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: 2011-12-11 2011-12-13 Colombia

2011-12-12:

24
Distance today: 32.0 km (Accumulated: 31263.0 km)
Elapsed time: 03:02:47
Country: Colombia

Start 09:50am., 24c, cloudy and medium wind, at km-stone "31/45-13" on hwy. 45 North. Finish 13:59pm., 37c, humid and same, at km-stone "63/45-13" on hwy. 45 N.

South American Steeplechase !

As you can see from todays pictures the highway was flooded again today after another night of heavy rainfall thundering down on the hotel roof (making it even more of a delight not to be using the expedition tent in the hot-humid weather :-)

When my Colombian supportdriver, Alexander, who is doing a great job by the way !, drove me out to the start it was nearly impossible to pass the 400m long flooded part of the highway even by car. To my luck (and there hasnt been tooo much of that here in world run two ;-)) the water had sunk to a very easy level by the time I had run the distance from the start 28km's back. With only enough water to cover the shoes and a bit more there was no problem at all and I could enjoy this piece of 'South American steeplechase':

... First a hurdle' of running across the Andes Mountains at the Argentina-Chile border at 4000m. alt., then a flat streatch in the Atacama Desert in Peru, then another hurdle' of 3700m. alt. after entering Colombia, then flatlands again... and now the water-pit: 400m of water to jogg through.

- I prefer this kind of steeplechase anyday compared w. trying to make it across the steelbarriers on an athletic steeplechase track; where I'd never stand a chance to get over with my slow pace and ultrarunning 'kneelift' (none ;-) !

Christmas calendar, day 12:

An obvious advice, having just enjoyed the water-pit' on todays stage is to remember to - change Runningshoes :-)

Ofcourse it has nothing to do with wet shoes etc., but one of the easy ways to help prevent running injuries is to always make sure your running shoes are fresh. Usually a good pair of shoes can last you about 1000km of running. Still, I for example prefer to change to new running shoes after 800km's.

If leaving the change to new running shoes too long the result can often be beginning injuries: as the shoe is worn down it often gets a camber' eighter on the inside or the outside of the sole, depending wether you overpronate or surpinate in your runningstyle, which increases the chance of achilles- and knee injuries. Once the shock-absorbtion material (usually "eva" material in the midsole of the shoe) begins to be worn out it looses its ability to protect you from the full impact of each running stride, wich increases the likelyhood of over-use injuries such as shinsplints.

The shoes I am using in world run 2, Ecco Biom's & Ecco Trail, can infact last up to 1400-1500km's without problems as I've tested for Ecco on occations, but its still a good precaution to change your shoes more often than that, reguardless of what brand they are.

Naturally I am happy with the shoes I use, else running 40 000km would be utterly impossible, but its also important to be aware that differnt models and different brands fit different runners. There is no "perfect" shoe that fit all runners optimal. Still its no secret that the comfort of the shoes from my main sponsor (who provides shoes and the main financing of wr2) is quite excellent, else I wouldnt have changed from Asics which were my sponsor during world run 1 and the years on the danish national team on ultrarunning, and used as preferred training shoes for 22years of running. But the rapid advance in technology and commitment to constantly improve made me choose Ecco this time; I like when a 'small' company on the runnins shoe marked isnt afrait to have big visions - and to persue them with perfection :-)

NB: The reports are a bit delayed at present since the internet/wi-fi connections are long between out here on a remote 300km streatch of the highway. But who can blame the locals for having other worries than wi-fi and computers !! I'll try to catch up within a few days as I should begin to reach more populated areas and the daily distances will be posted a bit more up-to-date via the endomondo gps-tracker I run with to document the run:

www.worldrun.org/Endomondo.php