Distance today = 63.24 km; Total distance = 4466.08 km; Location = Durango – 37 16.184′ N, 107 53.066′ W; Start time = 0840, Finish time = 1809

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164563288

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164574937

It’s a good thing we can’t read the future. If we knew what we had to contend with each day, we sometimes wouldn’t get out of bed. Today might have been one of those for me.

Not that it was a bad day in the end – just that the weather conditions had me wishing I was in a warm bath (which I soon was after finishing). It’s when days like this are over that you actually appreciate them.

I managed to cover a big 63 km, but it was the climbing and altitude that added the spice to the achievement. Both the ascent (1,524 metres of uphill) and the maximum elevation of 2,566 metres, were records so far for my run around the world. I actually got within 80 metres of the elevation of the Col du Galibier in France, the third highest pass in Europe, and one of the toughest climbs in the Tour de France.

All this was done in reasonable weather conditions …… until late in the day (although it did snow quite heavily at one stage during the ascent). About 5 pm it started snowing heavily again, but this time it got really cold. The snow persisted for so long that I ended up totally soaked, and that’s when things get nasty. The combination of being soaked when the temperature is below zero results in rapid hypothermia. It’s amazing how, when your fingers get that cold, there’s not a thing you can use them for – they lose all strength and are completely useless. Even putting gloves on requires a Herculean effort.

But it all ended well, with a nice hot bath (see photos), and a lovely dinner cooked by Libby.

I should also mention the fantastic dinner we had last night in Cortez at the Main Street Brewery. Not only did they have great food, but also some unique and delicious beers and wines. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the region.

I also took a call this morning, during my run, from my old Tour de Bois friend PT (not to be confused with my other friend PT, from Perth and Shanghai). I have not seen this PT for a few years, as he has been working in the Middle East. In fact, he called me this morning from India. It’s always good to talk to friends during the run, especially from exotic locations all over the world. Isn’t technology amazing?

Note: As is usually the case with long days, my GPS battery ran out and I used my auxiliary Garmin to complete the day. Therefore, you will find two Garmin data links at the top of the page. It certainly appears that cold temperatures run the battery down more quickly.

Distance today = 57.82 km; Total distance = 4523.90 km; Location = Aztec – 36 49.581′ N, 107 58.696′ W; Start time = 0903, Finish time = 1724

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164797744

There’s something particularly relaxing about running on a quiet path by a river. That’s how I started today. However, it was all too short, ending after only few kilometres, and I was back on the main road.

The weather was much better, with blue skies and a light breeze. I passed an emu farm along the way, shortly before reaching the New Mexico border. The road on the Colorado side had a minimal shoulder, but just before the border it widened considerably, making the running less onerous.

All in all, it was a nice, if uneventful, day. I felt surprisingly good after yesterday’s big run. I’ve now covered more than 120 km in the past two days.

Distance today = 51.91 km; Total distance = 4575.81 km; Location = Bloomfield (38 km south of ) – 36 24.965′ N, 107 51.764′ W; Start time = 0811, Finish time = 1550

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/165063023

Some people think running is boring. While I’m not one of those, today would not have been a good day to convince the doubters otherwise. I spent a lot of time on a long straight featureless road, and there’s two more days of this to go.

Thankfully, this stretch of road, on the way to Albuquerque, is my last such venture into remoteness, possibly until the Nullarbor (although there might be something similar on the Argentinian pampas).

The tracker was working early today, but it has not registered the last 10 km or so. I am actually further down the road than it shows. I suspect I may not have an more tracker updates for a couple of days now.

Other than that, there’s not much to report on. So, since it’s a slow news day, I thought I’d bring you a little peripheral story about a particular distance I pass through each day.

As some of you know, I ran a short prologue stage on December 31, to kick off my run around the world. I ran this stage with a good friend, The Hud. We covered 16.77 km from the Sydney Opera House to Bondi Beach.

Ever since, for some reason, I notice when I reach the 16.77 km of each day’s run. I know this is a completely arbitrary distance, but it has become a milestone that I look forward to reaching each and every day.

I have christened this distance a Deci-Hud. More on why in a moment, but first, a little info on The Hud.

The Hud, also known as Big Huddo or Barry Dawson, is a legendary guy. His toughness is astounding. He once had a kick at goal in a grand-final to win the premiership for the Coogee-Randwick Wombats. Never mind that he had a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder hanging limply by his side. His effort was made even more difficult because it was his right leg that was broken, and this was his kicking leg.

Yet, he lined up the kick from the sideline, moved in, and booted it with his left foot. It was never in doubt, and the Wombats won the premiership by one point. The resulting jubilation, with The Hud being mobbed and held aloft by the fans, did not do his broken leg any favours. It came back to haunt him at a later date, when at the 37 km mark of the 1985 Sydney Marathon, it manifested itself as The Huddo Shuffle. But, as is typical of him, the Hud turned a negative into a positive, with The Huddo Shuffle evolving into a popular dance style of the late 80s.

The Hud is so tough that Superman owns a pair of Hud pyjamas. When the Bogeyman goes to bed each night, he checks his wardrobe for The Hud. In fact, The Hud sleeps with the light on; not because he’s afraid of the dark, but because the dark is afraid of The Hud. The only time The Hud was wrong was when he thought he’d made a mistake.

For this reason, a mere 16.77 km is far too short to honour The Hud with. Therefore, I have christened the distance of 167.7 km as a Hud, just as the arbitrary distance of 42.195 km is known as a marathon. This means that the 16.77 km I pass each day is now known as a Deci-Hud.

Perhaps one day the Hud will become an Olympic distance for ultra runners. It’s a little more than 100 miles, which is only fitting – nothing outdoes The Hud.