Dax to Peyrehorade – 24km
12C
Terrain: hilly roads.

The flat lands have now left me and the hills are back, pretty obvious I suppose given I’m heading towards the Pyrenees! Terrifying really!

Bit of a shorter one today to make sure that my achilles was ok. It’s a good job it was given the hills! I took it easy though, no running today. Hopefully I can ease back in tomorrow on the downhill bits.

I’m definitely going to be getting quite a workout hauling Bob up the hills over the next bit but it’s all for a good cause.

Actually, you’d have thought that after three full rest days, my legs would have been fresh as daisies today. Strangely, this wasn’t the case. I think anything longer than 2 rest days and they start to fall asleep, assuming they’ve done their work, WRONG, get moving legs!

From the get go this morning, ominous very dark clouds greeted me. On the plus side, I saw a rainbow, yay!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I just watched the clouds close in on me…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…before eventually, I was in the middle of the storm. It got pretty cold and windy too but again, I’m going to have to get used to it as I’ll be gaining some elevation over the next couple of days and it’ll probably get chilly.

And then the final stretch, post storm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s when I’m cold and wet like today that I find it helpful to remember just how lucky I am, especially compared to refugees that I am raising awareness and funds for on this challenge.

Firstly, I am in this situation due to my own choice. Secondly, I have everything I need and I know that I will soon have a roof over my head and be in the warmth and thirdly, I have amazing family and friends that I know are alive and well and I am grateful every single day for their amazing love and support.

Refugees are often without all of this, stripped to the core, trying to find a way to survive. As I’ve said before it’s difficult to imagine but it certainly puts things into perspective.

Tonight’s light show, nice.