An Aussie running across France

Wake up to find my Streaks are still wet, that leaves me with the interesting situation that i no longer have any shoes that actually fit me !!!, thankfully i'd mentioned that to Don Winkley the night before and he'd said i could borrow a pair of his Fila Racers (at that point i didn't realise they had a neat little cut in one side for bunions - meant later i kept on picking up stones - still way better than no shoes at all). Certainly was a struggle for 5K's through Aurillac even at 6:30 AM (hate to think what it would be like at peak hour), but finally make it out and basically get through it, this was the day that i realised just how much Ultra running uses the mind, had so many mood swings during the last 30K's that i thought i was losing my mind (at that point i was very thankful i didnt have a crew as i'm not sure what my responses would have been). Beautiful downhill run from the 30K mark, but my mind was all over the place towards the end (10K's of very flat and road) apparently an area very important to religious pilgrims. My main concern was the 500 Metre (which felt like a K) walk to the swimming pool which had our showers, very tiny little town "Saint Cyprien sur Dourdo" but at least a supermarket, needed a chocolate fix (though unsuccessfully looked for Mars bars), at least the rain waited till we finished running 14th in 7:56 was good enough for me at that point by then the pointy end of the field was something i dreamed of (5:27 the stage winner). At least tonight the Mayor comes and has drinks with us (instead of us going out), also Sebastian has managed to arrange a flight back to Brazil, we'll miss him a good fun bloke and the last couple of days his handed me his IPOD and got me to sing along with him. As he's training to be a physio i get him to look at my bad leg (well the least worse one), and he rubs some stuff in (gives me the remains of the tube later seriously it is a Brazilian horse rub - vet supplies), as well as wrapping below the knee in glad wrap (i've noticed that on a few of the others apparently it works as long as it doesn't get too hot). At least tomorrow is only 56 K's.