UTMB 2009 race report

Well where do I start UTMB, I first heard about this race a few years back it sounded impossible and fantastic and a world away from where I was at.

Then I ran it and it is all of that and more.

I have come to believe that we can train our bodies and our minds to do incredible things and I further believe that we are all capable of a lot more than most of us think we are.

People look at me and say your nuts your crazy you cant run for that distance for that time with those climbs but 2300 people cant be wrong.

Ok so 1000 folks did not finish for whatever reason and I finished middle of the pack so what do I know?

Well I know where I came from and I know what I did to finish middle of the pack, now I just have to sort out the issues I had and I will finish in a much better position next attempt.

Don’t get me wrong the first attempt was always about a finish and that’s what I got.

Training for me never stops completely it just changes focus, this years WHW training started in October 2008 and was always going to be the foundation my UTMB attempt would be based on,

Base mileage and stamina are very important when it comes to Ultra running but something else that a lot of folks over look is core strength and upper body strength, I can say for sure that I would not have been so comfortable in any of my training and racing this year if not for the amount of gym work I have packed in, an average of three times a week around 48 weeks of the year.

So roll forward to WHW race and job done with only 8 weeks to go till UTMB it should have been all so easy but with the loss of my friend Dario and personal issues and injury those 8 weeks were anything but easy, I was very glad to get the Devil run done and felt after that I still had the strength and ability to take part in UTMB.

Arrival in Chamonix was wet and overcast with no view of the mountains so Wednesday morning when I left the apartment where I was staying with Drew and Brian I had no idea the sights that were awaiting me, the views were fantastic and for the first time I came to understand the task ahead.

Thursday we took the chair lift to 3800 meters and spent the day at Altitude hoping that this would help during the race, I cant say if it helped but it certainly did no harm and forced us to have an easy day sitting just chatting and eating.

Friday morning tried to sleep as long as possible but was up by 8:30 and ready to go, with the race not starting till 6:30 in the evening it was to be a long day.

I packed and unpacked my drop bag and packed and unpacked my back pack 2 or 3 times during that day.

By 5:30 the excitement had got too much for us and even though we were only a five min walk from the start we had to go out and join the crowds.

This was it 2300 runners and goodness knows how much support the centre of the town was buzzing, our group gathered at somewhere towards the back and slowly grew to where we had a small consignment of British runners all ready to do their best.

The horn went and we shuffled forward and slowly crossed the line and headed down the main street, it was great to see the guys in the TDS and supporters up on our balcony shouting support, within a mile of the start we were off and running without hindrance the start of a mega journey around the Mont Blanc massif.

The first major checkpoint was Saint Gervais 21K into the race and we ran in their like heroes the crowds were out in force with music playing we were lead through the town and into the food station, Now I had decided to try and run to my normal eating plan and had been eating a piece of soreen cake every fifteen minutes so was very pleased when I saw, cake, flap jacks and biscuits that I could take with me and eat as I ran, I filled my bum bag and headed out.

The next 5 food stations were all through the night, a black black night with climbs up and down and up and down The first big climb to Col du Bonhomme felt like I was going up Ben Nevis in the dark I was at home and this was easy I passed lots of runners here, but the downhill’s were to be my Achilles heal and this is where they started to be a problem, wearing glasses in the dark in the mist with a head torch on I seemed to loose my down hill confidence which was never to return for the duration of the race.

I was very happy when the first signs of light came and I could switch off my head torch and start to fully appreciate the country I was running through.

I had been on my own much of the night surrounded by strangers with head torches, but at times I had seen Drew and Brian as we had passed each other at the checkpoints and on the inclines and declines, so as we approached Courmayeur I was very happy to spot them both less than 100 meters away from me, It was the start of a massive down hill and they ran off and I did not see them at the check point.

77.5K into race this is where our drop bags were it was mid morning and the sun was up and hot.
I changed into clean shorts and a vest and changed my socks and shoes had some pasta and headed out ready for the mid day sun,

The climb up to Bertone was brutal at just over 2000 meters but with the heat of the day it was hard to breath at the top, many runners were lying around trying to recover I decided the best thing to do was push on The run to Refuge Bonatti was one of the less undulating parts and had some good running here I passed a number of runners who were sleeping on the side of the trail in the sun, at some point along here Brain and Drew caught me up, I had passed them at the checkpoint without knowing it we were to run together for around the next 20K.

The countryside the views the panorama that we ran on for the next few hours takes away all the pain and tiredness you might normally feel in a race, it was fantastic.

We soon approached 98K and Grand Col Ferret, this was a good climb, which I enjoyed but was also where I became separated from Drew and Brain.

The top of the climb was very cold 2537 meters I was still just dressed in a vest and it was now after four thirty and the day was starting to cool, I got over the top as quickly as possible and headed down hill.

La Fouly at 108K another chance to stock up on food and sort out the head torch it was going to be a long and lonely night, the field was well spread out now and where the first night the climbs and descents were done it groups I could see that I would be on my own for a lot of the night.

I ran into Champex Lax 122.8 K feeling good and had some hot pasta and got ready for the next climb as I left the check point I met Sharon and Emma what a lift that was for me, they walked out of the town about a mile with me it was great to chat with someone and tell them how I was feeling, I also found out where all my other pals were in the race which was a real boost.

The climb to Bovine what a dog, I had passed a group of runners on an easy incline and could see no head torches in front, if fact I could see nothing in front the mountain loomed up black and cold, when I started to climb I had to scramble over some rocks then more rocks then it was climbing over rocks then it was pulling up and slipping over rocks with no end in sight it just went up and up, I waited at one point as I could see the torches from the group behind but when I stopped they stopped when I climbed they climbed but they were not for passing.

I finally saw some head torches in front of me and caught up what turned out to be three Americans who were none to pleased with the climb and were arguing about taking a break or pushing on, one was sat down and refused to move so the others headed on without him we chatted for a bit but once again I found my self in front of them and slowly pulled away. I have never been so grateful to get to the top of a climb, but worse was to follow.

Somewhere along this next section I came across a runner lying on the track with his ankle at a very un natural angle, it was obviously broken I offered assistance but his limited English and my limited French did not make it easy, in the end I legged it to the next check point and sent back help, It was one of 2 broken ankles and 1 broken arm I was to witness.

Trient at 138 K was the next major food and rest stop, I could see it and feel it and hear it but could I reach it, my down hills by this time were terrible and it seemed to take me forever to get their with streams of runners passing me by.

Although by now I was moving slower I new I had it in the bag 28K was all that was left I could do that standing on my head.

Then we had another 700 meter climb up and up it went but part of the way up the day started to brighten and finally off came the head torch again, during the 2500 miles training in the twelve months previous to this event I had some great runs, runs with friends runs on my own, but I also had some horrible runs but this is what they were for this is when you put it together, without the good runs the bad runs the wet and cold runs your not ready to do battle when the day arrives, and battle I did.

The 700 meter descent to Vallorcine was the longest of any of the race in terms of time it seemed to take for ever and I just could not get up a good pace but I pushed and pushed to reach the field hospital that the check point resembled, their was bodies everywhere, people sleeping in their seats heads on the table, people sleeping in corners folks with shoes and socks off with badly swollen and blistered feet this is where I saw my second broken ankle,

This is where I knew I was in great shape, no upper body pain no pain in my quads or hamstrings just a little tightness in my calf muscles. I had run 147K less than 18 K to go it was time to sort this shit out, I stripped back down to my vest, grabbed some supplies and galloped out the door, The climb out of Vallorcine was almost 1000 meters I did not stop or rest on it pushing on every time someone came in site I pushed to pass them by the time I got to the top I was flying.

The run to La Flegere was a pleasure I knew I was home free I knew I had beaten the UTMB and was loving it passing folks on the trail who were half dead, I was taking no prisoners and charged on.

Then I hit the downhill.

I was stopped in my tracks I just could not get going down hill the last 7k seemed to drag on forever, you could see Chamonix you could smell it then you could hear it and I still was not any closer, more and more folks passed me folks I had left for dead on the higher ground bounded past knowing the finish was in sight.

Finally I reached the road and the crowds and I picked up my speed taking my poles into one hand for the last time I headed for the town, I saw Sharon and she gave me my Scottish flag, I was flying along again, I passed Drew and Emma screaming from the sidelines ran past Ritchie who was shouting like a banshee, then I was in the centre of the town and doing the lap of honour Maya appeared at my side and shouted me on the crowds were screaming my name French and English voices combined, I rounded the final corner the finish was in site a clear run with the announcer saying my name as I finished to hugs from the supporters on the line.

And then the moment I had waited for I received my Gillet Noir I had done it and it had only taken 41 hours 39 mins. I was over the moon.

Much beer was drunk that day as we watched the rest of the field come home all with their own stories to tell heroes every one of them, what a race what an experience.

The next day I was up early and heading home the race a memory to fade away as all races do,

I think not, this was the most brutal and beautiful race I have ever done and I can’t wait to do it again.