Regarding my mystery hip ailment, my GP suggested I try anti-inflammatories to see if it helps. I try to steer clear of any medication whenever possible, and certainly don’t take anti-inflammatories on a regular basis – only when I suffer a trauma injury, and only for a couple of days.

However, I thought it was worth trying what the doctor suggested. The result so far – in yesterday’s run I could hardly feel the hip at all. Things were looking positive. Today, however, I started to feel the problem again toward the end of the run. Perhaps a combination of the medication and easing back on the running might be the solution. I’ll continue to experiment.

I’ve posted this photo before, but thought it appropriate seeing as it’s four years to the day since it was taken in Argentina. You can see me on the dirt shoulder of the road between the two foreground vehicles. This was the main road across South America between Buenos Aires and Santiago.

On This Day

Nov 26, 2012

Distance today = 50.90 km; Total distance = 14,969.03 km; Location = Rufino, Argentina (14 km west of) – 34 14.626′ S, 62 53.180′ W; Start time = 0836, Finish time = 1629

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/247108284

I used up a lot more energy today than I usually do running 50 km. Being the Monday of a long weekend, the traffic on the road was a lot heavier. This meant doing  a lot more running on the grassy shoulders. Lifting your feet out of ankle deep grass all day requires quite a bit more effort. So does turning around regularly to check the traffic coming from behind.

I generally run facing the traffic, but the lack of head-on trafffic doesn’t mean I’m safe to run on the road. Because the highway I’m on has just one lane in each direction, and no passing lanes whatsoever, there is a constant stream of overtaking. If I’m not looking behind me, I run the very real risk of being hit from the rear at high speed. Consequently, I spend a lot of the time on the grass.

I have been on this highway since Mendoza, about 600 km ago. Through the states of Mendoza and San Luis, it was a four lane, divided highway, with a paved shoulder. However, through the state of Cordoba, the road has been just two lanes, as described above. I cross into a new state tomorrow, and I’m hoping the conditions improve.

On Friday night we met Mauro, his brother-in-law, and all their kids at dinner in Vicuna Mackenna. They were on their way to San Luis for the long weekend – a long trip from Buenos Aires. Today they passed us on their way home, stopping off to say hello. We’ve been invited to meet up again in Buenos Aires when I finish the South American leg. That will be a nice way to conclude this leg of the run.

I also passed some policemen doing highway patrol duty this morning. I’m sure they would have caught heaps of speeders on this Monday of a long weekend. They were very interested in my run, and we all paused to have photos taken together.

I have also discovered that Argentina has skunks. They smell the same as North American skunks, although they are a dark chocolate brown and white, rather than black and white.

So, all in all, a productive day, with the negative of heavy traffic being balanced by the positive of great weather. It has not been too hot at all, which is a pleasure after the US summer I had to endure.