Day: July 28, 2006

It’s a real pleasure to see Serge smiling.  This morning, he’s running as if he isn’t a prisoner of his body and his mind can wander freely, to the point of touching the green plants on the sidewalk to see if they are real or plastic.

Many of you have had questions as to what the limits are to the effort made in a long distance race.  During an interview, Serge gave the following response: “As long as you have the spirit and the morale, there is no limit.  I dream of a race that would go to infinity, all the way to the line of the horizon.” For me, being a bit more rational, I would say: let’s wait to see the end of this adventure and then we can analyze. For the moment, we are in the midst of action so we can’t step back for a proper view.

Without drawing hasty conclusions, because the race isn’t over, here are the comments Serge made last night:  “From departure to 6,000 kilometers = a harmonious race.  From 6,000 km to 8,000 km = physical fatigue insidiously started to gain on me.  From 8,000 km to 14,000 km = alternating highs and lows, physical as well as psychological, but there was still equilibrium.  From 14,000 km to 15,000 km = physical pain returned, the morale was still good, the heat overwhelmed me.  From 15,000 km = my body hasn’t always responded and my morale hasn’t always been good.”

This race is a struggle of mind over matter and sometimes it gives rise to soul searching.

On another subject.  At a time when doping is tainting the world of sport, and when all that’s left is a feeling of suspicion about sports results, Serge provides a ray of hope by showing that will power and tenacity in the achievement of a goal can be sufficiently transcendental.  But it means being humble enough to struggle against oneself and probably to reduce the colossal sums which are at stake.  It’s time for the clocks to be put back to zero.

Serge will go to sleep with this phrase: “They are stealers of dreams.”