billard en plein air – Photo Thomas Crabot
en course – Photo Thomas Crabot
au bord d’une rivière – Photo Thomas Crabot
rencontre à l’entrée d’un village – Photo Thomas Crabot
la rencontre avec les enfants… – Photo Thomas Crabot
…toujours un moment de bonheur – Photo Thomas Crabot
Serge fait le pitre – Photo Thomas Crabot
le remake de Freddy! – Photo Thomas Crabot
y en aura-t-il pour tout le monde ? – Photo Thomas Crabot
D194 – 65.6Km
THURSDAY, JUNE 29
N32 09.775 E114 03.690 (116m – 5km before Xinyang) – N32 09.330 E114 42.074 (66m – Suntiepu)
65.6 km – 11H33
Today it isn’t quite so hot but Serge hasn’t been able to recuperate some of his energy. It’s as if he were liquefied, nothing seems to reach him. Serge walks but his head doesn’t seem to be what is making his legs go: “I rock from left to right and can’t follow a straight line, I’m exhausted.” At his 4th feeding he was really discouraged. Serge stopped for 30 minutes and lay on the bed of the camper. Then he started again and his legs seemed to work better.
In foot racing we often talk about a good and a bad feelings. In one day Serge experiences both of these. At times like this everything irritates him: honking horns, people, the weather. He’s on edge. And then the kilometers stretch out and his mood changes. At the end of the stage Serge clowned around with a group of children who accompanied him as he crossed the village.
Some light rain was welcome, even though what we would really like is a downpour. The temperature didn’t go beyond 33° Celsius, but with the same humidity.
To my delight, we are camping tonight. In the end, everyone likes it because the atmosphere is congenial and Serge, who is relaxed, even becomes talkative. Night fell at 20H00 and at 20H30 everyone was in his tent after a hasty freshening up. The days are long and trying and our sleep is well earned.