I covered 110 km in total last week – a good amount for the second week after a 12 hour run. I still have a slight niggle at the bottom of my right Achilles, precisely where it attaches to the heel. However, it hasn’t progressed at all, so I’m managing it adequately. Perhaps a little more rest would help. I’m back in Tasmania this week, so I need to consciously go easier on the hills.

I recently posted some information about the importance of sleep for athletes. This was based on research conducted by a company called Casper, which has developed some high tech products in this regard. I believe Time magazine rated Casper’s mattress technology one of the 25 best inventions of 2015. I haven’t tried the products myself, so I’m not endorsing anything, but if you’re interested in the latest in this interesting area of research and development of products to help athletes (and non-athletes alike) sleep better, have a look at www.casper.com.

The latest in this series of ‘old favourite’ photographs is this one of “elephant’s feet”. I stumbled upon this geological wonder on the road between the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in March 2012. They were enormous. I would have only stood as high as the bit of red rock you can see at the base of the ‘feet’. Funnily enough, my fellow world runner, Tony Mangan, passed this same point about a year earlier and recalls these same rocks.

On This Day

Aug 29, 2012

Distance today = 50.35 km; Total distance = 10,772.52 km; Location = Spring Hill, Tennessee – 35 43.445′ N, 86 53.723′ W; Start time = 0822, Finish time = 1654

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/216578445

A more humid one today, possibly due to the hurricane down south of here. And more Tennessee forests and hills to run through to ease the discomfort of the heat.

I passed through the town of Columbia around lunch time. On the way out of town, a couple of 50 something women by the side of the road asked me if I could change their flat tyre. I agreed, of course, but it was a strange encounter. I didn’t smell anything on their breath, but there was definitely some sort of substance abuse going on. Their spare was the wrong size (the tyre was about an inch less in diameter than the others), and they proceeded to drink coke and chain smoke while they watched me change the tyre in the heat of the day.

Once I had it changed, they drove off on the wrong side of the road and almost had a head-on with a car that was blowing its horn in alarm. A few minutes later they drove back by in the opposite direction. I’m not sure what was going on, but it certainly made the day a bit different.

I churned out another 50 km – once again, I’d like to stress how much easier it is to keep up this regular distance with a support crew. Carmel is doing a fantastic job. Without her, I’d be forced to stop at locations that are geographically convenient, but the distances would be all over the place, and a lot shorter on average.

Aug 29, 2013

Distance today = 44.87 km; Total distance = 25,558.76 km; Location = Albury, New South Wales (NSW) – 36 05.014’ S, 146 54.744′ E; Start time = 0814, Finish time = 1537

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/366921547

An eventful day, with lots of media interviews and meetings on the road.

I left Beechworth early in the morning, after an interview with ABC radio in Wodonga. 10 km later I passed through the very small town of Wooragee, where a teacher from the local school called out to me from the classroom. She had heard the interview, and was waiting for me to pass. The students all came out and we took photos and had a Q&A session. It was very nice to meet the students and staff, and Carmel later dropped in to meet them too.

The next part of the run was quite hilly. I met the local paper, the Border Mail, for an interview, followed by Prime News.

Carmel’s niece, Maxine, also met us on the road, along with her three kids. They live locally. Later, Maxine returned with her friends, Leah and Mick, who then ran the remainder of the day with me. We finished in Albury, where we again met Carmel, Maxine, and another friend, Heidi.

So, it was an enjoyable day, meeting numerous people – it certainly passed very quickly. I crossed the Murray River just before Albury, which means I’m now in my home state of New South Wales for the first time on the world run since the day I started, on Dec 31, 2011.