Day -5 to the 80Km of the MontBlanc
What did I get myself into? A month ago, I was happily
running down the North Downs Way catching some "hills" without a care
in the world of the distance and elevation I was logging. I was just another
free spirit having a bit of fun, insouciant of the challenge that I am about to
face in 5 days time...
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| Insouciance on the trail |
Was time taken to ponder? Again, that would depend on what I
was supposed to pounder on and well, for how long.
Was I supposed to reflect first on how much experience I needed to start the race? The super physical attributes to
finish it? Or instead on the different sets of emotion that a run gives to us
all no matter the distance, elevation or terrain? Or something else?
Because, well... I didn't think of any of that. Mick (my husband) and I had just returned from Madeira Island (Ultra Trail) and were still hyped from the beauty of the trail and the whole racing experience.
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| Madeira UltraTrail |
Mick mentioned that it was a shame that we couldn't do
the Mont Blanc race together because it would have been as beautiful as this
one and that well, I could have done it, it’s just a BIG hike.
Mick had entered the race way back when it was first
announced. Back then, I was still recovering from the traumatic experience of
running a first marathon (Beauty and The Beast), hence there was NO way I would
have considered doing double the distance and quadruple the elevation. Who
would have thought that 1 marathon (Steyning Stinger) and 1 ultra (CTS Exmoor)
later, I would wish I had entered too?
This wish should have been just that, a wish, one you make because you know deep down it is crazy and so it can never become reality and you will never have to face any consequences.
But this wish,...became reality. 30 places got freed up, and
one was for me. And now, I am facing a reality that I could have only imagined
in my wildest dream...actually I don’t even think I would have ever dreamt of
it...
So 2 marathons non-stop, add 6000 m of ascent and you get an
epic journey that many dream of.
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| Teaser Mont Blanc |
I should be grateful; I should be training my legs off,
doing cardio and all and be committed to this.I should be like Mick, studying
the profile, the maps, doing hills repeats, getting upset when training don’t
go to plan, right? Well, no ,I have been going with the motion of whatever Mick
is doing during the weekend..a long run,a bit of core exercises and moaning
that there are not many hills... and now, you think: Gosh, this one is crazy,
what is she thinking?!
And well, you might be right; the decision to enter this
race was made just from feeling an excitement of being on a trail with loads of
ascent and barely any flat.
That’s it: no care in the world for the unknown of fatigue,
hurt, up,lows of an ultra but just the ups and downs of a Mont.
So when I'll face the unknown, what will I try to do? Run
for it until it becomes a familiarity as "the bane of the unknown is no
whit less than the bane of freedom".
