Sunday 13 September 2015
Cursa de la Mercè - 10k
A relaxed 10k to kick of the road season. Not completely recovered yet from the UTMB, but it was good to get out and run today. The first 5k went quite ok in a steady just below 4 minute per kilometer pace, but then I slowly had to go back to 4m15/k to finish in exactly 41m00. I am not sure about which one will be the next race, but I did decide to take it easy and do only 10k for the coming months.
Wednesday 2 September 2015
UTMB - 2015 - 168k
The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, 2015 edition for me started soon after stopping after only 30 kilometers two years ago at the Contamines checkpoint. This race is different from others in that you need qualifying points in order to be able to enter in the draw for one of the 2300 bib-numbers. In 2014 I did not get in but for this year I did, struggling to get the points since they raised them from 7 to 8 and I did not finish the Emmona last year.
The plan was to start serious mountain training shortly after the marathon of Barcelona in March. I was in good shape at that moment, finishing under 3 hours again after a few years of not doing so. Soon after though I started to have problems with my soleus muscle in the right leg and in the end I had to stop training all together for about 2 weeks and then pick up training slowly again to not injure myself again. I started more serious training end of May and did my first mountain run mid June. From then on training went well untill two weeks before the race. At home I bumped my pinky toe of the right foot and seriously bruised it. After a few days of not even being able to walk well I went to the gym to do high intensity training without any impact on an Elliptical trainer and a Spinning bike. I did not run at all until the race started.
With the muscle cramp experience of 2 years ago in mind, the first goal was to hydrate well and get to Contamines in good shape. The race started friday 28th of august at 18h00 in the afternoon. It weather was very warm and would be so throughout the race. I waited in the shadow untill about 15 minutes before the start and then found a spot in the crowd and chatted a bit with other runners.
When we were counted down and shot away we slowly shuffled to the starting arch and would not start running until several hundred meters after that. My family had found a spot a bit more down the central street of Chamonix and cheered me on and then headed off to St. Gervais by bus. I tried to control my pace in these first easy and flat kilometers and even walked the short uphills in this part up to les Houches where the first climb starts. I drink plenty of water and start the climb this time not pushing to hard and keeping my heart rate easy and breathing not to fast. I get to the checkpoint Delevret near the top just within 2 hours and soon after start the steep descent, once again trying to go not too fast, which is hard there, since at some parts the safest way to go down is to just roll with the steep incline of the mountain. I can feel my quads complaining a bit when we finally enter St. Gervais, but by the time we get to the city centre I am feeling ok. Thanks to Jordi waving the dutch flag it was easy to spot them in the crowd and after a quick hug with the 3 of them I passed the check point here in 2h50 and then took my time to eat and drink and fill up my backpack. I took out my headlamp and after a quick talk and more hugs with my family I was on my way again, now facing the part where 2 years ago I ran into serious trouble with heavy cramps in just about all my legs muscles. This time I was able to keep a good sustained pace on the runnable parts and walking the climbs without any problems and the 10 kilometers between St. Gervais and Contamines went by in 1h40 and I entered the checkpoint with a scream of relief. My family had just arrived and I ate some soup and fruit and then joined them. After a short while I went to fill my water reserves for the long climb and long downhill to come. After passing through the checkpoint area I talked a bit more and then after hugs and good night wishes I continued. I expected Notre Dame de la Gorge to be a checkpoint, so when we passed through Contamines-le Joie, without any checks only good music and a nice ambience I still was waiting for that village to come. After climbing way to long I guessed that maybe I was on my way to la Balme already and indeed, almost two hours later I passed this checkpoint, filled up some water and quickly continued. Next was Col de la Bonhomme (2441m) one of the 4 high passes in the race. The path up is quite ok, many short parts of rocks with stony paths in between, all going up steep. Without any problems I arrived at the top. The first "marathon" I did in about 8 hours, 1 hour faster than I expected without too much effort.
After walking some 10 minutes of the downhill I started to run wherever I could. From time to time I bumped into stones what was very painful for my still sensitive pinky toe on the right foot, but it seemed like it was holding out quite well. The last part to les Chapieux is a really nice wide downhill path with soft grass and with the moonlight overhead this was one of those unique moments that makes ultras very much worthwhile to do. I arrived at this checkpoint after about 9 hours and after more soup and fruit and drinking Coca Cola I filled up my waterbag as much as I could since the next part was going to take a long time.
Col de la Seigne. The approach is easy on a slowly climbing asphalt road where I walk along with a french runner Hervé. And then we take a right up to a mountain path and start the steep climb towards the second of the high passes. Here I start to feel the first signs of fatigue and after about 3 quarters of the climb in stead of leading the climb of a group I start trailing and once at the top Hervé quickly changes into the downhill run while I take a while to recover from the climb and preparing for the next climb that will come up shortly.
The next pass is called Col des Piramides Calcaires and the first part is very wet and muddy. About half way the terrain changes into rocks, just rocks, hardly any path to see, and for my the pinky toe on my right foot this was no fun. Here it was also considerably colder than before and I put on gloves and pull a buff over my head to stay warm.
The way down is pretty much the same and I can hardly run here in order to not hurt my toe. Slowly but surely the sun is making its appearance, not yet visible but there is light enough to switch of the headlamp and then we get a first glimpse of the Lac Combal valley, which is really beautiful. The last kilometer down the checkpoint is easy arriving after 13h36 and I tried to make it a short stop, since here we are only one climb and long and at the end steep downhil away from Courmayeur the next big aid station where I will meet my family again. Away go the gloves and buff again and out comes the hat preparing for the sun to come out.
Though we have some 2 kilometers of really flat road here I take it easy and walk most of the time expecting the climb up to be steep and indeed the first part is very steep before turning into a more easy to climb path winding through a grassy mountain slope with cows here and there. At this point a helicopter is flying over from time to time to make pictures of one of the trademark parts of the race, checkpoint "Arrete du Mont-Favre". At the highest point you are just in front of the italian face of the Mont Blanc, really different from the Chamonix part. A volunteer kindly takes pictures of any runner that wants so.
The next part has many creek-crossings but apart from that is rather easy to walk and run. I try to save energy but I feel like I am progressing much more slowly than I hoped for. About 45 minutes after the last check point I arrive at Col Chécrouit, where I stop very briefly and then start the steep run down to Courmayeur. It is one of those path where you have to run, since it is to steep to walk in most parts. Very tricky with many turns, stones and roots make the path very irregular and creating many jump downs of 50 centimeters and also stairs made with wooden beams. Finally down we soon enter Courmayeur and all of a sudden I run into my wife Montse who wandered around to take pictures. Together we continue to the sportscenter where I pass the checkpoint, pick up my runners bag and enter the big hall to have my breakfast/lunch break. My family is not allowed to enter all together so they alternate coming in and spending some time with me. Courmayeur is almost half way, it is 11h15 when I enter here and I am 17h15 into the race now, and I wanted to have more margin with respect to the cut-off time here, 13h00. After about 30 minutes I put on my backpack again and after hugs and kisses to my family I head of to the climb to Refugio Bertone. The sun is out in full force now and the steep climb is a very hot one too. From time to time I slow down or stop here to keep my heart rate and temperature within reasonable limits and actually this climb goes very well arriving at the checkpoint at 13h00 and 19h00 into the race. This is more or less half way, so the second marathon I did in 11h.
No time to rest here, so soon I am on my way again to Refugio Bonatti along what is supposed to be a runnable path. But partly because I am tired and partly because the path goes up and down all the time and is not quite as runnable as I thought I walk most of the time. It takes a long time apparently to get to that next checkpoint and I finally do so after almost 2 hours, with the sun beating down and feeling tired. The downhill to Arnuva first goes up and down and up some more and down and up even more before we really start the descent to this little town. Here I run, since it is rather steep and like before, running is more comfortable than walking here. Just passed 16h00 I arrive at this checkpoint and I am tired and know that next up is a long climb to the highest point of the race, Col du Ferret. Going up I have to stop quite a few times to put on or take off my windstopper. It is still very warm but from time to time the wind picks up giving me cold chills. After a first part of wide zig-zags going up we go left and after a while we can see the checkpoint that is set up at the highest point. Tired, but happy that this one is done I arrive here at 18h00.
The downhill is runnable, but I feel more and more tired and walk a lot. After passing through la Peule the path becomes technical and sometimes slippery. Once again on the race profile this part looks like a downhill but it goes up and down quite a bit. Already near la Fouly the path becomes more runnable and I have regained some energy to actually do so. The final approach to la Fouly is flat, slightly downhill, here I run and walk until we finally get to the aid station around 20h. I sit down and I am starting to feel sore and really tired now. I send a message to my family and after the eating and drinking prepare to leave again. Soon it is dark again and I struggle to find any rhythm. Supposedly this part is runnable, and indeed quite a few other runners do so, but I can only walk. After what feels like a long time we arrive at the next village, Praz de Fort and soon after Issert. We can see the lights of Champex-Lac, high up in the mountains, far away and then the uphill starts again. A steep narrow path with once again very irregular footing and what looks like very steep walls down just right of the path. Soon my legs start to hurt, most of all my left leg and I have stop and take a breather quite often. Somewhere here I start to feel that I might not finish today. The closer to the top the slower I go and the last part I am more or less limping to the aid station where my family is waiting for me. It is 0h20. The third marathon passed in 11h20. My feet hurt and most of all my left abductor is almost cramping with every step. I tell my family that I don't feel very well, but first just would rest and try to get a massage to see if that helps. The massage is extremely painfull and does not bring any relief. I eat and drink and hope I will start to feel better, but every time I stand up to try and walk a bit my body is complaining big time and after maybe an hour and with the closing time, 2h30, coming more and more near I decide to really end the race there and then.
When we get on the bus around 2h00 I actually started to feel better and for days I wonder if maybe I should have tried to continue and finish, but that is only talking. I learned important lessons and hopefully if there will be a next time I can arrange for a more solid preparation. I feel I came close, but just did not have it in me this time.
The plan was to start serious mountain training shortly after the marathon of Barcelona in March. I was in good shape at that moment, finishing under 3 hours again after a few years of not doing so. Soon after though I started to have problems with my soleus muscle in the right leg and in the end I had to stop training all together for about 2 weeks and then pick up training slowly again to not injure myself again. I started more serious training end of May and did my first mountain run mid June. From then on training went well untill two weeks before the race. At home I bumped my pinky toe of the right foot and seriously bruised it. After a few days of not even being able to walk well I went to the gym to do high intensity training without any impact on an Elliptical trainer and a Spinning bike. I did not run at all until the race started.
With the muscle cramp experience of 2 years ago in mind, the first goal was to hydrate well and get to Contamines in good shape. The race started friday 28th of august at 18h00 in the afternoon. It weather was very warm and would be so throughout the race. I waited in the shadow untill about 15 minutes before the start and then found a spot in the crowd and chatted a bit with other runners.
When we were counted down and shot away we slowly shuffled to the starting arch and would not start running until several hundred meters after that. My family had found a spot a bit more down the central street of Chamonix and cheered me on and then headed off to St. Gervais by bus. I tried to control my pace in these first easy and flat kilometers and even walked the short uphills in this part up to les Houches where the first climb starts. I drink plenty of water and start the climb this time not pushing to hard and keeping my heart rate easy and breathing not to fast. I get to the checkpoint Delevret near the top just within 2 hours and soon after start the steep descent, once again trying to go not too fast, which is hard there, since at some parts the safest way to go down is to just roll with the steep incline of the mountain. I can feel my quads complaining a bit when we finally enter St. Gervais, but by the time we get to the city centre I am feeling ok. Thanks to Jordi waving the dutch flag it was easy to spot them in the crowd and after a quick hug with the 3 of them I passed the check point here in 2h50 and then took my time to eat and drink and fill up my backpack. I took out my headlamp and after a quick talk and more hugs with my family I was on my way again, now facing the part where 2 years ago I ran into serious trouble with heavy cramps in just about all my legs muscles. This time I was able to keep a good sustained pace on the runnable parts and walking the climbs without any problems and the 10 kilometers between St. Gervais and Contamines went by in 1h40 and I entered the checkpoint with a scream of relief. My family had just arrived and I ate some soup and fruit and then joined them. After a short while I went to fill my water reserves for the long climb and long downhill to come. After passing through the checkpoint area I talked a bit more and then after hugs and good night wishes I continued. I expected Notre Dame de la Gorge to be a checkpoint, so when we passed through Contamines-le Joie, without any checks only good music and a nice ambience I still was waiting for that village to come. After climbing way to long I guessed that maybe I was on my way to la Balme already and indeed, almost two hours later I passed this checkpoint, filled up some water and quickly continued. Next was Col de la Bonhomme (2441m) one of the 4 high passes in the race. The path up is quite ok, many short parts of rocks with stony paths in between, all going up steep. Without any problems I arrived at the top. The first "marathon" I did in about 8 hours, 1 hour faster than I expected without too much effort.
After walking some 10 minutes of the downhill I started to run wherever I could. From time to time I bumped into stones what was very painful for my still sensitive pinky toe on the right foot, but it seemed like it was holding out quite well. The last part to les Chapieux is a really nice wide downhill path with soft grass and with the moonlight overhead this was one of those unique moments that makes ultras very much worthwhile to do. I arrived at this checkpoint after about 9 hours and after more soup and fruit and drinking Coca Cola I filled up my waterbag as much as I could since the next part was going to take a long time.
Col de la Seigne. The approach is easy on a slowly climbing asphalt road where I walk along with a french runner Hervé. And then we take a right up to a mountain path and start the steep climb towards the second of the high passes. Here I start to feel the first signs of fatigue and after about 3 quarters of the climb in stead of leading the climb of a group I start trailing and once at the top Hervé quickly changes into the downhill run while I take a while to recover from the climb and preparing for the next climb that will come up shortly.
The next pass is called Col des Piramides Calcaires and the first part is very wet and muddy. About half way the terrain changes into rocks, just rocks, hardly any path to see, and for my the pinky toe on my right foot this was no fun. Here it was also considerably colder than before and I put on gloves and pull a buff over my head to stay warm.
The way down is pretty much the same and I can hardly run here in order to not hurt my toe. Slowly but surely the sun is making its appearance, not yet visible but there is light enough to switch of the headlamp and then we get a first glimpse of the Lac Combal valley, which is really beautiful. The last kilometer down the checkpoint is easy arriving after 13h36 and I tried to make it a short stop, since here we are only one climb and long and at the end steep downhil away from Courmayeur the next big aid station where I will meet my family again. Away go the gloves and buff again and out comes the hat preparing for the sun to come out.
Though we have some 2 kilometers of really flat road here I take it easy and walk most of the time expecting the climb up to be steep and indeed the first part is very steep before turning into a more easy to climb path winding through a grassy mountain slope with cows here and there. At this point a helicopter is flying over from time to time to make pictures of one of the trademark parts of the race, checkpoint "Arrete du Mont-Favre". At the highest point you are just in front of the italian face of the Mont Blanc, really different from the Chamonix part. A volunteer kindly takes pictures of any runner that wants so.
The next part has many creek-crossings but apart from that is rather easy to walk and run. I try to save energy but I feel like I am progressing much more slowly than I hoped for. About 45 minutes after the last check point I arrive at Col Chécrouit, where I stop very briefly and then start the steep run down to Courmayeur. It is one of those path where you have to run, since it is to steep to walk in most parts. Very tricky with many turns, stones and roots make the path very irregular and creating many jump downs of 50 centimeters and also stairs made with wooden beams. Finally down we soon enter Courmayeur and all of a sudden I run into my wife Montse who wandered around to take pictures. Together we continue to the sportscenter where I pass the checkpoint, pick up my runners bag and enter the big hall to have my breakfast/lunch break. My family is not allowed to enter all together so they alternate coming in and spending some time with me. Courmayeur is almost half way, it is 11h15 when I enter here and I am 17h15 into the race now, and I wanted to have more margin with respect to the cut-off time here, 13h00. After about 30 minutes I put on my backpack again and after hugs and kisses to my family I head of to the climb to Refugio Bertone. The sun is out in full force now and the steep climb is a very hot one too. From time to time I slow down or stop here to keep my heart rate and temperature within reasonable limits and actually this climb goes very well arriving at the checkpoint at 13h00 and 19h00 into the race. This is more or less half way, so the second marathon I did in 11h.
No time to rest here, so soon I am on my way again to Refugio Bonatti along what is supposed to be a runnable path. But partly because I am tired and partly because the path goes up and down all the time and is not quite as runnable as I thought I walk most of the time. It takes a long time apparently to get to that next checkpoint and I finally do so after almost 2 hours, with the sun beating down and feeling tired. The downhill to Arnuva first goes up and down and up some more and down and up even more before we really start the descent to this little town. Here I run, since it is rather steep and like before, running is more comfortable than walking here. Just passed 16h00 I arrive at this checkpoint and I am tired and know that next up is a long climb to the highest point of the race, Col du Ferret. Going up I have to stop quite a few times to put on or take off my windstopper. It is still very warm but from time to time the wind picks up giving me cold chills. After a first part of wide zig-zags going up we go left and after a while we can see the checkpoint that is set up at the highest point. Tired, but happy that this one is done I arrive here at 18h00.
The downhill is runnable, but I feel more and more tired and walk a lot. After passing through la Peule the path becomes technical and sometimes slippery. Once again on the race profile this part looks like a downhill but it goes up and down quite a bit. Already near la Fouly the path becomes more runnable and I have regained some energy to actually do so. The final approach to la Fouly is flat, slightly downhill, here I run and walk until we finally get to the aid station around 20h. I sit down and I am starting to feel sore and really tired now. I send a message to my family and after the eating and drinking prepare to leave again. Soon it is dark again and I struggle to find any rhythm. Supposedly this part is runnable, and indeed quite a few other runners do so, but I can only walk. After what feels like a long time we arrive at the next village, Praz de Fort and soon after Issert. We can see the lights of Champex-Lac, high up in the mountains, far away and then the uphill starts again. A steep narrow path with once again very irregular footing and what looks like very steep walls down just right of the path. Soon my legs start to hurt, most of all my left leg and I have stop and take a breather quite often. Somewhere here I start to feel that I might not finish today. The closer to the top the slower I go and the last part I am more or less limping to the aid station where my family is waiting for me. It is 0h20. The third marathon passed in 11h20. My feet hurt and most of all my left abductor is almost cramping with every step. I tell my family that I don't feel very well, but first just would rest and try to get a massage to see if that helps. The massage is extremely painfull and does not bring any relief. I eat and drink and hope I will start to feel better, but every time I stand up to try and walk a bit my body is complaining big time and after maybe an hour and with the closing time, 2h30, coming more and more near I decide to really end the race there and then.
When we get on the bus around 2h00 I actually started to feel better and for days I wonder if maybe I should have tried to continue and finish, but that is only talking. I learned important lessons and hopefully if there will be a next time I can arrange for a more solid preparation. I feel I came close, but just did not have it in me this time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)