Distance today = 52.75 km; Total distance = 14,673.91 km; Location = Fraga – 33 29.968′ S, 65 47.471′ W; Start time = 0857, Finish time = 1655

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/245291266

What a day of weather diversity!!!

It started out beautifully, with warm sunny skies. I felt great and really enjoyed the run during the morning – it was easy and painless, which is not always the case.

The scenery was very much like rural France, which made the run even more enjoyable. The road climbed gradually to 1000 metres of elevation, before then gradually descending.

By early afternoon, however, the clouds were beginning to gather, and the thunder started to rumble. I thought I was going to be lucky, but it wasn’t to be.

I had sent Carmel ahead to investigate some accommodation options, and this left me exposed. As I was nearing the end of the run for the day, not only did it start raining, but the hail began as well. The stones were sometimes almost as big as golf balls, although most were marble size. I have never been caught in a hail storm before without cover, but I can now inform you that hail hurts A LOT when it hits you. I copped several smaller stones in the left ear, and a big one cracked me on the top of the head. I’m glad I was wearing my padded Next Digital cap, and this probably saved me from a more serious head injury.

Carmel could not get back to me on the divided road, as the visibility was near to zero. Luckily there was an overhead bridge just ahead (Carmel happened to be parked just 200 metres beyond it), and I took cover under it, along with several cars and buses. I waited for some time until a break allowed me to sprint to the car and finish my day of running. However, the hail started up again, and didn’t really let up for nearly two hours. It was the longest and most intense hail storm I’ve ever experienced.

We finally made it to a hotel, after many stops due to near zero visibility. I am now having trouble with the Garmin – it doesn’t want to download the data. Perhaps it has been damaged by the weather? I know the data is in there, so hopefully I can get it working soon.

Distance today = 46.55 km; Total distance = 14,720.46 km; Location = Villa Mercedes (10 km east of) – 33 41.503′ S, 65 21.453′ W; Start time = 0909, Finish time = 1614

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/245493783

A nice easy day of running, down an ever so slight incline the whole time. Although I’ve been running on a main highway, there is a good shoulder, and the traffic is not too heavy. Not sure how the driver managed it, but I passed a car that had rolled on this dead straight and flat road.

After yesterday’s hail storm, the early morning was cooler, but it still reached the mid 30s by the afternoon. Running in heat is always harder. All the same, I felt pretty good all day.

Nearing the end of the day, Carmel had driven ahead a little and was intending to stop at an overhead bridge to take a photo. However, there were two prostitutes who had positioned themselves under the bridge. This may seem strange, but Dave and I had seen the same thing in Europe when cycling. The girls often stand along a country road, and their clients come and pick them up, then drop them off. Anyhow, Carmel drove on a little, but obviously not far enough to be out of the “red zone”. While she was sitting in the car, a guy came up and asked her “Cuanto? (How much?). Luckily she had the windows wound up and all doors locked at the time. All the same, a funny end to the day.

Distance today = 50.92 km; Total distance = 14,771.38 km; Location = Justo Daract (26 km east of) – 33 54.277′ S, 64 54.673′ W; Start time = 0910, Finish time = 1710

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/245821024

It was another day of long, straight, flat roads, but the weather was ideal and I felt pretty good all day long.

There weren’t too many moments that stood out, except for two incidents that occurred within fifteen minutes of each other. Firstly, I passed from the state of San Luis into the state of Cordoba. For some reason, this demands a border check in Argentina. I was questioned for several minutes, although I have no idea what I was being asked. I think they were telling me that the shoulder on the road was non-existent for a while, and that I should be very careful of the traffic. In the end I was waved away, and I continued on my way.

Soon after, while running on a grassy shoulder, I felt an intense pain in my left foot. Something sharp had pierced right through the shoe and into my forefoot. I sat down and tried to pull the object out, but it was stuck. I then tried to take my shoe off, but the spike was pinning my foot to my shoe. It was then I realised the only solution was to use maximum force and pull it out through the shoe. So I tried again, this time pulling much more strongly, despite the terrible pain. This time the spike came out – a 3 cm long tip of a wooden skewer (at least, that’s what it looks like). Luckily, the pain subsided quickly, and I was able to run on quite comfortably. It’s much sorer now, though, when I walk barefooted. I’m hoping it won’t be a problem tomorrow.

Otherwise, everything is going well, and I’m making good progress across South America.