Consistency under pressure: 5 hrs 15 minutes.

A filthy day. Starting on a great road dappled by the sun struggling through the trees, the weather soon set in. It rained hard but Hugh kept going, and I changed the route so that he had something long and straight to run on. Less picturesque, but safer than twisting roads when conditions are awful. We'll save those for sunny days.

Support Team, Victuals Division therefore made an extra effort to lay on decent provisions. Chicken and veg pasta; cheese and ham pastries and chocolate. Hugh's rather like a terribly polite teenager in one of those novels by Buckeridge or Blyton (alternatively choose any plucky Potter character) "Do you know, that chocolate bar's so good I think I'll have another" (his third). A quick crackle of a wrapper, a sort of snuffling and then silence. "I'll be off then, cheerio" and out he goes with a wave, smacking his lips and pulling his socks up. Trots off without missing a step as a truck driver soaks him with dirty spray.

I curse him for opening the car door on a rainy afternoon and get back to my Dalrymple. It's all about team work you know. Saying that, I skulked out for the last few miles with him on his warm down (I'm injured still, though recovering) and Samia was there in the end patiently conducting exercises, still in the rain. Hugh said it was one of those days he felt really lethargic but has no option but to keep going. A sort of Monday to Friday feeling I think.

Hugh earned himself a long bath this evening so Samia took me cider hunting. We had crossed the border from Galicia to Asturria earlier so had to sample the local stuff. This involves a long and entirely necessary arm over head pouring ritual, yielding but an inch of liquid into the tumbler, to be drunk immediately to prevent oxidation. A thing to behold. All three of us had a great meal later in the same place (steak and foie gras since you ask) though we poured the Rioja ourselves.

Footnote: we have tried to upload the videos II and III from Day 16 onto You Tube but have had constant internet problems. Hugh is basically fine, no fracture but inflammation which is painful but manageable.