Report

2009-12-14:
Distance today: 42.0 km (Accumulated: 18985.8 km)
Elapsed time: 04:15:07

Start 09:30am. at farm-sign " <- Agrovisa", ca. 120km N. of Maputo, on the EN1-hwy to Maputo. 22c, rain and m. wind. Finish 16:14pm. At "Mercado Municipal da Manhica" in Manhica city, ca. 80km N. of Maputo, on the EN1-hwy to Maputo. 26c, o.c. and same.

Christmas running calender, day 14:

.. One of the more world run specific joy's perhaps, but a huge extra benefit of running - is the "support crews" you meet & work with during your way !!

Since running in this way is simply at times (in deserts, extreme heat, predator-wildlife areas and during severy illness) so demanding that you depend on other persons kind and patient help transporting water, food & equiptment - while They endure the same conditions ... This builds a strong respect and joy in seeing the work they put forward to make the run a success and records reached :-)

Lately senor Louiz great effort of by now nearly 2 months crewing, each day w. positive motivation !! And before him the extremely patient Chaia in Northern Mozambique; my smiling and humorous South Tanzanian cab-support driver; the perhaps Toughest stint' of the whole run taken by Tommy from denmark through Ethiopia, Kenya and most of Tanzania enduring my Viking-temper as I almost broke apart running in the heat & dust; before him "the 3 ethiopian boys" who from their minibus kept me safe from stonethrowing as far as the finances could reach; in S. Sudan mr. Elkhir reliable as a desert rock and making sure I kept up 50km/day even in 50c heat - when he was not negotiating for his 2. whife ;-); through Khartoums kamikaze traffic w. support by diplomat and desert princess Line :-), and a long sunburnedstint supporting me to run safely through the Sahara desert by Canadian-English-Sudanese team of Dee, Jamie & Mohammad; and and and.. The list goes on and on. Each a chance to get a glimse of a life often very different from mine but Fascinating, as the long moments spend in vast nature lets all cornersof the soul surface :-)

And Such Support to have !!! THANKS :-))

... Afterall I guess its not that world run specific: The team you have at a 6day or24hour run, or your whife, children, friends making it possible for You to "take a timeout" or motivating you to go out for a jogg ! To appreciate.. :-)NB: Short updated timeplan for last part of Africa:

Mozambique:
Maputo, Mozambique, 16. Dec.

Swaziland:
Goba, Swaziland border 19. Dec.
Siteki 20. Dec.
(Christmas rest 21-25. Dec.)
Big Bend 27. Dec.
Lavumis - Golela border into S. Africa 30. Dec.

South Africa:
Hwy. N2 via Durban (mid. January), East London (primo February), Pt. Elizabeth (mid. February) to Cape Town. Expected end 1. March but much depending on supportcar or pushing stroller :-)