My running pace continues to pick up, almost without me even trying. Each day I feel a little faster, but I am coming off a low base.

Long time runners may be wondering why I seem to be concentrating on speed instead of distance, given I’m running the Anzac Ultra in Canberra in early April.

The reason is two-fold. Firstly, it’s the middle of summer and long runs in the heat are not fun. Secondly, increasing my natural speed will help my running become more efficient. And, given the amount of distance I’ve covered in recent years, it doesn’t take me long these days to get myself up to 50 km training runs and beyond. It’s never easy in summer heat, though, but I’ll have to start such runs fairly soon.

Kevin Carr continues to increase his daily distance after his illness and four days off. He now has about 4,300 km to run in 72 days if he is to set a new world record for the Fastest Circumnavigation of the Earth on Foot.

On This Day

Jan 28, 2012

Distance today = 56.82 km; Total distance = 1441.93 km; Location = Waitetoko, NZ –  38 54.334′ S, 175 55.742′ E; Start time = 0841, Finish time = 1626

http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard

Just another standard day at the office – majestic scenery combined with the peace and quiet (except for passing cars) that comes with running country roads. I felt strong this morning, courtesy of the great Thai green chicken curry that Libby made last night.

I began the day at the base of Mount Ruapehu, which this morning was completely revealed, in contrast to yesterday afternoon when it was hiding behind a cloud cover. You really need to see a snow capped 3000 m high volcano in the flesh to fully appreciate it. And running alongside it for half a day adds another dimension again.

Descending from the volcanic plateau, I encountered a young hitch-hiking couple from the Czech Rebublic in the middle of nowhere. They asked me if I thought it was a good location to pick up a ride. Given we were 15 km from the nearest civilization, I replied in the negative, not that they had any option now. I bid them farewell and good luck. Hopefully they didn’t have to wait too long.

A little further on I picked up a stash of food and drink that was earlier deposited by the support crew. They had phoned me to describe where to find it. The process went over like clockwork. I did struggle a little, though, with the volume of food – tuna, hummus, two slices of bread, banana, and four cookies, along with a litre of drink.

I finished the day right on the shores of Lake Taupo. Tomorrow I will have a short day, running along the eastern shore of the lake and into the town of Taupo itself.

Please note, the link above to Garmin Connect will now be the same each day. It will take you to my list of runs, with the latest being on top. You can then click on any of them to see more detail of that particular run.

Jan 28, 2013

Distance today = 51.98 km; Total distance = 15,639.52 km; Location = Alvega, Portugal – 39 28.001′ N, 08 03.013′ W; Start time = 0915, Finish time = 1730

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/267125807

Cracked the 50 km mark today, so I’m pretty much back to normal now. The weather was greatly improved – a bit misty in the morning, but the afternoon was perfect. I finished the day in the late afternoon sunshine, with the shadows long and low, and not a breath of wind. Running through rustic villages in these conditions reminded me of riding with my old mate, Quinny, on the Tour de Bois. He would have loved this afternoon.

Tonight we’re staying in a 300 year old hotel. The room is huge and grand, with antique furniture throughout.  Portugal is a bit of a hidden treasure. Many tourists are not really aware of the place. I’ve always enjoyed it here. Ever since we met our great friends, Vanessa and PT, back in in 1986, through the visits in regard to wave energy, and now the world run, it’s been a place I’ve really enjoyed. It’s a very diverse country, with a great maritime culture, but also historic villages and castles in the interior of the country.

I’m a bit tired tonight, which I guess is to be expected. I’m looking forward to a very nice sleep in a very nice old bed.