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: 2011-11-30 2011-12-02 Colombia

2011-12-01:

60
Distance today: 43.0 km (Accumulated: 30837.0 km)
Elapsed time: 04:33:56
Country: Colombia

Start 09:37am., 15c, allmost overcast & no wind, at km-stone "12/5006" on hwy.50 to Bogota. Finish 15:04pm., 28c, misty & same, at km-stone "54/5006" on hwy. 50 to Bogota.

Mudslide Marathon !

"Zona Geologicamente Inestable" the warning banner over the mountain road said yesterday - and as you can see from todays pictures it was no understatement.

The road leading over the 3700m. alt. pass had apparently been closed all night due to mudslides untill twenty minutes before me and my supportdriver headed towards the start in a long line of 100-150 cars and trucks wich had been waiting for the pass to open up.

I think I can say that the world run's usually are not dangerous; the world and all its different contries are surprisingly safe and friendly when you meet and experiense them step by step. But, there are a few exceptions. And todays run was one of them: Between heavy trucks passing eachoter at high speed on the the narrow road, the washed-away barriers, small rivers of mud flowing from collapsed hillsides and some fairly steep drops down to the valley's below; it was perhaps not 110% safe to run there.

But what a thrill !

I never seek up danger or risk unless there are very good reasons, else I would probably stand little chance to complete run's like the world run's. Still I have to admit that the intensity with wich you live' during a run as today is unmatched by any average day back in Copenhagen or Europe. Not that I dont respect a "normal life" back home, certainly the world run's wouldnt even be possible if it wasnt for the backup from home ! Yet what intensity on a Mudslide Marathon like todays - every second you treasure to be alive, to take in the view over the next green valley, thick mist covering the hillsides, all kinds of plant and birdlife surrounding the small road winding over the mountains. The views up at collapsed walls of mud, boulders, trees.. Often spread across the tarmac making the road a maze of wheeltracks around larger stones or spots where the road has fallen into the valley.

Most of all it makes one appreciate the good support, friendship and help throughout these run's: From the first world run with the huge role the Russian ultrarunner Alexander Korotkow played in both the detail planning and making sure it went well running across Russia and Siberia, even when he had to pull out of the run himself. And my suppordriver over an equal long distance, the 10 500km across Russia, Alexander Rachenka; the remarkable ultrarunner Peter Grey from Australia who took his car and drove food and water for me the 1500km while I ran through the Nullabor Desert during mid-summer (ave. temp. 40c) and refused any pay for this crucial help; Phil Essam also from Australia who has taken care of security and logistics and been great at sparring' when at times in doubt of how to meet the challenges ahead; a long chain of helpfull Canadian and American runners; and in this second world run not least the amazing support from the danish embassies in the Arab contries, East Africa and here in Colombia - always excellent in advicing and even solving local obstacles for the run and often helping to involve local runners or sportsfederations; the strong support from all the sponsors, runners in especially Finland where the support has even reached me in Mozambique, Equador and Colombia by Reino Uusitalo's taking part in the run and bringing both motivation and further financial backing of the run. My friends back from political science who I graduated my degree with many years back, but who still are a solid ancor of non-running input so it doesnt get 'all sport'. And not to forget, especially two women who has played an important part in making the run possible - but that last part is a private matter or atleast untill I may or may not write a book on this second run :-)

Anyhow; knowing that things could go wrong on a thrilling day like today - makes me want to be sure to say THANK YOU for such outstanding support !! There is no room to be afraid with such backing, and with the huge amount of lifetime experienses packed into just a few years of running there is no regret should the expense become high.

But I will try my best to keep searching for the safe part of the road ahead :-))

Christmas Calender

As those who has followed the first world run back in 2004-2005 and the previous years of world run two may remember, I each year try to make a 'christmas calender'. This year I'll as in wr-1 write an advice of how to prevent getting injured from your running. There for sure are bigger experts than me on this, but over the years its ofcourse been crucial not to get injuries and catch the sympthoms before they became a problem in the daily training, at championships or indeed during the world runs.

I'll start out with the one which has been most important, all the way back from 1983 where I was lucky to begin my training in a relaxed recreational runningclub which focused on health and not nessecarely 'extreme' running or competetion. Even though I've later ventured into both extreme running and done around 25years of competetive longdistance running, the first advice still is the main one for me in both training and world running:

Always listen to your body ! In the morning before you start your training, during your training run and ofcourse after too. If you become good at this you will be able to pick up' on warnings long before a problem actually becomes an injury :-)

NB: Heavy rain at the middle of the stage meant that I couldnt take many pictures from that part. It was pleanty to run and stay safe. But the entire gps-track is ofcourse avaliabe, at:
www.endomondo.com/workouts/30193412