Yesterday I had the pleasure of a 23 km run in and around the town of Dungog. It’s a lovely little town, famous for Dougie Walters growing up there, and the surrounding countryside is a delight in which to run.

Tomorrow I’ll be getting seriously in to the speed work. I think I might do 5 x 1 km with just a 200 metre jog in between each fast effort. I haven’t done that sort of thing for some time. It will be ideal preparation for the 50 km I’m doing in five weeks time.

Here’s another photo from the world run taken in Germany. You can see me running on a quiet dirt cycle path. This was one of the rare days I was able to run without snow in Germany. The very next morning, however, the scenery was completely white.

On This Day

Mar 27, 2012

Distance today = 44.26 km; Total distance = 4104.31 km; Location = Kayenta, Arizona – 36 42.439′ N, 110 15.228′ W; Start time = 0914, Finish time = 1525

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/162250760

A relatively short run of 44 km today, courtesy of the long day yesterday. I am now in Kayenta, which is the gateway to Monument Valley from the Arizona side. Tomorrow I’ll cross the border into Utah and enter Monument Valley.

On the side of the road today I saw an empty Fosters beer can. I’d have a harder time trying to find one in Australia. In fact, there were plenty of beer cans and whiskey bottles along the side of the road within the Navajo Reservation, which is at odds with the fact that no alcohol is sold within its jurisdictional limits. I suspect some go outside to buy their drinks, and consume them before getting home, ditching the empties along the way. Not good for the environment, or the aesthetics of the place. In general, however, the Navajo people are very friendly, and I’ve had a chat with several as I’ve passed them hitchhiking on the side of the road. In fact, I’d estimate that 95% of the people I’ve met over the past four days have been Navajos, which is quite a refreshing change – it really makes you feel like you’re in another land.

Mar 27, 2013

Distance today = 49.74 km; Total distance = 18,566.57 km; Location = Ulm, Germany – 48 23.952′ N, 09 59.042′ E; Start time = 0823, Finish time = 1645

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/289540164

This was the coldest day of the world run so far. There was a very cold day last year, into Prescott AZ, but I was unprepared then. Today I was prepared, and I still felt it. My Garmin thermometer registered negative temperatures all day long, despite me carrying it.

However, as they say about anger and grief, you can’t let it consume you, and this is also true in regard to cursing the weather. You just have to “let it go”. So, I now just laugh at the weather, or perhaps ‘with it’.

Running in Germany is a real dichotomy – if there is a cycle path, and there are lots of them, then running here is a joy – if there isn’t, then running is a nightmare. There’s no real in-between. German drivers seem to be nervous about anyone being anywhere near the road, even two metres off the road in the snow, which is where I try to be when cars come by. It takes away the enjoyment when I constantly have to jump into the snow, and still cop some abuse from drivers, despite trying to make life easier for them.  I’ll just have to try harder to find the cycle paths.

I finished the day in the town of Ulm. Last October, I ran through Princeton in New Jersey, and now I am in Ulm. Here’ a trivia question for readers, but please respond only if you know the answer, without having to Google it. What is the link between Princeton and Ulm? Please send answers via the web site, Facebook, or Twitter. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.