The Day I Finally Used the Clown Nose

Daily Miles: 29.70 | Total Miles: 16,281.33

My alarm rang at 6 a.m. I woke up with a much clearer head than yesterday, got ready, and was out on the road just after 7 a.m. Leaving Migennes behind, I soon arrived at the River Yonne. Ah, beautiful.

I felt so much better than the day before. As soon as I reached the water, I found a good rhythm and settled into the run. There is something about rivers that immediately puts me at ease.

Just before mile 10, I came across a small riverside café. Two women were sitting outside enjoying a coffee. It looked far too inviting to simply run past, even if it meant interrupting a good rhythm. So I stopped. It turned out to be a wonderful decision. I spent some time talking with Malo and Assunta, enjoying both the conversation and the peaceful atmosphere before continuing on my way.

A few miles later, I passed a house where a relaxed-looking man was sitting outside. Something about him made me stop and introduce myself. His name was Milou, and he radiated an unbelievably good energy. When I asked if we could take a picture together, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a red clown nose.

"I'm a clown," he said. The moment I saw the nose, I knew it was time. For the first time in 540 days, I unpacked my own red clown nose from the buggy.

There is a story behind it.

When I started this run, I was not doing well mentally. Back home, I cried almost every day whenever I wasn't completely absorbed in something else. Before work, after work, on my runs, in the car—it didn't take much for the sadness to surface.

Before leaving Zurich, I packed three small things that I hoped might help me during those moments if they returned. One was a picture with a rabbit that always makes me smile. The second was a tiny fart cushion. The third was a red clown nose.

They were little emergency tools for difficult moments. Small reminders that perhaps I could still laugh, even when things felt very heavy.

At the beginning of the run, I still cried often. These days it happens much less, although as many of you know, I still quite enjoy a good cry every now and then.

The funny thing is that I never actually needed the clown nose. Not once. Until today.

And what a perfect occasion it was. Standing there with Milou, both of us wearing red clown noses, laughing together somewhere in rural France.

Sometimes life has impeccable timing.

The day itself was warm, exactly the way I like it. I met Daniel and his dog Nookie, then Olivier. This is only the beginning of the heat wave that is approaching, but I feel prepared for it.

Later I met Louis and Ae, followed by a wonderfully relaxed couple sitting in the shade in the middle of a trail, reading and listening to an audiobook together. Shortly afterwards, Begazem stopped me after having Googled my story. I very much enjoyed our conversation. Then came Michel, Christopher, and finally a group of excited teenagers.

It felt like one of those days when people simply kept appearing. And I loved it.

When I finally reached Sens, I stopped at a supermarket and bought some food for dinner. Most importantly, I bought a quarter of a watermelon. That felt like a very good decision.

The hotel is cheap, and today I can definitely feel that—but even more, I can smell it.

Oh well. One night, a shower, some food, some sleep, and tomorrow I move on.

Thanks for checking in. Andrea