We make an early start today with the intention of throwing
out the big mileage in our quest for the Atlantic coast. Ray has set a goal of
running 100 km/day from this point forwards until Buenes Aires. It's strangely
easy to write such a number as an abstract concept but it's an altogether
different thing to actually understand what running 100 kilometres really
means. This is two and a half marathons in one go.
We start the run at sunrise, the first 35 kilometers
following the shoulder of a rather bleak section of highway leading east out of
the city of Mendoza. It's the most direct way out of town so we accept the
traffic, thanking our stars it's a quiet Sunday morning.
A steady stream road cyclists pass by us throughout the
morning, seemingly oblivious to the trucks, buses and cars a mere inches from
them. The vast majority of the riders are men in their 40's and 50's proving to
me that the craze for road cycling among middle-aged men (MAMIL's or Middle
Aged Men In Lycra as they're referred) is not unique to North America but
rather a world-wide phenomenon. Let's hope we see more such crazes that have
such a healthy potential.
Today was another physical test for me. I firmly believed I
couldn't start this morning, my abductor muscle in my left thigh so sore last
night that even walking was painful. I'm determined to see if I can work it
through somehow so I start the day gingerly, shuffling along, feeling pain in
both my left thigh and right foot all the time expecting either injury to put
an end to it. It feels like running with eggs balanced on spoons in both hands,
tenuously expecting the inevitable crash, but the crash never comes. In fact,
Ray and I manage a smooth and steady 50 kms before lunch, my longest effort to
date on a day that I had all but given up as a write-off. It proves to me once again
that no matter what the set back, keep the focus and stay your course.
After lunch Ray is joined by Bob and his numbers start to
methodically stack up - 65, 70, 75, 80 kilometers - steady 5km increments with
a quick rest stop and refueling at each. By 85km Ray's looking very tired - I
can tell after so many a hard efforts on previous expeditions together - but
the resolve is still there. The sun has set now and the going is slow.
Traveling down pitch black roads, navigating solely by head lamp would be exhausting
enough if it were not for the countless aggressive dogs, charging out of the
blackness, keeping nerves on edge.
Ray reaches 100 kilometers at nearly 11:00pm at night. He's
been at it since just after 7:00am this morning, almost 16 hours of running
under his belt. His eyes are half open and there's a slight slur in his voice.
He's pushed hard but he's got that first 100k of the expedition.
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