Chamonix Week 2

This week was beyond epic in so many ways.

Italians do it better.

Hanging out with Tim Olson in Courmayeur!

On Tuesday I took the bus under Mont Blanc to Courmayeur. I was planning on just doing the first climb and really get a good feel for it, as it is the hardest and worst of them all. (Of course). I step on the bus and sit down to none other than Timmy Olson, 2 time Western States 100 winner & CR. It was great to chat a bit and then he graciously led me up the first 5k hiking to Rifugio Bertone and showed me the way (Who knows where I would've ended up without him!). Then he took off and I continued along/up a ridge to Tete de la Troche. (The top of the first climb). It was supposed to be 10k of uphill but only ended up being about 5 miles, so I was pretty confused. I looked at a French hiker's detailed map and discovered I had gone up the UTMB bypass route and took some other way to the top. I then went down to Courmayeur and followed the route I was supposed to go up. In short, I did the loop backwards, whoops! But the day was gorgeous, I caught my first sight of the summit of Mont Blanc, ate incredible Italian pizza and gelato, and had a blast bombing down switchbacks through fields of wildflowers.

Foggy above La Flegere

Wednesday it was POURING rain all day, so no gorgeous vistas. However, I met up with Ashley Arnold, super cool TNF runner & dancer, for a rainy run through the forest around Chamonix. It was so nice to have such great company and so fun to dance around the puddles! Her advice and her chill attitude was so welcomed.

Above Le Tour

Col de Balme

Friday I took the train to Vallorcine and ran back to Chamonix with the intention of doing the last climb and descent (10 miles) of the race. I got directions from a french runner on the start of the route and headed up and up. (In the pouring, freezing rain). This was really a turning point for me in terms of my training here. I've been majorly struggling on the uphills and getting my footing on some of the steep, but friday I finally found my rhythm (thanks to the Chicago soundtrack!) and was skipping and running all the way up. That is until I got to the ladders... I arrived to a rock face and the only way to go was up these metal ladders, about 10ft+ long and scattered up the mountain. It snaked around and just when I thought I was at the top, there'd be three more... I lost count after 12... It was miserable. I was getting blown by huge gusts of freezing wind, pelted with rain and my gloves were soaked holding the ladders. I was so afraid of falling off. (It would definitely have been to my death as I was very high up...)

A Refuge above Col de Balme

But then I got onto a rolling ridgeline and was feeling great. (After I changed into a dry longsleeve and new gloves) A french guy caught up to me and we started talking. He is from Annecy and is training for the CCC too! So we ran together and had fun talking. He had a nice map and seemed to know where he was going, and I had absolutely no plan or anything (haha!). We got to La Flegere and started running down... All of a sudden I see a flash of neon pink and Rory Bosio, '13 UTMB winner & CR, is running up the trail. She promptly informs us we took the wrong way, and I took a UTMB variant on my climb up and completely bypassed the trail (duh ladders are not in the race...) And we chatted for a bit before going on our ways. The guy I was running with was stoked haha. The run ended up being pretty sweet and I felt awesome.

Making faces at 2800m

Saturday I got another ride up to Le Tour and CRUISED up to Col de Balme! I felt incredible and just kept wanting to go up and up and up! It was SO beautiful and I even saw some snow! After, a couple friends and I went to a bar and had some red wine for recovery and a delicious meal of macaroni, salad, and melon! So Euro!

So much fun to slip n slide through the fresh powder!

Polar Bear Plunge anyone?

Sunday was pretty amazing. I got an email saturday night from Rory Bosio if she wanted to adventure all day and I promptly responded yes. So I biked to her place and we drove to La Gorge by Les Contamines. We ran-hiked up to Col du Bonhomme through wildflowers, fields with cows and then snaked along this ridge. We started going down huge patches of snow and were pretty much skiing on our shoes. Rory, being a skilled Nordic skier, took off and I was left slipping and sliding and falling on my butt after her. We then scrambled up to this other ridge and took in the INCREDIBLE scenery. This was our highest point at 2750m (almost 9000'). We literally rock climbed our way down to these two beautifully blue alpine lakes. We sat down for 45min-an hour and ate and talked and jumped in! (got some applause from the hikers haha!) Then we ran down to the finish. Not including the lake, it was 17.5-18 miles & 5:05 hours of fun adventuring. Down at La Gorge we sat by, tanned, and swam in a lake with tons of french picnickers. And then devoured some gelato. It was such a fun adventure and she is such a cool, fun, awesome person. Girl talk was very fun and we had a lot of laughs... :)

View from Col de Bonhomme

Unintentionally twinning with Rory- Tete d'enclave

This week I ran 62 miles and climbed 18,900'!!!!! Best part was, I felt so at ease and comfortable running all of that! (Or hiking). Now for the taper!!!!

Time to Enjoy the views & rest!

Chamonix- Trail, Ultra & Mountain Running Mecca

After several flight delays (Thanks United), I finally arrived Wednesday night. I immediately went for an easy 4 mile run around town to get my bearings. What a vibrant, beautiful city framed by the most picturesque mountains I could imagine and lush green forests. After my run, I went down to the center of town to get something quick and cheap to eat. I found out that the French, instead of putting it to the side, stuff the fries into the burger along with everything else. It was sooo filling, but very delicious.

After my first Vertical Kilometer

I went back to my hostel and crashed. The next morning, I woke up and went for a run. Now, this was no ordinary run, this was a run up the Chamonix Vertical Kilometer course. A VK is a super steep run, with over 3000' elevation gain in just over 2 miles. This is on tight switchbacks up a ski run, which later turns into a scramble so steep ropes and ladders and footholds were needed to be built into the rock. It took me an hour and five minutes to "run" up. I immediately collapsed onto the platform for the Gondola at Plan Praz, an elevation of 2000m (6562'). I didn't know how else to go down, and didn't want to risk getting lost in the mountains, so I went down the VK route. bad decision. It was more of a hike as it was very steep and I did NOT want to turn an ankle! However, the view of L'Aguille de Midi and the Mont Blanc range is unbelievably worth it.
I came back and just hung out in the city and explored some more.

Le Tour glacier

The next morning, I went with the guy that owns the hostel- Aaron- to Le Tour. He paraglides for sport, so while he and his friend went flying, I tried running up the La Refuge D'Albert 1er and the Le Tour Glacier. I really really wanted to touch, see, and run on the glacier. I got up to the ridge in and was zoning in on it. But I was on a really high/steep singletrack, alone, along a ridge that was super windy. There were also chances of a storm later in the evening and the clouds rolling in did not look too good. I went with my gut and just decided to turn around. Wow that singletrack was awesome to blaze down!!! As soon as I got back to the start and found Aaron, it started pouring rain and thunder loudly clapping. A giant bolt of lightning also struck very close to the trail I was on just 35 minutes ago...

Going crazy over the view and wildflowers

The long, technical, back way to Le Brevent. With views of the Aguilles Rougues Nature Preserve

Saturday I had my best run. I went up the VK route (improved by 7 minutes), and then continued up. I took the route less traveled by to Le Brevent. Literally though. It was super technical and long. It wound its way along the backside of the ridges. It gave beautiful sweeping views of the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve. It was so high, I even got to run in some snow!!! (Exciting for a coastal Californian...) And I saw some of the locals super close up and personal. I finally made it to the summit of Le Brevent (altitude 2500m- about 8300'). It was so hard and so steep and so long. I examined strava and realized that I had climbed 6000' in about 6-6.5 miles. Craziness. I took a few pics, and then descended back to Plan Praz the fireroad, shortcut and took a new, epic singletrack down to where I started the Vk. The singletrack was winding switchbacks through a meadow of wildflowers, which quickly turned into a beautiful green forest. I was so joyful and happy running through it!

after 6000' of climbing, Le Brevent is conquered!

Earlier that morning, I met up with Timmy Olson and his sweet family at the local farmer's market. My dad would've loved it. They were selling every produce imaginable, meats, cheeses, cooked foods, wines, jams, honey, baked goods.... All for very cheap. They also were selling clothes, trinkets, jewelry, puppies (and a baby pig!), mattresses, Salomon shoes, etc... It was all so foreign and interesting!

Sunday, I was so beat up from such an exhausting week of traveling, so many vertical feet climbed in not so many miles, and so I took an easy short run along the River L'Arve to Les Houches and back.

Met a couple of these guys heading up to Le Brevent

Over this week I've had my share of explorations, practicing my terrible French, being noticed as the dumb American on a mountain, and I'm loving every second of it. I feel so comfortable and at home here. The community and culture is incredible and I'm trying my hardest to assimilate into it!! The trails are so steep and unlike anything I've ever encountered. The mountains can change everything in such a short amount of time. I'm very nervous, scared, anxious for CCC. But I am also excited and loving every second. I cannot wait to run around this beautiful massif and see these mountain towns.

Do I look ready to run 100km in the Alps?!

I am so grateful to everyone supporting, encouraging, cheering me on. I treasure every nugget of advice and all the help I am getting. Huge shoutout to everyone that's making this wonderful opportunity possible.  I am eager to represent all my friends, the SF bay area, Cal Poly, TNF Flow and young female athletes with huge dreams!

Je vais a Chamonix!

As I sit here in the airport, waiting for my flight to take off I am overwhelmed by many emotions. I am scared, nervous intimidated and anxious for the biggest challenge I have yet to face coming up in three weeks. But I am also excited, happy, and eager to start this new adventure and new chapter of my life.

I trust in my training and the homework I have done. My mileage has been at an all time high and I have never felt better, which I owe to my awesome coach, Meghan. Even my easy weeks are 5-7 miles more than I have ever done.  My workouts have all felt smooth and at ease. My long runs have been executed and I have practiced with my pack and poles to the best of my ability. I have climbed as many vertical feet as I possibly could and done several night hikes/runs to simulate running through the night.  It is almost strange how comfortable and unafraid I feel now running alone in the middle of the night!

View from the top of Tam. 2780'

My best training run to date was last Sunday.  I had 30 miles scheduled and it was a hard and trying week. Not one run felt comfortable, good, or had any ease.  It felt like work each step and I did not get into a groove of any kind. My weekend was super busy, with runs barely squeezed in, work, babysitting, and visiting friends.  This led to not much sleep and a lot of standing up, making me even more tired than I already felt.  Sunday came and I had work, so I planned my long run to do after I got off at 4 pm. I wanted to imitate Fernando’s run of the Double Dipsea & Double Mt Tam summit and knew it would take a very long time since it had 9000’ of vert.  (Exactly half of what I would do in my race!) After work I parked in Mill Valley and started my run around 5 pm.  I started on the Dipsea and it was so hard. It was a struggle and I was tired and slow.  I got out to just past the 5 mile rock and decided to turn around. I didn’t need to go all the way into Stinson and I had already done the climb up Cardiac and the stairs, which was good enough for me.  I ran back to Mill Valley’s depot and started up the arduous Hill Climb route- 5k with 2500’.  It was also slow and painful. I tried to run up as much as I could but I ended up alternating running and powerhiking on Temelpa. I got to the top right as the sun started to set. Wow what a sunset! I then turned around and descended back down the hill climb route.  I got the Depot again right as it started getting dark. I switched on my headlamp and started right back up.  It was again slow, but I am pretty sure my splits were just about even- maybe a couple minutes apart.  At the top I was tired, hungry, and just done with the whole thing. I was hating how much I struggled to put one foot in front of the other.  That week just sucked. By mile 10 my ipod had died too, so I was alone with my thoughts as well.  I went down Railroad grade this time, hoping to have a faster descent and smooth sailing in the dark.  I wasn’t afraid of any night time critters, but desperate for human interaction, I called my best friend Taylor.  We chatted on the phone and updated me on the movie she was watching. Boy was that nice. However, reception at the top of mt tam was terrible, so soon I was by myself again.  Usually, I can sail down RR grade at most 7:30 pace.  I was barely making 9 min miles.  I was in anguish when I would get to certain landmarks, frustrated I wasn’t farther.  I just wanted the run to be over.  My body didn’t hurt physically, but mentally and emotionally I was destroyed.  I finally got down to the depot and finished my run around 11:30 pm. I had gone 27 miles and climbed 8500’.  I definitely did not want or need to add on the extra three miles. I had been running and out there by myself for almost 7 hours and I was wiped out.

Sunrise from another Tam summit run.

Even though the pace was terrible, my fatigue off the charts, and my overall sufferfest unmatched thus far in my career, it was the best run I could have possibly done.  Mentally I stuck with the plan and gutted it out, even though I was alone and having a terrible time.  I got through it and my mindset is hardened. Being able to get through the bad patches and keep moving despite the circumstances will be my best preparation for CCC.

Karl the Fog tasting the trees from Railroad Grade

I am confident in my abilities and grateful for the opportunity.  I am so excited to represent The North Face, San Francisco Running Company, Cal Poly, and young women in the running world on an international stage with the Alps as my audience! Thank you so much to all my friends and family who have supported me- giving advice, running together, mentoring me, and the well wishes! I feel very loved and grateful for everything given to me to get to where I am and where I am going.  See You in Chamonix!!