Day 59 – EU – Spain [Cubelles to Viladecans]

02/02/20

43km

  From Cubelles (Spain) to Viladecans (Spain)

Europe

A safety call, an inappropriate route for BoB and the slowest day on the road

Yesterday evening, as I reviewed my planned route in details, I felt very uncomfortable. On GoogleMap App, whether I chose the pedestrian or cyclist option, Google was sending me for over 12km, on the coastal C-31 Road. This is a mountainous coastal road with many twists and turns and… no shoulder. I took a snapshot of what the road looks like (*Google Street View Picture – not mine). It is obvious that there is just enough space for one vehicle per lane. I could not see how I could be safe for 12km on such a narrow road with BoB.

I reviewed for alternative options. There was only one. It consisted of cutting across the mountain range of the Garraf Massif, on mountain trails and going through some elevation. I was not too worried about the elevation. I was worried about the terrain. About a third of the trails was purely pedestrian and therefore not covered by Google’s Street level view. Quite difficult to gauge. I was anxious about carrying BoB across some very inadequate terrain…

I made the call late at night: the safest option was the mountain, and the risk that came along was material – BoB may take a beating.

As it turned out: we both did, take a beating! From around km13 to km29, the terrain was absolutely unpracticable for a stroller. Loose rocks, uphills made of rock plates and narrow paths… Simply moving BoB forward was taking all my energy. I was not even thinking of running. The only thing in my mind was, how can I keep moving BoB forward. Staying put was not an option! It took a very long time. Some of my kilometers today are recorded at over 10 minutes.

I am very tired tonight. The landscapes were magnificent today and I wish I had taken more quality time to enjoy them! On for some rest now – tomorrow I will run through Barcelona and I want to see & enjoy the sights!

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: