{"id":2736,"date":"2017-09-12T13:19:55","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T02:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/run.dj\/?p=2736"},"modified":"2017-09-12T17:28:34","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T06:28:34","slug":"utmb-100-miles-2017-bruce-craven-guest-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/run.dj\/?p=2736","title":{"rendered":"UTMB 100 Miles 2017 Bruce Craven -Guest Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

Firstly, thanks to Adam Connor for hosting this UTMB blog on his running+music website.\u00a0 It might mean someone actually reads it!\u00a0 Adam describes himself as forty something, which I can\u2019t do any longer, and has just run the 135 mile Badwater<\/a> race across Death Valley, so my UTMB<\/a> efforts pale in comparison.<\/p>\n

(Editors note- I’ll have to update the blog if it says 40 something, and there is a reason I chose Badwater over UTMB- I suck at climbing hills!)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Its exactly a week since I crossed the finish line of the 100 mile UTMB race in 42 hours 13 mins to complete a burning goal that had been sizzling for 3 years. Why write this?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 To remind myself why I might not want to attempt it again
\n2.\u00a0 To help others achieve their goal and
\n3. To unload some emotions that built up for a while and are still rumbling around.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This race crept up on me via one of my Sydney running friends, Tanya Carroll.\u00a0 Tanya was training for this race in 2015 when I was training for the 100km UTA in the Blue Mountains.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know much about UTMB at the time but I, along with many others, followed her training and finally the race itself via the online updates and video.\u00a0 She had photos with Kilian Jornet, pictures of really high mountains, glaciers, cable cars, the best runners from all over the world, it went on and on.\u00a0 Once I read more about it, I wanted to know more.\u00a0 How do you get into this race.?\u00a0 Could I do it?\u00a0 Probably not was my thinking at the time.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just stick to the Blue Mountains.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For the uninitiated, UTMB requires the equivalent of 3 qualification races of over 100km to be completed by an entrant within 2 years.\u00a0 Each race needs to be under a certain cut-off time.\u00a0 With the points from the races under your belt, you apply in Dec, find out if you are successful in the ballot in Jan and if lucky, you get to race in August.\u00a0\u00a0 Most miss out in their initial entry.\u00a0 UTMB (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc)<\/a> itself probably doesn\u2019t need any introduction \u2013 100 miles through 3 countries (France, Italy and Switzerland and back to France) with 10,000 metres of ascent and because we start and finish in Chamonix, there is also 10,000 metres of descent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My qualifiers were UTA 2014 (100km)<\/a>, UTA 2015 (100km) and then a 113km race I did in Italy in Sep15.\u00a0 This was called Morenic Trail in the foothills of the Italian alps just north of Turin.\u00a0 I had planned on running GNW<\/a> (a local qualifying race north of Sydney) and I had trained with my running colleagues on the GNW course.\u00a0 However, a sailing holiday meant I couldn\u2019t do the race and the cut-off time for UTMB entries was approaching.\u00a0 Thus I found the Italian race which I could tack on to the end of my Greek sailing holiday.\u00a0 The 10 days on the boat were during my taper and involved a lot of drinking.\u00a0 Evidently that didn\u2019t hurt my race and perhaps the enforced rest helped.\u00a0 I was one of 2 english speakers in the race so they held a separate race briefing for the 2 of us.\u00a0 Totally weird.\u00a0 And at the finish line you douse yourself in red paint (a tradition).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Anyway, I had my qualifiers and the bunch of us NRG\u2019ers<\/a> in Sydney entered UTMB as a group (we would either all miss out or all get in \u2013 together).\u00a0 As is the case for many people around the world, we missed out for the 2016 intake.\u00a0 They take 2,500 people into the race each year but many multiples of this number apply (all with appropriate qualifiers).\u00a0 So, having missed out, this meant one of my races in 2014 was no longer current and I had to re-qualify via UTA 2016 (another 100km).\u00a0 And to make things even more interesting, I moved with work across to London in Sep 16 2016.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I know I haven\u2019t got to the race yet but bear with me.\u00a0 Just getting to the start line of UTMB is a massive effort in itself.\u00a0 We then re-applied as a group in Dec 16 and this time we were successful.\u00a0 Yessssss!\u00a0 Finally!\u00a0\u00a0 Gulp!\u00a0 What now?\u00a0 (By the way, I think this is the largest group entry ever into UTMB from anywhere in the world).\u00a0 \u00a0Not only did we have our initial group but other Sydney running friends who were successful on entry joined our group chat and the size of our Aussie contingent grew.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This meant it was becoming real and I would need to train towards the race on 1 Sep 17.\u00a0 I had 8 months!\u00a0 However, reality dawned on me in January as I realised:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I was alone in London as all my running buddies were in Sydney<\/li>\n
  2. London is what you might call a flat track. How on earth was I going to get fit for the alps?<\/li>\n
  3. Also, stupidly, in December I had been training for the London marathon and doing some intervals on cold legs which lead to straining a hamstring (first time ever). I should never have been surprised about hamstring problems because I only have about \u00be of each hamstring intact.\u00a0\u00a0 Two ACL knee reconstructions many years ago used both hamstrings\u00a0 for the new knee tendon leaving me with depleted hammies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    It was a low point after the excitement of getting an entry and I wondered if I could even start any proper training.\u00a0 Perhaps I would have to pull out of UTMB already?<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I used the down time to attend a day-long seminar in February that a running company called XNRG ran just outside London.\u00a0 Probably 30 people attended from the UK, all of whom were either entered into, or thinking about entering UTMB.\u00a0 A group of pro runners gave talks about how to train, gear recommendations, the course itself, strategy, etc etc.\u00a0 It was great for a lot of us newbies.\u00a0 And it was during these talks that I realised I needed a coach if I was going to be serious about preparing.\u00a0 I met Robbie Britton<\/a> (appropriate surname) who is one of the top British ultra marathoners and Robbie recommended an Australian mate of his who could coach me \u2013 Majell Backhausen<\/a>.\u00a0 Majell is a world class mountain runner, had completed UTMB in 2015 in just over 25 hours and 22nd<\/sup> place, and knew the problems of training in a flat landscape.\u00a0 Majell lived in Melbourne but our discussions and training interaction were all online from that point onwards.\u00a0 I used a trip back to Australia in April for a wedding to meet up with Majell for a face to face chat as well.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    And so it began.\u00a0 The hamstring was healing up very slowly and I was able to begin some slow running in March\/April.\u00a0 The London marathon came and went.\u00a0\u00a0 I knew I had to complete it given my charity sponsorship and although I finished, it was a lot of slow jogging and walking in just under 5 hours.\u00a0 So now it was late April and Majell had been adjusting my training to take into account my hamstring recovery.\u00a0 It meant a lot of hiking uphill on the treadmill, spin classes, a lot of gym work but not much pure running.\u00a0 By May my leg was better for running and the program picked up.\u00a0 I was training a couple of times a day before work, lunch time or evening.\u00a0 I was riding to work and weekends were spent outside London if possible wherever I could find hills.\u00a0 The last half of June involved sailing for 2 weeks in Croatia but I made sure I ran for a couple of hours every morning before sailing and began clocking up some serious metres of ascent and descent.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    It had now reached July and the race was getting seriously close.\u00a0 I managed to get a weekend to the Peak District and Catherine was hiking whilst I ran into the mountains.\u00a0 \u00a0Lots of km and metres of ascent and descent on muddy single track which was ideal.\u00a0 In one of my best decisions, a few months earlier I had booked an organised trip to run around the UTMB course over 4 days with a French group.\u00a0 A couple of pro runners took a group of 12 of us around the trails and we slept each night in refuges in a single room with 12 bunks.\u00a0 They were all French, including the pro runners, apart from Elaine who was from London, so the 2 of us would need translation of whatever was being communicated on the trail.\u00a0\u00a0 But we all got on very well and would re-group often to allow for different pace groups.\u00a0 So approx. 40-50km of running each day with 2500 metres of ascent and descent daily.\u00a0 Not only did I get to pound the legs for 4 continuous days (something I hadn\u2019t done before), but importantly, I got to see the whole course in daylight.\u00a0 Before that I had no idea what to expect from climbing a true alpine mountain.\u00a0 Now I knew it was seriously hard but I found I wasn\u2019t scared of it any more.\u00a0 I knew I could do it.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    However, (and this must be the old age), when I woke up on the 4th<\/sup> day, my achilles was quite sore.\u00a0 Not enough to stop me completing day.4, but it meant I couldn\u2019t push off the left leg as much.\u00a0 Thus running on the flats was harder than climbing a steep gradient that used the quads more.\u00a0 Hopefully this niggle would go away!\u00a0 Upon returning to London, I went to Wales with Catherine the next weekend and she did more hiking whilst I hobbled and propped my way around Pen-Y-Fan mountain.\u00a0 I found I could climb mountains really well and run downhill without inflaming the achilles, but running on the flats was out.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    A few more weeks back in London was spent going to the physio to try and fix the achilles, doing spin, strengthening gym work and lots of work on the treadmill without inflaming the damn achilles.\u00a0 Could I just buy a new achilles?\u00a0 Could I really get to this race?\u00a0 By race week it had calmed down and I was hoping it would hold up over the race if I didn\u2019t push it too much.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    It was now race week and the Aussies were gathering in Chamonix early on to try and get over the jet lag.\u00a0 My 90 min flight from London meant an easy commute and I arrived on the Wed night.\u00a0 My wife Catherine and 3 of her friends had been hiking the Mont Blanc route (TMB) over 10 previous days and Cath and Danae (who were to be my crew) met me at the hotel that night.\u00a0 Without realising, we had booked a room overlooking the start and finish line of UTMB which turned out to be both a blessing (views, photos, atmosphere) and a curse (noise of loudspeakers and music day and night given some other shorter distance races were occurring on Wed and Thurs nights).<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I had mentioned in a post on Fbook that I was both excited and nervous.\u00a0 The nervousness was really unavoidable given the huge build up to this race but also because I had never run further than 113km and had only run through one night.\u00a0 So I hadn\u2019t done a \u201cmiler\u201d (100 mile race).\u00a0 Here I was about to embark on 170km over 2 nights and 2 days.\u00a0 I knew the course in the daylight, but how would I go at night?\u00a0 Would my achilles hold up?\u00a0 What about food and nutrition?\u00a0 I had read so many blogs of people not coping with stomach problems, the cold, tiredness, injuries \u2013 the list went on.\u00a0 People who came to the race, climbed the first mountain and decided there was no way they could get through!\u00a0 To top it off, the course organisers announced that the weather was going to be a problem this year and some course adjustments were needed given that it was forecast to be minus 9c in the high passes.\u00a0 Wow.\u00a0 This also meant cut-off times at checkpoints were changing and my race plan needed some adjustments.\u00a0 Yes \u2013 I did have a plan which was based on the averages of some friends who had run before and runners from last year who finished around the 44 hour mark.\u00a0 The race cut-off is 46.5 hours but along the way, each of the checkpoints has its own specific cut-off and race organisers will allow no discussion on removing a runner who doesn\u2019t make it in time.\u00a0 Each year approx. 1\/3 of the runners who start do not finish, some from injuries, but many who just can\u2019t get through the checkpoints in time.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    (Side note \u2013 I met a guy from NY after the race.\u00a0 This was his 2nd<\/sup> attempt.\u00a0 He failed last year after 150km as his feet were so badly chopped up.\u00a0 This year he came to the checkpoint at Trient (142km).\u00a0 He had 15 mins before checkpoint cut-off time.\u00a0 He needed to eat and drink and warm up.\u00a0 He spent 14 minutes doing this and walked out of the checkpoint 1 minute before cut-off.\u00a0 All good.\u00a0 Except \u2026. he had dropped his headlamp under the table inside the tent.\u00a0 Bugger \u2013 so he turned around and went back in to get it.\u00a0 At that point the clock ticked over cut-off time.\u00a0 As he leant down to get his light, the official lent over and cut off his number.\u00a0 Game over.\u00a0 Out of the race.\u00a0 Heart-broken and no arguments allowed.\u00a0 He had to wait for a bus to get back to Chamonix \u2013 he saw me in my finishers gilet on the Sunday and he looked like he was about to cry.)<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Friday was race day but strangely the race was not going to start until 6.30pm.\u00a0 I had always started races first thing in the morning.\u00a0 What to do all day?\u00a0 What to eat?\u00a0 How to rest?\u00a0 As my hotel was right above the start line, I could see runners beginning to position themselves at the start line \u2013 5 hours before the race!!\u00a0\u00a0 What on earth?\u00a0 They were sitting on hard concrete in their race gear ready to go.\u00a0 I have no idea if they finished the race but this preparation was not going to help them!<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I had spent time on Thursday catching up with all my Sydney running mates, getting my compulsory gear checked, shopping at the UTMB expo (every running company around the world had a stall there which was fantastic), and just taking in the atmosphere.\u00a0 Other races such as OCC, CCC and TDS were taking place and some of our running colleagues from Australia were taking part.\u00a0 So there was always something going on to occupy time.\u00a0 And meanwhile you watched the weather and could tell it was deteriorating after having been so nice for weeks.\u00a0 Typical.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    My race gear had been adapted over months. \u00a0Lots of testing of different gear and changing what needed to be changed.\u00a0 I had moved to Altra shoes to allow more room for my feet which was a great decision and meant my feet and toes were not getting bashed up as much.\u00a0 I had trained extensively with poles in the mountains and each time I ran outside London, I would take exactly what I planned taking on race day with all gear and nutrition.\u00a0 This meant quite a bit of weight.\u00a0 Not sure the exact tonnage but it certainly felt like tonnes rather than kilograms.\u00a0 Majell\u2019s training program had also prepared me for the climbs.\u00a0 In fact I was looking forward to the ascents.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to give away his trade secrets but the use of the treadmill for hours and hours at slow speeds but high gradients was all part of it.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Friday 6pm and I finally came downstairs from the hotel.\u00a0 The place was absolutely packed already.\u00a0 All the Aussies met just near the church and we had a few last photos before merging into the masses for the countdown.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    (Note we are missing couple people including Jen and Marty)<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The music, the slow capping, the atmosphere \u2026. this was why we had spent years getting here.\u00a0 It is absolutely unbelievable.\u00a0\u00a0 There is a photo of me at the start and I look quite calm.\u00a0 And I was.\u00a0 I had played out in my mind each of the race sections and I knew how I wanted to approach them.\u00a0 I had worked through with Cath and Danae what I needed in each checkpoint and they were all primed for the nights and days ahead.\u00a0 The one section I was apprehensive about was the first 8km to Les Houches as it was flat and required a fast running pace \u2013 something that I hadn\u2019t been able to do for weeks.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The mass start and our position near the back meant it took a while to get over the start line, and then we were walking\/half jogging for a couple of kilometres, lapping up the cheers and hand slaps from the crowd on the way out of Chamonix.\u00a0 I was running along with Tanya, Emma, Russell and Geoff at this stage and then we caught up to Jen and Marty who had started a bit further ahead in the crowd.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t think of a better place to share the trails with my friends from Australia and we all had Aussie flags, boxing kangaroos and koalas to show off our Aussie roots.\u00a0 And as the pace picked up and the runners spread out, I was quietly hoping the achilles would stay quiet.\u00a0 The slowish start was not a problem \u2013 one of the biggest errors is to go out too hard in this race.\u00a0 It really doesn\u2019t get going until after Courmayeur (80km) and some say not until Champex-Lac (126km).<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I had expected the congestion of runners to ease off by the time we started climbing from Les Houches, up to Le Delevret (900m) and back down to Saint Gervais where the first checkpoint is.\u00a0 But it didn\u2019t.\u00a0 It was packed and at times you came to a complete stop in single file.\u00a0 Darkness arrived and still we were stopping and starting as the crowd ebbed and flowed through difficult parts of the trail.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t believe it really.\u00a0 How long is this going to go on for?\u00a0 But inwardly I thought perhaps this is a good thing.\u00a0 Enforced rest.\u00a0 Just go with the flow.\u00a0 And I used the time to sip on my Tailwind nutrition and relax.\u00a0 Geoff and Russell had moved off ahead and Emma was nearby whilst Tanya, Jen and Marty had fallen behind.\u00a0 Tanya came past at one point as she loves the downhills and the race started to play out as we went through a minor checkpoint in Saint Gervais (21km). \u00a0This was a fast stop \u2013 fill up water but keep going \u2013 no crew allowed.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Exiting the checkpoint, it was still early and runners were everywhere and a slow jog was the order of the day.\u00a0 There are some rolling hills and a gradual incline towards the first major checkpoint at Les Contamines, and it was in this section that I could feel my achilles calling.\u00a0 Bugger.\u00a0 It had behaved so far but this section was the worst gradient for it requiring a slow uphill jog, pretty much designed to inflame an achilles.\u00a0 In the space of 5 minutes I went from feeling comfortable and relaxed and focused, to thinking, I don\u2019t think I can get through another 145km with an achilles that is starting to hurt.\u00a0 So I slowed down again and did some run\/walk for a bit.\u00a0 And I then started working out how I would tell my friends and family that 3 years of hard work had only allowed me to get through 25km of the race.\u00a0 Swear words here *&#$%%*.\u00a0\u00a0 Thus it was that I entered the major checkpoint at Les Contamines (31km) to meet my crew.\u00a0 It was great seeing Cath and Danae but they could tell something was wrong.\u00a0 Explaining that my achilles was playing up, we had a quick chat and Catherine whipped out 2 panadol.\u00a0 We decided that I would just keep going and see what happened. \u00a0I topped up my nutrition and took the chance to munch on salami, cheese and drink some soup.\u00a0 My pre-race coaching advice had been to always grab food whenever it is on offer, and thus I ate more than I would have in any prior races.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Heading out of Les Contamines, there is a massive long climb for 1300 metres over 13km.\u00a0 It was still crazy with congestion and we were in a long single file, unable to pass people and stuck at whatever pace the slowest runner was going.\u00a0 It was extremely muddy, slippery and steep and I loved it.\u00a0 The pace was slow which gave me time for the Panadol to kick in, the climbing suited me and I was using my quads mostly which gave the achilles a rest.\u00a0 After a while I didn\u2019t notice the achilles and as the crowds around me thinned out, I was passing people.\u00a0 We went through a minor checkpoint at La Balme and once again, I ate and drank soup and soon I was ploughing downhill through the mud and heading towards Les Chapieux (50km).\u00a0 I felt good.\u00a0 I was still passing people and at the checkpoint I once again topped up food and soup.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have crew here as it was very difficult to get to.\u00a0 I knew from here it was a long slow climb to one of the high passes in the race but it was a section that I loved in training and I was looking forward to it (can you believe that?).\u00a0\u00a0 It was also in this checkpoint at Les Chapieux that I noticed a huge number of people just sitting and staying warm in the tent.\u00a0 I stood shoulder to shoulder with other runners and then sat for 2 minutes to finish my soup and then I exited.\u00a0\u00a0 Most people who were in there when I arrived were still there when I left.\u00a0 I had eaten, topped up drinks, topped up nutrition in my bladder, had some soup.\u00a0 What else did I need to do?\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0 Get going.\u00a0 Why sit around?\u00a0 The mass of humanity in that tent also reminded me that what we experience in the checkpoints is a lot different than the leading runners who have a table each with all their gear laid out and everything provided.\u00a0 We were shoulder to shoulder like standing room at a footy match.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    On the section to Col de la Seigne, it was another 1,000 metre climb.\u00a0 You get used to them.\u00a0 That is the typical ascent for each of the climbs.\u00a0 It was early hours of Saturday morning and I knew dawn would arrive somewhere along this section.\u00a0 It was beautiful.\u00a0 Looking ahead towards the Col, you could see the long line of lights on the switch backs and I was once again passing a lot of people.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t tired and my achilles was not bothering me and I felt like I was flying up that hill.\u00a0 Dawn arrived just before I reached the Col so I got the silhouette of the top of the mountains as I looked east.\u00a0 Fantastic.\u00a0 Worth racing just for this.\u00a0 However the clouds soon arrived and as I reached the top of the Col, it was suddenly snowing.\u00a0 Not too cold as it was light snow but I still put on the warm gear and I prepared for a long descent to Lac Combal.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I have a photo below from my training run that shows this section in daylight.\u00a0 It is amazing and such a pity that so many runners never get to see it.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Once again I flew down from the Col here as the knees were ok (at this stage).\u00a0 Runners were becoming more and more sparse as I went on (perhaps they were all still back in that tent!) and I would see a runner ahead and try and pick them off as I descended to Lac Combal (67km).\u00a0 I topped up food, drinks, nutrition here, sat for a few minutes to have some soup and then got out of there \u2013 once again no crew here.\u00a0 I was well ahead now of the cut-off time and that gave me quite a bit of confidence.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t mentioned any of the other Aussies and that is because I hadn\u2019t seen them since before checkpoint 1.\u00a0\u00a0 I assumed they were ahead of me and hoped they were all going well.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    It was fully light now and heating up as I went up another climb via Arete du Mont Favre and Col Checroutt Maison Vielle (75km). \u00a0I had pasta at one of these checkpoints and filled up on drinks etc .\u00a0 And as it was very runnable on the descents, I pushed along quite quickly (for me).\u00a0 Still passing people and still feeling good.\u00a0 Courmayeur (80km) approached where I would meet my crew and I had a lot of time up my sleave in terms of cutoff times.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Courmayeur was mid morning and it was warm outside when I went in.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t linger here either.\u00a0 Grabbed food, changed clothes, topped up nutrition, re-applied Gurney Goo, but basically got out of there.\u00a0 22 minutes I think I was there.\u00a0 Still time to do everything.\u00a0 But it was here also that I noticed hundreds of people sitting around.\u00a0 I think I went in and out before half of them had moved.\u00a0 \u00a0Farewelling my crew I knew the next sections would be tough, partly because I wouldn\u2019t see my crew for nearly 12 hours, and partly because I could see the weather was getting worse.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The climb up to Refuge Bertone (800metres) was fine and I had enjoyed it in training.\u00a0 However the section through the rolling ups and downs along the bluff to Refuge Bonatti (92km) was hard.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t quite have the strength to attack it like I did in the training run but I kept up a steady slowish pace.\u00a0 Noone else seemed to be going any quicker so that gave me some comfort.\u00a0 The temperature seemed to be dropping and at the checkpoint, it once again started snowing.\u00a0 This was a concern.\u00a0\u00a0 We were at 2,025 metres and I knew we had to climb over Grand Col Ferret at over 2,500 metres.\u00a0 I saw a lot of worried faces at that checkpoint.\u00a0 It was an outside checkpoint so no one was hanging around in the cold, but everyone was taking time to get every piece of emergency clothing on.\u00a0 It took me 10 minutes to sort all that out whilst trying to eat and drink at the same time.\u00a0 The downhill section to Arnouvaz (97km) was hugely challenging as it was extremely muddy with no footholds.\u00a0 It was like skiing downhill on a steep single trail and hoping you stayed upright.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The tent at Arnouvaz was warm and I could tell no one really wanted to exit.\u00a0 I knew it was a trap to stay in there.\u00a0 Walking outside was uncomfortable and we were at 1700 metres with an 800m climb to come.\u00a0 Visibility was not good and the rain and sleet were coming directly into your face.\u00a0 It was mid afternoon but quite dark.\u00a0 I knew it was a long way until I saw crew again and I think for many people, there was a huge temptation to exit the race at this point.\u00a0 In fact, part of my mind was wondering how bad it could get before race organisers would shut it down.\u00a0 And strangely this pushed me on, because I knew if I could get over this pass, then the other side was less exposed to the weather.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The climb was very tough.\u00a0 Once again, this was a climb in training that I powered up, but not today.\u00a0 It was pretty slow and a real slog.\u00a0 Not many runners about and as you climbed higher, you were more and more exposed to what became a blizzard.\u00a0 There was no way to protect your face as the the wind was head-on, and all the ground and bushes about you were frozen with sleet.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have time to take photos but I wish I did.\u00a0 And as I came towards the top, I saw a race organiser in a massive parka coming out of the murk yelling \u201cAllez Allez Allez\u201d.\u00a0 Why is he shouting to hurry up?\u00a0 I honestly thought he was hurrying me up because they were about to shut it down.\u00a0 If you got over the top your race would go on and if you didn\u2019t, they might bus you back from the previous checkpoint \u2013 race over.\u00a0 So I found a third wind and pushed hard over the top.\u00a0 It was quite frightening up there \u2013 dark, blowing a gale, sleet in the face, and I thought if you stopped up here for too long you would freeze very quickly.\u00a0 It was definitely minus 9c here.\u00a0 Quite brave for the organisers to let us go through it I thought.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Over the top and huge relief.\u00a0\u00a0 Long downhill runnable sections now towards La Fouly (111km) and thankfully out of the wind.\u00a0 But a long way until the checkpoint.\u00a0 Too long I thought!\u00a0 They needed another checkpoint somewhere in-between and in training there was a Refuge (La Peule) along the way.\u00a0 But it was closed.\u00a0 Damn.\u00a0 Most people were pretty cold and pretty stuffed along here.\u00a0 In training it was a fast section but not today.\u00a0 Late afternoon and you knew another night beckoned.\u00a0 Another low point for me and I imagine others too.<\/p>\n

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    At La Fouly, I went in alone as I had arranged for my crew to meet me at Champex Lac (126km).\u00a0 At La Fouly you could see a lot of people who just needed to recover.\u00a0 So no one was leaving.\u00a0 I grabbed food, drank soup and didn\u2019t stay long.\u00a0 I was warm enough and I wanted to get to Champex Lac (another 14km).\u00a0 We had to leave with lights on our heads as darkness was approaching.\u00a0 A lot of runnable sections again if your legs and knees were up to it.\u00a0 I probably lost a few places along here but I knew I\u2019d made up a lot with people who were still in the warm tent at La Fouly.\u00a0 Just to help things it was bucketing rain for the next 10km and it was a tough climb to Champex Lac.\u00a0 I neither gained nor lost places along here but as I moved along, I was forming a plan to take a 20 min nap at the next checkpoint.\u00a0 People were sleeping along the trail as I went (in rain??) and I thought I would far rather get a mattress in a warm tent.\u00a0 I also knew my crew could wake me if needed.\u00a0 Seeing Cath and Danae at Champex Lac was fantastic and they were excited to see me to break their boredom.<\/p>\n

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    \"\"<\/p>\n

    First thing I said was that I\u2019m going for a nap.\u00a0 Another 20 mins of boredom for them!\u00a0 As I lay down and pulled a blanket over my head, I heard an Aussie accent 2 mattresses along!\u00a0 Hahahha.\u00a0 It was Emma just getting up from a nap.\u00a0 And there was Russell standing in front of me!\u00a0 They were heading out and asked if I wanted to join them.\u00a0 I told them to go ahead as I need to rest and eat.\u00a0 How fantastic to see them and as I lay there, I thought quite strange that I had run into them as I had assumed they were miles ahead.<\/p>\n

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    I didn\u2019t sleep at all as my legs were too sore, but getting off my feet was good.\u00a0 Suitably fed and with nutrition topped up, I went out into the 2nd<\/sup> night again somewhere around 11.30pm.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Probably 40 mins after I had seen Emma and Russell.\u00a0\u00a0 The next section has a nice runnable downhill leg before a steep and difficult climb up 1,000 metres and back down the same metres again to Trient.\u00a0 It was tough in training and it was going to be tough on the 2nd<\/sup> night.\u00a0 The rain had stopped but it was muddy and the trail was covered with loose rocks and tree roots.\u00a0 I climbed well again and soon I had caught up to a group of runners (runners were very sparse on the course now).\u00a0 And there was that Aussie accent again.\u00a0 Emma and Russell and a group of others.\u00a0 I said hi but didn\u2019t hang around as I was moving along well and so passed the group on the downhill section.<\/p>\n

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    Trient (142km) and Vallorcine (153km) checkpoints came and went.\u00a0 I met Cath and Danae at both.\u00a0 Constantly fuelling up and feeling pretty confident.\u00a0 More climbs, less runners, and kilometres and ascents\/descents ticking by.\u00a0 The light came up in the next section and I knew I was headed to a good time.\u00a0 I had trained on the high Col des Montets section of the race and I loved it.\u00a0 However the organisers had cut it out for safety and introduced similar ascent\/descent and distance but all at lower altitude.\u00a0 As I\u2019ve read from some of the leading runners, most people think the new section introduced was harder than the original.\u00a0 And I agree. It was very technical and on tired legs, very difficult to traverse.\u00a0 It did feel like we were getting no closer to the finish in what seemed like a maze of ups and downs and back and forths.<\/p>\n

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    It wasn\u2019t until I made it to La Flegere (163km) that I was back on familiar ground again.\u00a0 And then I knew the last downhill 8km section would be very hard on my knees.\u00a0 But I thought stuff it, they can recover later, and I ran as hard as I could.\u00a0 It started to heat up (temperature and emotions) as I headed down into Chamonix and it was only just before midday.\u00a0 Originally I was very worried about final cut-off times (around 4.30pm) but these fears proved unfounded.\u00a0 So I was very tired, very sore but floating really.\u00a0 So happy.<\/p>\n

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    Emerging from the forest in Chamonix was amazing.\u00a0 Crowds were building along the course as I was lucky to be finishing at a peak time in the day.\u00a0 Some of my faster friends were finishing in the early hours of the morning with obviously less supporters.\u00a0 I ran as hard as I could through the town and saw Catherine and Danae, grabbed a flag and then turned the corner into the main straight and finish line.\u00a0 Without knowing it Marty was running behind me taking a video which is great to look back on.\u00a0 An absolute emotional high going through Chamonix and a feeling I will never forget.\u00a0 And a time just over 42 hours that I\u2019m very proud of. I was especially proud to gain places through the whole race going from over 2,000th<\/sup> to 1040th<\/sup> at the end.\u00a0 This fit with my race plan.\u00a0 I can say that once over the finish line the achilles decided enough was enough and it remains sore a week later.\u00a0 But who cares!<\/p>\n

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    Nearly all my Aussie running buddies made it and those who didn\u2019t will be back for more I think.<\/p>\n

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    \"\"<\/p>\n

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    So many thanks to Catherine and Danae for crewing and to Cath for putting up with months (years!) of preparation.\u00a0 My coach (Majell) deserves a special mention because my training was very specific for this race and it proved to be invaluable.<\/p>\n

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    Gear \/ nutrition \/ suggestions?<\/p>\n