Training Log Archive: BashIn the 1 days ending Aug 26, 2019:
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| Mo |
Monday Aug 26, 2019 #
11 AM
Running (Trail ) 40:00 [1] 3.19 km (12:33 / km) +225m 9:17 / km
slept:7.25 shoes: Speedcross Pro - Purple
Today ‘Bent and I took the bus through Mont Blanc to Courmayeur, where we could see the other side of Monte Bianco, as one calls it in Italy. When I attempted UTMB, I passed through this town twice. It’s a major aid station at 80 km, approximately halfway around the loop. It took me about 18 hours to get this far so I appreciated this beautiful area - but maybe not as much as I could have.
This year Courmayeur will be the starting line for my 101 km race, CCC. I’ll take an early morning bus to get here. We’ll be sorted into waves at the last minute. I’m guessing I’ll be seeded in the last wave so if anyone is watching my checkpoint times, they’ll be even further back than one might expect.
We took lifts up to Col Checrouit, which is the last UTMB aid station before the 5 km, 800 m, quad pounding descent into Courmayeur. I remember Browner phoning me on the trail near here in 2013 to tell me to run faster, lol! That year I was close to the cut-off in Courmayeur so I did my transition activities after checking out. In 2014, I had more time.
‘Bent and I hiked up to Lago Checrouit, which I didn’t notice during my races and didn’t photograph this time either. It looked more like a storm water management pond for the ski area.
There is an interesting art project in this area where they’ve installed mirrors to let visitors take selfies with the mountain range behind them. They’re distorted like in a hall of mirrors.
Other than the “lake”, there was plenty to photograph! Here’s the view west toward Col de la Seigne, the spectacular pass where I crossed from France into Italy at first light in UTMB.
And this is looking east toward Grand Col Ferret, the high point of the race course where we entered Switzerland. If all goes well, I’ll be repeating that part of the race course in the first part of CCC.
Of course we needed proof that we were at Monte Bianco!
After enjoying the views much more than we ever did in our races, we ran down to the lift (no knee pain going downhill) and headed back to Courmayeur for a nice Italian lunch at the same place where ‘Bent ate dinner with Mrs. Gally and Meg-eh before his CCC in 2013. Then we wandered the narrow streets in the pedestrian area until we found the best gelato place.
We found proof that a famous runner has been in town - as if all those videos hadn’t proven it already!
This year Courmayeur will be the starting line for my 101 km race, CCC. I’ll take an early morning bus to get here. We’ll be sorted into waves at the last minute. I’m guessing I’ll be seeded in the last wave so if anyone is watching my checkpoint times, they’ll be even further back than one might expect.
We took lifts up to Col Checrouit, which is the last UTMB aid station before the 5 km, 800 m, quad pounding descent into Courmayeur. I remember Browner phoning me on the trail near here in 2013 to tell me to run faster, lol! That year I was close to the cut-off in Courmayeur so I did my transition activities after checking out. In 2014, I had more time.
‘Bent and I hiked up to Lago Checrouit, which I didn’t notice during my races and didn’t photograph this time either. It looked more like a storm water management pond for the ski area.
There is an interesting art project in this area where they’ve installed mirrors to let visitors take selfies with the mountain range behind them. They’re distorted like in a hall of mirrors.
Other than the “lake”, there was plenty to photograph! Here’s the view west toward Col de la Seigne, the spectacular pass where I crossed from France into Italy at first light in UTMB.
And this is looking east toward Grand Col Ferret, the high point of the race course where we entered Switzerland. If all goes well, I’ll be repeating that part of the race course in the first part of CCC.
Of course we needed proof that we were at Monte Bianco!
After enjoying the views much more than we ever did in our races, we ran down to the lift (no knee pain going downhill) and headed back to Courmayeur for a nice Italian lunch at the same place where ‘Bent ate dinner with Mrs. Gally and Meg-eh before his CCC in 2013. Then we wandered the narrow streets in the pedestrian area until we found the best gelato place.
We found proof that a famous runner has been in town - as if all those videos hadn’t proven it already!