Marathon Cerdanya

Last year I ran the Cerdanya Marathon and really enjoyed it so this year hearing that Naila was heading back again to do the physio work at the race I thought I might as well go and run again.

We(myself , Naila and Dakota) arrived in Puigcerda early evening on Friday and with grand ambitions to run the half marathon the following morning and the marathon on the Sunday. However Fridays evening meal at a local restaurant turned more towards drinking so Saturday mornings race did not happen even though(and this will shock some people) I was the one who went to bed early and was up and ready to race the following day. The others however were not so ambitious. Saturday evening I managed a little very easy jog in the local area with Dakota which involved making our own trail and almost being attacked by some dogs. It was good to get out for a leg stretch even though it was far from strenuous.

Montella , Cerdanya

So race day. I was feeling good. As per usual I had no idea what to expect. The weather was perfect , clear skies , no wind and not too warm. I decided to carry just 2 power gels and my soft Salomon flask in my pocket to fill up at aid stations if needed. I was amazed just how many people had big bags on for the race. Granted I have been there and on your first proper race you always pack way too much stuff but some of the bags I have no idea what was in them. The forecast was perfect so no extra clothes needed , great aid stations so really minimal food should be carried  and I actually witnessed someone with 3! yes 3 500ml bottles. Seriously the aid stations are not that far apart. You're going to do more damage than good if you drink 1 and a half litres between aid. Anyway each to their own and as I have said I have been there and done that. Nowadays it just so much more fun to run with practically nothing.

Off we went at 7.30am. The course was almost the same as the year before but had a slight course change in the middle and the end was on a different road making the course 3km longer. It starts on trail along side the river and climbs for about 800m , it's all actually very runnable in the early stages and I found myself being quite far up the pack. I was definitely working hard but for some reason I was able to keep going at this pace when on another day I would usually slow down a little. I just decided I might as well see how long my legs can go like this.

I was at 15km in what felt like no time at all and I was leap frogging back and forth with a guy. He was a much stronger runner than me on the flats but when we hit the rough off trail stuff or the descents I would steam ahead then he would catch on the flats again and so on. At around 18km I got to a descent I remembered from the year before. It was not technical but really smooth and fun from what I remembered so off I went absolutely flying down this section. I was having a great time here but I knew ahead of me lay a brutal uphill section that floored me the year before. Just as I was approaching the low point and the aid station out of nowhere I ended up airborne. I was so high off the ground I actually had time to tell myself that the landing was going to hurt. Then I hit the deck and actually bounced a few times further down the trail. I tensed up my muscles slightly and felt my right calf pull and cramp up but I jumped straight back not my feet and carried on down. I was in the aid station a minute later and was greeted with funny looks as I was probably the only one who had arrived there covered in mud and with quite a bit of blood running down my right arm and knee. Anyway I got hosed down and then put hands on knees and started the horrible climb.

Feeling the pain in my calf at the best section of the race

I hated this section in 2014 and it was no better here. It is just so damn steep for about 500m then it really eases off. I slowed down quite a bit here. My legs felt a little tired and I was still recovering from my fall. I only found out after the race that up until my fall at Km 23 I was actually in 6th position. I lost a fair amount of time on the climb and was pretty annoyed that I had fallen somewhere so mellow and easy. Naila met me here and encouraged me on until we reached the high point and aid station. I took nothing here and carried on.

Passing the lake at the next section really was pretty special. Such an incredible spot that was a new section for this year. From here it was lots of flowing sweeping trails until the last long descent. I again lost a lot of time on this descent as my head was just not in it. I still had it in the back of my mind that I had fallen and did not want it to happen again. I lost place after place and just gave up on racing and slowed it down and enjoyed being out running as best I could.

Exploring around Lac Annecy with Dakota and Naila

The final 5km was altered from the year before but it was still on tarmac and it was flat and a struggle. I don't really know how I kept any kind of pace here but the legs kept turning. By now my right calf was really giving me some pain and was incredibly tight but I made it across the line in 4hrs 42mins and in 20th overall. 43km 1900m.

I really did love the race again this year and every step except from the last 5km on road is brilliant running. I was just really disappointed it all was going so so well until I got my airtime and my head just went to mince. Normally my mental strength is something I am pretty happy about in my long races but this time it definitely got the better of me and affected the second half of my race. I am certainly not at all unhappy about the result. I was delighted to hear my position and time. If I can go the rest of the summer getting these kind of times and places in VK 's , marathons and longer then I will be very very happy come October.

Lac Cornu in the Aiguille Rouge

Since returning to Chamonix I have been working and running as usual. I ran home from work the other night via Refuge Bellachat and Aiguilette des Houches and I have been getting in some good descent work and the odd scramble. I still have to get some good back to back runs in but I have all of July to do that. After Cerdanya I finally realised I need to do something about my flat speed so I was at the track on Tuesday with Emelie to do some interval training. Yup I was at a running track! and to be honest I loved it. I can't see me turning into a track star but I think an hour every so often will do the world of good for my flat speed. This summer is so different for me as I am doing way less longer stuff but I am enjoying seeing what I can do by varying all my distances from Vk's to 100 miles.

Up and over on the run home from work

I am now off for two days and tomorrow I am going to rest the running legs and go climb up high. I have a slight pain in my left shin which just came on today so I am hoping it won't affect me on Friday as I will be running the Chamonix Vertical Km(1000m up in 3.8km) and I am very excited about this short and brutal race. It's the European Championship VK this year so I am not expecting to come anywhere near my Transvulcania ranking but pacing for a VK is kind of easy.....just go flat out and don't stop until your at the top.