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: 2012-01-25 2012-01-27 Usa

2012-01-26:

18
Distance today: 26.0 km (Accumulated: 32431.0 km)
Elapsed time: 02:47:13
Country: Usa

Start 14:00pm., at cross of Iris Lane & hwy. A1A, 24c, almost clear and light wind. Finish 17:03pm. at brown road-sign "Sebastian Inlet State Park" on hwy. A1A, 23c and same.

The Comforts and discomforts of world running

One of the comforts of running around our world is to become to feel at home - everyhere. To learn the people, the cultures, the nature.. contry by contry, continents by continent, step by step.

On the other hand one of the discomforts is when not beeing fully able to respect the cultures or nature I run in and through. In my first run around the world back in 2004-2005 the sponsorships were low and I had to seek simple solutions: like pushing a stroller in front of me while I was running to bring with me my supplies, equiptment, tent and electronics. This time around I have the benefit of strong sponsorships since proving that it actually is possible to run around the world and do it every step of the way (sometimes there are examples of 'corner cutting' in this extreme part of ultrarunning, but fortunately its rare that I hear of it happening :-)

But with the better sponsorships that make me able to take on continents as Africa and South America, straight across their deserts, mountains and humid jungles - comes also a classic discomfort: That I bring with me the consiousness of contributing to the pollution via the support veichles I use for food & water transportation. Having become part of the disrespect for the nature that we all depend on, not least as runners !

Its not just an "abstract", something philosophical or ethical, but a very present nagging when one run day by day, month by month, year by year and gets very close to the nature no matter where. Seeing our impact on this planet. Our wearing down what should be sacred to us. That is definately unpleasant and main discomfort.

A comfort is when a sponsor comes along and solves this problem ! As for example today where my support-driver Morten and I picked up a new hybrid car sponsored by Toyota here in Southern Usa. Suddenly... My daily impact on our nature get a lot easier to handle :-) On the 2 hour drive in the Toyota Prius back to the point I finished yesterdays run I noticed that we barely used 20% of the fuel we usually would do - the car running on batteries most of the time. Enjoyable on many levels to again be closer a a zero impact on nature :-)

Still, ofcourse this is not all said on the subject of comforts and discomforts during a 4-year run.

While perhaps one of the strongest comforts is the inner comfort of knowing that you are "living your dream" as they would say over here (back home one might call it a stupid thing ;-), going 1000% after your goal and your passion in life - wich to me is running and has been since I was a little kid, to bring it to its a absolute Limit and see what is beyond the horizon of endurence !

A persuit like this doesnt come without discomforts and if one cant accept them then its better to chose a safe life; a thing I fully respect, but also a thing that definately is not for me; I cant live 3/4 of a dream... And thus I accept happily the discomforts wich comes with it. The diseases, fevers, culture-chock's of running through Africa; the remoteness of running the long road along the Andes Mountains - the Pan American Highway 7000km of the way through South America. The weeks in my tent. The days with limited food. Days waking up sick at midnight, knowing that there is another day of running waiting when the sun rises. Beeing away from my family who lives in a safe small contry on the other side of the earth, for years at a time.
All this I can accept with a Smile :-) Its part of the experiense and just as important as the positive parts. Without the trials there would be no appreciation and no gain; no goal to conquer.

Only one discomfort I could do without - the teeth wich seems to be the one part of my body that pays the most for these runs and these expeditions. Three days ago tooth number six fell out; and even for 32 000km of running here in world run two - that is a lot of teeth. Part of it, surely, is pride: its not nice to have to avoid smiling since some of the front teeth gave in by the time I was running in Northern Equador. And its its ofcourse to some extend avoidable if I would brush teeth more often when I eat my two night meals to make the recovery faster (it keeps the bloodsugar more stable during the night, thus making it easier for the muscles to rebuild and recover for the next day of running). Part of it might be solved by visiting dentists during the run. Some of it could also be eased if I took pain-killers. But I like my night sleep when I'm not up eating; I'm cautious to local medical treatment and I definately dont subscribe to the combination of pain-killers and sport. So, I accept the tooth discomfort. Still, on a day like today as well as on yesterdays stage it does take some of my mental focus away when another tooth has 'dropped' and it does concearn me. We'll just have to see if the teeth can keep up with the endurence of the legs :-)

NB: Some of the pictures in todays picture-serie might be a little strong. And except if you want your children to see a good reason to brush their teeth and eat healthy it might be good to avoid showing the pictures that goes with the 'teeth story' today.