Trans Europe Footrace 2012

My friend J-B Jaouen is of course totally correct - I did "solemnly promise that I will never do anything this crazy ever again" on this very blog on June 21, the last day of Trans Europe 2009.

But that was before I knew that the 2012 course would be shorter (only 4,000km) and would run through my "home country" of England. And so therefore...my bib number for 2012 is #19. How tough could it possibly be?!

Baltic Run 2010

Next stage race will be in July - the Baltic Run, north from Berlin to the Baltic Sea. Two hundred miles over five days. Claire and I are both signed up - if all goes according to plan, this will be our first stage race together.

After her strong showing at this year's Tahoe Triple, it'll be interesting to see how Claire holds up over more and longer stages. She's certainly in much better shape than me right now. My weight has ballooned to 180 lbs (up 21 lbs since Trans Europe), and my legs are very sore each time I attempt to run a few miles as we did together this morning. But at least the Texas weather is now cooler, and so the time running together passes quickly.

Post-Lake Tahoe Triple

Woohoo! $2 payout. Carolyn's a smart girl - she quit while she was ahead. Beers are on you, Ed.

Post-Lake Tahoe Triple

Here's Carolyn gambling Ed Burgess' $1 bill (he's a high roller, eh?)...

Lake Tahoe Triple

The broiling sufferfest is over! All the musketeers finished stongly today - three new "rock star" Triplers and one new "Double Tripler" - Carolyn - have been minted. I'm a proud sherpa. Traditional pizza dinner tonight at the Blue Dog.

Despite an embarrasingly slow time (due to absence of oxygen, no training, old age, and several other good excuses), I managed to eke out a top ten finish in the 10K, and placed first in the geriatric division.

Lake Tahoe Triple

All three gutsy Austin musketeers (plus Hans "D'Artagnan" Drexler from Germany) made it to the finish line of Day 2 successfully. Some minor issues for everyone...but I'm forecasting a 100% completion rate tomorrow. Very impressive.

Me? I've decided to be sensible for once and run the 10K tomorrow. I vaguely remember that marathons are no fun if you haven't trained for them! It will be nice to be finished 3 hours earlier than if I was running 26.2.

Lake Tahoe Ultra

It's a beautiful place! The musketeers are all underway this morning in good spirits. My spirits are good too because the Ultra tonight is cancelled due to road permit issues, so I get to sleep tonight! Maybe I'll run the marathon tomorrow? 26.2 should be easier with no training than 72! Expecting record high temperatures again today and tomorrow - 87 degrees. Cold start, hot finish.

Lake Tahoe Ultra

This'll be interesting. I couldn't resist the temptation of running through the night around the lake and under the stars again this year. 72 miles without any training - tomorrow night starting at 10pm. We'll see.

Lake Tahoe

All three musketeers and my friend Hans from Germany got through Day 1 in one piece. Temperatures were high and sun very strong especially over the last six very hilly miles. A few minutes soaking in Lake Tahoe afterwards helped aching muscles. I've been nagging everyone to eat lots all day - with mixed success. One third done!

Lake Tahoe

Fourteen miles in to the first day of the Triple, the three Rogue musketeers are all running comfortably together. It's warm!!

Lake Tahoe

My friend Hans Drexler arrived very late last night from Germany, and still came and ran with us around Spooner Lake this morning. He's run 320 ultras and marathons since 2001 - quite amazing! - and he's also a great photographer. The Triple should be a breeze for him. It's good to have him here as part of this year's "Tahoe Team Austin".

Lake Tahoe

Our new annual tradition - Murphy's Irish Pub in South Lake Tahoe on the Wednesday night before the Tahoe Triple begins. Claire and Carolyn are tripling, along with our friends Clint and Hans. I'm sherpa'ing for them on the first two days. Then when they run their third marathon on Sunday, I'll run a race of undetermined distance too - just haven't decided yet between the 72-mile Ultra and the 10K. Sublime or ridiculous, eh?

Speaking to runners at Rogue Running in Austin, TX

Thanks to Ruth England for flipcamming me!

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Running Across Countries

Since I've been home, I've been feverishly working on a book about my running adventures. Writing is sometimes harder than running, I swear! Hopefully it'll be available through Amazon sometime in the next month. Email me at russellsecker@gmail.com if you're interested in getting a copy, so I can keep you posted.

Party time!

Claire threw me a great party yesterday. BBQ, Mexican, margaritas, the works. Thanks to her for arranging, and to many friends for stopping by. Lots of folks said they enjoyed getting their daily dose of this blog - it provided me with an invaluable way to reflect and connect to home. I'm just so relieved the story had a happy ending (beautifully recounted in today's Austin American Statesman by Pam LeBlanc - thanks, Pam!).

Now, about that next race...

Cankles are back...

Halfway back to the UK yesterday, I noticed that my ankles were starting to do an impersonation of water balloons, and my calves and ankles had once again merged to form "cankles" (see France 2005). By the time I landed in Heathrow, my socks had become as tight as sausage skins, and the pressure got more and more painful. It was a little tricky driving my stick shift rental car and trying to take off my socks simultaneously. I'm glad I don't have to run on them today.

By the way, one thing that many stage runners do is to cut down the front of every pair of socks, to relieve pressure on the front of the ankle. Part of my small but moving final ceremony before leaving Norway was to throw out all my many pairs of used, "restyled" shoes and socks. In the end, I opted to place them all discretely in a garbage can rather than cause a littering spectacle at the North Cape.

The journey home...

I set off for Alta airport by bus at 3am this morning, and we covered two stages of the race (in the opposite direction, of course) in under two hours. We crossed the bleak Sennalandet again in wind and pouring rain, and of course saw reindeer by the thousand.

Since I woke at 2:30am, I just can't stop eating or thinking about food. My brain and body have gone into ravenous overdrive. As I'm spending all day on planes or hanging about in Norwegian airports (Alta, Tromsö and now Oslo), my credit card has been hit with the equivalent of the GDP of a third world country. Happy now, Mastercard?

Mmmm, just spotted a Pizza Hut....lucky I've nearley finished this shrimp baguette.

Final results

Rainer Koch of Germany dominated, and was overall winner, leading Takasumi Senoo (Japan) and René Strosny (Germany) who amazingly finished less than 6 minutes apart.

After Hiroko Okiyama's unfortunate abandon, the women's race was won by another Japanese, Takako Funyama (20th overall). Second place Elke Streicher of Germany was nearly 7 hours behind.

I spent 602 hours crossing Europe, and finished 30th (out of 68 starters), which pleases me given my advanced years and the quality of many of the other runners. Cautious pacing helped me avoid injury.

One competition that I DID win was body fat loss as measured by the MRI docs. I am now officially devoid of all body fat. I solemnly promise that I will never do anything this crazy ever again.

Stage 64 - Nordkapp

Here's me wearing 2 Goretex jackets, a sweatshirt, and 2 other shirts (plus natty homemade legwarmers), and I swear I never broke a sweat. Unbelievably, ski chairlift cold - one guy got frostbite on his nose! I have never experienced such bitter gales.

But the journey is blissfully ended, at the northernmost point in Europe. I feel a little "dazed and confused", but elated at the prospect of not having to tenderize my long-suffering feet again tomorrow.

Celebrations tonight, then a 3:30am departure for the airport. I will be first on that bus.

Finally, a shout-out to two folks who helped me most - my long-suffering wife, who helped me hang in there with daily calls and emails, and Mike, who met me in Sweden with a care package and great messages from Austin.

Oh, and did I mention...I just ran across Europe - WOOHOO!

Before Stage 64...

...just wanted to say...

This has been an amazing 9-week journey which I've been privileged to take. The very best part - the one thing that has kept me going through some very painful and bleak miles - has been the connection to everyone who's been reading this blog.

Every morning, when the 4am alarm goes off, I first turn on my phone and read comments & emails, and on many occasions I swear it has enabled me to face "just one more day" on the road. I didn't want to let you guys down!

So THANK YOU for all the kind words and thoughts, and don't underestimate the power they had over this weary soul.

Gratefully yours, as I head to one last starting line,

Russ

Stage 63 - Honningsväg

I can't tell you how good it feels to write 63! Especially after the atrocious day we've just suffered through. Gale force headwinds and rain for most of the day, and even colder temperatures than yesterday. Despite wearing tons of layers, the cold just bit through everything, and then found no body fat resistance. Some aid stations kindly let us inside their vehicles for the first time, but that almost made it harder to return to the Arctic.

Most of the day was spent moving from fjord to fjord. They're beautiful but desolate, and absent sunshine take on a depressing air. We also had to navigate 3 tunnels today, the longest of which was 5 miles long. Very spooky - but at least a break from the wind and rain.

So tomorrow is the final 28 miles. The forecast is for more of the same, but we'll all be relieved to be done by lunchtime. Hallelujah.

Couldn't resist this one...

But seriously - note the orange arrow on the pole - those are what have guided our way across nearly 3,000 miles of Europe.

View of the Sennalandet

Early this morning, before the sun disappeared and the wind began to howl.

Stage 62 - Olderfjord

Our very own fjord tonight! But getting here was a brutal journey. It was 2 marathons plus 5 miles long, on weary legs. The narrow road had plenty of traffic, and rose and fell between sea level and 1000'. And lastly, it was bitterly cold - below freezing with windchill - and the headwind was horrendous. Thirteen hours I'm going to put in the "not fun" column, despite scenery that would've been superb on a sunny day.

But we're here. A salmon dinner was on hand as we finished, and with 2 stages of 50 and 28 miles left, optimism is high. I will be one happy camper on Sunday night.

Stage 61 - Rafsbotn (near Alta)

Despite the length of the stage (over 53 miles), and some nasty truck and trailer traffic from time to time, this was absolutely the best day of the whole journey - I'll try to explain why.

It started with sunshine, nice running temps, and gentle breezes. Unlike other previous more changeable days, that lasted all day. The run started out along a beautiful, wide river with barren, stony, snow-covered hills beyond. We encountered several herd of reindeer, one of which decided to run alongside us for a while. Then the river (and our road) headed down a steep gorge for many spectacular kilometers, and we got to watch the white water do its thing.

But as we approached Alta after about 30 miles, things started to change. Pine trees reappeared, farms sprung up, and the microclimate suddenly became alpine (from the Gulf Stream effect, I'm guessing). Flowers and the smell of mown grass. Running comfortably in shorts and T-shirt. And beyond the fairly sizeable town, in the distance, the Norwegian Sea, with fabulous, massive, ice-covered fjords beyond. Even the Norwegians in the group were blown away - it was spectacular.

Our accommodations tonight are good - hot showers and very good food. Two long, hard days still loom ahead, but we're hoping that the good weather holds, because that makes it all much more endurable.

P.S. Marit - thanks for the invite in Alta - no time unfortunately this time, but maybe I'll come back? J-B - seriously, only 5 other ultras!

Norway - birch trees & rivers...

A nice start to the day...

The sky isn't blue much...but the road does go on forever.

Stage 60 - Máze

Just four days left. Today was my 100th Ultra - small potatoes for some of the hardcore folks here, but still a decent count. Or crazy, depending on your point of view.

The day started sunny and pleasant for a change, and stayed that way for a couple of very good hours. Then, despite clouds and cold, we didn't get rained on, and the scenery became quite impressive (I'll post a separate photo). In all, a good day with a finish time for me just after 2pm.

Bridget Jones bit: wildlife - absolutely zero; herring - pickled in mustard sauce; drugs - ran out of calcium, two NSAIDs (sorry kidneys & liver).

The next three days are all over 50 miles - a very long slog, but we've come this far. No whining ... but can't wait to be done.

Lapp dancing...

...in the gym tonight? (Couldn't resist that one.) Not quite - right now, these two delightful young ladies are "yoikking", which is pretty cool traditional Norwegian singing / drumming / chanting.

Stage 59 - Kautokeino

Finland's done, and now we're in Norway, our last country. Today was 51 miles of fierce, very cold northerly headwinds accompanied from time to time by heavy rain. Lucky for us it's summertime, eh? It was one of those "I just want to be done" days.

One thing I noticed when we got to Norway - no more pine trees, just sparse woods of silver birch. The landscape is becoming more mountainous and rugged as we move towards fjord country. Rivers are slowly taking the place of lakes in the scenery. I feel there are some hills ahead.

My "Bridget Jones Diary" moment for today: Wildlife - no reindeer, but one husky who ran 5 miles with me; Cigarettes - none; Alcohol - one alcohol-free beer to wash down my jar of pickled herring at the finish (protein, you know).

A slightly shorter 39-mile day tomorrow, followed by something of a gruesome "grand finale" of three days over 50 miles, before the 29-mile jog to the North Cape on Sunday. Feet don't fail me now!

Stage 58 - Enontekiö

Ah, Finland! Home of Nokia and, well, Finns. Mike from Austin is right - they manage to string together more letters than any other nation on earth here. Spelling tests in school must consume reams of paper...but anyhow, I digress.

The day started inauspicious with heavy rain as we were eating breakfast. We started the race on
the Swedish side of a river, and crossed directly into Finland. The rain poured, the wind howled, thunder and lightning boomed. Everyone was cold and drenched - sheer bloody misery for the first two hours.

Gradually it eased up, and as we left the main highway to cross a mountain range via a smaller road, the skies turned blue and the sun put in a welcome appearance. My running felt good today, helped in part by the knowledge that we only had 40 miles to cover, but also thanks to less painful feet.

Today's bombshell is that women's race leader Hiroko from Japan abandonned. (She also had to abandon after 44 days in the last 2003 edition of this race.) She has had bad leg problems for days, and finally was forced to quit. Again, this is so late in the game to have to drop out - very unfortunate. She's being a trooper, but is clearly very upset, especially because she was holding a huge lead over second place on time.

So, just 6 days to go for the rest of us, but 4 of them very long. Norway tomorrow, hopefully with kinder weather? But I'm less than hopeful - it's just started to rain again outside.

Reindeer lasagne

When I saw dinner set out tonight, I jokingly said: "Looks like we're having reindeer lasagne." It was in fact just that. And delicious. The rich meat and carbs were appreciated all round - the perfect multiday running food.

The food and the people in Sweden have been great. But the dismal weather, absence of wildlife (except mosquitoes), and the apparent lack of anything much to see or do has left it low on my list of "places I want to go back to". My expectations for Finland and Norway are not set any higher, but I will be delighted to see them both.

Stage 57 - Karesauno

After 24 days, we finally got to the end of Sweden today, with a shorter 34-mile stage to this border town. Next, a single stage through Finland, and then 6 quite lengthy days in Norway.

Finishing is not guaranteed, even this late into the race. Jurg König apparently had heart problems early in today's stage, and had to abandon. So sad and disappointing, with so much distance travelled.

I ran much of today with Christian Marti. Things started well, but we got dismally soaked for the last 10 miles, and I became quite hypothermic. The great news is that his wife Orsele met us at the finish line, and drove us to their hotel, where I was able to get a room for the night. The hot shower I just took was luxury, as was the jumbo-sized bag of potato chips I just ate. Now it's naptime in clean sheets....aaaaaah!

Stage 56 - Övre Soppero

Another "day at the office" completed - it really is beginning to feel like work! Weekend days like today are great - almost no traffic - and no rain either, so just cold headwinds, but much better than yesterday's trifecta of all three.

Fifty more miles disposed of, and nothing more than sore feet to complain about. Not too hilly either. I've opted to camp in the cold tonight, as the gym is cramped and therefore noisy. I'll take my chance with the Himalaya sleeping bag I purloined from my son, Tom (thanks, bud!)

Tomorrow is our last day in Sweden, before a brief sojourn through Finland. I suspect it'll be hard to tell the difference, with almost nothing but trees, lakes, and a two-lane highway. My reindeer count was one today, so no high marks for wildlife thus far.

A quick update on the French runner Fabrice Viaud I posted about yesterday. The staph infection in his hand was very serious. He immediately had one surgery in Gällivare, and will have another tomorrow to remove antibiotic implants. I understand they had to cut away small parts of his finger - a day or two's delay could've been much more serious. I heard he'll be in hospital for several more days. Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery.

Stage 55 - Svappavaara

Svappavaara - see what I mean about Scrabble hands? - and that doesn't even include the Lapp version of the name which is usually a few syllables longer!



Today's 47 miles is followed by yet another 50 miler tomorrow. Everyone's decidedly worn out, physically and mentally. It rained, and a strong, cold headwind kicked in for most of the day. Even traffic was surprisingly heavy. But only 9 more days to go!



The bad news is that two more folks had to abandon today. Mike Friedl had fought leg injuries since we arrived in Sweden, and finally couldn't continue. And Fabrice Viaud developed a bad infection in his hand, and has been hospitalized. Very bad for these guys after making it so far. Now 47 of the original 68 are still in the race - but this is a much lower dropout rate than I'd estimated.



And finally, today's wildlife count: zero.

Stage 54 - Gällivare

Another 13 hour funfest just completed, and we're now in the town of Gällivare. This is an iron mining center which had a huge collapse a few years back, right under a section of town. What has been put in its place since is not prepossessing.

In our 60 mile journey today on the E45, we passed through only one small town. That was it. This really is "the back of beyond". The day started with plenty of rain, then heavy, grey skies, and finally a huge downpour to suck any fun out of the last hour.

At the risk of turning into Bridget Jones' Diary ... I saw only one reindeer today, but he was a majestic beauty.

Extremely sore feet today, but they only have to hang on for ten more days. The MRI machine travelling with us has diagnosed them as "very inflamed but no structural damage". But seriously - ouch!

Aid stations

These little setups occur about every 6 miles. Each one feels like you've made good progress. The volunteers are marvellous, drinks are plentiful, but the food has become a little repetitive and uninspiring. Without refrigeration, I find the perishables by now pretty dubious, so to get the calories I need stick mainly to cookies, chocolate and cake. Not too balanced, and after this many days, it's really not as tempting as it might sound!

The race

Here's the incredible 29 year old race leader Rainer Koch from Germany blasting past me on the E45. He's a 2hr38 marathoner; here, he has averaged 3hr30 marathon pace the entire way. He is friendly and modest, and a deserving champion.

Hiroko Yohihama is still leading the women's race, but is struggling with bad leg injuries. It is painful to see her hobbled each day now.

I've moved up to 32nd place overall, which is where I'll likely remain if I'm lucky and have no big problems. This minor improvement is unfortunately not due to another gear I've found, but rather to injury problems of others who were once faster than me.

Stage 53 - Jokkmokk

About 5 miles before today's finish in Jokkmokk, we crossed the Arctic Circle. A Scotsman asked me to take his photo, and then reciprocated. The irony in the photo is the singlet I'm wearing. After freezing further south, we suddenly hit nice temperatures in the Arctic today! Mosquitoes were out in force too, but my repellent is thankfully working well.

Tomorrow is another daunting 60-miler to Gållivare; once we're past that, the last 10 day countdown begins. I confess that I'm ready to be done, as is everyone else I speak to. There are too many hours alone on the road each day when your mind turns to missed loved ones and creature comforts.

Stage 52 - Kåbladis

Well, that was a killer day. 95K - over 60 miles - in a little under 13 hours. Rain at the start, then lots of sun, then heavy rain and hail to finish off the day. I've learned to never hand over my Goretex at aid stations just because the sky is currently blue.

There are some very tired people in the gym tonight - and that doesn't include the slower runners who are still out on the road. The scenery is very fine here, and traffic much reduced. Despite that, there are some very long, straight grinds along the E45 - miles long at times - which are hard on the brain.

We saw more reindeer today. I will take my camera phone tomorrow, as we cross the Arctic Circle about 10K before the finish, and I want to record the moment. Hopefully I'll get to snap some reindeer too. I used mosquito repellent for the first time today, as they're just coming to life big time.

So twelve days to go - five more in Sweden, one in Finland, then six in Norway to the finish. Even though I'm desperately weary, and my feet are tenderized and sore beyond belief, my chances of making it to the North Cape improve with each passing day. Thanks again for all the support and good wishes - it has motivated me, and made a huge difference.

Stage 51 - Arvidsjaur

I slept badly last night due to raging heartburn, which lasted well into the first half of today's 53 mile stage. I've since discovered a couple of other folks complaining of similar symptoms, so maybe it was something in last night's dinner? That's always a very real fear, that some nasty bug will run amok through our weakened immune systems.

But otherwise, the miles ticked off quite well, and I was done in a shade over 11 hours. After aid station #1, I didn't see another runner all day, things have become so spaced out. What I did see though was my first herd of reindeer, about 100 yards off the road. Quite a thrill. The landscape has become more dramatic and interesting - implying, of course, hillier - but with reasonable weather like we had today (no snow!), it was nice to gaze upon.

Tomorrow's stage is an ungodly 60 miles, but at least everything's working for me. A 13-hour sufferfest, with the Arctic Circle crossing to look forward to the following day.

Stage 50 - Sorsele

Today's 45 miles will now be followed by two even longer stages of 53 and 60 miles. These are hellacious distances on fresh legs - in our weary state, they are really daunting.

I ran most of today's stage with my Dutch friend Ubel. He's a former 24-hour champion of Holland, so I have to work a bit too hard to keep up. We were mourning the abandoning yesterday of Jenni de Groot, who had developed a really serious and painful stress fracture in her hip socket. She is a very strong lady, and it was very sad that she was forced to stop after so long.

Like most of us, I'm hanging in there. "Only two weeks to go" sounds much easier than the reality of the distance and conditions ahead ... but the problem has to be tackled one day at a time.

Today's black humor - "How do you know it's summertime in Lappland? It only snows once a day." Yes, snow again - but little rain and less headwinds at least.

Stage 49 - Storuman

Seven weeks done - 15 stages left (7 of them over 50 miles). Today's 42 mile stage became 44 miles, because of a last minute change of accommodation, but worth it because ... it's a hotel! Only 3 of us sharing a room with a shower and toilet. Luxury.

Another very cold day, with rain, sleet and snow thrown in from time to time. Between my circulation problems and my now total absence of body fat, I'm really struggling with the cold. Despite being heavily dressed, I just can't manage to warm up. Even running harder doesn't make me warm. So I grit my teeth and push on. I've heard that the weather should improve in upcoming days, but I'll wait and see. "Arctic Circle" and "heatwave" seldom appear together.

Two things I've seen loads of here in Sweden - vintage American cars in wonderful condition, and trampolines (there's one in almost every other yard). It's odd what you notice when you have plenty of time to reflect.

Stage 48 - Vilhelmina

I think I'm starting to get the hang of this running thing! I made good time today, and had very few problems with my feet, legs and back. I guess all this practice is beginning to pay off?

The day started calm and sunny (by the way, the local paper said that sunrise today was at 2:31am!), but Sweden no longer fools me, so I retained all my warm gear. I was right. Within twenty minutes, the sky had turned dark and the wind started to howl down from the north-east again. There were huge rains all around, but I was lucky and managed to miss a soaking. I ran all day in ski gloves and liners, ski hat, and many layers, and never broke a sweat. The positive thing about this unusual cold spell is that it's delaying the onset of mosquito season, a miserable time especially for me who seems particularly attractive to the little monsters.

Impact on footware...

I said a while back that I'd refrain from posting ghoulish toenail / blister shots. Shoes and socks take a real pounding too. I can't wait to get back to wearing something other than cut up sneakers and vaseline soaked socks.

Stage 47 - Dorotea

Just before the finish of today's 46-mile stage, we officially entered Lappland. No reindeer or people in funny outfits, but at least there was a really big carved sign. Now it truly feels like we're way up north!

To give you a sense of how cold the weather has become, one aid station today was festooned with Christmas decorations - a nice touch! - and snow is apparently in the forecast.

The heavens opened as we went to breakfast this morning, but the rain slowly backed off after a soggy 6am start. As the day progressed, the bitter headwind became stronger and more blustery. Even running on occasional flat bits of road became very challenging. Most people who've finished agree that today's was the hardest stage so far. Tomorrow's stage is a little shorter, but weather is proving to be as important a factor as the number of kilometers.

A number of serious injuries are starting to surface, even this late into the race. Two of the top five in the women's race had terrible days yesterday, and they're not yet finished today. It's so hard to know what to say to them, after they've worked so hard and come all this way.

Stage 46 - Strömsund

Well, that was a very long, cold 50-mile stage we just completed. I layered up and even wore Goretex ski gloves, but biting northerly headwinds, hail and even a little snow made for a very testing and at times bitterly cold day. (One of the Japanese guys ran in a T-shirt - I was almost hypothermic - I just don't get it!) As I've done a lot recently, I ran most of the stage with Christian Marti from Switzerland. We finished in a little over 10 hours, and were quite pleased with our pace.

Last night in Lit was music filled. While we ate dinner, kids from the school performed on a stage - they were really quite good. Then, as we got ready for bed in the gym, a relative of one of the Norwegian runners started playing guitar and singing folk songs...and then switched to belting out some great Janis Joplin. It almost felt like Austin.

Only 7 days to the Arctic Circle! And no, passports aren't required to be shown as we cross European borders (per the Schengen agreement). Very civilized...and reasonable.

Stage 45 - Lit

Today's stage to Lit was a good one for me. The route took us off the E45 for most of the day, and instead we passed alongside a gorgeous lake with snow-capped mountains beyond. Finally we crossed the lake by bridge, to the town of Östersund, the geographic center of Sweden. We are now officially in the north.

The weather is as Mark Twain described New England's - if you don't like it, wait an hour! We had biting headwinds, strong tailwinds, sun, rain, hail, clouds, everything but snow.

The school we're staying at tonight has been very hospitable. I was invited to speak to an English class with a cool teacher, which was fun. One of the students, Richard, proved to be a very accomplished juggler, who entertained us in the gym.

Hackas - the view from our school

Lakes and snow-capped mountains in the distance - but not sure how well they show in the photo. It's beautiful here when the sun shines, but I can only imagine how long and cold the winters are.

I awoke at midnight last night, and it was still light. And we're still a long way from the Arctic Circle.

Stage 44 - Hackas

During today's stage we passed the 3,000 kilometer mark (1,860 miles) - a long way to travel on foot in 6 weeks. Balloons and the mayor of the Kommun were there to mark the occasion - after a quick break, we were soon back to work.

The road was not too hilly, and the sun not too strong; blustery headwinds were the only negative. Off in the distance to the west we could see snow-capped mountains again.

I was done with the 36 miles by 1:30pm. The gym's OK and the showers are hot. It's June finally, tomorrow's stage isn't too terribly long either, and now it's naptime - so life doesn't get any better!

Stage 43 - Rätan

A long, hot stage today. 54 miles more of the E45, and temperatures were very warm even as we started at 6am. They certainly reached the 80s today, with no significant shade or clouds along the way. I was very happy to be finished in a little over 11 hours. I've heard that very cold, wet weather is on its way - but not sure whether for tomorrow or Tuesday.

The very best thing mentally today (and you'll have to take my word for it that it is very hard to stay gung-ho and motivated after so much toil and so many miles) was that this was the last day of May. Every one of the remaining 21 days are in June, which somehow feels more like we're closing in on the finish. This is the kind of crazy stuff you think about ad naseum on the road.

The next two stages are a little shorter, as we head towards Östersund, the geographic center of Sweden. It's also where their national cross-country ski team is based. Shorter is good, by the way - very, very good.

Stage 42 - Sveg

Today was another hot one - not Texas hot, you understand, but certainly Sweden hot - high 70s, and not a cloud in the sky. "Only" 38 miles today, before a much longer stage tomorrow.

Weekends are always much nicer than weekdays, without logging trucks pushing us off the road. The road we're on, the E45, is the Inlandsvägen, the major inland south to north two-lane highway in Sweden. Sometimes we go 20 minutes without seeing a house or even a vehicle. It's almost spookily desolate. Strip logging is the only real industry - apart from that, there's nothing except vacation cottages, lakes and rivers. It might sound idyllic, but it's just so quiet. There are barely any stores or cafes. I can't imagine what teenagers would make of it!

Up front, Rainer Koch of Germany and Hiroko Yokihama of Japan continue to dominate the men's and women's races. These are incredible athletes and fine people. They continue to push hard each day, even though this could lead to injury and even potential withdrawl. Most of the rest of us are just busy trying to stay healthy (there's a nasty brochitis going around; at night the gym sounds like a consumption ward) and preparing mentally for some very long stages ahead.

Six weeks is complete - it's hard to comprehend, even for us - but there's still plenty of time for "the wheels to come off". Only yesterday, one of the top ten guys was forced to withdraw due to major knee problems which suddenly stopped him in his tracks.

Happy birthday from 2 Swedes'n'me

Happy birthday, Claire! Have a wonderful day - sorry I missed this one, but many more to come. See you in June!

Stage 41 - Västbacka

Today's beautiful weather more than made up for yesterday's misery - cold and sunny early, then just sunny blue skies until about 2pm, when it clouded over.

The course is now (and will be for another two weeks) straight along the E45. Well, not exactly straight - there are continuous and often very steep hills. I felt good for the first 30 miles, but started to feel very weary over the last 20, as the uphills and downhills took their toll on hamstrings and quadriceps respectively.

This morning's most priceless quote from a non-English speaker: "I run easy today...I can feel my hamsters already".

We're staying in cabins again tonight, then back to sports halls tomorrow (which I prefer - usually more space). Traffic was busy today - I think it's because June is Swedish vacation month, and lots of people were getting a jump on the weekend.

Stage 40 - Mora

Wow, forty stages done! It's hard to believe. I'm enjoying the best hour of the day - flat on my back, showered and changed, eating, drinking, and blogging.

Today's weather forecast was, let's just say, off the mark. It called for light breezes, some sun, and temps in the 60's. What did we actually get? Torrential rain all morning, bitterly cold headwinds all day, and after lunch hail. Fortunately I'd kept my Goretex jacket at the start; even with it, I was only a couple of degrees north of hypothermia. Note to self - ignore forecasts and dress warm. At least I fared better than some who took the T-shirt option this morning.

Most of the run felt good, but I did have a few spells when my hip, hamstring and sciatic nerve let me know that they didn't want to continue. Very painful. My cold is waning, so that's proving less troublesome. OK, enough whining!

My friend Mike has posted some video from his visit on Tuesday - check out http://www.youtube.com/russrunseurope. (I haven't been able to see it on my primitive technology here.) I wish him well for Saturday's Stockholm marathon.

Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday - have a very happy birthday, Dad! Thanks for everything, not least for the genes that are letting me get this crazy thing done! Have a great and restful day - I'll be thinking of you as we head slowly north.

Dinner in Vansbro

Dinner in the local school tonight was charming, with authentic Swedish folk music on hand. I dined on copious quantities of spaghetti bolognese, salmon and salad, with a coffee / cookie chaser. I'd appreciate it all that much more if I was less tired!

We were invited back to take part in the Vansbro 3K river swim (famous, apparently, in Sweden), but I don't think there were any takers. Maybe they'd have enticed more of this hardcore bunch if it had been a 30K swim instead?!

Stage 39 - Vansbro

A third day on the good ol' E26. This was the best of them, with much less traffic and practically zero population. There's almost nothing except logging going on in this area. Skies were very black today, but we received only a couple of light soakings. It was very cold and windy too. The absence of sunshine, and the many black lakes and rivers (due to peat washing into them), gave the place quite a depressing feeling.

The route was a shade over 40 miles, and I was happily finished before 3pm. Right now, I'm lying on my mattress eating beef jerky and macadamia nuts from my care package, washed down with alcohol-free beer. Ahhhh! 25 days left.

Sweden's E26

This gives you a sense of what we've been dealing with for two solid days, with more to come...

Lake on left side, plus trees, for scenic value. Volvo heading north, bus screaming south towards me. Narrow shoulder with slight camber.

It's OK for the first hour or two, but before long we become wistful about German bike paths, villages and canals.

Stage 38 - Lesjöfors

A great day...despite having to run two marathons! At just over halfway, I was met by my Austin friend Mike. His father is Swedish, and Mike's here on vacation, visiting family and running the Stockholm marathon on Saturday. He chose to celebrate his birthday drivng several hours from Stockholm, and then running 15K of today's course with me. It lifted my spirits no end.

To make things even finer, he left a wonderful care package for me at the finish, replete with loads of fresh salmon (already eaten!), other comestibles, a replacement GPS from Claire, and a ton of well-wishing cards from family and friends. Thank you all so very much! I will read some every night, to keep me feeling positive about the difficult miles still ahead.

Tomorrow's a shorter day - only 40 miles - so I'm looking forward to an early finish. We have two more days on the E26, before it becomes the E45. Truck traffic seemed lighter today, a trend that should continue as we head north. It rained at the end of today's stage, and more is forecast for tomorrow, but we've been generally so lucky with the weather so far that no-one's complaining.

Stage 37 - Kristinehamn

You know you're in a strange reality when running "only" 42 miles feels like a rest day. It is nice to be finished by 3pm - I've had time to shower and eat, and now I get to sleep for an hour before dinner. Sweet.

Today we ran exclusively along the shoulder of the E26, and will be doing exactly the same thing for the next three days solid, until we reach Mora. Then we switch to the E45, for two weeks.

At times, the road does seem to go on forever - the trucks barrelling towards you certainly do. I just hope traffic lightens as we get further north.

The weather seems to start cold and grey each day, but by lunchtime the skies are blue and sunny. If you want to imagine Sweden - wide open green fields bounded by woods; signs to interesting places like Nybble and Nolhassle; occasional red barns and vacation cottages; friendly people who speak perfect English; dark-looking lakes and streams; and Volvos.

Stage 36 - Hasslerör

I kid you not - we're staying at the Hassle Sporthall tonight. But it does have hot showers and plenty of space - a guarantee of several stars in the Trans Europe rating scheme.

Well, we ran - or in some cases walked and hobbled - 105 miles this weekend. Today alone we ran more than two marathons. The effects are beginning to show. At least 5 of the top 10 are nursing bad knee or shin problems. Back in the peleton (I'm 35th at this point), there's a lot of fatigue, as each "long" day takes an interminable time to complete. Today, for example, I was running for 11 hours 15 minutes. That leaves little time for recovery, before things get underway again tomorrow.

Today's health report: sciatica better; feet OK; achilles tendons sore for the first time; quads and back very tired; very congested with cold symptoms. So good for another 43 miles tomorrow.

Stage 35 - Kvänum

Today's long stage (51 miles) is followed by an even longer one (54 miles) tomorrow. I managed to finish not long after 4pm today (10 hours of running - trust me, that's a long time to be on your feet), which means that my speed is marginally improving. As I've mentioned before, my only interest in speed is that getting done earlier gives me more time to rest and recover for the next day.

The day started very cold and bleak, but the rain held off, and by midday we had a very nice day on our hands. (It was light when we awoke at 4am - I've no idea what time it gets dark, as that's way after my bedtime!) We're passing through gently rolling farmland with occasional villages along the way. It's nice at this time of year, but I imagine that the winters can be awfully long and depressing. All the locals we meet along the way are very kind and friendly - the best, most curious reception yet.

As today was Stage 35, we're officially 5 weeks done, with only 4 left. Still a very long way to go, but it does feel like major, if ever so slow, progress.

Swedish

I don't want to sound like an ignoramus, and everyone we've met here has been so friendly, but this language is strange, inpenetrable, and at times absolutely hilarious. Many words read like Scrabble hands. My favorite direction sign today was to Lårje Hed, but I didn't have my camera with me.

Stage 34 - Sjövik

After a monster buffet breakfast on the ship, we disembarked to be greeted by cheering crowds, cameramen and the press. They were actually covering the story about the two Swedish army guys, but we got to bask in some reflected glory...until it was time to set out in the cold and pouring rain. Skies were grey and leaden all day, with some heavy downpours thrown in. Luckily, I'd grabbed my Goretex jacket just before the start. An absolute lifesaver today.

We left Gothenburg by bike path, and followed nice peaceful trails for just over 30 miles to this little camp of cabins by a very Swedish lake.

My running's definitely improving, despite the fact that I'm working on cold #2. I'm much happier with shorter stages like we've had for the last 3 days, so the next couple of days of 50+ miles will be the real test.

Stage 33 - Kiel

Greetings from Kiel! Here I am, fresh from coffee and cake with the mayor in the Ratskeller, and now waiting to board our enormous ship to Sweden. I'm proud to have just completed my second (and last!) crossing of Germany on foot.

What a strange day this is in Germany. It's Ascension Day, Fathers' Day, and a public holiday. To celebrate, older people cycle around, while groups of young men in their 20's and 30's walk around with handcarts full of beer. I'd had this described to me, but I couldn't imagine it until I witnessed it for myself. How bizarre.

Our 34-mile stage felt good for me today. Little trouble from sciatica, the course was beautiful, the weather fine, and the hills not too steep. Let's hope the crossing is smooth - skies have just turned dark and rain has started.

Sweden starts tomorrow, and will take 25 days to cross. It's hard to believe that so many of us have made it this far.

Life on the road...

Jenni from Holland getting an after-dinner buzzcut from Uli, a volunteer from Germany. My hair's growing, but I'm not ready for a visit to Uli yet.

Stage 32 - Bad Sedeberg

Halfway - at least in terms of days. It feels very good to have come this far, but it has been extraordinarily hard. Today's was the shortest stage of the whole race - a measly 28 miles, and many of us were done by noon. Because that let us start late, we actually got an extra half hour in bed, and so slept in til 4:30am. Bliss!

My breakfasts have taken on a standard form - two rolls with cheese, ham, salami and butter, two slices of bread awash with Nutella, a bowl of cereal, orange juice, a banana and two cups of coffee. I also take an extra roll with meat and cheese which is my "second breakfast" after the first 10 miles of running. Not exactly veggie or low cholesterol, but it's what my body needs.

Tomorrow we run to the ferry in Kiel, and then sail overnight to Gothenburg in Sweden. What an adventure - a welcome change in routine.

Stage 31 - Trittau

The very best reception yet, in this little town somewhere east of Hamburg. After 43 miles, as we arrived in town, we were met by our respective national anthems and groups of schoolkids with our flags, who led us to the finish line, where a band was playing and kids were doing gymnastics routines. Free, abundant, delicious food, happy people, and autograph-hungry kids. And hot showers! Life is good today, especially with three shorter stages ahead.

Health report: My feet are doing much better, as my "water weight" has returned to normal. My list has abated, and I'm practically vertical. Blood pressure is back to 120 over 80. The only niggle right now is a problem with the sciatic nerve in my right leg, which on uneven surfaces (and there are lots) sends pains shooting down my leg, and reduces me to a temporary hobble.

Garmin (GPS) report: dead! I dropped it leaving the shower. Cr%p!

And finally - Hey Jude - huge congrats to my friends Ramsay and Amy on their new arrival. Feels like the young man will be in college before I get back to Austin to see him!

Stage 30 - Bienenbüttel

Today's very long - 48 mile - stage was almost exclusively along the footpath of the Elbe-Side canal. It's a modern shipping canal, designed for transporting coal and other big stuff inland. The locks are as enormous as the huge barges plying up and down.

Running along a towpath sounds nice - flat, no cars, watery scenes - but as it turns out it's quite dull and soul-destroying. It seems to take absolutely ages to get anywhere. After the race, someone said to me "I had déja-vu fifty times today!"

Fortunately I had Christian Marti for company, so the 10 hours we spent didn't seem quite so endless. We were greeted at the finish by a nice big hall but wretchedly cold showers. Not the worse thing in the world, because in only 3 more days I can mark Germany complete for a second time. C'mon, Sweden!

Stage 29 - Stüde

It's Norwegian Independence Day, which is a big deal in our destination country Norway, so here's a photo of a genuine Norwegian - Eiolf - luxuriating at the finish. Cool dude.

Today's run felt good for me - probably my best running since the first few days in Italy. The first 30 miles were flat and the weather close to perfect. I tried not to get carried away given we have a long stage tomorrow. The last 14 miles were along a boring, gravelly canal towpath into headwinds, so not much fun or fast running to be had, but so it goes.

Today's song stuck in my head? "Thirty Days in the Hole" by Humble Pie (really dating myself now!). Hint: tomorrow is day 30. Oh, and the accommodations suck and the showers are cold. Is that any way to treat a Norwegian, on this of all days?

Bad press... :(

Here's a clipping from a local newspaper yesterday. A car and truck collided while braking to avoid one of the Japanese runners, who was running in the road. A girl in the car had to be taken to hospital by helicopter. I hope she's OK.

I don't think some members of our party treat other road users properly. Be safe out there.

Stage 28 - Gebhardshagen (pic)

Finally! A large gym to sleep in tonight. That always improves the group's mood considerably. And of couse we eat where we sleep. An ascetic existence.

Stage 28 - Gebhardshagen

Stage 28 complete - that's 4 weeks done! On one hand, it feels like we've travelled so incredibly far - 1,200 miles (we've averaged 300 miles a week, a daunting number). On the other, we're not even halfway - gulp. But, as ever, one day at a time...

Today surprised me. I had a silent dread of its 48 miles, and early hilly going through the Harz Mountains. But for reasons I can't explain, I got into a comfortable pace, and felt strong most of the day.

I finished with three Germans - Klaus, Bernt and Joachim. By coincidence, they were wearing yellow, red and black shirts. From about a mile away, they looked like a German flag! When I caught them after the last aid station, my blue Rogue t-shirt broke up the symmetry.

Two experienced runners abandoned before today's stage started, bringing the total to 14, I think. Hans Damm (who I met during Deutschlandlauf 2007) had problems with a high fever. I'm not sure why the other person withdrew - sometimes people have just had enough mentally.

Rainer Koch continues to dominate the men's race, while Hiroko Yokihama is doing the same to the women's field. The leaders work awfully hard each day to keep their places. The strain is visible on at least three of them, who are clearly fighting injuries or fatigue. Me, I'm quite happy to be doggin' along in the peleton. "Langsam und bequem" - slow and comfortable.

Stage 27 - Ebergötzen

So how's this for counterpoint?

A long and extremely hilly day, many poor road surfaces with nasty cambers, very sore feet, an annoying lean to the right that everyone comments on, grey skies with on-and-off rain, and a 42-mile stage that turns out to be over 44.

Then, at the finish line, a German band, bratwurst aplenty, kids asking for autographs, and hot showers.

Today was very tough, but at least the ending was happy. My body is feeling very tired and beaten up after so many days on the road, and I had to work very hard for nearly 10 hours to keep in positive mental territory. The next four long days will be challenging, but I understand that after tomorrow's Hartz Mountains (not just a brand of flea and tick powder, apparently!), things start to get flatter.

Sorry about the whining. My mantra today and every day, to answer Barbara-Anne's post, is "relax and float". That's what I focus on whether or not things are going well. Being relaxed is obviously critical for an event of this duration. And floating is my mental way of picturing making all my energy work horizontally, not vertically (i.e., bouncing). Sounds a bit hippy-dippy, but I do like to keep pushing some simple, positive thoughts to the front of my mind, to displace the negative ones that try and sneak in.

Wow, I just realized that it's Friday - again! Enjoy your weekends.

Going Dutch!

My Dutch friends Anneka, Ubel and Jenny have been very kind to me, helping me to find prime real estate on the gym floors (they're always finished before me each day, so they pre-nab me a good spot before I arrive). Huge thanks to them - lifesavers! It's a reminder that we ultrarunners are totally dependent on the kindness of strangers...

Stage 26 - Waldkappel

Forty more miles today, not too many big hills and kind weather. I felt strong early in the day, but started to feel very tired by noon. The last three hours seemed interminable; I was grateful for the company of Christian Marti, who conversely had felt sluggish early but finished strong. All that I can predict is unpredictability!

We have seven more days in Germany - 5 long and 2 relatively short. My list to the left of a few days ago has changed to a similarly pronounced list to the right - I have absolutely no idea what's up with that. Otherwise, things are holding up OK. Food has slowly but steadily improved, my water retention problems have receded, and there's little trace left of my cold. Tonight's gym is spacious, the showers were hot, I'm eating a tin of mackerel and a KitKat, and so life is just about as good as it gets on the road.

Stage 25 - Queck dining

My Swiss running friend Christian Marti outside our surprisingly quaint and large portioned restaurant last night. We ran most of today's stage together.

Stage 25 - Queck

A good day today, although it started badly. First, we had to take a bus to the next village at 4:45am to breakfast, and then take it back afterwards to pack our things. Then the start at 6am - very cold and dismal. Moods didn't improve much for the first 20 miles of very steep hills.

But then by lunchtime we arrived at the old town of Fulda, and went through it on lovely, flat cycle paths. It was odd observing "regular" people again, hanging out in the parks, walking their dogs, generally getting on with their normal lives, while we aliens passed through. I am starting to miss really everyday things - like reading the paper, going to the store, watching a mindless TV show. We take so much for granted...

So the last 25 miles were long but pleasant enough, with not much traffic and lots of cycle paths. I felt physically and mentally strong today. Some are already starting to negatively fixate over the arduous, monotonous Swedish experience ahead of us. I'll just be glad to have made it that far, to a fourth country. Positive, positive - every step takes me one step closer to the North Cape - where, by the way, I'm planning to lob my sneakers theatrically into the ocean.

More energy generation...

The church in front of the stacks is dwarfed by man's secular needs.

Solar panels

Here's just one example of the thousands of roof solar panels I was ragging on in yesterday's post. Very green and very unsightly.

Stage 24 - Weissenbach

Twenty-four stages done, over 1,000 miles run. Today's run was not too long, but very wet, cold and hilly towards the end. Our overnight accommodations are, well, appalling. I'm sharing a 15x15ft space with 4 noisy Japanese and 3 angry Germans. Man. The showers are apparently cold, and nerves are getting pretty frayed (not mine, you understand!). Four of the race leaders got lost this morning - they were not happy when they finally caught up with the rest of the field - and that always gets folks riled up. I'm praying that tonight's dinner is OK, but I'm not holding my breath.

My Garmin (GPS) continues to be a godsend. It allows me to know distance travelled at any point in the day. Psychologically, that's a surprisingly big help. I've ceased taking an interest in features like average pace, because it is so irrelevant.

Parts of me continue to hurt at all times - one or both feet, right knee, hip, hamstring - the list doesn't change, nor do I expect it to, as there's no time or chance for recovery. But I do feel mentally strong. It's exciting to think that we'll complete Germany in only 9 more days.

Stage 23 - Prosselsheim

The last "killer day" - for now - is done. Another 51-miler complete. Two more tough cookies abandoned the race today, making 12 of the original 68 starters now back home with loved ones. While I envy them that, abandoning is very tough, especially after having suffered for 3 weeks.

Before today's stage started, the heavens opened for 2 hours. Magically though, 5 minutes before our 6am start, the rain gods relented, and we only got intermittent drizzle all day. The course took us over the Main river at Würzburg, a beautiful old town I'd like to have seen more of.

Just before we hit town, we were running on a cycle path, and a police car pulled up beside me. (I've never been pulled over by the police during a race before!) I explained our journey, and was sent on with a cheery wave. It can be a dangerous approach - one of the other runners did the same in Northern Italy, and was nearly arrested, as the story sounds so implausibe.

Two observations for today - cuckoos and solar panels. Both are everywhere here in Southern Germany. While the cuckoos are charming, the solar panels are not. While I applaud the greenness, they look just awful on old terra cotta rooves. And because we're headed north, we see every one as they all face south. Sorry, but a 17th century half-timbered barn doesn't look good covered in grey panels.

OK, a quick dinner before another night under canvas - the hall is small and very cramped.

The Swedish Army

Andreas (right) and Matthias (center) somehow always manage to get first in line for every meal. They're great guys. I try to follow them, but somehow I always seem to get elbowed aside. Looks like Jan the medic was strategically positioned for tonight's dinner!

Stage 22 - Schillingsfürst

A long day again - over 50 miles and 11.5 hours running - but a better one for me. My cold / cough seems to be improving, my listing to the left didn't get worse, and despite another megablister my feet and legs seemed to be working OK. Psychologically, it's nice that we have only one more 50 mile day tomorrow, before we drop back into the 40-45 mile range for the rest of the week.

The weather today was probably the very best it has been - nice temps and a mix of sun and cloud and gently breezes. The course was pleasing on the eye and quiet too, in part because it is Sunday. Running with lots of traffic all day is surprisingly wearing.

So one more huge effort tomorrow, and then hopefully some relief. One day at a time...and indeed, this too shall pass. Thanks to everyone who's checked in and/or commented. It's very encouraging each morning to grab a few thoughts before the craziness gets underway.

Stage 21 - Nattheim

As predicted, today was physically very tough - 50 hilly miles which took over 11 hours to complete. It was hard psychologically too, as we have two more days straight ahead with the same length and "degree of difficulty".

My "listing to the left" didn't get worse today, but my back has become quite painful. My theory is that my muscles are slowly wasting, due to inadequate recovery time and diet. One look at my biceps confirms this - they looked weak and wizened despite working hard all day. And so my back and core muscles aren't able to give my spine the support it needs.

What to do? Well, apart from just sucking it up, I'll continue to try and find more protein each day. As far as recuperation goes, there are no options there - rest is all I do when I'm not eating or running. Lying flat as I am right now writing this definitely feels good.

For positive stuff...the Bavarian scenery continues to impress. Everything is as ever spotless here. Even the cows appear freshly bathed and smelling of roses. It is a surreal corner of the world - litter-free, manicured, and ever so slightly anodyne. It would be an odd place to call home.

And we're 3 weeks done! Some tough days ahead, but I'll be a happy camper when I get on the overnight ferry in Kiel headed for Scandinavia in 12 days time!

Tan lines

Ria Buiten from Holland, one of the leading women. Everyone's getting pretty fried, the Japanese in particular - me, I'm steering clear of skimpy tops.

Hardcore fans!

We are being entertained tonight by a Bavarian band and great local kids. It may not be the Tour de France, but hey, this is their moment! Vielen dank', Pfaffenhausen. We are honored.

Stage 20 - Pfaffenhausen

Today's 40 miles was a relative breeze compared to the three 50 mile days ahead. The weather was good, the terrain was rolling but not truly hilly, and the Bavarian natives were friendly. The sportshall we call home tonight is delightfully spacious and modern, with fully functional hot showers.

Like most of us here, I feel very, very weary. By close of business tomorrow, we will have run 880 miles in 3 weeks. That's probably why!

I felt OK today, but I have developed a worrying, unconscious list to the left as I run. Some things - sailors' hats, for example - look good at a jaunty angle. Runners don't though. I think my body is trying to protect my injured right hip, hamstrings and sciatic nerve, but it's a little freaky, especially because I'm unaware of it until I see my shadow or reflection. Oh well, a new thing to work on tomorrow.

Something tells me it's Friday (days here don't really mean anything, except maybe with regard to traffic), so have a great weekend doing whatever normal people do - i.e., not running 100 miles!

Stage 19 - Seeg (pic)

Neuschwanstein castle, from Füssen.

Just had to include this one - a glorious (OK, touristy) place we've been to before. But it is amazing.