Laurence had entered us into this race following our entry 2 years ago where we'd both enjoyed the atmosphere and the course for this race but where unfortunately I'd got lost in the middle of the circuit. This year, I was determined to do better and to finish the race. Unfortunately, Laurence pulled out of the race due to her continuing problems with tendonitis under her left foot following Toulouse marathon. I was on my own now, especially since Nick had also announced that he was going to pull out since his back problems still hadn't improved and a test run with Anne during the week confirmed that running was still impossible.
I drove Anne to the race and we arrived with plenty of time to pick up our bibs. Despite Anne's fears that due to the lousy weather there would only be about 50 runners, the hall was filled with about 10 times this number. Two races were organised for the evening, the 18km race for which we were entered and a 10km race which started 15 minutes after the first race and which used the same circuit bar a 7 km extra loop which we had to do.
The weather had settled down for the start of the race at 8:00pm and the rain had fallen to a slight drizzle with a temperature of around 13°C. It was actually fairly warm and I wondered if my T-shirt underneath my race vest was strictly necessary. Too late for this now, and we lined up at the start with about 400 other runners and we were off heading uphill into the town centre.
The start of the race was lined with flaming torches shining alongside the road that we were to take. We headed up a steep hill into the town centre and then up some steps to the ruined castle at the top of the hill. I was already feeling my legs at this point and then we headed back down some more steps out of the town and onto a road out of town into the forest. This road was also a steep uphill and I began to remember the route from a couple of years ago. Strange how you remember how hard things are only when you have to do them again! The race had settled now and the fastest runners (about 20 I imagine) had already run off into the distance and I was left with a group of 6-10 runners who were all fairly steady and we settled into a rhythm. One guy beside me was breathing like a steam kettle about to boil and the noise has was making was really unsettling. I just hoped that I could lose him to get some peace and quiet.
This wasn't to happen as when we headed into the forest and along some of the most waterlogged tracks that you could imagine, I just did my best to stay with the group (including Mr Wheezer). We hit another uphill after approximately 4km and I fell off the back of the group. There were 3 runners ahead of me now and another 2 or 3 just behind. The light from my headlamp was just enough to light up 5 metres ahead of me and up the hill I could see my path getting lighter as another runner caught me with his headlamp, far more powerful than my own.
As soon as the uphill section was over, and having managed to keep ahead of my pursuant, I could see the group of 3 about 300m ahead of me now. Surprisingly, they were not making any more ground on me and I was catching them very slowly. We left the forest now and hit a stretch of road which was slightly downhill. I increased my pace immediately and the Garmin showed that I ran this kilometre in 3:53. I was catching the group and I told myself just to keep up the effort and that it would be easier to run with them than to struggle by myself. Another kilometre further and I finally caught them and tucked in behind them to recover slightly. After a minute of running like this, and since we were still on the road, I decided to push the pace and they all followed me now. I was just wondering how long I would be able to keep this up when we left the evenness of the road and went offroad again. The first incline uphill and I was falling off the back again. I concentrated on keeping them in sight and pushing as hard as I could so as not to lose another 100m on them. The track flattened out slightly and we had finished the 7km extra loop of our race and were now catching the tailenders of the 10 km race. This was a new motivation as we overtook runners permanently now. I caught back up with my group of 3 and one of the runners suggested that we took it in turns relaying to stay with the front runner of the group.
I was back into a rhythm again now since we'd left the last of the steep uphill behind and the path through the forest was harder underfoot. The group of 4 of us were still together and we arrived at the road which I recognised from 2 years ago and told myself that there must be 3km to go at most. I took off at this point, telling myself that if I was capable of running a marathon, I had the endurance necessary to win this fight. The 3 other runners fell back now and I accelerated to just above 15km/h. I was encouraged when runners from the 10km race shouted out encouragement with one remarking "Look at this jet go!". Downhill now back into town and I knew that there was only one difficulty left, the climb back up the stairs to the ruins before the last descent to the finish line. I was determined that they wouldn't catch me now, but as I arrived at the bottom of the steps, I slipped and fell, winding myself slightly in the process.
The climb to the top was a killer and I could hear one of the runners from the group catching me, trailing me by about 10m now. I hit the top and let fly again down the steps and then down the cobbles through town. He was still trailing me and I passed the 10km runners at top speed, determined not to lose in this final 500m. A sprint to the end around the last bend and I finished in 1:23:07, about 10 seconds ahead of my rival. We congratulated each other and then the 2 others as they arrived 40 seconds later. Really satisfying to have held them all off at the end and I was pleased with my run which, I have to admit, was mentally draining after the marathon still in my legs. I suffered on the uphills and need some hill training if I want to do well in the approaching cross-country season.
Renault, Stéphane, Anne, Dominique and Pierre-Yves finished after me in this order. Anne ran really well to finish in 1:46 despite losing her shoe in a mud puddle at one point in the process. This was an 18 minute improvement on her time with Laurence 2 years ago and shows how much both have improved since then.
Good fun and shame that Nico wasn't there as I think that I would have given him a good run for his money.
Official results are here: results. I finished in 23 place in 1:23:05 and 8th veteran.
Footing
10 years ago
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