Royal Raid 80 Mauritius

Our first race of our 3 months running holiday. On paper, it looked ideal, running across a national park, discovering that Mauritius is not as flat as advertised.

We had 4 days prior to the race to get used to running under the hot sun and humid temperatures, not very easy after the British winter! What a nice surprise thou, our hotel (hotel Tamarin) is literally at the start of another race Dodo Trail and la Tourelle du Tamarin, a nice little peek with 600m of ascent from the beach overlooking the west of Mauritius.

Tamarin

So even without planning, we ended up having a nice little training route every morning and also discover some of the best trails of Mauritius in the Black River National Park.

The night before the race was awful, I just can't sleep!!! Very frustrating when you know you are about to run for a loooonnnng time early morning. Luckily at the start, we had some local dancers motivating runners with their dance and music.

Warm welcome!

The race starts by crossing sugar can fields to join the national park, it's early morning, sunrise is at 7 am and my headlamp is SHIT!!! But at least Michael was running with me and a few runners with their super strong headlamps illuminating like a street lamp were all around us.

My energy level was low until sunrise. This realisation scared me a little as if you are running ultras starting at night...and you are super slow for the first 8 hours...I wouldn't make the cut off ...I'll have to find a way to tackle this for the Mitic!!!

The sunrise is beautiful across the Yemen National park, the ascents and descents are easy on the legs and the eyes: taking in the surroundings. But I'm struggling to follow Mick which puts me in a terrible mood...after 21km Mick think that I may be putting too much pressure on myself and decide to let me be by running faster, disappearing in the savanna. I don't tell him then, but I'm grateful, running someone else tempo is hard work! I carry on solo and enjoy the scenery so much so I twist my ankle quite badly...but I don't want to stop, I want to reach the trail we've done together 2 days ago where the view and ascent is even better!

The checkpoint with food is not too far, so I wobble till there thinking I'll find comfort foods...how wrong! So used to the UK food feast, I expected to see cake, chips, chocolate, gels or something...but instead we are rewarded with bananas, oranges and sultanas...a bowl of salt and one of sugar...not quite what I was looking for, but heho at least I won't be running on a heavy stomach! Putting some sugar in my bladder, I carry on till the next checkpoint. Note to myself: do check beforehand that what you think is sugar IS sugar and not salt...this is going to be a long day...

Black River Ridge

 Reaching the road leading to the parking of the Black River National Park, there we have a nice ascent to the Machabee View Point, I am happy; this is the part Mick and I had reece a few days before, from there we are half way. The ascent is beautiful; the weather as well as there is a bit of refreshing rain under the hot temperature.

Reaching Jet Ranch where hot food is available, the welcome from strangers is warmer than the soup I gulp, not wasting too much time I carry on to the next fun part, Parakeet Trail! A 5km climb with 600m of ascent. Ankle is bothering and I feel I have a rock in the sock, but so worried to not make the cut-off time I just carry on.

Start of the Parakeet trail

At the top of the climb, I decide to take off my shoe to get the rocks out...nothing is coming out of the sock or shoe, but I can feel something in the damn shoe, I must be going mad! A bit frustrated to still get oranges and bananas when  all I want is solid food, I get up and run down to Bel Ombre; there is not much left to run another 12km apparently. It's funny thou, I get 4 different versions of how much kilometres there is left or descent from the runners I pass. haha.

Reaching the final sugar can field, I'm happy, I am ahead of the 12hours time we thought we would take. Thinking of Mick waiting for me, I run even a bit faster on the road leading to the Tamassa Hotel our final stop. For sure Mauritius has some very nice places to run, one week is not enough, 1 race either, we promised to come back and see more! Who's coming? 

PS: the rock in the shoe turned out to be a blister the size of 20 roupies, a nice souvenir from Mauritius ;)