Training for Spartathlon

Life goes on...

2011-04-29T01:31:00.000+02:00

I just realized that I did not post anything since a very long time. My marathon was fine, but the weather absolutely awful: wind, rain, too few runners, got all the wind in my face, that really slowed me down. I crossed the finish line in 3h19. This was above the initial goal, but I was very happy with it, I am sure that I can make a marathon in 3h10 with good weather conditions.

One month later I applied for the O'rigole. This is one of the rudest Night Trail Runs in France. It occurs every December: 75km in the forest, departure during a cold night. Every year brought new surprises: cold, heavy rain, snow. You have to be well trained if you want to finish. The marathon was only 4 weeks behind, my legs really hurt after the first set of three loops (28km), so I decided to stop the race.

In January I joined a group of 5 runners for a night orientation raid of 90km: the Raid 28. This is absolutely insane. The starting line is revealed 1 week before the race. Is it always located in a very small town with poor means of transportation, so we had to make our own way to get to the departure.
Then the race might be compared to the Spartan race in many points. We had to cross rivers during the night sank to the waist into a cold water, etc. Great memories! On the Sunday evening, I was running down a muddy slide and badly twisted my right ankle. By chance, at 200 meters there was an aid station. They strapped my ankle on, but 5 hours later I was not able even to walk! The two knees were terribly painful. We had to give up at 9km from the finish line. Too bad.

I had never recovered. I cancelled all my running schedule in February, then March and April... I was really upset. Mid April, I decided to start again training and forgot the pain. My concern is that I can run very fast, perform split interval training, but I am upset that I might not be able to keep the pace on a long race.

My next challenge is the 24h of Yvelines on May the 21th. I would really be pleased to run a good distance (I need it to prevent me falling insane!) The last months were very difficult, next months cannot be worse, life goes on...

My 6 weeks marathon plan

2010-11-11T22:43:00.005+01:00

I would like to share with you my 6 weeks marathon plan. I know that 6 weeks is very short, but I had first of all to recover during September from a knee injury that happened late August at a 100km race. And I had been sick for 6 days during week 3. So it was not the ideal training, but I feel strong and confident. The hard part will be the weather, here is the forecast: 60% precipitation chance, 23km/h winds and 12°C. Not too bad :-D

This plan was designed by Philippe CALVARIN (France Elite Duathlon champion in 1993 and many other titles).

	TRAINING PLAN	STATUS
WEEK 1	50' jogging	Compex
	30' jog + 2 x (10 x 30''/30''), rest=4' jog + 10' jog	OK
	REST	OK
	50' jog (empty stomach)	OK
	REST	OK
	1:20 jog (last 20' @12km/h)	OK
	40' jog + 8km (marathon pace) + 3km (half marathon pace) + 2km (10km pace) + 10' jog	OK
WEEK 2	REST	OK
	20' jog + 15 x 400m @15.6km/h, rest 200m jog + 10' jog	OK
	REST	OK
	1:30 jog (last 30' @12km/h)	OK
	40' jog + 12 x 1000m @12km/h, rest 200m jog + 10' jog	OK
	REST or 50' jog	OK
	Bike 2h + 1h jog	1h30+30'
WEEK 3	1:15 jog (last 15' @12km/h)	Compex
	20' jog + 20 x 500m @14km/h, rest 200m jog + 10' jog	OK
	REST	OK
	1:30 jog (last 30' @12km/h)	1h05
	30' jog + 4 x 3000m @13km/h, rest 3' jog + 10' jog	SICK
	REST or 50' jog	SICK
	Bike 2h + 1h jog	SICK
WEEK 4	1:15 jog (last 15' @12km/h)	SICK
	20' jog + 20 x 400m @17.6km/h, rest 100m jog + 10' jog	SICK
	REST	SICK
	1:30 jog (last 30' @12km/h)	Try the 20 x 400m training => too hard
	50' jog	OK
	REST	OK
	30' jog + 30' @ 12km/h + 10km (marathon pace) + 5km (half marathon pace) + 1km (10km pace) + 5' jog	OK
WEEK 5	REST	OK
	1h jog	OK
	REST	OK
	20' jog + 3km @ 13km/h + 3' jog + 2km @ 13km/h + 10' jog	OK
	40' jog	TIRED + RAIN SHOWERS
	REST	RAIN SHOWERS
	1:15 jog	RAIN SHOWERS
WEEK 6	REST	RAIN SHOWERS
	30' jog + 3km @ 13km/h	TIRED + RAIN SHOWERS
	30' jog	TIRED + RAIN SHOWERS
	REST	1h10
	30' jog +5 straight lines	OK
	REST	OK
	Orléans MARATHON in 3:15	MARATHON

Disk crash on Ubuntu: the rescue guide

2010-11-11T00:24:00.004+01:00

Here is a geek post that will not deal with running.
My personal laptop is running on Ubuntu. I always used to be a Linux geek and I made the complete switch to gnu/Linux after trying to use Windows Vista on my brand new laptop: a nightmare. Nothing available by default to burn an ISO CD, to watch a DVD, etc. The transition had not been painful, Ubuntu is very impressive and can run all my hardware.

The hard part came when my hard drive began to get bad sectors a few weeks ago. I was not able to compact my Thunderbird Inbox, and neither to backup it to a usb drive. I was really upset. How will I fix my drive? Nothing seemed available in the system. So I decided to run it "old school" way, using the shell with the command line fsck.

This post is a comprehensive guide that aims to help people who are using Ubuntu and who do not have a deep knowledge of Linux.

Step 1: download a Ubuntu Live CD image, go to: http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download
Step 2: burn it using Brasero Disc Burner.
Step 3: reboot from the live CD.
Step 4: open the disk utility (Sytem / Administration / Disk Utility)
Step 5: find the path to your partition (e.g. /dev/sda3), do not mount it.
Step 6: open a shell (applications / accessories / terminal)
Step 7: get the root grant
type: sudo su -
Step 8: check & repair the partition
type: fsck -cf /dev/sda3
-c is looking for the bad blocks and add them to the bas blocks inode.
-f force the search & repair.
Step 9: answer yes to all the questions (by typing "y")
Step 10: reboot
Step 11: backup immediately your data (it was not possible before, due to the bad blocks)
Step 12: enjoy a safe computer.

Quick update: marathon in 4 days

2010-11-10T23:00:00.005+01:00

Hi everybody, my last boy is born 5 months ago. He is an amazing little boy full of energy and a great joy for his parents. This left me no time for posting on this blog. Training is getting hard, with an hectic schedule, short nights, and my job. Hopefully, I was able to run some pretty nice races but was really tired on the start line:
- end of June: Le Raid du Morbihan (178km), I gave up at km 144, I was able to finish the race, be without any pleasure, tiredness was TOO painful
- end August : 100km des étangs de Sologne. A great race but my bike injury on the left knee (accident happened in April) came back after 35km. At km 45, I had to slow down, then I switched running & walking. I finished with a strong mental in 13h50, my initial goal was 10h! One month of rest was required to be able to start running again.

Then, I decided that I need to change dramatically the way I train. Speed was currently an option in my ultra running races. Back to the basics! My next race will be a marathon. I asked to my friend Philippe to design a 6 weeks marathon training plan for a 3:15 goal. The D day is approaching, it will be Sunday the 14th of November in Orléans (France) : http://www.orleansmarathon.fr/
Orléans is closed to my home, about 1h by car, it is convenient. 259 registered runners so far. The weather forecast is terrible, cold and rain shower. Should be fun.

Son, Santa Claus does not exist - For real dad?

2010-05-15T22:01:00.007+02:00

Hi there, I did not post anything for a long time. But I have so many stories to tell.

Today, I want to share a short piece of my life. I was running in the forest, trying to convince my 6 years old boy to become a running warrior :) Then, he suggested:

"- let's play to Santa Claus. I'll do a reindeer, and you'll be Santa. Dad, what makes the sleigh fly?".

"- Magic" I replied, followed by these terrible words: "- Do you think that Santa Claus really exists?". His face turns to white:

"- For real? No, you're kidding dad".

"- No, son. He really does not exist".

"- What about the presents? Where are they coming from?"

"- Family does".

I was annoyed for revealing the terrible truth without asking the green light to the family council (my wife & I). But I wanted deeply inside of me to prevent my son from a total disgrace in front of his school mates: "look at this baby, he's still believing in Santa Claus".

I promise I will try to write more often posts on this blog. We are expecting a new boy soon, so I will do my best between family, job, training and blog!

May I introduce you... CrossFit!

2010-03-03T23:03:00.007+01:00

CrossFit is a general fitness program focuses on improving health and physical condition. CrossFit is stated as “fitness for the elites”! Let's have a look to several CrossFit definitions:

What is CrossFit: http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html

CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide. Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing.

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossfit

CrossFit is the trademarked name for a physical fitness program that is marketed by CrossFit, Inc. CrossFit Inc. certifies CrossFit trainers and licenses the CrossFit name to gyms.

CrossFit promotes overall physical fitness in terms of cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. It uses powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebells, dumbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, and bodyweight and calisthenics exercises. CrossFit practitioners perform a variety of activities including running, rowing, skipping, rope climbing, jumping, carrying objects, and quickly moving large loads over long distances.

The CrossFit regimen, which combines weightlifting, sprinting and gymnastics, is used in gyms and by various fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and by military organizations such as the Royal Danish Life Guards.

So CrossFit is an overall method to improve your performance when you practice your sport.

When you google for CrossFit, you will find out some weird readings regarding the clubs. The number of affiliated gyms has grown from 18 in 2005 to over 1,600 in 2010.(Wikipedia). The videos on YouTube show a bunch of dumb guys who are training rudely and quickly in a garage turned into a gym, with bucket to let them puke when required! Have a look to this video: “Andy Petranek: LA Task force ».

After watching it, I thought “Wow, this is like Fight Club!” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_Club_%28film%29 ).

So, how did I get involved into this nightmare? Luis did! Luis is a running buddy from San Francisco ; he is an ultrarunner and an Ironman. He started CrossFit training one year ago and posted trainings and videos on his Facebook wall. Amazing. I thought he had lost his mind! Luis is tough, shaped for rude workouts. I thought that only Luis can practice CrossFit. I asked him for training suggestions, without weight lift, because I was afraid to hurt my back. He gave me a lot of advices and tips.

Now, I am still a CrossFit beginner, but I am feeling stronger and better. The progression is amazing. You can dramatically improve your strength when you begin. So good.

Useful links

Web sites:

http://www.crossfit.com/

http://www.crossfitendurance.com/

http://journal.crossfit.com/

Exercices:

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html#Girls

Diane : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8dV6S6RLFM

Fran : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVBgKB4Gnsw

Annie : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAjV-LOW_uo

Annie (explained by Andy Petranek): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98o2pj9ECW0

Angie (explained by Andy Petranek): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgPbIGMPY3M

Andy Petranek: LA Task force

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQurvLrg_RY

Petranek Crossfit WOD Nasty Girls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxgICD4GCIQ

What WOD stands for? Workout of the day.

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/faq.html#General0

Crossfit Games:

http://games2010.crossfit.com/

Crossfit for Kids:

http://www.crossfitkids.com/

Luis' blog:

http://velasqu7.blogspot.com/

Luis' CrossFit club:

http://www.sancarloscrossfit.com/

http://sancarloscrossfit.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Carlos-CA/San-Carlos-CrossFit/192880428796

Luis

Fuel for trainings: an ultra play list

2010-02-27T14:56:00.004+01:00

I want to share with you one of my best training tips: music! I do not listen to music when I am running in the forest or on the road. Music player is not autorized on many races, and on the Spartathlon as well.

But since I have to train at the gym, I like to listen something stimulating, tired of commercial electro craps that you may usually listen in any gym club.

I have grown with heavy metal and still enjoy to listen some. But not every hard rock song is suitable for the gym. In the last months, I had a huge crush on two Symphonic metal nordics bands: Nightwish (Finland) and Epica (The Netherlands).

Listen on Deezer

I am listening music for: treadmill, interval training on a treadmill, crossfit, etc.

Here is my playlist: Nightwish (Once, Wishmaster), Epica (The Divine Conspiracy), Crucified Barbara (In distortion we trust, 'til death do us play), Metallica (Death Magnetic), the black eyed peas (for situps) and other commercial crap that I am too shame to confess...

http://www.nightwish.com/

http://www.epica.nl/

http://www.crucifiedbarbara.com/

2010: a tappering year!

2010-02-27T13:12:00.005+01:00

Welcome back, after a long silence due to a dramatic lack of time. This is a bite late for wishing a merry xmas and a happy new year, but I would like to thank my team (Philippe & Isabelle), Cap Running Aventure at Versailles (France) which provided my Asics equipments. Asics is making good shoes, I ran with Cumulus 11 & Trabucco all over the past year and my training was fine. I do not know if I improved my performances as 2k9 was a year of discovery (to explore new places where no man has boldly goes before :) but I did not get hurt. I used to twist my ankles often in the past, now everything seems to be fixed and the shoes did their job.

Cap Running Aventure web site:
http://www.runningaventure.com/
Cap Running Aventure on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000780886101
Cap Running Aventure on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/runningaventure

I started the training in the rude way on January the 1st. A first run in the cold and the snow. We had a lot of snow showers and running in the white virgin snow was delightful. My coach wrote a plan to train for a 100km. But this plan was definitly too long: 23 weeks. As I planed to run the 100km of Perigord Noir (Belvès/France) at the end of April, I started the training at the very first week of December. Which was not possible for me, I was tired and my body needed urgently a big break. So I did just a few scattered trainings in December.

The beginning of January was also the opportunity to focus on my races calendar. What should I pick up to prepare the Spartathlon? Here is my short list:

March: Ecotrail of Paris 80km (bib won at the UFO's lottery, thanks UltraFOndus!)
March: 6 hours of Buc
April: 100km of Périgord Noir
May: 24h of Villennes sur Seine?
June: Grand Raid du Morbihan (177km)
July: Lakeland 100 miles (in the UK)

And then, we'll see...

UFO #65

2010-01-11T22:22:00.003+01:00

Hi guys,
wish you a happy new year! The issue #65 of Ultrafondus is no longer sold in stores, so I am allowed to publish the article in its original format.
Follow this link to download it (only available in French.)
Enjoy!

Spartan Chronicles

2009-11-24T09:24:00.004+01:00

I have not been posting for a long time on this blog. Hectic schedule, heavy work, lots of races, my laptop crashed... So many things that took all my free time.

Today I am proud to announce that I am starting a recurring column in the magazine Ultrafondus ; this is the French Ultrarunning Magazine. The section will deal with my training. The first section will be published in the next issue: #65 December/January. So stay tuned French readers ;)

Here the snapshot that Ultrafondus provided me:

My 2009 Races log

2009-09-25T00:47:00.008+02:00

First of all, I want to let you know that it was very hard to finish this post. On the first hand it was not easy to remember so many long races. One the other one, I have been working in best effort mode at my job for the last four weeks; which is bad for training, physical and mental rest as well.

2009 was definitely an ultra year; I stayed focused on distances over the marathon. I did not run any marathon race. Of course I ran the distance just for fun at training, but I was on my own, with my backpack.

The next chart represents my 2009 race planning, past and forthcoming races:

Month	Race name	Location	Description	Distance (km)	Status
February	La piste des Seigneurs	France Aveyron	Night trail Rodez to Millau	72	Done
March	6h de Buc	France Yvelines	6h race	52	Done
April	100km de Belvès	France Périgord	100km	100	Done
May	12h de Villennes sur Seine	France Yvelines	6/12/24h race	82	Done
June	Raid du Morbihan	France Morbihan	A one leg race	174	Done
September	100km de Millau	France Aveyron	100km	100	Planned
November	24h d’Aulnat	France Puy de Dôme	24h race	---	Planned
December	??	??	??	---	To be defined

At then end of June I had ran 530 km in competition. I chose wisdom limiting the number of races (to preserve my ankles.)

Here is the sum up of Q1 and Q2 2009:

RUN TO THE HILLS

December 08: I badly twisted my ankle on the 50k Muir Beach trail run in San Fran at kilometer 15. I finished the race, running; did I already tell you that I am bloody stubborn idiot! I got a bad strain, healed it and thought that it was fixed. The race took place in gorgeous landscapes, shores, cliffs, forests. All that I love! And I met Luis Velasquez and Janet, his running buddy. I kept in touch with Luis; he is a warrior, got guts, trains very hard for ultra races and Ironman and does crossfit.

LOST SOMEWHERE IN TIME

February 09: I ran a 72k night trail run. A nice race linking Rodez to Millau (France) by the trails. The night was cold, some parts of the road were covered with hard snow, other were totally muddy. Sounds hard for my ankles. The scenery was beautiful, we ran through an Abbey and got an amazing point of view over the Millau Viaduct(a large cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley, the highest road bridge deck in the world: 890 ft, source Wikipedia). My mind was getting worse and worse because I could not stand the cold and my running tights were squeezing my stomach. The volunteers announced three times during the race that the trail was modified and each time they gave us a longer distance. So the initial distance raze from 64km to 72km. My GPS watch confirmed this fact. Unfortunately, I twisted again the same ankle 10km before the finish line.

BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE SLAUGHTER

After this second issue, my osteopath warned me that I should dramatically change my behaviour to give a chance of recovering to my ankle. This time I crossed the yellow line of his curing capability. Steady boy! Time for good resolutions! I did my best to improve my training. I strengthened my ankle with specific workout and electro stimulation. And it just worked! I used to twist easily my ankles on natural grounds. This was history. My steps got stronger.

March 09: I attended a 6 hours race, “les 6 heures de Buc”. This was a rough test to check if the strain was fixed. The race was fine so I really got more confident. 6 hours running with my friends, so great.

THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER

April 09: I signed for a 100km race in Belvès. It was my second one. I aborted my first attend in 2007 after 55km; I got injured –a tendinitis- because I was not used to run on the asphalt on a long distance.

This time, I did my training right, although my job did not let me practice all the scheduled workouts. So I strengthened my legs with those damned electro stimulation exercises: your muscles move on their own while you are fastened to a chair, freaky... Finally, it is like doing a rude training. Weird by efficient.

But let’s got back to Belvès. The race had a different flavour this year because it hosted the national 100km championship. Although, most of the runners were not concerned so far. Followers are allowed: every runner may ask a friend to ride a bike and support him during the race. The bikers have also a bib (same number as their runner). Only one bike per runner. Bikes were not allowed before km 15. So when we got to the meeting point, we went through a long alley of bikers, waiting in the rain.

I was on my own, dragging my stuffs in my backpack. I did not carry any water since there were an aid station every 5 kilometers. I took running clothes (T-shirts, socks), non rubbing foot cream, bandage for strapping, and food. Last year, the weather was shiny. I prepared my bag for a sunny day, with just a windbreaker for the early morning. Things went a little different way. It had been raining cats and dogs all over the race. A rainy and cold day. I was fine during the first 50km, drinking coffee every two aid stations to get warmer. The mood was friendly and I made small talks with other runners and friends. One of them, Jihem, even told me that I was speaking too much; I guess I disturbed his concentration. Then, the next 15 km after the 50^th, the race really got harder, my speed decreased, I could not help this happening. I changed my socks at kilometer 60. My running clothes were so wet that I could wonder if I had run in a washing machine. My shoes were charged with water, I had regretted I could not change my clothes for dry ones. I had to dig deeply in my mental to find motivation to continue. During the next 20 kilometers, I really thought about giving up. My progression was so slow. Arriving at km 80, I wonder if I would stop. Legs were painful, the weather was still terrible, and my clothes keep my body cold. The aid station was in a solid building. A lot of runners choose to stop here. I found a helpful hairdryer and succeeded in getting warm. Then, I had a soup and decided to take some Advil. This was the good decision. After this stop, my mental get stronger and I was almost able to run faster! So good so far. You handled situations in a different way when mental is back. It is easy to stay positive. At km 85, the aid station turned to be a little “creperie”, the kind of restaurant where you are eating very those slim French pancakes. I did not test it, although it seems tasteful, but did not want to take the risk to give back the food. I was closed to the finish line.

Did I mention that the race was a 100km loop around Belvès? We started by a 2km down slope with a strong negative elevation gain. At km 98km, I was on my way back and figure out that I had to run on the opposite way. Oops. I was with another runner who decided to walk. I offered him a gel, he accepted gratefully but was too weak to open the cap. I could not believe it! So I did it for him. Then I ran till the end. I arrived in 12h44, which was acceptable according to my training and the race condition. My friend Jihem was waiting on the line.

Race statistics: 44% DNF and 657 finishers.

May 09: sounds not possible to rest and forget training. The week after the race, I was back to the gym, but practiced carefully. On the 23th, I attended a 12 hours race; it was a 24 hours (“les 24 heures de Villennes sur Seine”) that provided different flavours: 6h relay, 6h, 12h or 24h hours. I am a friend of the race directors; they also organized the 6h I had run in March. The 6 hours relay runners were so fast that I was confused, they did 83km. The race went on a 1.2km amazing loop, 60% on the asphalt, with a strong elevation gain of +9 meters: a loop ascending road followed by a short descent. I ran slowly, still tired by my 100km, took pictures, talked to friends, I had a very good time. At the end, I ran 82km (that’s a small score) but I got the lead position in my category! I could not believe it (I must confess that we were only a dozen runners on the 12h race).

FEAR OF THE DARK

June 09: The last 12 hours race was a test before the big one. The Raid of Morbihan: a 178km race that is not a raid because this is a one leg race. I had already attended this race last year; it took me more than 40 hours. The departure is given on a Friday evening at 5pm, so everybody is running at least a full white night. Then the faster runners finished before Saturday evening in 20 hours. I did not get this chance. I tried to take benefits from my previous experience and avoid mistakes. But you never expect what might happen.

I was dead tired by my job, but running this race became mandatory for keeping my mind sane. My little family came with me, so nice. We visited a butterfly farm a couple of hours before the race; it was relaxing; the air was wet like in a tropical forest.

The day was hot. Most of the runners started very quickly. I began running at 12km/h; that was damned insane, 8km/h would have been a better target speed. I was “twittering” my race for my buddies, taking pictures with the BlackBerry and posting them on my micro blog. The race was following the coastal trails around one of the most beautiful bay in Europe. There were some aid stations every 10 or 20 km. In three of them you might get back one of your bags. So you had the opportunity to change your shoes, clothes, whatever you want. We passed through lovely towns, bridge, sceneries. The crowd was greeting us, till the night fell.

At km 50, darkness encompassed the land, I reached the first big aid station: soup, coffee, pasta, ham, milk rice, foot doctors and a rest room. The rest room was dedicated for resting. Some runners slept a dozen of minutes or a couple of hours. I guess this year they did not sleep at all. The music was pouring very loud from a couple a big speakers, playing old 80’s songs!

Then I left the camp and start running in the dark. Most of the time, I was running alone, the runners were scattered. The night was cold but beautiful. At the next aid station I met a friend that was sick. He decided to stop; his body was unable to keep food. Sad. I filled-up one of my bottles with coke. Coke is the right balance between coffee, sugar and sparkling water. You got the benefits all in one. Although Coke might be terrible when there is still some gas in it. I had the experience a bunch of time. The bottle cap got off, letting a strong pressure of gas leaving the bottle at a tremendous speed, then a pink cloud of Coke poured into my coat that was sticking with sugar. Hopefully, it was the night and yellow jackets were sleeping. This was a moonless night. Later, I heard music piercing the air. In the middle of the path was standing a man playing an old Breton music instrument, a bombard. This encounter was so delightful that it gave me the strength to run all long the night without any issues (last year I twisted my ankle because I felt asleep while running…)

I arrived in the morning in Vannes after 94km at 8am. It was the middle of the trail, not of my journey! I had a shower. Felt like if I had slept the whole night. Good. Then I ate some soup, pasta and ham. I met a foot doctor; she drained the fluid out of the blister and re-injected it with eosin. This way to cure a blister is not appropriate when you are just in the middle of a race (the blister came back and I had to cure it a second time at the next big aid station at km 142). When I was about to leave, a judge stopped me. The old man was polite, shy and very annoyed. His job was to check if I was carrying in my bag all the mandatory equipment: 1.5l of water, an emergency blanket, head light, new batteries for the headlight, food, clothes, anti-inflammatory ointment. He was so confused that he did not ask me to show each item, a verbal response was enough.

The next aid station was located at 20km from here. An eternity after a sleepless night and a hard sun. This was an never-ending path, coastal trails, roads. I had to climb some rocks to access to a beach; I am not used to this and was afraid of falling. Then I finally reached the aid station after 4 hours. That seems terrible, believe me, I did not walk. I ate all my personal food, and my next bag was located at km 142. The food at the aid station was real crap. NOTHING TO EAT. I was starving and expecting coffee, cheese and meat. Just coke and pieces of sugar.

My wife gave me a call. We try to set up a meeting point on the way. We finally met 1 hour later in the middle of the forest. This was magic. I can remember last year, I was about to give up the race and my wife gave me the strength to hold on. I met my family at the same place. Emotion. My mind was stronger. The kilometer seems very long on that second day. I promised myself on the starting line that I would stop if I had to run 2 white nights. I moved so slowly that I had to accept that I would never do it in less than 28 hours. I twitted that I was about to give up. Feel tired, disappointed. Then I received several text messages and even a phone call from a friend, Nina. She forbade me to stop. I was so surprise that I got convinced. At this moment I was running along a motorway. Cars were going very fast and greeted us honking. I was at 15 km from the next station but it was hard to stay focus. And my phone ran out of batteries, I sent too many pictures on my Tweeter! I lost my link with family and friends. I crossed muddy swamps, beaches, landing grounds, fields, streets, hills, and I shall never surrender. No, just kidding, this was Winston Churchill famous speech “we will fight on the beaches”.

I finally reached the aid station where I met my family. They left after 20 minutes because my son had a rude day and wanted to get his lunch. Then I have my dinner, saw again the foot doctors. Same people! They moved from Vannes to Sarzeaux. Last year, I was at a loss, and wanted to give up. I had been sleeping for 2 hours on a military bed camp; then I was ready to finish. My mental needed this break. Today, I felt better and decided not to rest. Technically, this was not an option: many runners stopped there and the sleeping room was filled-up. But I remembered that the next aid station was at 15km ahead and provided an army tent with beds. I changed my clothes, took my poles, ready to brave the cold night. I forgot to mention that most of the runners are doing the half raid. The departure took place at Vannes, 24h after our start. So I was now caught up by these guys. The quiet aid station turned to become a big beehive. I left the station. Quickly, I was back on the trails, single tracks. The new comers were mostly impolite, impatient to overtake you, never gave back a thanks. I was tired and thought they were rude and did not deserve to be on a so beautiful place. Another big difference that should be mentioned is that a lot of these “short distance” runners did know how to make the void in a water bag. When they were running it felt like if they were some kind of human washing machine! And I even do not think about how bad it should be for their back.

Bretagne is a flat land. But not everywhere: this part is a succession of stairs. That is why I took my poles. The night was very beautiful, though I could hardly enjoy it. I stayed focus on one goal: the next aid station. The trails coast kept turning all the time, I passed by lovely small bays; the water was steady; I could enjoyed the sight of a serpent of light on the opposite side of the bay, made by runners forehead lights. Everything was quiet and restful. My mind did not have a break for 30 hours, and things were getting worse and worse. I began to have hallucinations. An awaking nightmare, I was getting nuts: I could not help keeping seeing non existing people, scene. I know they were all fake, but the pictures were so realistic that I got anxious. Chinese Dragons that turned out to be leafs and branches when I was in front of them. People standing in the dark on the border of the road. Freaky. The most strange was this house with a family who was finishing the dinner in the garden, watching the runners. Man, it could not be. It was almost midnight! I was convinced that it was not real, but I kept staring to it, and it did not disappear. It just stayed. So, how could it be some hallucination? Damned, yes, this was just some foliage… I understood that my mind needed some rest asap.

I arrived to the next aid station. It was awful. A lot of people, very noisy. I went to the tent. No army bed?! I asked to a volunteer. He explained me that the army was in Afghanistan with their supply. So there was no bed. F### the war. What a terrible news for me. I tried to sleep in the wet grass, making a pillow with my backpack and wrapped in my emergency blanket. I did not really sleep. 40 minutes later, I was soaked in the blanket. I decided to go ahead. My mind was rested and I did not have any hallucinations, even on Sunday after the race.

The sun rose up slowly, I was thinking only about the end of the race. I was not able to meet my forecasts; it was due to a burned-out at my job. I was disappointed but happy to know that I will make it one more time.

In the morning, I rang my wife and asked her to go to the finish line with my son. I arrived after 38 hours 53 minutes. I ran with my son the last 100 meters. Great memory. 49% of the runners were DNF. Two friends, Michèle and Christophe were on the starting line with me. They ran at a low speed of 8km/h but kept the pace. They finished in 28 hours and Michèle was the first woman. I was proud of them.

July/Aug 09: Back to training. I ran a lot, but without a specific schedule. I trained with my running buddies in the Bugey, it was an off event organised by Patricia.

Sept 09: One week before my 100km, I did the pacer for Nina on a 10km in natural ground. This was her fourth race in a row in four weeks. I gave the pace but she was immediately in her red zone, she could not run faster. I did my best to cheer her, she did the rest. The race ended in a stadium, in the last bend she was overtaken. I told her to relax, because the girl was a Veteran 1 and Nina was a Senior. Unfortunately, she lost the third place on the general woman scratch. Too bad! Then I did the pacer for a friend Ronan who was running the 15km distance. We ran 2km together and had a lot of fun.

In two days I will attend the 100km of Millau. This is a mythic race, the 38th edition of the older 100km in France. More than 1,500 runners applied, that is huge number. I am tired but ready to fight. My dad will support me, riding the bike. I am gonna have a great time, yeah!

May I introduce you the Spartathlon...

2009-08-25T23:44:00.006+02:00

This article will draw a big picture of the race. I will drill further in detail in future posts.

Wrong ideas about the marathon
First of all, where is the marathon coming from? According to the famous legend, in 490 BC, a Greek messenger called Pheidippides ran from the plain of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians. The man died when arriving, exclaiming “We have won”. The real distance was 35 km. The Olympic distance is 42.195 km; it was set by the English in 1908 when the Summer Olympics games occurred in London. The distance was measured from the Windsor Castle to the Olympic Stadium, located in Shepherd’s Bush, a London district.

The true marathon story

Here is another story, pretty more exciting and more accurate. The Greek historian Herodotus mentioned Pheidippides as an Athenian messenger who was sent to Sparta for asking military support during the battle of Marathon. He arrived in Sparta on the very next day. Spartans did not come but the Athenians won without their help. Frankly, I prefer this story: Pheidippides did not die and he ran on his way back to Athens!

Spartathlon birth
Now I believe you guessed where Spartathlon came from? In 1982 John Foden -a British RAF Wing Commander and fund of Ancient Greek culture- decided to put Pheidippides accomplishment to the test. With four RAF officers, they check that running 250 km in a day an half was possible. So they did. The following year, the official race was put on the rails.

from left to right: Flight Lieutenant John Scholtens, Wing Commander John Foden and Flight Sergeant John McCarthy before the statue of Leonidas in Sparta on 10 October 1982.

The Spartathlon race
1) A journey through history
The race links up several ancient cities: Athens, Eleusis, Megara, Ancient Corinth, Ancient Nemea, Tegea and Sparta.
Nemea is known for hosting the Panhellenic Games, called “NEMEA”, held there every two years since 573 BC. Another race called the Olympian race is organized every two years, from Nemea to Olympia (180 km). I will come back on this race in a future post.

2) A journey through ultrarunning
According to Herodotus, Pheidippides did his run in September. The race starts at 7am on the last Friday of each September. The temperatures in September are usually range between 30°C to 19°C (86°F and 66°F). The runners must fill strong requirements (will be reviewed in a future post). The race length is 246 km and has to be finished in less than 36 hours. There is 75 control points (every 3/5 km) each one as a cut-off time.

Conclusion
A hard race for rude guys. By the way, I found my race motto: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”.

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marathon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spartathlon
http://www.ultraned.org/n_item/f1394.php
http://www.spartathlon.gr/
Utrafondus #54, the French ultrarunners mag.
http://nemeaolympiarace.free.fr/

Let me introduce myself...

2009-08-19T23:37:00.001+02:00

My name is Olivier. I am a 38 years old French married and father of one boy. I am an IT Consultant; I am working for a US CRM Company and living in France, so far!

I started to run 8 years ago in 2001. Since that day, I always pushed back my limits. My first jogs were at least 15 minutes runs. It was hard; I did not follow any plan or advices. I probably made all the mistakes that a beginner could do: not drinking enough water, no stretch after a workout. After one year of jogging, I tried just for fun to attend a 13 km race. It was hard; my greatest training distance was below this length. I was crazy, and thought that running races was not for me. Then, I met smart people who explained me the basics of running. Thank you Philippe and Alexandre for your patience.

Finally, I ran my first marathon in 2003. It was a tremendous challenge. I remembered watching the women marathon arrival on the TV; it was in 2000 the Olympics games in Sydney. These girls looked so exhausted –closed to the blackout- that I could not even figure out that I could try to run the same distance. But this was my big day. Although, training had been too rough and I was tired on the starting line. I got cramps before the end. I was proud; I had passed a new step finishing my first marathon.

Then I ran 10 marathons, but got bored but the mood. When you are running a marathon, this is not like enjoying a ride with a bunch of friends. You have only opponents obsessed by their stopwatch. Now I was looking for something different.

Then, I discovered the trail runs: races that do not happen on asphalt. Sounded amazing to me! Races that took place in forests, fields, mountains, shores, day and night. My first trail run by night was in 2006. I really appreciate the feeling to run in forest by night, with the headlight fixed on my forehead. A new dimension: as if the world used to be flat and just turned in three dimensions. This was so exciting that I switched 100% to this kind of races. The range of flavours seemed to be endless.

From 2007 to today, I ran a very large set of trail races: 50km, 80km, 180km, whatever! In many places. The longest it was, bigger was the excitement. I like to live strong adventures. And running for more than 40 hours without sleeping is an amazing one, believe me!

I like challenges. In my sport life and professional life as well, I like to set goals above what I can currently do. But I am not a fool; I will not set the bar above my physical capabilities. For example, I would not bet that I might run 100 meters in less than 9.58’’. After finishing twice in a row the “Raid du Morbihan” (a 180km race in one leg) I was looking for new goals, new adventures. Then, I reminded of one of the most difficult races in the world: The Spartathlon, 246km for Athens to Sparta in less than 36 hours. Heat and time limitations will be my new friends.

For years, I always figured out the Spartathlon as the ultimate race, something unreachable… Unreachable like marathons were in my mind 9 years before. So What? Was it the next “must have” challenge? Oh man, yes, definitely! Be wise and patient, first of all I have to improve my training. Maybe running the Spartathlon in a couple of years will be fine. In 2011, then I will get 40 years old. That is what I call a challenge, I like this!

I am crazy, life is beautiful!

Picture borrowed from this site.
Memorial dedicated to the Spartathlon winners and King Leonidas (Sparta)