02 July 2009

Day 40


Me and Jean Noel, originally uploaded by Ryan Runs Europe.

36.4 Kilometers.
It has been pretty rough finding a computer over the past few days, so I'm going to try to catch things up by making this one short. It was a pretty awesome day though. Since I left Paris, I have only had two days where I knew where I was going to sleep before I arrived in town, and the constant search in desperation thing was beginning to get a bit tiring...much more so than the running part.
This day, I decided to split my run into three legs of 10 to 13 km of running, with a 3k walk after the first leg and an extended stop at the first internet cafe I had seen in days after the second. I have been trying to vary the way I manage my mileage, as never before in my life have I done almost the same run every day, instead I have always alternated long runs with short runs and easy runs with hard ones.
I needed to spend some time in the cafe, writing my posts for days 38 and 39, checking up on e-mails and sending out some couchsurfing requests (something I hadn't done since I left Paris), so the Internet cafe in Saint Loup was a great find for me. Much to my dismay however, the entire town shut down between 12 and 2, and not knowing how big Luxeuil-les-Bains was, I decided to wait around town for things to start up again. After the cafe opened and I satisfied my addiction to the Internet, I did the last leg to Luxeuil.
I arrived into town not long before 6, and was pretty disappointed to see that there was a bunch of cool historic buildings that I could have seen the interior of had I gotten there a little bit earlier. Wanting to make sure I didn't miss anything, I went into the Office of Tourism, and asked if there was anything I should see that would still be open. After bringing up why I was in town, and that I didn't have a place for the night, the woman working there was happy to help me find a place to stay, and after a few calls I was put in touch with Jean Noël and his wife, who were happy to put me up. Everyone pointed to him when called for a place, because he happens to be the runner in town. The evening was awesome, and I was floored that not only did I not have to struggle to find a place to stay, but that I was staying with another runner. It was the first time in my trip that I stayed with someone who was also crazy about running, and it was great going over some war stories with him. It was cool to find someone who immediately recognized why I keep my calcium bottle stuffed full of toilet paper (to avoid the 'click clack,' and for the other, obvious reason). Jean Noël has run the same 73 minutes for the half marathon that I did in NY a few years ago, and has run the Marathon in Athens that I'll kind of be doing in a few months. We had a barbecue (with pasta) and had some drinks with some of his friends. I went to bed feeling much more happy with my luck, and knowing that I was in the home of another member of the cult that is running.

15 comments:

  1. That's nice to read that you met a fellow runner :-)

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  2. Ryan, Thank Jean-Noel, he lifted your spirits! I was happy to hear from you, it is always a little worrying when a day passes, as I, along with many others, wait eagerly for news of your adventures! You are looking a little brown in the photos!! Like.....really brown! Have you not been using your sunscreen? Take care son! I love you!

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  3. Good Luck to you! What you're doing is so great! By the way, the food in the your previous post looked SO GOOD!

    Are you going to be running in Athens? I suggest frequent stops and lots of water!

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  4. Okay, please realize I didn't mean to read your profile after I posted this comment... I'm not that dumb, really! So you are running to Athens! Yay! I'm Greek, by the way. Again - good luck!

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  5. I wish I could say that I loved to run and that I was just as insane as you and Jean-Noel but the fact is...I hate running!

    I'm so glad I found your blog, it's truly inspiring.

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  6. That's so great that you found a fellow runner! I still can't believe how far you're going - I'm struggling to do my little 2 mile runs three times a week - you're so inspiring!

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  7. This is my first time reading your blog. but i think that that would be an amazing experience! i totally envy you!

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  8. Always good to run into people who are passionate about the same things you are. It's a load of your shoulders sometimes! And in this case, you didn't have to rough it like a bum. :)

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  9. So inspiring. I'm a runner (or at least I consider myself a runner). I've run 5 halfs and am hoping to do my first full marathon next year. I also love travelling, other cultures, etc.
    I can't wait to live vicariously through you while I sit at my desk in Dallas, TX!
    Remember to have fun!

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  10. Wow Ryan, I had a lot of catching up to do on your posts. Your mam was right, its like reading a novel! Im very proud of you and i love you very much.

    ps Im jealous you met a donkey!

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  11. This is amazing! I'm new to the blog, but am extremely entertained! My favorite part is reading your mother's post after the blog! Don't forget your sunscreen ... classic!

    Well, have a fun run ... I'll be looking forward to reading more.

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  12. Your blog has become my new favorite blog. You are truly having the experience of a lifetime. I would kill to see Europe the way you are seeing it, minus the whole running thing. I wish you luck in the future. There are people all over the world rooting for you, and thinking about you on a day to day basis. This experience will bring you friends, and let you meet people that you could not have even dreamed about before. Keep on blogging. I love your flickr, by the way. Keep running hard.

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  13. Hi Ryan,
    I agree with your mom, you should use some sunscreen. You look pretty dark on the picture.
    It's a good thing you're not running here in Quebec, it's been pouring rain for the past week now. Always great to read your post.

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  14. Mama,
    You must be pretty proud of your son. I wish I would have a mother like you looking out =)

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  15. This is truly amazing man.. I am from India and running is very difficult here with all the heat but then i still love it , You are an inspiration.keep running brother.

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