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: 2012-04-16 2012-04-28 Usa

2012-04-17:

16
Distance today: 42.0 km (Accumulated: 34746.0 km)
Elapsed time: 03:55:34
Country: Usa

Start 09:58am., 17c, clear & light wind, at cross of hwy.44 & hwy.21. Finish 14:20pm., 28c, a few clouds & same, at white roadsign "Entering Hopedale" on hwy. 16.

World run holiday !

As you probably have noticed the daily distances has been very short lately. The reason - that I am preparing for my "world run 2 holiday" and for that purpose I need to get the legs atleast a little bit fresh. Not that its likely, with 34000km/21 000miles in the legs from this world run (and more than I want to count from the 1. world run and 30years of longdistance running and competetions). But one has get fresh for the holidays:

In a few days I'll compete in the international 6day race down in New York City. To those that are not familiar with this concept - You run as long as you can for 6days. The track is 1mile long. You sleep when you want and eat what you want. Total immersion ultra-running. Usually the top competitors sleep between 1 to 4 hours per day in average. Its not necessarily the fastest runner who wins (actually speed is not the key to win by a long shot; patience and self-knowledge is :-); but the slower you run... the less you can sleep if you want to perform well. I have, though, atleast once seen the slowest runner on track coming close to winning - by sleeping less (!) than one hour per day.

But the concept of "holiday" ? If you run across continents, month after month and year by year on your way around the world; then having Everything taken care of: food, water, security, sleeping quarters...Is LUXURY ! You have to focus on one thing, and one thing only: Running :-) During the everyday of world running, be it world run one or world run two, then security, planning, road-safety, food-finding, water-supplies, finding accomodation, solving visa-, language-, health-, culture- and financial obstacles is what competes for the focus of each day. Along with some website updates, photos and gps-tracking, obviously ;-)

So for me... It is Definately a holiday.

Not that the race will be easy. I am very well aware that for my part the main challenge wont be the running itself - though I am worn out before the first lap by what already has been endured by the body in order to get here. The main obstacle by far will be accepting that I am no longer in a position to enter the 'play' or game for the top-positions. Its a thing I have enjoyed very much over the years (a 1.place in the European 6day race in Nice, France 2007, 1.place in the Australian 6day race, Colac 2004, 1.place in the African 6day race, Johannesburg, 2008). But in the american 6day race here in New York - I know that those days are over. And its time to cherish the other side of multiday running on a track: Its an ongoing running party !! Runners of the most extreme kind gather from all corners of the world to give all they have got for 6 days non stop. Its an amazing setting and an amzing ambience each time. And this.... Is certainly something I can use after the lonely times on the rough shoulder of the North American highways. That is my holiday this year :-)

NB: During the 6day race, 22.-28. April, and the last few days of preparation leading up to it I most likely wont be able to update the daily reports or answer emails as there is no wifi at race-site where I will put up my tent.

In the meanwhile there is an interesting filmproject about the world run 2 by a young american producer, Alexander Hamlin, to have a look at:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1893997144/world-run-one-step-at-a-time