Day 227 – EU – Serbia [Paracin to Svilajnac]

06/10/20

51.6km

  From Paracin (Serbia) to Svilajnac (Serbia)

Europe

Another long day on the road, a lot of rain and a sunny finish with a mighty meal

I started at the break of dawn under very heavy rain. Covered in my waterproof trousers and jacket, I headed out and I was lucky there was a cycling corridor. It was very very dark for at least one hour after sunrise. The sky finally cleared out about 8:30am and then it got relatively warm. Wearing the waterproof gear makes me sweat a lot, I was drenched in sweat when I took off the garments and wondered if they were of any use at all, given how soaked I was!

For the 3rd time in 7 days I am running above 50km. It’s been a gradual adjustment. Though my runs average 40km since I started the crossing of Europe, I have had quite a few runs between 45-49km. To me it’s just a different approach to timing. From the beginning, timing is not important to me on the run. I take as many breaks as I please and as often as I want. But there is one thing I enjoy and it’s to be done, showered and in clean clothes for lunchtime. So far it’s always been the case. Running 50kms means getting slightly late for lunch, but it still works.

Whether or not it will have an impact on my recovery or tiredness, I am still to find out. I have not noticed any impact on my sleep pattern yet. Maybe just my appetite. I am unsure though if it is due to the additional kms or to the change of season. Last winter and spring, I was eating a lot of meat and fries. As I ran through the summer season, I must have eaten meat & fries just a handful of times. I had loads of vegetables, cheese, seafood – the mediterranean diet I guess. It came very naturally. Why do I feel like ordering meat and fries now? I’m keeping an eye on it, it’s all part of the adaptation process I guess.

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: