Training Log Archive: Bash

I didn't really get this much sleep but if I don't log a number, it doesn't get included in the calculation of weekly sleep average. Now that UTMB is over, I suppose I can go back to my previous horrible sleep habits. ;)

Event: UTMB® (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®)
 

Weather forecast is about as good as we could hope for in the Alps!
http://www.chamonix.com/weather,11,en.html

Restless night but I eventually got a couple hours of sleep here and there. Pre-race sleep is never good for me. Poor 'Bent doesn't feel well today so he's getting more rest now.

UTMB GPS track - race report pending

After Ken did such a nice job of enhancing Attackpoint to import ultrarunning (60-second recording) tracks, I made the same mistake as last year and forgot to turn off my Ambit when I stopped racing. You'd think I could do better after 42 hours without sleep! At least this time, I thought of it a few hours after I left the race course but then I couldn't figure out how to shut the Ambit off. It only took me 20 minutes to remember that I'd locked it (as I always do in long races) so I had to push two buttons instead of one. As a result, my Bus Ride of Shame can be seen on the track. I guess this is further proof that my brain was not sharp enough by then to handle mountain trails alone in the dark.

Note: New Ambit battery was at 27% after 35.5 hours.

Here's the scoop on UTMB for anyone who may be interested:

We'll start at 11:30 a.m. Ontario time on Friday and - if all goes well - finish Sunday morning Ont. time. It's 6 hours later in France.

Our progress will be shown at http://utmb.livetrail.net/coureur.php

I'm Bib #972 and 'Bent is #980, or you can just look up our names. ('Bent is the only "Ehrlich".) Ang (1973) and Carbon's Offset (2263) are racing too.

The time limit is 46 hours, and most finishers take over 40 hours. Last year in perfect conditions, only 2 out of 3 starters reached the finish line. I was not among them after I missed a time cut-off at 95 km. I'm going to give this thing one more good try. It's definitely near the limit of my abilities (in one direction or the other) but however it may turn out, this journey sure has been loads of fun. Thanks for pointing me in this direction, Mrs. Gally!

My shoulder hasn't improved much over the past 2 days, and it started to hurt when I carried my pack in that hand for awhile today. I can use my right arm to do almost everything though, and that's the main thing. I was worried when it looked like I wouldn't be able to put on a fleece, tie my shoes or fill a bladder without several minutes of awkward fussing. Other than that, I'm feeling relatively well rested after making sleep, relaxation, nutrition and hydration my priorities for this week. It feels like an eternity since I went running; I hope my body remembers that part!

I'd love to receive brief texts during the race. I'll read them as I leave full aid stations, which are 3-5 hours apart. I won't answer until after the race. I'd be thrilled to get anything from "knock knock" jokes to happy or funny news from home; they don't have to be race encouragement although that can be useful too. The important thing is that I'll be thinking of friends as I start each big climb. If we haven't texted before, please sign your name so I know it's you. I got some mystery texts last year - much appreciated but I felt like I had to respond to find out!

Our landlord paid her Internet bill last night so here are a few pics from the past two days, which we mostly spent riding around in cable cars and trains to preserve our precious feet. ;) We visited the Aiguille du Midi, Brévent and the Montenvers railway and Mer de Glace. We also cheered in the winner of the new 50K OCC race at lunchtime today.

Just testing the Ultrarunning mode on my new Ambit again. The track is actually part train ride, part walk, and includes an ice cream stop. :) I've changed the logged distance to just our walking distance.

Easy run around Chamonix to see how things feel. It seems like a long time since I've gone for a real run but I'll be taking care of that soon enough. I was able to use poles; maybe it will hurt after awhile but it's OK in the short term.

Just like the last time I had this shoulder injury, it escalated over a few days until I was quite disabled, stayed that way for a few days, then the worst of it faded away over 24 hours. I guess that's what happens when the inflammation dies down after rest, ice, chiro treatment and meds. I don't have full range of motion (i.e. access to all my pack pockets) and there is still some pain but a couple of days ago, it felt like my brain was no longer connected to my right arm. I would will it to move and it would just sit there. This was scary and the pain was nasty, especially at night. I'm so glad to be able to do basic things again.

The owner of the apartment we're renting forgot to pay her Internet bill so I have lots of spectacular photos that I can't post. We went up the Aiguille du Midi on a perfect day, then checked in for the race, had a nice dinner with Ang and Matt, and cheered in the winner of the 119 km TDS race. Here are a few pics using cellular data - yikes.

Mont Blanc - the star of the show.





Guess who was at the race expo?

Rain all night, then rain all day. Great for someone who wants to choose between two different waterproof-breathable jackets. :) The current forecast for race weekend is rain, rain and rain.



'Bent and I have visited all the good outdoor stores in Chamonix now. Mostly, it's about the fun of seeing gear we don't see at home although it is also good to know where to buy stuff of different types, just in case. Just when we'd run out of retail establishments, the race expo opened so we checked out all the booths. We had a good chat with José and Matt from the Trans Gaspesia race. They were thrilled to hear that Spaff is 'Bent's coach; they had only nice things to say about him.

With all the rain, the Rivière l'Arve put on an impressive show today with logs flying past in the waves. Low-lying streets were barricaded, restaurants were cleared out, and crowds gathered to watch.







I looked up "Chamonix flood" and discovered that they've had major floods, avalanches and fires here. It's a rather unlucky town! No wonder the rental contract for our apartment specifies that we have to accept the risk of avalanches. I wonder what's happening to the mountain trails and streams. One year they had to stop UTMB because of a landslide in brutal weather.

But it's not all bad news today...



I took that picture with my right hand! I can even take selfies although I promise not to inflict too many on others.



In the past 24 hours, I've gone from being unable to brush my teeth with my right hand to raising my arm forward about 45 degrees above horizontal. I can raise it up almost horizontally to the side. It's a far cry from being able to do yoga but I don't feel disabled anymore. It's possible to tighten my shoes, take off a backpack or put on a raincoat in bad weather. I'm almost certain that it will be safe to race now. Yay. :)

Pouring rain. We indulged in our favourite Chamonix outdoor stores yesterday when it was merely cloudy so we'll check out a museum today as well as the race expo, which opens after lunch. So much cool trail running gear in this town!

I can move my arm forward a little bit this morning. It hurts but it was feeling like that muscle was completely torn so that is encouraging. I've finished reading about paracetamol (Tylenol):
- safest painkiller during exercise
- maximum 4,000 mg/day in 4 doses at least 4 hours apart (but don't mess around - a woman died of liver failure after taking 2,000 mg with a glass of port)
- safest painkiller when taken at recommended dose but more toxic than other painkillers in case of overdose
- virtually no anti-inflammatory properties
- more effective at pain relief when alternated with anti-inflammatory meds, which are also more effective that way
- side effects of any kind are rare

I think I'll set a personal maximum of 2,000 mg/day, only if required.

I need to read more scientific info about ibuprofen and naproxen dosage during exercise since my usual plan to avoid them may not work. They aren't great for kidneys and stomachs, especially when slightly dehydrated, and they mess with your electrolytes too.

It is progress that I'm thinking in detail about medication dosage. I think my chances of starting the race have moved a little above 50/50 this morning. My brain is moving on two parallel tracks. I need to get ready for the race as if I'm doing it; there are still things to do, and my gear will change a bit depending on the weather report, which isn't great right now. The other track of my brain is dealing with my injury and planning how to support 'Bent if I don't race.

Although I woke up a couple of times in the night, my shoulder allowed me to have a good long sleep. Yahoo!

I'm unable to lift my right elbow away from my body in any direction except backwards - not too useful. I'm trying to do everything myself so I can find out if there is anything I absolutely cannot do. It's a challenge to brush my teeth, put in a pony tail, put on or remove clothing, put on shoes, etc. However, 2 days ago the pain was severe and constant when I was just sitting still so I'm grateful to feel better than that. If I don't sound too distraught about UTMB, it's because I'm more concerned about my inability to do simple things like drink a glass of water with my right hand. When that's fixed, I'll start worrying about whether I can go 100 miles!

'Bent and I went for an easy run around Chamonix, mostly on trails. (I was testing the 60-second GPS mode on my Ambit again so the track is approximate.) Although my right arm can't swing forward, it didn't hurt too much. Of course, this was just 45 minutes. I need to do that 60 more times - and climb a bunch of mountains too. Also, I need to be able to use poles. I'm postponing that test to give my shoulder more time to heal.

Today was the start of the PTL race - La Petite Trotte à Léon. It's an unmarked 300 km course with 26,500 m of elevation, and it doesn't always follow trails. It's for teams of 2 or 3 people at least one of whom must have completed UTMB, Tor des Géants or PTL. They have 6 days to finish. Right after the start, they came up the hill by our chalet (visible across the road in the lower photos). We yelled "Bravo!" and "Bon courage!" like everyone did for us last year. They seemed to like it.







Then we paid a visit to Monsieur le Moustache, a favourite restaurant of the Canadian contingent last year.