Tag Archives: utmb

Let the games begin…….in Thailand!

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So as I mentioned in my last blog post (which seems like a long time ago now), I am more than very keen (for that read maniacally desperate) to try to enter a small portion (OCC) of the UTMB next year. In order to do so, I have to pick up what are called “running stones”, and these can only be collected if you compete (and indeed complete) one of the 30 or so worldwide qualifying events. Without this you cannot even enter the lottery for UTMB for next year. So having looked at what was still left in the calendar, I found that there were only three to choose from…

And the three that were left before the deadline closes were in Hong Kong, Australia and Thailand. All quite a long way from the English Lake District! I decided not to be deterred! Hong Kong however was sold out, and so that left two. Australia seemed like a very long way to go for one running event, and so I was left with only one choice. Thailand or bust!! So after a few frustrating attempts to get registered via the UTMB website and then the Doi Inthanon one (the name of the event in Thailand in early December), I managed to finally get approved and accepted. So I’m in!!

There are actually four events happening in Thailand on the weekend of the 8th/9th December. I’ve chosen one which most closely matches to the event I wish to do next summer, as this should give me the requisite number of running stones I hope. If not then it is a long way to go and a lot of money for nothing!

The event itself, a 55km ultramarathon, looks amazing. Set on the fringes of the jungle around Chiang Mai, in the northern part of mainland Thailand, the event centres around Doi Inthanon, which at around 8,500 feet is the highest mountain in the country. The run has around 3,000m of ascent (and a corresponding amount of descent) and so is going to be brutal. Add to this the mountain terrain, coupled with jungle, probably leeches and other nasties, and it is going to be hard work for sure. Oh and of course this is Thailand, and so it will be about 30 degrees C with about 85% humidity. I hate the heat and start to overcook when it gets about about 15 degrees 😳.

Also the event is one of only three worldwide UTMB World Series Events, and it actually carries double running stones. This means it will be very competitive, and attracts some of the world’s best athletes. And also very busy, as I believe there are over 5,000 participants taking part. 

So what am I doing there you might ask! Well I am certainly not trying to be competitive. Firstly I have never tried to run a 55km event before. Secondly I haven’t trained for it, and then there is the aforementioned heat. Let’s also add to this the fact that two and a half weeks ago I managed to break a toe, stubbing it on the wall coming out of the bathroom. So I haven’t even managed to wear proper shoes for the last two weeks or walk properly, so you can imagine what that has done for my prospects of even being on the starting line. My flight leaves in 11 days!!!

All I want to do though is get round. There is what I would normally consider a generous cut off time of 14 hours. In normal circumstances, even with the heat and the ascent, I’d be confident that I could speed walk 55km in that cut off time. But this is not normal. For one if I knock my broken toe on anything at all I’m out, good and proper. Also the heat and humidity will be crazy, and there is a lot riding on this, i.e. the UTMB itself. I have to finish, even if it is in 13 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. So that’s the aim. 

The hotel is booked, the flights are booked, the time off work is arranged. I’ve even signed up for a 5k mini event on the mountain the day before. Why, because it is there, and I want to be part of it all and take it all in!

If nothing else, it is going to be the most amazing adventure, and almost like nothing I have ever done before. Cross fingers for me that my toe at least holds up enough for me to get round. Drugs will help!

Bring it on…….☺️

The Ultra Tour du Motivation…..

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I have threatened to write a new blog post now for the longest time. Three years in fact. Maybe four. I last threatened to do so when going to Everest Base Camp last year, but even that didn’t apparently inspire me enough, although I did have a dabble at one. Blogging takes time, quite a lot of it in fact, brain apace, sometimes research, and it also takes motivation in spades. Without these coinciding, it’ll never make (my) airwaves.

I used to really love doing my blog posts too. I’ve done (I counted them as I’m a bit sad like that) around 300 of them over the years and got a lot of views and some great feedback. I don’t do it for the likes though, it is just really a personal diary. It’s for me, and I look back from time to time at the really memorable ones. Like when I flew back from Bolivia over the Rio Grande and marvelled at the wonder of it all. I still marvel a lot, in fact.

And so now, here I am, writing a new blog post, and so you might be curious as to why? Well the answer lies in a few factors which I will set out below, but the main protagonist here is clear and simple. UTMB. Yes, you heard that right. 

Maybe, just maybe……

For those who don’t know, UTMB stands for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. The world’s (probably) most famous and prestigious trail run. It is a circumnavigation of Western Europe’s highest mountain, going through France, Italy and Switzerland, is about 178km long, and covers about 34,000 feet of climbing. Not for the faint hearted you might say, and before anyone (and especially those who know me) tell me I have finally gone completely and utterly gaga, I’m not even dreaming about it (actually that’s not true, I won’t ever NOT dream about it). I am however seriously, after some hard soul searching, setting my sights on the mini version thereof, called OCC, part of the UTMB finals, and over what is basically 1/3 of the (final section) UTMB course. Yes indeed. 

So onto the why then. Well, there are a lot of reasons, but the main one is that for the last few years, and particularly since I moved to the Lake District, the whole trail running world has totally captivated me. And although I’ve never been a fell/trail runner, and am particularly indisposed to it in fact, I love it. With a passion. Last year I watched live on some dodgy YouTube feed almost every single minute of Killian Journet’s record breaking win of UTMB in 19 hours and 49 minutes. It was breathtaking. I was punching the air with delight, hardly breathing at times.

Beating the 20 hour mark had stood as a target that many thought would never be beaten. It was the pinnacle of human endeavour, and I totally idolise Killian Journet, so even more fitting that it should be him who broke the record. It was one of those things like the two hour marathon or the four minute mile that people thought couldn’t be beaten. It’s his fourth UTMB win, and of course his Eiger and Everest and other mountain feats are stuff of legends too. He is a god to me, pure and simple. I watched this years too of course. Fervently. I was delighted for Jim Walmsley who having given up the last two years of his life to live in Chamonix, has become the first American to win the race. He’s conquered everything else, and deserves his success, even though Killian wasn’t there this year, injured.

If I actually trace the inception of my love for all things UTMB back, the seed itself for this was actually sown four years ago. I was in Chamonix for a week training for the New York Marathon, with my then other half, and now good friend, Mel. In the middle of the week, on a non running day, we walked the stunningly beautiful Balcon du Sud from just north of Argentière, up to Flégère, and down into Chamonix. On our way down, we passed some trail runners and I remember saying at the time words to the effect of “I’d give my left arm to do that”.

Lac Blanc, just off the Balcon du Sud

What I didn’t know at the time, was that section is part of the UTMB itself, the final 7km of every trail runner’s dream. The part where since I have watched Killian Journet, and Jim Walmsley, and Courtney Dauwalter, and Katie Schide, run to glory, with people in Chamonix screaming in exultation, and me looking on at a YouTube feed thinking “I want to be them”. 

Well I can’t ever be those people, and I know that. I also could never, especially now in my advancing years, be fit enough to complete UTMB. That’s for the hardcore and serious athletes. There are two cut down versions though, the CCC, which is 105km and about 7,000m of climbing, and the OCC, officially 57km and 3,942m of ascent. The latter, if I train and train and train and train, is I think possible. OCC by the way stands for Orsières-Champex-Chamonix, the final part of the main event. I’ve done two Ultras of longer, both 75km, albeit with less climbing (around 2,700m), and so I’m not completely overwhelmed by the magnitude, but I do know that this will be a massive level tougher, with monster climbs and cut off times to probably defeat all those who aren’t absolutely at the top of their capabilities and fitness on the day.

I have of late, read and watched many a YouTube video on OCC and the whole finals week at UTMB. It is jaw dropping. There is also a little problem facing me though here. Having read and watched the tributes and the dissections of the athletes, all will say the same thing – there is only one thing harder than actually completing such a gruelling event, and that is getting a place on the starting line in the first place. 

Firstly only 1,200 people are allowed to start OCC. They cover this by a ballot, and to be able to even enter the ballot you need two things, both very hard to achieve. The first is called a UTMB Index, which means you need a ranking having taken part in one of the worldwide qualifying events. Secondly you need at least one Running Stone, achieved by completing one of only 37 different events in the two years up to the OCC itself. There is only one of these events in the UK, and many of the others are both a very long way away and also just as hard to enrol for as UTMB itself. But I’m not letting that put me off!

The journey therefore starts here. Last night, having finished work for the week, I decided to book myself a flight to Chamonix for the weekend, where I sit now writing this, albeit with a glass of wine currently. It’s probably my tenth time here I’d say. I’m going to have a mooch around, breathe in the air, go into a few trail running shops, and then get the cablecar up to Flegère. From there I’ll walk (maybe even lightly jog, who knows, my trail running shoes will be on) down to Chamonix, and listen to the voices in my head calling out at me to do this for real. The voices are strong, they got me to write this blog in fact, and I know, just know, that this will be the first of many blog posts on this subject. 

The journey doesn’t start here. It has already begun. Santé!

So will I be there or not???

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If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in all of my 58 years that is not to take anything for granted. Or anyone for that matter, probably even more importantly. And so also liking to be prepared (whenever I can be) I took the opportunity many months back when booking for Berlin to also book the travel over there. 

The starting line for Berlin

The package I bought to Berlin (through an International Tour Operator, practically the only way to get in and guarantee doing so) covers the hotel and the event only, so I had to make sure I got flights to coincide. So not wanting to end up being frazzled with the stress, hassle and seemingly-impossible-to-fathom baggage allowances of the budget airlines, I went for British Airways. They are ‘reassuringly expensive’, especially when you treat yourself to Business Class for the return journey!

And so fast forward to the here and now, which is week 15 of the 18 week programme, and I am in the final throes (hopefully!) of my preparations for the event on the 25th of this month. And then I get an email from British Airways, which I very nearly didn’t open as I thought it was just a general mailer. It said that due to the capacity problems at Heathrow that a number of flights had had to be cancelled, and that mine was one. They gave me a refund, thankfully, but that isn’t the issue. The issue quickly became how to find another flight!

After an extensive search, it quickly became clear that two things were true. Firstly I wasn’t going to be able to get a BA flight out of practically anywhere to Berlin. Boo boo I hear you say. But worse, every budget airline seemed to be booked too, or just not to coincide with the trip as they had multiple connections and took about 20 hours to get there, via strange and far flung places. Berlin is no doubt a popular destination (anyway) and with the marathon and also Oktoberfest in Munich seemingly taking most of the airlines’ capacity for late September, I was almost fearing I would have to drive, which from the Lake District would no doubt take two days! 

Cut a long story short I did eventually find a flight with EasyJet. It have to go to Scotland to get it, but at least it gets me there. Cost me more than BA too in the end, but by that time I didn’t care, I was glad to get a flight at all. Hopefully they don’t cancel on me too, as we are now a matter of 22 days away!!

So onto the running then. Well this week should be the highest weekly mileage of them all (58), before tapering starts. Tomorrow should be a 16 miler following a number of long runs (two 12s at pace so far for example). However my running hasn’t been good, or my heart rate hasn’t. The last two runs have seen a significantly elevated heart rate of over 13bpm more than equivalent runs the week before. Runs which should be easy have been at threshold, and that is counterproductive. A friend noticed and put onto my Strava feed “maybe you should take a rest”. Resting is however the last thing the training programme demands at this critical stage. 

So we will see. I’ll see how the day goes (more of that for another reason in another post…..) and then see what I can do tomorrow. 

My various social media feeds meanwhile fill with lots of tantalising things about the Berlin Marathon. Everyone is in the same boat as far as final running and travel preparations, getting ready for the expo, making plans for final kit. I went and bought myself a new running vest (temperatures look warm for the day as it stands), new shorts, a flipbelt and a bunch of fancy (read expensive!) gels this week – why not!!

Amongst other things this last week or so I also watched with significant and excited interest the live stream of the UTMB, the world’s most prestigious ultramarathon. It is over 170km long and has over 33,000 feet of climbing. And no, I’ll never ever be worthy of even dreaming about taking part! The race was won in a staggering 19 hours and 49 minutes, by the greatest endurance athlete of all time, Kilian Jornet. One of the athletes that I follow very closely on You Tube, Ben Parkes, himself a 2:25 marathoner and very experienced ultramarathoner too, was hoping with great excitement to finish his very first UTMB in around 40 hours, but had a bad fall and hurt his knee in the first 20 miles and had to withdraw. He was so upset after literally years of preparation and no doubt vast expense. Bummer!

The UTMB in Chamonix – one of my favourite places on the planet to!

I think I ran over 200 miles in August alone. If I can just get through the last few weeks and also have no more travel or other disruptions, then fingers crossed I’ll be at least on the starting line. 

But take nothing, anything, for granted. Just ask Ben Parkes! More next week, including hopefully of course, the Great North Run! 8 exciting days to go…….

Week 3 – bye bye Chamonix, it’s been a blast!

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And so week 3 of marathon training came to an end with a mixture of unbridled joy and also some potential despair and trepidation. The joy came not from the running per se (there’s definitely another word other than joy to describe it at times!!) but from the time that Melanie and I had in our nine days in Chamonix, culminating in a paragliding adventure. The despair and trepidation came from a twisted ankle for Melanie, which happened on the penultimate day…..

Week 3 was all spent (on holiday 🙂 ) in Chamonix in the French Alps. To those who don’t know it, Chamonix is a small town/commune in the Haute-Savoie region of the Rhone-Alps. It has an incredible history in terms of mountaineering and skiing, and was the host of the very first Winter Olympics in 1924. Home to around 9,000 residents, it is a ‘proper’ French town (as opposed to a purpose built resort) and has a history of agriculture as well as tourism. It is situated in a glacial valley at 1,035m (3,400 feet), and is dominated by the incredibly majestic mountains which surround it, the highest in Western Europe, and they themselves topped by the highest of them all, the mighty Mont Blanc.

Very much visible from the town itself, Mont Blanc sits like a slumbering giant directly above it, and rises 4,808m (15,774 feet) above sea level. Straddling the border of France and Italy, it was first climbed in 1786 by local doctors and alpinists Michel Paccard and Jacques Balmat, following the offering of a prize by the local mayor, and this is acknowledged as the date of the beginning of modern mountaineering. A statue of the two gentlemen sits in the town square and is a very popular ‘Kodak moment’ spot, the finger of one of them pointing towards the mountain, it’s elusive summit often shrouded in clouds rolling in to top up the permanent snow and ice which sit on top.

One of the statues in Chamonix looking up to the dominant features of the Mont Blanc massif

I’ve visited Chamonix on five previous occasions, twice to attempt (unsuccessfully, due to weather each time) to climb Mont Blanc, and the others just to enjoy the surrounding mountains and countryside (the latter word does it such an injustice). It is the ideal, and in my view best, base for mountain adventure, with around 200 miles or so of mountain paths and walks, many used in the Tour du Mont Blanc and the notorious Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, widely regarded (perhaps ranking just behind the Marathon Des Sables) as the most prestigious ultra marathon on the planet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-Trail_du_Mont-Blanc. The race itself is over 171km of arduous mountain trails spanning three countries (Italy and Switzerland as well as France), and has over 10,000m (33,000 feet) of climbing involved!

On one of our walks up to the Albert 1er Refuge by the Glacier du Tour, Mont Blanc and Chamonix itself in the valley far below in the distance.
Enjoying ourselves up on the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842m, views into Switzerland behind us.
Enjoying some of the local beer from a mountain restaurant at Brevent on the Balcony du Sud – it would be rude not to!
At the stunning Mer de Glace glacier, also known as Le Vallee Blanche, one of four main glaciers which flow into the Chamonix valley, this one 14 kilometres long……
…..which we got to go inside! Yes you can go into an ice grotto, tunnelled into a 14km long glacier – fabulous!
Melanie on the stunning Balcony du Sud, heading towards Lac Blanc above Argentiere, probably the prettiest walk I’ve ever done.
And part of Lac Blanc itself, a truly beautiful and amazing place of great tranquility and majestic views.
Life can’t get much better than moments like this – I cannot even describe to you how good this all tasted 🙂

Anyway – onto the week itself, it was all going so well! The mornings in Chamonix, even when the weather is a lovely 21/22C during the day, falls to around 7 or 8 degrees overnight. We thus did almost all of our runs early in the day, so that firstly they were bearable (especially after last week’s 37 degrees in the Uk we were looking for something much cooler, and it was wonderful), and also so that we had the rest of our days free to explore, or chill (although little chilling was actually done, as we didn’t want to waste a moment here).

We had four runs of 5 miles each before the final day, two at tempo pace (roughly 9m/mile for us) and two of intervals, one hills, one 90 second sprints. All were great, until the last tempo run on the Saturday, post paragliding. Early in the run, Melanie rolled over on her ankle trying to circumnavigate a lot of market stalls to get to our usual and beautiful route along the River Arve, which flows its glacial and glassy meltwater at sometimes alarming rates down the valley. She said it was ok at the time, and carried on the run just fine, but later that day she was limping and had to put ice on it to stop swelling and bruising. Not good with a half marathon scheduled for the next morning….

Flying high above Chamonix, having jumped from Plan Praz at 2,000m…..
And yes, those knuckles are quite white!!

And so to the Sunday morning, which as it was also the day we were due to fly home, and we wanted to have a nice indulgent lunch before we went, we’d aimed to get the run done at 7am. Upon getting up however (or actually as it turned out not getting up at all), Melanie was clearly not fit to run. She urged me to go, although I was in several minds as to whether I should or shouldn’t. In the end I did, and the run was cool, with stunning cloudless skies, and despite the fact that (due to Chamonix’s position in the valley that runs up and down) there was rather more uphill than I would ever have liked over such a distance (almost six miles continually uphill for example) it went great, and I felt good, even if I did spend almost the whole run worrying about whether her injury would have significant consequences for New York.

So with that 13 miles (I had to do the .1 too of course to make it a proper half marathon!) that made 34 miles for the week, another personal record for me. So far though (and Melanie within a day or so had recovered too which was the main worry for us both) all is good and on track, but it is only week 3 of 16, and it shows you how easily you can all of a sudden find yourself with an injury problem and out of action.

So this week I can only say has been an incredible adventure. A beautiful holiday, with fabulous weather, and full of fabulous memories in the most idyllic location. If I lived in Chamonix I’d be out running every morning just to experience the air, and the stupendous beauty of the finest playground that nature has to offer. Melanie loved it, her first time here, and it has also given her (and me) an appetite for trail running too. Maybe that’s for another time though………:)

Next week it is 39 miles, with a 15 mile run on the Sunday – and with no Chamonix to run in, that’s going to be hard. It is getting serious now…