Written by Michael Carraz - http://mickrunningliving.blogspot.ie
It's 6am and I am standing on the start line right beside Francois D'Haene, winner of the UTMB 2012 and recent winner of the 80km du Mont Blanc. I am surprised to see him so relax and chatting with a few runners and trying to ignore the 45 pairs of eyes on him.
It's a small crowd. I like it because it feels convivial and has a very familial atmosphere. Everyone is chit chatting with a fellow runner and getting ready to tackle the 63k and 4100m of ascent lying in front of us.
The race is a point to point course. We are starting from Bourg d'Oisans and finishing in Saint Sorlin d'Arves ski resort. We all know that the start will be tough as we are climbing 2000m in the first climb after a short 3k warm up on the flat.
The start is pretty fast and I go out quickly too. Firstly, I want to run with Francois even if it's just for a few mins and more importantly I have decided to go hard, determined to get a top 10 position at the end of the day.
On the first 3k I stayed within top 10 but it's going fast - seems like everybody has decided to go out hard.
When we reached the start of the 1st climb to L'Alpes d'Huez, that's when the carnage begins. We are climbing pretty steep gradients and pretty much everybody keeps running. As I start power hiking I get passed by a dozen runners. I am tempted to follow some of them mostly because I am thinking (obsessed would be a better word) about the top 10 but then I remind myself that it is a long journey and following them would be suicidal - quite frankly I don't think I could have ran like this on this climb even if have wanted to.
I tell myself that if these guys can run those hills and keep going strong thereafter then there is no way I will see them again and can definitely kiss goodbye the top 10.
As I reached the 1st aid station and check point I get told that I am in 19th position. I move on pretty quickly and pass l'Alpes d'Huez to go in direction to the top of le Col du Lac Blanc. During the ascent I talk with a guy and time start flying by. We are passing up a few guys who totally blew up and look like they are about to get a cardiac arrest. I almost want to make a comment and tell them they started too fast and should have not sprinted this damn first climb but refrain myself of doing so - after all everybody is free of managing the race the way they want.
Once we reach the top (2nd checkpoint and aid station) I stop to refill my water an eat some food. A woman tells me I am 16th.
As we start the descent to the lakes, I am bouncing from one rock to another and feel really good - not good as doing well but feeling happy. You know this moment when you look around and everything is so pretty, the sun warms your body but you are not too hot and your legs moves effortlessly along rough path. I know it's not going to last so I enjoy every moment and try to memorise how I feel so that I can recall this memory later in the race when inevitably I will feel like crap.
During the first part of the descent I pass a few people who looked really awkward on this rocky section - as we lose elevation, the terrain change from mostly rocks to mostly grass. I catch up with a guy (I will find out later that his name is Nicolas) and decide to stalk him as he is moving well, plus I am tired of looking for course markers. And obviously, not even 10 minutes of sitting on his shoulder we are off course. We stop, look around and hypothesise on where we saw the last course marker. Nicolas thinks that it's fine to carry out this way (although it is clearly not the course) as he believes it's going int the right direction. I continue few hundred meters with him believing - or wanting to believe - he knows what he is doing. When I realise he has no clue I decide to stop the bleeding right there and go back to where we last saw the course markers. Nicolas does not object - I finally see the rivers that the 2 guys at the checkpoint said we would have to cross and find a way to cut through so that we join back the way without having to climb back to the original point. In the end, this detour probably did not costs us more than 10 minutes.
The following 20k is pretty eventless as we go along a series of lakes except for the fact that my mum was supposed to meet me 5k ago to give me some energy bars. I have the strange feelings that she missed me as she was climbing the other side and did not make it on time and I stupidly took only one cliff bar and one gel with me. I am about to run out - a bite away from having no food. I am glad I have Nicolas with me as he is really pushing to run everything.
After the lakes we go on to climb le Col du Glandon. A photograph let us know that we are respectively in 10th and 11th position. Nicolas looks around and says the ranking won't change as we can see that the runners ahead are about 10 mins away and same thing for the one behinds. It strikes me that the field have not stretched that much after 40k. Done deal? I am not that sure. I still feel alright and there is still 24k with a long big climbs and a long descent.
After we passed le col du Glandon I start charging le col de la Croix de Fer and for the first time stop stalking Nicolas and take the lead. He is really struggling and I open a small gap. Soon enough we arrive at the aid station - I am glad as I have ran out of food a long time ago and am about to run out of water. While I refill my water and get some food, Nicolas barely breaks stride and carry on just after drinking a glass of coke.
I don't know whether it's the food or the support from the people at the aid station (who informed me that there are 3 runners who left the station 5 minutes ago) but I left the checkpoint re-invigorated and with the intent to work hard before starting the last descent.
I first rally Nicolas who is still struggling and then move onto getting closer and closer from the other 3 runners. Two of them have really slowed down and it's not long before I join them. After another 2k or so I finally catch up with the last competitor just before the turn around point au pied du glacier.
It's finally the last long descent to the finish line and I let the wheel off. My legs are not trashed and I let go.
A small crowd is gathered at the finish line and the first thing I think of when I crossed the finish line is about how much food they have. I am starving :)
I had such a good day. The organisation was second to none and the people made this event such a delight that I will have to go back.
Position scratch: 7th
Time: 9h07mins
