As detailed in the press release, in 2008 10% of the tickets (ie. 200) will be offered through a ballot to runners that were not able to enter the race in 2007.
I honestly think it's a bit ridiculous. Will that really change anything ? 200 tickets is nothing. Most of the people will have to enter again through the regular entry method. Indeed, some reckon 6000 runners may have been willing to enter. This system will then remove 3% of them, whilste reducing the number of entries by 10%... The rush effect will be even stronger !
Everyone will be back again behind his(her) computer at 8am, knowing that last year it was done in 10 hours... The rush will be intense ! I forcasted 8 minutes. We'll see.
Ultra confused.
UTMB
About the Ultra-trail Tour du Mont-BlancSaturday, March 17 2007
UTMB registrations: a step towards the Anglo-Saxon model
By Julien on Saturday, March 17 2007, 13:09
Tuesday, January 9 2007
What entry system for the UTMB ?
By Julien on Tuesday, January 9 2007, 13:55
This year, so many runners were keen on running the UTMB, that registrations were full in less than 10 hours. 10 hours is less than half the time for the best runners to complete the race...
The solutions commonly used for race entry are the following:
So would be the most acceptable method ? The pure first come first served will definitely not be applicable next year. I (reluctantly ;) ) reckon that I'm more satisfied by the Anglo-Saxon approach than the French mess. But let's state what are the purposes of such a selection. First to reduce the number of runners that can get in and secondly to make sure they can potentially finish the race. As argued earlier, this latter issue has been approached so far by a weak races reference method, which doesn't take into account the rest of the runner's background (mountainering, cycling, hiking, ...) neither his motivation. That's where the charity system seems to be the best in my opinion. It kills two birds with one stone (3). Indeed, you need to be motivated enough to raise funds before you enter the race. And it will clearly cut down the number of runners. Particularly the French ones, not used to such methods... On top of that, these places are usually free for the runner, and a good cause is served. The pending issues are to choose the charities and to find a way to avoid wealthy runners buying their ticket through the fundraising. For runners that are not particularly talented on fundraising, a ponderated ballot could be added, and places could be offered to previous races volunteers. On top of that, a pool of elite runners could be choosen by the organisers anyway. Well, that's pretty much the London Marathon entry system ...
So what actually will be the entry system ? I bid on a ballot-based method, although I'm not sure how they are going to manage it.
(1) Between 2005 and 2006, the time was divided by 15. Between 2006 and 2007 is was by about 33. Following the same double exponential progression leads to 9h50min/(33*(33/15)) = 8 minutes 8 seconds.
(2) Although the organisers said they will accept paper mail registrations sent on the day (08/01/06) for this year.
(3) Just an expression, I've got nothing against birds.
Ultra entry system.
The solutions commonly used for race entry are the following:
- First come, first served, as this is basically the case now. The registrations were closed after about 7 months in 2005 (I was lucky to get in on the waiting list!), after 2 weeks for 2006 and 10 hours this year. What will it be for 2008 ? My pronostic is 8 minutes (1) if the server can make it. This method discards runners who don't have access internet (2), either at home or at work, depending on the registration opening time. Marginally, this method also filters runners who don't have a credit card, can't get access to one or are reluctant to use it via the internet. The shorter the registration time will be, the more it will be similar to a ballot.
- Simple ballot to draw 2000 lucky runners. This is fundamentally the fairest solution, but has the main drawback of splitting groups of friends.
- Newcomers priority: people that have never ran the UTMB enter first.
- Ponderated ballot. The ballot can be ponderated in order to increase the chance of the runners with the number unsuccessful entry attempts (such as in the London Marathon), with potentially 100% garanty after a given number of attempts. In a similar fashion, the ballot could be ponderated to reduce the chance of runners that have already run it. Both can be considered as smoother versions of the newcomers priority method.
- Race references that can be strong (such as on the Spartathlon, where you need a 200km race), or weak and then useless for this purpose (as on the UTMB). Moreover it does not open the race to beginners that could potentially make it, as argued earlier on this blog (can novice run the UTMB?).
- The registration fee could be increased to a extent where not so many people could afford it, or would be motivated enough to raise funds. Given the large number of important sponsors, 120 euros is already quite a lot in my opinion. But the quality of the organisation is worth it.
- Charities: like in many Anglo-Saxon races such as the London Marathon, a large number of places are given to charities who then choose their runners. They usually choose the best fundraisers, or people that have lots of money (they can pay themselves instead of begging).
- Arbitrary choice by the organisers without transparence. This method will apply to the elite runners anyway, and that makes sense.
- Waiting list over the years: like the Marathon des Sables, which is already full for 2008. The main issue is that some runners may be able to do it one year but may not be available the next one.
- Many other methods could be implemented, such as several waves of first come first served, need to volunteer on the race, ...
So would be the most acceptable method ? The pure first come first served will definitely not be applicable next year. I (reluctantly ;) ) reckon that I'm more satisfied by the Anglo-Saxon approach than the French mess. But let's state what are the purposes of such a selection. First to reduce the number of runners that can get in and secondly to make sure they can potentially finish the race. As argued earlier, this latter issue has been approached so far by a weak races reference method, which doesn't take into account the rest of the runner's background (mountainering, cycling, hiking, ...) neither his motivation. That's where the charity system seems to be the best in my opinion. It kills two birds with one stone (3). Indeed, you need to be motivated enough to raise funds before you enter the race. And it will clearly cut down the number of runners. Particularly the French ones, not used to such methods... On top of that, these places are usually free for the runner, and a good cause is served. The pending issues are to choose the charities and to find a way to avoid wealthy runners buying their ticket through the fundraising. For runners that are not particularly talented on fundraising, a ponderated ballot could be added, and places could be offered to previous races volunteers. On top of that, a pool of elite runners could be choosen by the organisers anyway. Well, that's pretty much the London Marathon entry system ...
So what actually will be the entry system ? I bid on a ballot-based method, although I'm not sure how they are going to manage it.
(1) Between 2005 and 2006, the time was divided by 15. Between 2006 and 2007 is was by about 33. Following the same double exponential progression leads to 9h50min/(33*(33/15)) = 8 minutes 8 seconds.
(2) Although the organisers said they will accept paper mail registrations sent on the day (08/01/06) for this year.
(3) Just an expression, I've got nothing against birds.
Ultra entry system.
Monday, January 8 2007
Registered for the UTMB 2007
By Julien on Monday, January 8 2007, 08:51
I got up at 5:30 this morning to be in College at 7am (8am Paris time), to be sure to enter the UTMB.
I'll have to think about a training plan now :) . Basically I I'll try to stick to short distances (<20km) during the winter, with maybe a bit of speed training. Then I'll focus more on real conditions training in Spring, with several days out in Wales or in Lake District, and maybe an overnight run. I need to train my ankles in mountain paths in order to avoid tendinitis as last year. A long distance hike at the beginning of the summer would complete the training.
Ultra motivated.
Update (08/01 - 17:20):
The registrations are now closed, the maximum numbers of runners (2000) being reached at 17:50 Paris time, ie. less than 10 hours after they opened! Debate about the registration method is raging again, because runners without internet at work or without a credit card have been automatically banned. In my humble opinion, the requirement for race references (see Can novice run the UTMB?) has completely missed its target and simply moved the problem around. You'll see, next year's registration system will change again, I guess for a ballot.
Second issue of the day, more personal, the doctor didn't want to give me the required medical certificate, as my blood pressure is a bit high given the amount of exercice I'm doing ... Maybe because I woke up early and I'm tired. I'll have to get that checked again on Wednesday morning for the final verdict. Fingers crossed.
Update (10/01):
OK, my blood pressure was still a bit high for a runner this morning (136/85), but that's alright to run the UTMB :)
I'll have to think about a training plan now :) . Basically I I'll try to stick to short distances (<20km) during the winter, with maybe a bit of speed training. Then I'll focus more on real conditions training in Spring, with several days out in Wales or in Lake District, and maybe an overnight run. I need to train my ankles in mountain paths in order to avoid tendinitis as last year. A long distance hike at the beginning of the summer would complete the training.
Ultra motivated.
Update (08/01 - 17:20):
The registrations are now closed, the maximum numbers of runners (2000) being reached at 17:50 Paris time, ie. less than 10 hours after they opened! Debate about the registration method is raging again, because runners without internet at work or without a credit card have been automatically banned. In my humble opinion, the requirement for race references (see Can novice run the UTMB?) has completely missed its target and simply moved the problem around. You'll see, next year's registration system will change again, I guess for a ballot.
Second issue of the day, more personal, the doctor didn't want to give me the required medical certificate, as my blood pressure is a bit high given the amount of exercice I'm doing ... Maybe because I woke up early and I'm tired. I'll have to get that checked again on Wednesday morning for the final verdict. Fingers crossed.
Update (10/01):
OK, my blood pressure was still a bit high for a runner this morning (136/85), but that's alright to run the UTMB :)
Thursday, December 7 2006
AVERT fundraising - results
By Julien on Thursday, December 7 2006, 11:42
As you may know, I've raised some funds for AVERT along with my participation to the Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont-Blanc.
I've collected £331.21
Unfortunately, it's quite as much as last year, because I did not manage to complete the loop and also because I had less time for fundraising. A big thank you to you all donators !
Ultra solidarity.
I've collected £331.21
Unfortunately, it's quite as much as last year, because I did not manage to complete the loop and also because I had less time for fundraising. A big thank you to you all donators !
Ultra solidarity.
Tuesday, October 17 2006
Can novice ultratrailers run the Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont-Blanc ?
By Julien on Tuesday, October 17 2006, 09:51
This question arose from my daily reading of the UTMB forum. This was a very common topic lately, a couple of weeks before the expected registration rush. Typically someone would introduce shortly his "running CV" to the community and others would comment, extremely sure of themselves, whether the runner can complete the race or not, and even give a time estimation! However, "can" doesn't only refer to the ability to finish, but also to the right of entering the race: are novices allowed on the UTMB? Indeed, there have been also some arguments about having to provide a "reference" to be able to enter the race. This became more and more recurrent as the limited number of entries doesn't match at all the growing demand. Those debates have suddenly gone into another dimension when the organisers announced that to qualify for the UTMB you must have completed a 80km trail or two 50km ones. I'll try to give you my point of view on this hot topic.
I'm always slightly irritated by the ultra-common answer "run a 70km trail first, and then try the UTMB". Of course you probably have more chance to finish if you know yourself on long-distance trail. For sure it's more reasonable to increase slowly the distance. But most of those omniscient runners seem to forget that running the UTMB is not a reasonable thing for most of the trailers. So many, even among the top 10, got injured. Running the UTMB is not a matter of reason, it's a challenge. The bigger the step the bigger the challenge!
But first of all, what's a novice ultratrailer? I think I can fairly consider I was a novice in 2005, with only 3 marathons and a 50km night run in Lake District behind me. For many people on the forum, anyone that have never run a 70km trail in mountain is a novice. And with the new rules I wouldn't be allowed to enter the race. But honestly, what about people used to go mountaineering? Days out in the mountains often start extremely early and finish very late, while accumulating a lot of ascent on top of other difficulties such as cold weather, snow, lack of oxygen, heavy backpacks, ... Are those novice ultratrailers? Probably not, although some would argue that you need to run (and not only walk) to keep in the time limits. Same arguments against hikers / hill walkers, as hiking is usually not as long.
So, can novice ultratrailers run the Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont-Blanc? Of course they can, as I did it in 2005! Some even finished in the top 100 for their first trail! Because being able to finish the UTMB is not only a matter of having run such a race before. It helps but that's not all. I agree completely with dim when he wrote that finishing is mostly "a matter of preparation, of motivation and of luck (because of the injuries)". Luck not being usually under control, preparation and motivation are the keys to success. And they are actually closely related, considering how important is the mental preparation. In fact I believe that if someone in good physical condition gets truly committed to run this trail, (s)he can finish. This means not only understand pragmatically what to expect during the race, but also the way (s)he will react to that. And obvisouly, it also means a lot of physical preparation! The global aim being to leave as little chance as possible to unforeseen events. And this is possible. Are following some of my ideas on three important points: physical, mental and also gear. You'll need to get more details on forums, mags... I may detail more some specific points later on in other entries.
You may be hesitating. What can you loose anyway? jmd wrote that you could be "disgusted for life". If really you are, I guess it means ultra is probably not for you anyway. Otherwise, what doesn't kill makes stronger!
Beside that, should novice runners be allowed to run the UTMB? Because of the traffic jams at the beginning of the race and the limited number of runners (2500), many runners such as philippe argued that the rate of non-finishers was far too high and the organiser should set up a filter at the registration level to allow only runners having references. This is common on some races such as the Spartathlon. Many runners like him actually come from much more competitive sports such as cycling or triathlon, where they have to qualify to be able to enter a proper race. But ultra is not cycling! And I hope it will just never be like that. Modern ultrarunning has actually grown on the freedom-based ideologies of the 70s. Ultra races were much less codified than any other sporting events, that took place on carefully measured stadium tracks or playgrounds. For example, on the famous Millau 100km, you can be followed by a cyclist to deal with food and drink. When all marathons are 42.195km long, most of ultramarathons are pretty unique. They cover any distance from 43km to 40,000km (but is there really a limit to ultrarunning?), in a stadium, on the road, on a trail path or even purely in ascent on ski tracks.
Looking at how cycling is going at the moment, I don't feel like ultra-running should follow the same route. Filtering the registrations is the best way to loose the charm of the ultra (*), where your are free to run at your pace, to stop to take a picture, to chat with the people around, to enjoy a glass of mulled wine or to code a free (**) software on your PDA, where novice runners are free to meet the elite. Of course, I'm not very happy to hear that some people (and not only beginners, by the way) withdrew because of the bad weather when I had to stop on an injury, and when lots of ultra motivated runners couldn't enter the race because of the limited number of tickets. But there is no way to filter people purely on their motivation. It is forbidden to forbid!
Now what I feared happened. You need to have completed a 80km trail (road races not allowed) or two 50km ones to be able to register. That's such a shame! From an open trail, we've now moved to a closed race, allowing only runners already members of the trail running family. Of course some will argue that you can still start with the CCC or other trails, but that's different. As I mentioned earlier, the dimension of the challenge pushed me to this. I think that otherwise I wouldn't have tested ultrarunning. And now I won't be able to invite my running friends to take part to this race, build a team, etc, any more. I've done a long trail, so I'm in whilst others are out. An invisible, but real border in between. Ultratrailers are already very often considered a to be bit different - not to say insane - now they're going to be even more cut off the world. More and more ultra-runners are going "off" (out of an officially organised race), that's maybe a sign...
I've never replied to those omniscient ultra-trailers on the forum, because I wanted a more complete answer to many different posts. I may translate and post that one day. I don't think I will make only friends with such a reflexion :) I planned to finish this article on a very optimistic tone, such as "go for it!", but the latest news cooled me down. Your comments are welcome.
Ultra long entry.
(*) Just like having a broad media coverage. To some extend I'm glad the UTMB was slightly less covered by media this year.
(**) Like free speech, not free beer :) (more details on free software).
I'm always slightly irritated by the ultra-common answer "run a 70km trail first, and then try the UTMB". Of course you probably have more chance to finish if you know yourself on long-distance trail. For sure it's more reasonable to increase slowly the distance. But most of those omniscient runners seem to forget that running the UTMB is not a reasonable thing for most of the trailers. So many, even among the top 10, got injured. Running the UTMB is not a matter of reason, it's a challenge. The bigger the step the bigger the challenge!
But first of all, what's a novice ultratrailer? I think I can fairly consider I was a novice in 2005, with only 3 marathons and a 50km night run in Lake District behind me. For many people on the forum, anyone that have never run a 70km trail in mountain is a novice. And with the new rules I wouldn't be allowed to enter the race. But honestly, what about people used to go mountaineering? Days out in the mountains often start extremely early and finish very late, while accumulating a lot of ascent on top of other difficulties such as cold weather, snow, lack of oxygen, heavy backpacks, ... Are those novice ultratrailers? Probably not, although some would argue that you need to run (and not only walk) to keep in the time limits. Same arguments against hikers / hill walkers, as hiking is usually not as long.
So, can novice ultratrailers run the Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont-Blanc? Of course they can, as I did it in 2005! Some even finished in the top 100 for their first trail! Because being able to finish the UTMB is not only a matter of having run such a race before. It helps but that's not all. I agree completely with dim when he wrote that finishing is mostly "a matter of preparation, of motivation and of luck (because of the injuries)". Luck not being usually under control, preparation and motivation are the keys to success. And they are actually closely related, considering how important is the mental preparation. In fact I believe that if someone in good physical condition gets truly committed to run this trail, (s)he can finish. This means not only understand pragmatically what to expect during the race, but also the way (s)he will react to that. And obvisouly, it also means a lot of physical preparation! The global aim being to leave as little chance as possible to unforeseen events. And this is possible. Are following some of my ideas on three important points: physical, mental and also gear. You'll need to get more details on forums, mags... I may detail more some specific points later on in other entries.
- I think that with a good experience in hiking in mountains, you're already starting well. Of course it's not enough. Many runners such as laurent73 even argue that it's very different. Being used to walk in the rocks and to spend a lot of time in the mountains helps a lot. Enjoy them helps even more. If you're a good hiker, a very natural training consists of pushing the days out a bit longer, and try to walk a bit faster, to push more on the ascent :) Walking an Alpine long-distance path a month or two before, such as the GR54, GR20 or ... the TMB is very good. This seems to be an excellent training, and you'll benefit of the high altitude effect on red cells production. You'll probably be walking fast at least half of the UTMB, so that's already a nice chunk of your training, but that's not enough. You will need to run a bit, especially at the beginning and you need to train for that. I think that increasingly long but relatively slow runs are perfect. You should be able to run a marathon slowly before the UTMB. Then you can start to mix hiking and running. In particular, training to run in the descents, without taking too much on the thighs can make a huge difference. A run/hike by night in the mountains is a good bonus too.
- Arguably more important than physical, an excellent mental preparation is crucial. Basically, you have to know and imagine what to expect. I mean to expect the worse, not smiling on the podium after finishing in 18 hours. You litterally need to imagine yourself in hypoglycaemia, running in a freezing rain or snow with the mud up to the knees. I'm not talking about fog, injuries... The aim being to feel as precisely as possible what you will (may) feel during the race. It's not easy at first, and that's why many argue that you need to run a shorter race for good in order to get an idea. I believe that reading a lot the forum and the runners stories can be enough to be able to feel as in the race - in particular those from the first edition when it was raining and snowing quite a lot. You'll need to spend several hours in a row imaging how you will deal with the race. I'm not kidding! Brain can be trained just as muscles.
- Dealing with the gear is not difficult, but need to be prepared carefully. Again the forum is a great place to guide your choices. It may seem obvious, but you must test ALL your gear in real conditions before the race. Your backpack may burn your shoulders only after 10h running. Your head torch may not seem so bright when you start to be a bit tired. You must know your gear and feel natural with it. That's one issue out of your mind.
You may be hesitating. What can you loose anyway? jmd wrote that you could be "disgusted for life". If really you are, I guess it means ultra is probably not for you anyway. Otherwise, what doesn't kill makes stronger!
Beside that, should novice runners be allowed to run the UTMB? Because of the traffic jams at the beginning of the race and the limited number of runners (2500), many runners such as philippe argued that the rate of non-finishers was far too high and the organiser should set up a filter at the registration level to allow only runners having references. This is common on some races such as the Spartathlon. Many runners like him actually come from much more competitive sports such as cycling or triathlon, where they have to qualify to be able to enter a proper race. But ultra is not cycling! And I hope it will just never be like that. Modern ultrarunning has actually grown on the freedom-based ideologies of the 70s. Ultra races were much less codified than any other sporting events, that took place on carefully measured stadium tracks or playgrounds. For example, on the famous Millau 100km, you can be followed by a cyclist to deal with food and drink. When all marathons are 42.195km long, most of ultramarathons are pretty unique. They cover any distance from 43km to 40,000km (but is there really a limit to ultrarunning?), in a stadium, on the road, on a trail path or even purely in ascent on ski tracks.
Looking at how cycling is going at the moment, I don't feel like ultra-running should follow the same route. Filtering the registrations is the best way to loose the charm of the ultra (*), where your are free to run at your pace, to stop to take a picture, to chat with the people around, to enjoy a glass of mulled wine or to code a free (**) software on your PDA, where novice runners are free to meet the elite. Of course, I'm not very happy to hear that some people (and not only beginners, by the way) withdrew because of the bad weather when I had to stop on an injury, and when lots of ultra motivated runners couldn't enter the race because of the limited number of tickets. But there is no way to filter people purely on their motivation. It is forbidden to forbid!
Now what I feared happened. You need to have completed a 80km trail (road races not allowed) or two 50km ones to be able to register. That's such a shame! From an open trail, we've now moved to a closed race, allowing only runners already members of the trail running family. Of course some will argue that you can still start with the CCC or other trails, but that's different. As I mentioned earlier, the dimension of the challenge pushed me to this. I think that otherwise I wouldn't have tested ultrarunning. And now I won't be able to invite my running friends to take part to this race, build a team, etc, any more. I've done a long trail, so I'm in whilst others are out. An invisible, but real border in between. Ultratrailers are already very often considered a to be bit different - not to say insane - now they're going to be even more cut off the world. More and more ultra-runners are going "off" (out of an officially organised race), that's maybe a sign...
I've never replied to those omniscient ultra-trailers on the forum, because I wanted a more complete answer to many different posts. I may translate and post that one day. I don't think I will make only friends with such a reflexion :) I planned to finish this article on a very optimistic tone, such as "go for it!", but the latest news cooled me down. Your comments are welcome.
Ultra long entry.
(*) Just like having a broad media coverage. To some extend I'm glad the UTMB was slightly less covered by media this year.
(**) Like free speech, not free beer :) (more details on free software).
Monday, October 16 2006
UTMB 2007: important changes
By Julien on Monday, October 16 2006, 14:51
Just when I was about to post a very long article about who can run the UTMB, the registration conditions appeared on the website...
Some important changes will occur, in particular:
Ultra selective.
Update (31/10/2006): full translation of the new conditions, as they are still not translated on the official web site
For 2007, important changes have been decided:
1. Maximum number of runners:
Tour du Mont-Blanc : 2000
Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix : 1500
2. Registration conditions:
These races in the nature follow mostly the international long-distance hiking path "tour du Mont-Blanc". They include many passages in altitude, and the conditions can be very tough (night, wind, rain or snow). A very good training and good autonomous capacities are necessary to achieve such an individual adventure.
In order to register to the North Face Ultra-Trail du Tour du Mont-Blanc, it is required on the registration day to have finished at least two trails of at least 50km or one trail of at least 80km.
NB: road races, multi-sports raids and triathlons are not recognised as qualifying races.
No specific conditions on the registration for the North Face Ultra-Trail Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix, but we strongly recommend to participate to other long trails (>50km) before this race.
3. Route
Both races routes may be modified with respect to 2006. The Tour du Mont-Blanc may then reach or overtake 160km and 9000m of positive ascent, whilst the Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (whose start will be modified to fluidify the runners' bunch before the Bertone ascent) will reach or overtake 90km for a positive ascent of about 5000m.
4. Semi self-sufficiency
This expression will get back its full meaning in 2007 on both races that should gain in authenticity through a different distribution of the food stations, some being modified or even removed. On the bases at Courmayeur and Champex, care (massages & podology) will be reserved to the runners continuing the race. Personal assistance is authorised only on the official food stations, except all personal medical or para-medical care that will be completely forbidden.
5. Ranking
For both races, only the runners finishing at Chamonix will be ranked.
6. Specific medical certificate
A specific medical certificate will be required to validate the registration. The original copy will have to be sent by post before the 30th June. You will be able to download a template of this certificate on the UTMB web site from December.
REGISTRATIONS OPEN 8 JANUARY 2007
Fares:
Registration or payment by credit card (secured payment) on the internet:
- Tour du Mont-Blanc : 120 €
- Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix : 85 €
Registration or payment sent by post: extra 10€ as administration fee
- Tour du Mont-Blanc : 130 €
- Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix : 95 €
Extra information:
ATTENTION: the registrations for both races are final, no possibility to change race.
Some important changes will occur, in particular:
- the number of runners will be limited again to 2000
- you need to have run a 80km trail (no road) or two 50km trails to be able to register for the full loop
- the routes will be modified: distance and ascent of both races may be slightly increased (at least 160km+9000m for the full loop - 90km+5000m for the CCC)
- less food points
Ultra selective.
Update (31/10/2006): full translation of the new conditions, as they are still not translated on the official web site
For 2007, important changes have been decided:
1. Maximum number of runners:
Tour du Mont-Blanc : 2000
Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix : 1500
2. Registration conditions:
These races in the nature follow mostly the international long-distance hiking path "tour du Mont-Blanc". They include many passages in altitude, and the conditions can be very tough (night, wind, rain or snow). A very good training and good autonomous capacities are necessary to achieve such an individual adventure.
In order to register to the North Face Ultra-Trail du Tour du Mont-Blanc, it is required on the registration day to have finished at least two trails of at least 50km or one trail of at least 80km.
NB: road races, multi-sports raids and triathlons are not recognised as qualifying races.
No specific conditions on the registration for the North Face Ultra-Trail Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix, but we strongly recommend to participate to other long trails (>50km) before this race.
3. Route
Both races routes may be modified with respect to 2006. The Tour du Mont-Blanc may then reach or overtake 160km and 9000m of positive ascent, whilst the Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (whose start will be modified to fluidify the runners' bunch before the Bertone ascent) will reach or overtake 90km for a positive ascent of about 5000m.
4. Semi self-sufficiency
This expression will get back its full meaning in 2007 on both races that should gain in authenticity through a different distribution of the food stations, some being modified or even removed. On the bases at Courmayeur and Champex, care (massages & podology) will be reserved to the runners continuing the race. Personal assistance is authorised only on the official food stations, except all personal medical or para-medical care that will be completely forbidden.
5. Ranking
For both races, only the runners finishing at Chamonix will be ranked.
6. Specific medical certificate
A specific medical certificate will be required to validate the registration. The original copy will have to be sent by post before the 30th June. You will be able to download a template of this certificate on the UTMB web site from December.
REGISTRATIONS OPEN 8 JANUARY 2007
Fares:
Registration or payment by credit card (secured payment) on the internet:
- Tour du Mont-Blanc : 120 €
- Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix : 85 €
Registration or payment sent by post: extra 10€ as administration fee
- Tour du Mont-Blanc : 130 €
- Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix : 95 €
Extra information:
ATTENTION: the registrations for both races are final, no possibility to change race.
Wednesday, September 27 2006
UTMB 2006 pictures
By Julien on Wednesday, September 27 2006, 20:37
I bought "only" 3 pictures from the UTMB. The sport photography company (that I won't name here) doesn't seem to be ashamed to charge 3.35 euros for the shipping when you order digital pictures to be sent by ... e-mail !
(Click to enlarge)
Ultra ... pictures ?
(Click to enlarge)
Ultra ... pictures ?
Tuesday, August 29 2006
UTMB 2006
By Julien on Tuesday, August 29 2006, 11:35
To make it short first, I didn't manage to complete the race this year :(
Contents:
Update: added pictures (27/09/2006)
A good start
The full story now. After a week of rest in Nice, I felt pretty much relaxed for the big day. I spent the entire Friday in my bed, excepted a short trip to the pasta party. On Friday afternoon, the stress was growing in me. Will I or will I not finish the loop ? Will my hip be all right ? Then the start was given. The first kilometers up to the Col de Voza were not particularly enjoyable, due to the stress. I started slowly, in the mass, to rank 1045th at the Col. But I then entered properly the run and started to get happy running. Supporters at the Contamines and the rock band at the Chapieux were amazing, just as last year. Soundtrack of the Contamines check point includes "Dancefloor FG" which was part of the music I listened last year on my MP3 :) . At the Chapieux (km 44), I was already ranking under 500th.
(Click to enlarge)
I had my first fear in the descent by night to the Chapieux. I twisted my right ankle in a hole I hadn't seen. For half a minute I thought the UTMB was already over for me, after only 40km. But suprisingly it was actually fine. Up to Courmayeur (km 72), I arrived at the checkpoints at the same time than last year, or slightly earlier. Feelings were good, clear mind, good speed (but very cold night !).
I managed the big stop at Courmayeur much better than last year. Pasta were yummy, but too much al dente to be digested easily in the middle of a race. I didn't force it, got a massage and left quickly. Ascent to the refuge Bertone was so much easier than last year :) . At that point, I was about an hour ahead of my 2005 time. The weather was really nice and sunny. I was still relatively fresh physically and felt like I would be able to push it: I could still run very easily in every flat section.
Deception
The descent to Arnuva would break my dreams: the very gentle but steadily growing ache in my left ankle (ie. not the one I previously twisted) started to be really annoying. It was painful while running or going downhill. Doctors at Arnuva gave me some strong anti-inflamatories. I then climbed the Grand Col Ferret (highest point of the race) relatively easily, especially regarding to last year, when I needed to stop and sit down several times. But the descent to La Fouly became increasingly harder. Steep slopes were a torture and I couldn't even run the gentle ones. Anti-inflamatories didn't seem to help at all. I was continuously being overtaken. At La Fouly (km 102), kinesitherapists gave me a strapping with compression points. I planned to walk up to the big check point of Champex and then see. Unfortunately, strappings were also useless and even walking on flat terrain became painful, and I took more than 2 hours to walk 7 easy kilometers. During this section, I was overtaked by all the runners that were still able to run (including Michel Poletti, the organiser, quite suprising) and then I was left alone for a while. At Praz de Fort (km 110) still 45 minutes ahead of my previous time, I decided to stop the destruction and to withdraw ... I know pain, just like cold, is only a conception of the mind, but I really couldn't go any further. As I managed to run at least 100km, I'm an arrivant (which means finisher), instead of being a finisher (in English in the text)... I ranked 1370th.
(Click to enlarge)
Live times
(Click to enlarge)
Conclusions
I'm globally surprised how I felt globally very well, especially in the big ascents, as I didn't have as much specific training as last year. My hip didn't complain so far. I'm also happy about my management of the food points, much more efficient and without any trouble with my stomach. And overall, how my mind was clear all way long - I could really enjoy the race and the landscape. So where does that tendinitis-like pain come from ? I had a very slight ache probably due to rock climbing a week before. It may be the starting point that dehydration may have made worse. Today it's even hard to walk normally. I hope that will heal soon!
It seems that runners were pretty good this year: 1151 (nearly half) of them finished the loop! Congratulations to all of them. Also, people were faster (eg. at La Fouly, I got a similar ranking although I was about 1h30 ahead).
I know it's not recommended, but I did a bit of gear testing during the race... I eventually decided to take the Raidlight shoulder strap bottle (see "Shock week-end" in North Wales). I managed to remove a pipe hook from the strap to make it more stable and I also shortened the pipe. But I'm still not 100% convinced. I think I'll need to stitch it directly to the strap. I also tried my new head torch Petzl Myo XP, which is pretty powerful and lasted easily all night at full power.
I've raised again some funds for AVERT - this year I've collected £331.21. Unfortunately, it's quite as much as last year, because I did not manage to complete the loop and also because I had less time for fundraising. A big thank you to you all donators !
So what's next ? It's hard for me to leave the UTMB on a failure, so I'm quite tempted to try it again next year. But I also want a bit of change. I've been thinking of the West Highland Way or the much flatter Grand Union Canal 145 miles Race. Any suggestion welcome!
Ultra deception.
Contents:
Update: added pictures (27/09/2006)
A good start
The full story now. After a week of rest in Nice, I felt pretty much relaxed for the big day. I spent the entire Friday in my bed, excepted a short trip to the pasta party. On Friday afternoon, the stress was growing in me. Will I or will I not finish the loop ? Will my hip be all right ? Then the start was given. The first kilometers up to the Col de Voza were not particularly enjoyable, due to the stress. I started slowly, in the mass, to rank 1045th at the Col. But I then entered properly the run and started to get happy running. Supporters at the Contamines and the rock band at the Chapieux were amazing, just as last year. Soundtrack of the Contamines check point includes "Dancefloor FG" which was part of the music I listened last year on my MP3 :) . At the Chapieux (km 44), I was already ranking under 500th.
(Click to enlarge)
I had my first fear in the descent by night to the Chapieux. I twisted my right ankle in a hole I hadn't seen. For half a minute I thought the UTMB was already over for me, after only 40km. But suprisingly it was actually fine. Up to Courmayeur (km 72), I arrived at the checkpoints at the same time than last year, or slightly earlier. Feelings were good, clear mind, good speed (but very cold night !).
I managed the big stop at Courmayeur much better than last year. Pasta were yummy, but too much al dente to be digested easily in the middle of a race. I didn't force it, got a massage and left quickly. Ascent to the refuge Bertone was so much easier than last year :) . At that point, I was about an hour ahead of my 2005 time. The weather was really nice and sunny. I was still relatively fresh physically and felt like I would be able to push it: I could still run very easily in every flat section.
Deception
The descent to Arnuva would break my dreams: the very gentle but steadily growing ache in my left ankle (ie. not the one I previously twisted) started to be really annoying. It was painful while running or going downhill. Doctors at Arnuva gave me some strong anti-inflamatories. I then climbed the Grand Col Ferret (highest point of the race) relatively easily, especially regarding to last year, when I needed to stop and sit down several times. But the descent to La Fouly became increasingly harder. Steep slopes were a torture and I couldn't even run the gentle ones. Anti-inflamatories didn't seem to help at all. I was continuously being overtaken. At La Fouly (km 102), kinesitherapists gave me a strapping with compression points. I planned to walk up to the big check point of Champex and then see. Unfortunately, strappings were also useless and even walking on flat terrain became painful, and I took more than 2 hours to walk 7 easy kilometers. During this section, I was overtaked by all the runners that were still able to run (including Michel Poletti, the organiser, quite suprising) and then I was left alone for a while. At Praz de Fort (km 110) still 45 minutes ahead of my previous time, I decided to stop the destruction and to withdraw ... I know pain, just like cold, is only a conception of the mind, but I really couldn't go any further. As I managed to run at least 100km, I'm an arrivant (which means finisher), instead of being a finisher (in English in the text)... I ranked 1370th.
(Click to enlarge)
| 2005 | 2006 | |||||
| Way Point | Distance | Running time | Rank | Running time | Time diff. | Rank |
| Col de Voza | 13km | 01h55min50s | wrong | 01h54mn53s | -1min | 1045 |
| Les Contamines | 25km | 03h29min59s | 537 | 03h24mn34s | -5min | 700 |
| La Balme | 33km | 04h50min24s | 411 | 04h48mn13s | -2min | 584 |
| Refuge Croix du Bonhomme | 38km | 06h18mn52s | 489 | |||
| Les Chapieux | 44km | 07h14min28s | 370 | 07h03mn54s | -10min | 464 |
| Col de la Seigne | 54km | 09h35min30s | 345 | 09h11mn59s | -23min | 384 |
| Refuge Elisabetta | 58km | 10h08min37s | 342 | 09h46mn44s | -22min | 363 |
| Arête Mont-Favre | 63km | 11h31min02s | 325 | 10h55mn00s | -36min | 352 |
| Col Chécrouit - Maison Vieille | 67km | 12h15min32s | 333 | 11h36mn14s | -39min | 337 |
| Courmayeur | 72km | 12h56min02s | 319 | 12h16mn50s | -39min | 338 |
| Refuge Bertone | 77km | 15h18min49s | 308 | 14h25mn01s | -54min | 357 |
| Refuge Bonatti | 84km | 17h10min40s | 363 | 15h43mn13s | -1h27min | 333 |
| Arnuva | 89km | 18h08min06s | 350 | 16h41mn47s | -1h26min | 323 |
| Grand Col Ferret | 93km | 19h41min59s | 326 | 18h13mn25s | -1h29min | 307 |
| La Peulaz | 97km | 20h18min09s | 318 | 18h48mn16s | -1h30min | wrong |
| La Fouly | 102km | 21h13min23s | 304 | 19h49mn12s | -1h24min | 316 |
| Praz de Fort | 111km | 22h43min24s | 281 | 21h57mn42s | -45min | 369 |
| Champex d'en Bas | 119km | 24h29min32s | 275 | |||
| Bovine | 126km | 27h25min17s | 256 | |||
| Trient | 132km | 29h01min24s | 258 | |||
| Les Tseppes | 135km | 30h20min10s | 251 | |||
| Vallorcine | 142km | 32h21min29s | 248 | |||
| Argentière | 149km | 33h45min42s | 243 | |||
| Chamonix - Arrivée | 158km | 35h31min37s | 233 | |||
(Click to enlarge)
I'm globally surprised how I felt globally very well, especially in the big ascents, as I didn't have as much specific training as last year. My hip didn't complain so far. I'm also happy about my management of the food points, much more efficient and without any trouble with my stomach. And overall, how my mind was clear all way long - I could really enjoy the race and the landscape. So where does that tendinitis-like pain come from ? I had a very slight ache probably due to rock climbing a week before. It may be the starting point that dehydration may have made worse. Today it's even hard to walk normally. I hope that will heal soon!
It seems that runners were pretty good this year: 1151 (nearly half) of them finished the loop! Congratulations to all of them. Also, people were faster (eg. at La Fouly, I got a similar ranking although I was about 1h30 ahead).
I know it's not recommended, but I did a bit of gear testing during the race... I eventually decided to take the Raidlight shoulder strap bottle (see "Shock week-end" in North Wales). I managed to remove a pipe hook from the strap to make it more stable and I also shortened the pipe. But I'm still not 100% convinced. I think I'll need to stitch it directly to the strap. I also tried my new head torch Petzl Myo XP, which is pretty powerful and lasted easily all night at full power.
I've raised again some funds for AVERT - this year I've collected £331.21. Unfortunately, it's quite as much as last year, because I did not manage to complete the loop and also because I had less time for fundraising. A big thank you to you all donators !
So what's next ? It's hard for me to leave the UTMB on a failure, so I'm quite tempted to try it again next year. But I also want a bit of change. I've been thinking of the West Highland Way or the much flatter Grand Union Canal 145 miles Race. Any suggestion welcome!
Ultra deception.
Thursday, August 17 2006
Last week before the big one !
By Julien on Thursday, August 17 2006, 20:28
In just about a week, I'll be in Chamonix, on the starting line of the UTMB 2006, 4th edition ... I reckon I start to be a bit stressed. My lower back is upseting me again, with the ache going down to my right leg. I also noticed a weird problem on my right foot: I can't "grasp" with it so much, it becomes painful. Not very important, but ... Also I'm physically clearly not as well prepared as last year. On the other hand, I know the route, so this should help (a bit). I'm going to relax and sleep as much as I can for a week in Nice, and hopefully it's going to be fine. Next entry will be post-UTMB06 :)
I know I haven't heavily reminded everyone I'm fundraising for AVERT this year, but your donations are still welcome :) See my donation page for more details.
Ultra moment of truth.
I know I haven't heavily reminded everyone I'm fundraising for AVERT this year, but your donations are still welcome :) See my donation page for more details.
Ultra moment of truth.
Tuesday, July 25 2006
Run against AIDS
By Julien on Tuesday, July 25 2006, 10:34
In exactly one month, the start of Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont-Blanc will be given in Chamonix ! I feel a bit better now (it was time !), I ran a nice 30km along the Thames on Sunday.
Just like last year, I've decided to use the occasion to raise some funds to fight AIDS in Africa, through a charity called AVERT. There is a serious lack of political and religious commitment to provide enough funds and resources for eduction and medical care. Patents on specific medicine leave millions of people without efficient treatment: 2.8 millions of people died because of AIDS in 2005. There is still time to reverse the epidemic that is sweeping across Africa.
It's time to act now !
I've chosen AVERT, a charity contributing to numerous projects around the world, helping with the problem of HIV/AIDS in countries where there is a high or increasing rate of infection such as South Africa or the Russian Federation.
It would be great if you could sponsor me for a fixed amount or make a pledge per kilometre actually run - this will give me some more courage to continue. New this year: for more complex pledges, you can send me a C function :). Last year I raised up £503.02, let's try to beat it together !
For more information, have a look at the fundraising page.
Ultra fundraising.
Just like last year, I've decided to use the occasion to raise some funds to fight AIDS in Africa, through a charity called AVERT. There is a serious lack of political and religious commitment to provide enough funds and resources for eduction and medical care. Patents on specific medicine leave millions of people without efficient treatment: 2.8 millions of people died because of AIDS in 2005. There is still time to reverse the epidemic that is sweeping across Africa.
I've chosen AVERT, a charity contributing to numerous projects around the world, helping with the problem of HIV/AIDS in countries where there is a high or increasing rate of infection such as South Africa or the Russian Federation.
It would be great if you could sponsor me for a fixed amount or make a pledge per kilometre actually run - this will give me some more courage to continue. New this year: for more complex pledges, you can send me a C function :). Last year I raised up £503.02, let's try to beat it together !
For more information, have a look at the fundraising page.
Ultra fundraising.
Saturday, July 1 2006
Participation to the UTMB
By Julien on Saturday, July 1 2006, 13:19
I've eventually decided to take part in the UTMB this year. It's a rather hard decision as I'm not that very well prepared compared to last year, physically as well as psychologically. Moreover my pain in the hip (and lower back) came back a couple of days ago. I'll see how it goes and may take it as a long hike if required. I'll try to run, walk or crawl as far as I can. I'm not expecting a better time.
See you on the 25th August, hopefully with bib number 233.
Ultra trail tour du Mont-Blanc.
See you on the 25th August, hopefully with bib number 233.
Ultra trail tour du Mont-Blanc.
Sunday, May 28 2006
UTMB: dreams and nightmares
By Julien on Sunday, May 28 2006, 01:02
I usually don't remember my dreams, but it's funny to notice how many of them are now related to the UTMB.
Before the UTMB last year, I remember I dreamt about the event several times. And unfortunately it was mostly unpleasant, demonstrating the kind of fear from an unknown event. Most of the times, I dreamt that I arrived too late at the starting line. Everyone was leaving, running in a very cheerful atmosphere (which happened in reality !). But I was standing aside, looking at all these runners. Typically, I was wondering whether I could get changed very quickly, and prepare my bag to join in. But I just couldn't. I felt such a frustration not even being able to start, to waste all this preparation for nothing.
And I started to get that kind of dreams again. Now that I've really run the loop, the images of the race are not more realistic anyway ! A couple of days ago I dreamt that part of the race was crossing some kind of very complicated network of corridors and staircases made of concrete. I remember I dreamt about that last year as well. I think there's not much space for interpretation here. It's clearly related to the first time I started to run in the hills: on the slopes under the Grenoble's fortifications. It was such a labyrinth, I missed the path several times, and I can tell you it doesn't look like the best place to get lost. If the scenery can be amazing, some corrdiors are really dodgy. In the dreams, however, I never got lost.
The novelty in the last dream was "the missing bag". I realised at Courmayeur (after 72km) that I forgot my bag ! Just impossible in reality. Then I simply went back home quickly in the middle of the race, packed my bag, without not really remembering what to take... and went back into the race !
Why accomplishing such a great dream gives awful, repeated nightmares ? Freud, where are you (*) ?
Ultra dreams.
(*) except DMC.
Before the UTMB last year, I remember I dreamt about the event several times. And unfortunately it was mostly unpleasant, demonstrating the kind of fear from an unknown event. Most of the times, I dreamt that I arrived too late at the starting line. Everyone was leaving, running in a very cheerful atmosphere (which happened in reality !). But I was standing aside, looking at all these runners. Typically, I was wondering whether I could get changed very quickly, and prepare my bag to join in. But I just couldn't. I felt such a frustration not even being able to start, to waste all this preparation for nothing.
And I started to get that kind of dreams again. Now that I've really run the loop, the images of the race are not more realistic anyway ! A couple of days ago I dreamt that part of the race was crossing some kind of very complicated network of corridors and staircases made of concrete. I remember I dreamt about that last year as well. I think there's not much space for interpretation here. It's clearly related to the first time I started to run in the hills: on the slopes under the Grenoble's fortifications. It was such a labyrinth, I missed the path several times, and I can tell you it doesn't look like the best place to get lost. If the scenery can be amazing, some corrdiors are really dodgy. In the dreams, however, I never got lost.
The novelty in the last dream was "the missing bag". I realised at Courmayeur (after 72km) that I forgot my bag ! Just impossible in reality. Then I simply went back home quickly in the middle of the race, packed my bag, without not really remembering what to take... and went back into the race !
Why accomplishing such a great dream gives awful, repeated nightmares ? Freud, where are you (*) ?
Ultra dreams.
(*) except DMC.
Monday, May 22 2006
Training plan: a first assessment
By Julien on Monday, May 22 2006, 12:14
The last 4 weeks, I've followed quite thoroughly the training plan detailed in a previous post. I've run 120km and swam 13km. On Saturday I've reached 19km, the longest distance since ... November, when I ran to Brighton (90km) ! This week will be a relative rest, and the next 4 weeks should lead me to run a marathon before the end of June.
I think I've not lost so much during this big break, although I'm slightly slower now. But I'll see how it goes during a marathon.
My hip remains the main issue. It sounds like running has actually little influence on the ache. Providing that I keep the stride relatively short (which will be mostly the case during the trail anyway), it doesn't feel too bad.
After the failure of the Amsterdam marathon (see my previous blog), I'm also starting to test what food would be the most suitable in the morning before a race. It needs obvioulsy to provide a lot of calories while being easily and quickly digested. It would be a nice advantage if it could be kept and carried, so then I would be completely independent to the place I travel to. Porridge seems to be the best solution at the moment. If you have any better idea, please let me know.
Ultra on the rails.
I think I've not lost so much during this big break, although I'm slightly slower now. But I'll see how it goes during a marathon.
My hip remains the main issue. It sounds like running has actually little influence on the ache. Providing that I keep the stride relatively short (which will be mostly the case during the trail anyway), it doesn't feel too bad.
After the failure of the Amsterdam marathon (see my previous blog), I'm also starting to test what food would be the most suitable in the morning before a race. It needs obvioulsy to provide a lot of calories while being easily and quickly digested. It would be a nice advantage if it could be kept and carried, so then I would be completely independent to the place I travel to. Porridge seems to be the best solution at the moment. If you have any better idea, please let me know.
Ultra on the rails.
Friday, May 5 2006
Back to proper training
By Julien on Friday, May 5 2006, 11:44
No posts in April ... Glooops ! As an empirical law, I feel like a blog looses half of its remaining readers every week. So in 6 weeks, my dear readers, you've been leaving by a factor 26=64. Thank you very much to the remaining 1.6% :)
Let's stop the forecast and talk about running. My hip tend to get slowly better, so I've started to increase my training volume. I'm now following a modified version of a training method by Galloway (not related to the British politician). The original idea is to run a short distance 5 days a week and a progressively increasing long distance in the week-end. As my hip is still a bit dodgy and I get injured quite easily, I've replaced 2 short runs by swimming sessions. In the end, the week plan looks like:
Regarding to my participation at the UTMB, I've set a hard deadline:I'll try to run the UTMB only if I manage to run a marathon with good feelings, whatever the time, by the 30th June.
During the summer, and if I met my deadline, I hope to follow some more long distance and trail-specific training, such as a 50km in the hills, maybe a night training and some multi-day intense hiking (very important). And I'll reduce the other runs to allow a better recovering. For sure I won't be as well prepared as I was last year, but ...
Ultra planned.
Let's stop the forecast and talk about running. My hip tend to get slowly better, so I've started to increase my training volume. I'm now following a modified version of a training method by Galloway (not related to the British politician). The original idea is to run a short distance 5 days a week and a progressively increasing long distance in the week-end. As my hip is still a bit dodgy and I get injured quite easily, I've replaced 2 short runs by swimming sessions. In the end, the week plan looks like:
- 3x 6.3km run (Hyde Park + Kensington Gardens) - 30min
- 2x 1500m to 2000m swim - 30 to 40min
- an increasing long distance run
Regarding to my participation at the UTMB, I've set a hard deadline:
During the summer, and if I met my deadline, I hope to follow some more long distance and trail-specific training, such as a 50km in the hills, maybe a night training and some multi-day intense hiking (very important). And I'll reduce the other runs to allow a better recovering. For sure I won't be as well prepared as I was last year, but ...
Ultra planned.
Tuesday, January 24 2006
UTMB drawing now open
By Julien on Tuesday, January 24 2006, 10:49
A short post to tell you that the last 500 extra tickets for the UTMB 2006 will be allocated through a drawing. 200 tickets are reserved to non-French runners. This is your last chance.
Ultra lucky ?
Ultra lucky ?
Friday, January 20 2006
A training plan attempt
By Julien on Friday, January 20 2006, 13:59
After 2.5 months of rest, my hips are getting better. I'm going to try to come back progressively to exercice. The plan includes the 3 following stages:
Ultra hard to follow.
- Come back to a decent shape - February
- Increase my VO2Max speed - March, April
- Endurance training and mountain trail conditions - June, July, August
-
Come back to a decent shape - February
Although I have rather good feelings while swimming, I'm clearly not at the top of my fitness anymore. During this stage I will try to remind my body what exercising means. I'll mainly stick to swimming sessions. I'll increase the distance to reach 2km, three times a week. Half of it will be Mommas-like training: typically 10x50m with 15s rest in between, or 100m 4-strokes (butterfly, back crawl, breast & front crawl). If everything goes fine I may try to come back to running (gently) at the end of February. I will keep very careful during this period, to listen my body in order to avoid being hurt again. -
Increase my VO2Max speed - March, April
I'll then progressively go for a marathon-like training. I'll try to run two speed training a week to increase my VO2Max speed by doing 5x1000m sessions for example. I'll also add a gentle endurance run (2h) on the week-ends. I will keep one or two swimming sessions per week. If everything is fine, I may then run a marathon at the end of this stage (as a short term objective) but without reaching a destructive hypoglycemia+dehydration state like in Amsterdam last year. -
Endurance training and mountain trail conditions - June, July, August
The really enjoyable training will start from June :) . I'll do my best to leave Hyde Park at least for Richmond Park. I plan to run a couple of times on the South Coast (the Downs), where the succession of small hills can provide an excellent playground for my training. Two long sessions in the Lake District or in the North Wales will be necessary for proper ascent and technical terrain training. A week hiking in the Alps (or other mountains) in July would be perfect. Then slowing down up to the end of August to be fresh for the UTMB.
Ultra hard to follow.
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