loose focus and get carried away. But its no excuse.

If there is one main reason that I get through these world runs - then I think its the ability to read' and respect the body and to have a long patience with its adaptation (besides maybe a bit of determination). I sincerely hope that I havent lost my focus in the middle of this stunning nature and gentle helpfull people of Equador !

...The positive side, I guess, is that even dehydration looks good when running in Equador :-)) You judge from the pictures from the stage - and dont mind the wierd looking runner ;-]