BRIEF UPDATE FROM COMODORO RIVADAVIA, PATAGONIA
Hi All,
Am in Comodoro Rivadavia which is a city in Chubut province in Patagonia. It has been a very tough 8 days since leaving Puerto Maderyn and this is my first internet access since. So a huge pile to catch up on.
In that time I have run and been blown to a standstill by some pretty strong mostly easterly winds. My hourly progress has been crawl like but I have responded by running and crawling! for long days with a lot of night running too. This is a safe area. Traffic is moderate and the hard shoulder has improved.The result of this has been I am sure my best weeks running of the run = 438km for the 8 days.
Total to date: 23,765km for 563 road days = 563.2 marathons! The marathon a road day has been passed 
Details of the last 8 days will be covered in the blog (Not sure if I can get there tonight but will try as I plan on working through the night)
30/10 From Puerto Maderyn to Trelew = 60km. A great days running on a 4 lane highway! Wind was behind me today, felt strong, slept in YPF service station but no internet.
31/10. 58km From km 1452, Trelew to km 1510, Tough day, wind in my face and hilly.
1/11. 56km today, km 1510 to km 1566. Strong headwind again.
2/11. 59km. Km 1566 to 1625. Ditto but also very cold today.
3/11. 63km today. Km 1625 to km 1688. Lovely French couple stopped and made me coffee in their motorhome. Demolished a huge dinner in service station restaurant where the owner gave me a large milanesa sandwich and bottle water for the road! Wind really bad (both types of wind 
) and late finish.
4/11. 52km today. From km 1688 on route 3 to km 1740. Very late start, shattered and late finish. Daily wind battle sometimes leaves me short of breath, like running at altitude. Trucks dont help either jolting me forward and then back! A man stopped and gave me about 100ml of water, just a small amount in his bottle, but I thought this was nice, the thought is what counts.
Then later a man stopped and filled my thermos from his, he seemed concerned for me, I thought perhaps he was a priest! Slept happily in a field under a starry sky.
5/11. 49km. Another wind crawl! Sometimes I am reduced to 4km per hr! From km 1740 to km 1789. Wanted more but it was raining and decided best to stop at top of mountain, makes morning start easier. Bus driver and companion stopped to give me 4 airline type meals that they serve on these long distance buses! Also a bottle of Sprite. 2 of the dinners had 2 delicious steaks each. Demolished on the side of the road! 500 metres later a man called Lauren whom I met in the hostel in Puerto Maderyn stopped with his friends in their camper to give me water. Then 4km later a man stopped to give me a Milanesa sandwich and a bottle of Sprite!
6/11. An easy 41km day from km 1789 to Comodoro Rivadavia city near km 1830.
As mentioned earlier the wind is easterly and as can be seen from the map the city is south east, so I had it behind me today along with a 16km downhill, Oh for this every day. Today at a police checkpoint a co-bus driver gave me SEVEN meals! He must have heard of yesterdays bus! I was invited into the police checkpoint office where I demolished 4 on the spot and a thermos full of hot sweetened tea. Am in the YPF service station (where I hope to shower later!) Thanks to Daniel and Maximillion helping out with a small problem I have at the monment!
From here it’s 780km to Rio Gallegos and perhaps one or two or even no internet till then. From there its a good days running to the Chilean border. A few days will be run in that area of Tierra del Fuego which Chile shares with Argentina and then its back to Argentina for the big spash into the ocean at Ushuaia. That is roughly 1,360km away, so a month or so away
Talk soon, well signal providing! Tony
November 7th, 2012 at 8:55 am
tony, what a week of progress and airline meals!!!!! the argentinians seem to get more helpful as you travel, even 100ml of water is a nice thought. keep it going, well done. kevin
November 7th, 2012 at 11:47 am
Ta Kevin as always for your support. Remember when I said when I entered a few months back that 30 years ago on a bicycle trip that the people in this country made it my fav country in the world? Well things have not changed and Patagonian hospitality is starting to compare to that wonderful Newfoundland hospitality.
Am about to put the details up this morning and photos if I got the time as I worked through the night, stay tuned, thats always the worst about giving quick updates, that when I try to keep people informed and later give the story that it sounds like I am repeating myself and the reader is saying ‘ where did I hear that before? ‘
November 13th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
Ah truly realistic view of your travels you are sharing with us. Continue to share your dream with us Ann:)