As we started to run I felt my lungs so heavy and I had,
since the day before, a stitch that didn’t want to go away (I probably strained
my diaphragm or an intercostal muscle during the event the night before with
the asthma attack). The air was so humid that I could not push hard and it was
climbing and climbing and climbing.
I had as a strategy to aim for the aid stations breaking down
the distances in more manageable tasks. The first one was a little before what
was expected but hey I wasn’t going to complain as I was short in water
already. I had left with one liter and clearly needed to refill already after
9+km only.
I kept on going at a very slow pace in that very technical
terrain and made it to the second aid station that was over a km off further
than expected, totally dehydrated again. 19km done and 3L of water/nuun later
and a few gels and I was on my way again after over 3h30 hours of suffering
through the heat. I was putputting away when a girl passed me and said we had
to hurry cause we were not going to make the cutoff. What??? A cutoff? I won’t
make a cutoff?
I realised that our pace was barely 5.5km/h. we were at 20-21km
in about 4h and we had about 6km to the next aid station where the cut off was
at 5h after start.
On the way I saw a girl taking a face plant and stopped and
stayed with her for a bit to make sure she was ok to continue then I tried to
push it harder to make the cut off.
By then the temperature started to warm up and the humidity
to decrease so I could start pushing a little more. I made the cut off with
15min to spare but I stopped too long there. I left the transition with the
girl who told me about the cut off and thought we could do a way together but
soon I realised she had given a lot to make the cut off and was going to slow
down a lot so I took off.
It was a massive climb from there on and the 10km race was
going that way which mean that the mud fest was just awful after all those
racers going through.
I climbed well and passed many people but got passed back by
a few later on in the descent where I kept wiping out on mud patches.
I was very relieved to see the gravel road and the signs to
the finish after 7h of racing.
I could not believe that it took me 7h to do 36km. I ran my
50km in Utah in 6h20 and my 60km Ultimate xc which is a hard and technical race
in 8h36. This didn’t make sense. My toes and body in general were bruised and
sore. My diaphragm was hurting (I used the puffer once on Saturday morning and
once during the race). I was not sure I would take the start the next morning.
I was feeling so rough.
Celine from our group was in 2nd place in the
women at the time and decided to not race the third day after wiping out and
cutting her knee. Dave our awesome strong coach had stopped at the second aid
station on the 36km due to trouble with humidity.
The next morning I learnt that a few more people wouldn’t
start the day. I went to the physio tent and she tapped my ribs/intercostal
muscles that were hurting more and more.
This was Sunday morning and this time we would be running
21km with the people who did the 10km the day before instead of the 36km but
also with people doing the 21km only.
In the bus they announced to us that the terrain would be a
little better than the day before but that there would be only one feed station
and that it was hard to bring water there so we wouldn’t be able to fill up our
bladders. WHAT??? I drank about 5L the day before during the 36km and I would
be able to drink only 1L (that I had in my pack at the time of the
announcement) and a glass after 10km??? for another 11km??
From the start on I took the puffer. It was as humid as the
day before. I was scared of the outcome.
The cut off this time was on the finish line at 4 hours. I
was worried to not make it if the terrain wasn’t better than the day before.
Thankfully the first few kms were runnable but it started
climbing quickly and more and more. I was getting passed by many people but
mainly by people who didn’t run the 3 days.
At the 4km mark I was climbing and feeling ok but a girl
passed me and she was wearing perfume big time. Almost instantly the asthma
started. I also started feeling nauseous which never happened before. I slowed
down and took the puffer again.
After a while I started feeling a bit better and we got to
the feed station. I tried to be conservative with the water but I had none left
by the time I reached the aid station. I was allowed to half fill my bladder. I
knew this wouldn’t be pretty as it was hotter and hotter and I would run out of
water inevitably.
Soon after the feed station I hoped on a train composed by a
brother (Stephane) and his sister (Louise).
Stephane had done the trans vallee like me and his sister
the shorter one.
She was decided for both of them that they would make the
cut off and kept being over positive the whole way. I liked it and asked if
they minded if I jumped on the train.
They welcomed me and we worked as team to the finish. I
wiped out again a couple of times, once two feet in the air and fell on the
only rock around on my bum (still having trouble sitting right now).
They wiped out too. I ran out of water as expected 3-4km
before the end of the race.
We passed the line hands in hands in 3h40 so happy to be
done with that race and the mud.
I learnt looking at the results that I went from 10th
place to 6th place in the women for the trans vallee which
considering my health state at the time and the competitiveness of the field
was a very good result.
My wolverine (James) cut is leg but still managed to finish 10th
in the men.
And what really made my day was wining the draw price, a new
suunto ambit 3 sport :D
Thanks to 2XU for keeping me alive and going during this
gruelling effort as well as Altra shoes. I ran the entire 3 days with my
lonepeak and I seriously doubt I could have done it with any other shoes
considering the beating they took over those 3 days.
Thanks to Accel gels (PacificHealthLab) and stongbars I kept
fuelled up and Nuun kept me hydrated as much as can be.
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