#mountain running

I finally got to race day yesterday and it was a tough one. I did the best I could to train for this event, a mountain road half marathon that started at 7800 feet and finished at about 4300. My training really was a typical half marathon plan, with some downhills thrown in when I could add them.

As it turns out, that was woefully inadequate for this day’s course. You just can’t emulate the elevation or even the grade of Utah mountains in Virginia, not even in the Shenandoahs.

I didn’t have a particular time goal for this, and I just decided to see what the day holds. But I also knew from training about where I should have been, which was somewhere in the 1:50s. That pacing lasted until 8 miles, when the constant downhill pounding simply overwhelmed me. First the quads started to hurt. Then the hips. Then the hamstring felt like it was about to pull. My “run” slowed to a shuffle and I bled time away with every tiny step. I staggered across the line in 2:17.

better a late race report than never I guess... 

having spent the entirety of august this year training in the alps around Chamonix. on august 30th, I finally toed the start line of the famous Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc in Chamonix along with one of my best friends. the culmination of years of training and a though year gathering enough lottery points to qualify for the race. 

I started the 176km race (with 10K of elevation gain) at a fairly quick pace in order to outrun the crowds before the first narrowing of the course after ~35km. the first night would be a rough one, as I got nauseous and was unable to eat from around 11pm to 7am. the enormous calorie deficit I ran into that first night made my original goal time of 36 hours virtually impossible. but having survived that first night with the help of a fellow dutchie I ran into, I was confident I would still be able to finish. 

the sunrise pictured here was what brought me out of the rut I was stuck in during the first night. and while the following day and night were rough, I was still able to enjoy the race. I tried, unsuccessfully, to take a few short naps at the major aid stations  on the 2nd night. until just after the second sunrise my exhaustion finally caught up with me and I spent a solid hour sleepwalking on the course. 

after tripping on my sleep walk, and not being entirely convinced I wasn’t dreaming instead of talking to actual fellow runners, I found the first picnic table along the course and laid down for a quick 5 minute powernap. feeling refreshed as if I had slept 5 hours instead, I started the last big climb to La Flegere. 

arriving there entirely wrecked, I rested at the aid station a bit to eat & drink before heading down the final stretch to the finish back in Chamonix. early in this decent a couple of brand representatives who were also headed down were breathing down my neck. which, while to some might have been annoying, woke me all the way back up. and upon realising I had nothing left to lose, I started legging it down the mountain, even giving the fresh legged brand reps a run for their money. 

flying down the mountain and entering Chamonix again, I ran into my dad again at the start of the big river stretch leading into the city centre, quickly outpacing him as I spent everything I had still left in my mental reserves, my body being long since spent. at the end of the river I ran into my sister who ran along and cheered me on all the way to the finish line, also guiding me along a few turns in the city centre where the directions weren’t entirely clear to a fatigue addled mind like mine.

Went on a proper adventure yesterday. I've felt so uninspired about running lately, all the trails near me are nice but so boring and same-y, and with all the cycling I haven't really felt the itch. But I've been wanting to try running in the mountains for a while now, it was just that the thought of doing that on so little "real" training kind of scared me. Well, I picked a great day for it, because yesterday it was pouring rain. All day. And about 10 degrees out. Perfect weather for a first try, right?! 🤣 anyway, it was awesome, and I shouldn't have worried. I did it fell style (walking uphills, running flats and downs) and took it slow, but I'm still soooOooOoo sore today. Walking down stairs hurts so much. Worth it though! Full blog post hopefully coming? If I can find the time 🤣

Kilian Jornet's #Impossible #Traverse - #Salomon #TV!!