Where did you stay?

I shared a lovely Air BnB with some French triathletes doing the 50k race.

How did you get to the location/race?

Flights via London

Were you running for a cause?

Not really

Why did you decide to enter this race?

After 2 UK ultra races, I was determined to get into the mountains and push the limits physically and mentally.

How was your training? Did you have a coach?

Training went well, injury free all year and lots of long runs. Yes, Rikki De Louche has been my coach for a while now, I highly recommend Rikki and coaching in general, especially if you are relatively new to these longer more technical races.

How was the race organisation beforehand?

This was all very clear with a professional booklet released a few weeks before, the booklet contained all the crucial information and much more. Once signed up there was a drip feed of information by email. Everything at the event start was very well organised.

Did you have a specific race strategy, and if so, did you stick to it or have to adapt during the race?

The race was massively more elevation than I had ever aced before so much training and strategy was to master that including not flying down descents and trashing my quads early on. I suffered from cramp around 800m into the first climb, but this was momentary and recovery was within minutes. Without the training this could have been game over.

Were there any unexpected challenges you faced during the race?

Sure, no water at the first aid station, I broke a first pole early on the second decent, a shoe had to be repaired toward the bottom of the second decent, the second pole went the following morning. I didn’t have enough batteries for torches.

How did you manage to overcome those challenges?

We were told to have 2 litres of water and I aimed to arrive at aid stations with 350-500ml emergency water still left. I had 500ml at the rotten no water checkpoint so pushed on without a refill, I managed half-way to next checkpoint and was annoyed and thirsty, not performance impacting, and the broken pole worry far overshadowed my water worries! I used a stick for a while until the next pole broke :-).

What was the best bit?

The whole race was amazing so hard to choose one part, the scenery was stunning and the vibe phenomenal. The mountain villages with breath taking backdrops and streets lined with school kids who’d high five me as I raced past created an unforgettable and electric atmosphere. The emotional high is difficult to describe. I recall the bag staff at the start complemented me on my French, a great little boost as we started and reminded me, I’d be able to hold full on conversations or ask for direction in more than one language????.

What was the worst bit?

3 bits…Not having calculated the amount of darkness over a 48-hour race saw me drop out 20km short of the finish line, I don’t feel bad about that as it was about safety in the mountains. It didn’t feel great at the time but we a have to make these decisions to fight another day. Then there is the constant fear of finding a mountain pass or sheer drop I simply can’t pass, the terror I may lock up and freeze unable to traverse a tight ledge due to a fear of heights. Thankfully, this didn’t happen no matter how hair-raising aspects of the race where that ultra-awesome buzz just kicked this into touch. I’ve never experienced a low while running before, I’ll give that a mention, alone in the dark with just a few hours’ sleep around thirty something hours in I experienced some doubt but the boss was awake and gave me a quick steer, something like “don’t worry, just get to the next checkpoint” and see what happens.

How were the crowds/supporters?

Absolutely awesome, I really do have to give massive shout out to family, Rock n Road and Trail Monkey runners and volunteers who messaged me, followed me, trained with me, and made me feel famous and indestructible. It’s a big confidence boost when you are out there alone, there are plenty of other runners out there but at these distances you can go a long way without seeing anyone and get inside your own head a bit!

What would you do differently next time?

I’ve purchased more robust poles and have spares for the drop bag, I will have plenty of torch batteries, perhaps enough to power a small village but mostly I aim to master the technical faffing knowing exactly what goes where and putting it right back there as I do recall emptying the entire pack a few times.

What advice would you give other runners doing this race?

If you are new to this especially in the mountains, practice running with full kit (UTMB if that’s your thing) and simulate race day checkpoints i.e. practice changing clothes even if you don’t need to. If you can then work out the technical faffing early on in training, identify small issues like not dropping things while getting to other things. Chaffing is not going to be acceptable at this distance, work that out well ahead and get an excellent long-lasting product applied to where it needs to be and keep reapplying. Check in advance what size and number of drop bags you will be given, it could be 1 bag moved several times or it can be several bags taken to different places and that changes what you may want to place in each bag.

Would you recommend this race to other runners?

Definitely, the fresh air and stunning views are majestic and frankly if you train well this isn’t all that hard, but you have to listen to the training, so many people drop out early on by pushing way too hard and fast.

How did you celebrate completing your race?

I jumped in the sea and then had a hard time getting back up the beach due to a 2-metre slope, when I did, I went to a restaurant and of course I went on a bender back in Jersey to celebrate even though I didn’t quite get to the end this time round it was the longest distance I'd run ever by 40km and around 9000m of ascent. Lastly I celebrated by booking it again for 2024, unfinished business you might say.