The Forum of Benfleet Running Club

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1474 Location: Rayleigh

From Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem In Memoriam:27, 1850:

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1474 Location: Rayleigh

direct translation is -

Well Done MM1 for starting your trek again,
What you have done makes you a man amongst men,

Not finishing, to pevent further injury was really smart,
But, alas poor DNF Michael you are still a Hockley tart.

Graham · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 225

Superb effort Mike. That profile just looks brutal. I'm still confident that one year you'll slay the beast. Recover well.

jacklarge · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 239 Location: Rayleigh, Essex

Mr Mason,

Please explain (once you're comfortable sitting at a PC) how you failed to cover the course this time? Surely you could have used a skateboard and some rope [if at first you DNF... cheat] or at the very least bribed someone to give you a piggy-back?

Don't whine about how your legs hurt; I expect to hear tales of Bavarian-Man-Flu, unexpected bear traps and hostile natives otherwise I'll not be able to wow my friends and relatives with tales of your astounding Ultra feats. (Living vicariously on others successes is the only goal I've managed to reach.)

Finally, as all my favourite secondary school teachers said to me, "not good enough, start again [next year]".

Cheers,

John.
Chief carer in the Caring Club
_________________
"As the days go by, we face the increasing inevitability that we are alone in a godless, uninhabited, hostile and meaningless universe. Still, you've got to laugh, haven't you?"

- Holly, ships computer, Red Dwarf

mikemoreton · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 461 Location: Hockley, GORC.

wheres the bloody biscuits??????????

Oh, Want to buy some raffle tickets MM1?

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 854 Location: Hockley

Tour Mont Blanc Ultra – August 2007

Well it seems like only last year that I was on the bus to Chamonix after the wheels came off another attempt to try and get around the Mont Blanc massif – 101 miles and 29,000 feet of cumulative ascent and 46 hours to complete. Because it bloody well is….I am back on the bus. Last year I managed to get to Courmayeur with my legs relatively intact running down the descent. But my lack of mental toughness meant that I aborted the next climb after the nice rest at the checkpoint and returned to the bus. This year I missed the Courmayeur cut-off by 18 minutes and limped down the steep descent into the centre.

Flew to Geneva on Thursday. Decided to save a day versus last year when I arrived on the Wednesday – less faffing about opportunity. Met up with Jon Steele my partner from the infamous getting lost on the West Highland Way race back in June and together we registered. Very professional process. We were allocated a plastic identity card with our race number some weeks before. This was presented together with passport and a 20 euro note handed over as deposit for the race tag. This year it was a bracelet jobby instead of the receiver being integrated into the race number.

We then moved to the next table where mandatory gear was checked against a list – space blanket, whistle, elastic bandage, 1 ltr water container, hat, tights and 2 head torches including spare batteries, a few hours worth of fuel – gels/energy bars etc. Then move to next table to pick up race number, small rubbish sack for belt, plastic bag for toilet paper waste (noted that I would have to replace this with jumbo sized bin liner), race number and wrist tag fitment.

With the formalities of registration completed you are able to wander around the centre and the stalls set up selling headlamps, energy gels, gear etc. And the lightest carbon fibre hiking poles I have ever seen. I point out to the guy selling that I have a pair of Leki's – he does a mock spit in

. Later I point out to my wife Gill in the best spouse like manner that I believe I need to treat her to a new set of poles. Unfortunately she reads me like a book and that is the end of that!

After registration back to the hotel. This year we tried the Hotel L'Arve, it was the Alpina last time. Excellent hotel. Room overlooking the fast flowing river of the same name…..no not Hotel….river Arve…..and overlooking Mont Blanc. Fantastic views of the mountain and glacier…..After a nice Lasagne decide on an early night. Oh and I have begun to get an upset stomach….perhaps 2 bin liners required.

Next morning up for breakfast. As much cereal, boiled eggs and fruit as I can get down my throat. Stomach still upset. Pack my gear into 2 drop bags for the major checkpoint centres at Courmayeur in Italy and Champex in Switzerland. Meet up with some of the guys I have been in touch with since last race. Murdo from Scotland; Andy from Australia and the git that frightened the life of me on the Snowdonia scrambling weekend; Borkur from Iceland, Julien from France but along with Andy and Borkur given honorary UK citizenship (just for the race of course)! And Jon from Hull. After a swift set of diet cokes, and water we part for the race start. I return to bed to try and get some sleep but fail and just lie awake listening to the river outside the room and thinking of the coming race and my gurgling stomach.

Out of bed at 16.00hrs for a nice relaxing bath. Jon has arrived and he and Gill have gone to deposit the drop bags whilst I faff about. Using hydropel cream on my feet this year instead of Bodyglide. Can only find it in US – I bought from Zombie Runner. Great stuff. Stuck a Compeed plaster on each heel just in case. Then talc into shoes and put my Thorlo socks on. Together with Joe Dana Trail gaiters and my Montrail Hardrocks (size 11.5…..size 12 ones waiting to change into at Courmayeur). Kimm 35L sack ( I used a 25L last year and should have used it again), 2.0L camelback. Pack filled with Complans, gels and electrolyte. All nicely worked out to give me 315 k/calories per hour. Camelbak filled with Sustained energy, plan to change to Perpeteum later. Ok it's 17.50hrs time to set off with poles in hand.

The race start square is heaving with people. Loud Vangelis music playing, helicopter hovering – just a babble of noise. Jon and I set ourselves up at the back of the square and say hello to a couple of brits who we recognize because of their stoic demeaneaour, unsmiling fixed on task expressions and………………………oh yes they were wearing Union Jack buffs! The Race speeches are going on – long and in French. Then at 18.30 loud cheers and the crowd begins to move. Because we are at the back we are walking for what seems like a lifetime before being able to break into a trot. In fact it is something like 8 minutes as I clocked it.

The run starts in the streets of Chamonix passing masses of cheering people, loud cries of 'Allez Allez,' and cow bells being rung (this soon becomes annoying especially some hours later). Jon decides to run over to left side of street so he can wave to people from his hostel. At this time I notice his headtorch drop from his pack and bounce off the floor. Jon runs on like the tart he is…waving. Whilst I bend over like the tart I am and 3 people bounce into me gibbering something in French which I interpret as something like 'Oh dear me poor English person we hope that we haven't hurt you too much by our colliding with you so inadvertently…..' I suspect that it may have been something else said however. I call out to Jon.'Jon…Jon…' He doesn't hear me but 20 people around me start shouting his name and he does. I give him back his torch and we stop on side of road to zip up his rucksack properly!! So we have gone about ¼ mile very slowly and now we have stopped. This did not bode well.

What did bode well was that this was my first run since the West Highland Way race in June. I had problems leading up to that race with a dog bite induced ITB and Knee bursitis injury. After the race I couldn't run again. I tried some downhill in Snowdonia with Andy but it hurt. So I was now sweating that the physio and deliberately not running had helped sort the injury. It appeared to. I felt good running again if only a 10 minute pace. The run to the first town of les Houches is only 8km and is a gentle up and down along forest trail, crossing a bridge into the first refreshment stations. Here we grabbed a cup of water on the run and started the first climb.

Immediately after Les Houches you begin the first climb with the ski lifts snaking up the hill to your left. This is an 819m climb. The sticks are out and you begin the lung sapping ascent. On this climb Jon and I bump into Jim Drummond from the West Highland Way race. Jim is a 2 times Hardrock 100 veteran and DNF'd there a few months back on his third attempt. He also went out of this years WHW race at the start of the ascent to Conic Hill when he failed to negotiate a style properly and damaged his foot. Jim talks continuously as we climb. I want to turn my MP3 player on…..I want to fall on a pole and impale my liver…..it's good banter it is just that I don't feel like it. Eventually we crest the hill and this year the route is changed.

We now start the additional 7km they have added to the course with a 993m descent. The heart breaking thing with this race is as soon as you build the ascent you lose it again just to have to climb again….The descent is down the ski slope on steep trail, slightly muddy but digging the poles in helps. Then it is onto a tarmac lane to descend into the village of St Gervais. The lights of which you can see twinkling in the distance……and it looks a long way down but is about 6km. Jon and I decide to jog this distance. Jon's rationale is that as he is built like a brick….house he is better on descents allowing gravity to assist him. My quads begin to sing sweetly….

The village of St Gervais resembles a triage centre in MASH. In Chamonix we had said hello to a guy we had noticed on last years race DVD as they followed him through the course. This year he was hanging over the rails in the village centre looking like death warmed up. Jon and I refilled our camelbaks here. I had a Complan and we got going. At this point we were on our best projection of completion in 40 hours – this was the only time that we were!

We now had to get back the descent we had lost so it's another 990m to get us to La Balme. The weather is good. Clear, no rain. Breath is clouding and reflecting in the headtorch beam. I have now stuck my Union Jack buff on. And so begins the next climb to Col du Bonhomme 1000m. On the way up we pass a guy on the floor completely covered in a space blanket with 3 people kneeling beside. Then a 4x 4 comes down a short track, inside you can see someone on a drip. It is easy to see how appealing and attractive these ultra's are……

The climb is hard for me. My quads ache, my hammies throb…only my calves and the little finger on my left hand feel ok. And I have started to experience the occasional cramping of my hands from holding the poles. At times I have to push back the fingers on my left hand to straighten them. I let Jon go ahead on the climb and I try and force myself to climb. I am having difficulty finding some of the trail markers at times and can see a snake of headtorch lights below me. Eventually I get to the top and my Suuonto watch is keeping pretty accurate to the projected altitude. I crest out at 2400m. Well that was the easy bit because you now have a 900m descent into les Chapieux. But a nasty technical trail – muddy, steep and unrelenting. I see a lot of people going over on their sides, butts etc, getting up and doing same again. I slow even more and tippy tap to get a sure grip with my poles. A couple of near ones, a series of loud swearing and things get better.

Last year I managed to run into les Chapieux and arrived to hear the band playing. This year I got in with about 15 minutes to spare as they were closing the place down. Jon came over to me. He had waited about an hour and half for me. That was nice but didn't make it up for the git leaving me in the middle of nowhere in the first place…..but I digress. A checkpoint guy taps his watch and says 10 minutes are you staying? Nope – Jon and I grab our stuff and leave. Jon takes my headtorch off my head and stuffs it in my rucksack. My neck feels better.

The next part of the race is on a tarmac road ascending steeply. Here my bowels began to churn. As only mates would do Jon continually tries to find me a place to go. Eventually I do and feel considerably better. However, I do feel a little concerned for any partially sighted Marmots with impaired senses of smell. We then start the climb to Col de la Seigne. In the distance we can see a helicopter buzzing over the summit. Fantastic scenery around – glaciers, mountain peaks, strong sunshine now breaking around us. The climb is hard – a series of switchbacks. Jon goes on and leaves me again. I whimper my way up. The novelty has begun to wane a bit at this stage. I decide to take my jacket off and finish my Complan and have a short rest on the track. An English guy Stan passes me.

I set off again and later meet up with Stan. He tells me that he has done the GUCR a few times. I ask him if he knows Ernie Jewson (the mad Aussie) but he doesn't as he did his last GUCR 3 years ago. Stan tells me that Jon has planned to go onto Courmayeur and pull my drop bag for me so that if I arrive late it will be ready. I leave Stan moaning about his legs and start the descent. (Stan doesn't get past the Refuge). First giving Gill a quick call to let her know I am ok. Funny how the mobile works thousands of metres up an Alp….but not very well in Scotland on the WHW race….Managing to jog down some of the descent now where it is not too technical. Descend past the people who had passed me on the climb and manage to run into Refuge Elisabetta. Here it looks like I am 3 minutes over the time limit but the guys don't mention anything. They ask am I staying…nope I am off again. Quads really hurting now. I am having to stop to massage the VMO around my knee caps and my ITB is twinging.

The next climb to Arete Mont Favre is 465m and a series of switchbacks ….not too bad but my quads are bringing tears to my eyes. It is now a 1200m descent into Courmayeur and I am really struggling. I remember Ernies words of wisdom to me before I left…..'Mike, if you are going to DNF this time make it a real one I want to see you in hospital!' Well Ernie me old mucker I think you are going to get your way. I get to Col Checroit and the start of the ski run final descent to the checkpoint. The path is a mass of crickets jumping everywhere. There are a few Italian hikers coming up the path. I can see the checkpoint time eroding. I decide to give Ernie a call. He has been leaving encouraging texts from the off. I explain the situation. 'Can you get to checkpoint and get some massage?' Ernie I don't think I will get there and I don't believe my quads will respond. The eccentric muscle damage must be severe on legs with few training miles in them. Ernie advises that in his eyes I have done enough to get as far as I have pack it in …….the words I wanted to hear. I had felt like I was letting everyone down – Gill, Ernie, Jon, the guys I had set out with……….myself. But I could not put another foot forward. In fact on the way down I met a young French woman walking backwards down the ridiculously steep tarmac road. She said that she would have liked to continue but didn't think it wise. I agreed with her and shuffled off.

Gill met me about 200m from the checkpoint and we walked in together. At the centre I picked up my drop bag had a drink and sat for a while. Before we both returned on the runners bus to Chamonix.

On Sunday evening I met up with some of the guys again at Murdo and Jo's bash in Chamonix. . Jon Steele – made it to Champex as he had done last year, Borkur – finished, Andy – finished, Murdo – finished and Jezz Bragg who finished last 2 years and was resting now before his 100km World Championship in September. And I was struck by how much effort each had put into their year. Almost a single minded focus on one thing alone – completing the TMB and getting the famous finishers jacket. Everything else has been relegated into second place. How our wives, partners and mates have been able to put up with us is truly amazing. And I was struck by the fact that I was asking Gill to go through this another time. I will have to make it up to her. She had seen the disappointment in my eyes at Courmayeur. In Murdo's apartment she could see the real extent of it. Even as I write I am becoming very emotional and beginning to connect with my feminine side (and I took the piss out of Jon for that)!

So I need to end this report now.

Reflections

I am writing up a long set of lessons learned to be digested over the year. If last year's failure was about lack of mental toughness. This year it was about lack of physical toughness. I just didn't have the miles in my legs and the injury was root cause. The Mont Blanc Massif is a 'bitch' and to break her you have to be 110% ready. There is no leeway. Have I learned about myself from this experience? Of course. Each ultra is a learning experience. What you learn may not be what you want to, but it is all valuable.

I have a few options as always. 1. Forget this sucker – it's just too much; 2) train harder and smarter. I am going for option 2. This will involve many sacrifices but I believe they will be worth it.

Mike Mason
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

mikemoreton · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 461 Location: Hockley, GORC.

MM2,

You dont mention the biscuits though?

Seriously, joking apart, well done. What more can I say?

Oh, Maybe.........'Want a raffle ticket?'

Best wishes

MM1