The Achilles came through today’s run with flying colours. Well, it’s just a tiny bit sore, but nothing compared to recent times. Anyhow, I would have been very surprised if it hadn’t been a touch tender, given I added another 4 km yesterday afternoon to bring the day’s running to 29 km.

The real test now is what I call “the weekend effect”. The past few weekends have resulted in the injury going backward, after good progress during the week. Let’s see how I pull up on Monday. If it’s feeling good then, I’ll be ecstatic.

Overall it’s looking positive. Perhaps I will make the starting line of the Anzac Ultra in April. On that topic, I’d encourage anyone with an interest in running further than a standard marathon to contemplate the Anzac Ultra. You can choose the three, two, or one lap races (435 km, 290 km, 145 km). I’m intending to take the 145 km option, mainly because the furthest I’ve ever run before in one day is 105 km (the longest day of the world run was 70 km). I don’t want to overdo it, nor am I keen on going without sleep for too long.

On This Day

Nov 21, 2012

Distance today = 46.55 km; Total distance = 14,720.46 km; Location = Villa Mercedes, Argentina (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.