Day 66 - July 15th: After the Fall

Guvnine to Sibulijna: 28 miles / 1,830 total

Yesterday’s stage, while not the longest, was the most brutal of this trip. In all my years of running, I’ve never lost that much weight over that short a distance. Toward the end, I had no energy, felt mentally flat, and had random pain throughout my body. When Tina picked me up, she said my face looked gaunt. I drank only 3.5 liters of fluid the whole day—clearly not enough. Looking back, that wasn’t just fatigue, it was dehydration—real dehydration—the kind that messes with your body’s ability to regulate temperature, circulate blood, and absorb what you’re taking in. It wasn’t just that I was tired; I was starting to shut down. The headache, the chills after the shower, the nausea—all textbook. I was freezing and could barely move, so I lay down with my eyes closed and tried to calm my system. We ate dinner at a spot next to the hotel, right on the water, but I was barely there—just focused on getting back to bed.

Despite how bad I felt, we still had to figure things out. We’re in a no man’s land now—spread-out villages, remote stretches, hot weather. Tina decided she’d grab lodging in Starigrad, 56k away, and would pick me up wherever I needed to stop. The plan was for her to drop me at the point I stopped and for me to run to the hotel for breakfast at 7am, reassess, and then continue from there. We shut off the lights before 9pm, hoping sleep would help.

I woke at 5:20am and did a full scan—my legs were wrecked, like I’d raced the day before. I stood under a hot shower to stretch, and it helped loosen things up. By 6:30am, Christina, Jax, and I were back in the car and heading to yesterday’s endpoint. I took my first few steps and felt like I had nothing in the tank. Tina noticed right away and asked if we should take the day off. I told her I’d go the 6k to the hotel—temps were still low and traffic was light. I figured I could make that and decide over breakfast.

My hydration plan was 5 liters minimum, compared to 3.5 the day before, and I had already started chugging water and sports drink. But it felt like nothing was staying in—five pee breaks in 6k, which probably meant I was still not absorbing what I needed. I reached the hotel by 7:30am and met Tina for breakfast. Coffee, OJ, four eggs, and thick slices of bread helped, and I took Tylenol for the pounding headache. We agreed I’d continue on, with her planning to pass me on the road a few hours later with more fluids and food.

I broke the day down into pieces—6k to the hotel, 10k to where she’d meet me next. Every step was a struggle, and I had to remind myself to stay relaxed and keep moving forward. When Christina and Jax rolled up at 10:30am, I was at 22k and had already gone through 4 liters. I sat in the car with the A/C running, downed two sports drinks, and rested. I still felt rough, but not worse than when I started, and that was something. I told her I’d keep going and see if I could hit 45k.

Normally I write these blog entries during the run, but today I didn’t have the energy. I don’t even remember how I passed the time. Somehow, I got to 34k, right into the heat of the day, and my phone rang. That call changed everything—I talked for the next few kilometers, totally distracted from the suffering, and when I hung up, something in me clicked. I knew I could make it. My perception widened again—until then, it had been narrowed to the pavement and the next curve—but suddenly I was noticing the landscape again. I looked over and saw the Via Josephina, which had paralleled me all day without me noticing. That gave me a little mental lift. I kept going.

I began to notice the landscape changing —mountains on one side, the Adriatic dropping away on the other, and pine forests in between.

Beautiful coves.

Another tunnel.

And the wind creating beautiful patterns on the Sea.

By the time I reached 45k, Christina and Jax were parked in a spot that looked like the Florida Keys—flat, dry, bright. I was wrecked, but I’d made it.

These two days were the hardest of the trip so far, no question. But I know they’re behind me now. And maybe something in me shifted too. I gained back 6 of the 10 pounds after today’s run. Things are pointing up again, especially after one more solid night of sleep.

Thanks for the support.

Cheers,

David.