Transgrancanaria

In the past month i realized i will probably never be one of those who can just train normally and arrive to a race all confident and happy knowing that they are ready to tackle the route and hopefully arrive safely to finish line. I have never had this pleasure. Ok, i'll correct that. I had that about two years ago. But somehow, in all my races which are considered as 'ultra' i've always arrived overwhelmed with stress carrying some niggling injuries. I've suspected a long time ago that it might be related to emotional stress since i seemed to be just fine after the race was over but i've never heard about this phenomena so i guess it's just me. This time, it started as early as 5 weeks before the race. My gluteus were cramped and i could not run normally (it might be related to a fall i took on the ice at that time..not sure). Then, i had some pain under my big toe which i initially thought was tendonitis or related to my arthritis (thanks to a lovely doctor !! Never tell them you're a runner !). Eventually, after two weeks of severe pain it turned out to be no more than a painful callus. Thankfully with the help of a podiatrist i got better. On top of that i smashed a glass with my hand (how weird that it happened just a day after watching Geralds' Game ) and overall it seemed as if everyday something 'new' is attacking my body. On the week before the race my gluteus was so cramped that it was painful to even practice yoga and my big toe forced me to basically rest for 5 weeks prior to the race. Taking that into account, i knew it would take a miracle if i could run as much as 30km.

However, if i look back, i knew i was much worse before the TDS in both my feet. Deep inside, i knew that if i had the courage to start Swissalpine, CCC and TDS with injuries and somehow finish ..maybe i actually do need to run 125km in order to get rid of some pain in my body. Not that i recommend to run an ultra-marathon once injured to anybody, but somehow i can't explain this phenomena.

I arrived to the Gran Canaria 2 days before and it was a good idea since it allowed me to relax a bit and spend some nice time with Johannes. At first sight, the island didn't seem to be more than beaches, fancy hotels and shopping malls....but i was only about to find during the race how spectacular and amazingly stunning this island is actually. Once again, my stress level started to rise exponentially as the race start time was approaching. Moreover, the fact that the weather forecast was not very optimistic and a storm was hitting the island didn't make me feel much better. I realized that when there's somebody else with me i feel better so i'm very lucky Johaness could make it there and even run the 62km race unplanned :=)

Yesterday i was reading Stephanie Case's report which made it feel as if the race was a walk in the park for her. I know i'm not as nearly fit as her and yet it almost made me feel guilty since it was the first time i was really deep in the pain cace as i have never been before.

I was feeling quite good at the start line since the bus from Maspalomas arrived about 2 hours earlier and we could witness a cool Spanish parade with dancers and live music and it gave me opportunity for extra coffee and something sweet to eat before i start my journey. After few last adjustments we all went to the start line and it was quite a show with the fireworks ! As the gun went off i immediately started to feel my painful gluteus as i 've never felt before. The fact that the first kms go through a sandy beach did not help. For a moment i thought to just stop, and stay at this beach watching the waves and the stars and just forget about the race. I knew i could not keep running at this condition for long and it really scared me since my biggest fear was to be stuck on a mountain alone in the middle of the night not being able to run...or worse..get another injury which would not let me run for another 3-4 months. I continued slowly with pain and thought to myself nothing could be worse than my hamstring tendonitis nearly 2 years ago which forced me to rest 3 months. So that's gonna happen again, right ? i would just get another tendonitis and rest for the next 3 months...i've been there before, i could do it again. At first i was hoping that hiking the uphills would be pain free but i was wrong of course! It hurt even walking up. My only hope was that i could run downhills with almost no pain. And so i continued. I hiked up i ran down i tried to be positive in my head and guess what?? after about 30 km i almost did not feel any pain in my rear! After 50 km it was as if my gluteus were back in the game. I was stressed since i knew i could still might be facing injury but as long as i could run i ran! Even my big toe seemed alright and i was happy ...that was until about 30-40 km when i realized i was very lethargic and starting to take too often toilet breaks ( that means just peeing non stop every 5 minutes until i was not even looking for bushes to hide from..)

Again, i knew i've been there before. I knew i could overcome this with getting more energy. So i took more of my baby food and gel till after about one hour i started to revive. I knew i was slow but at least i was moving forward and i can't even explain how happy i was to see finally the sunrise after running 7 hours in pitch dark. It was such a happy moment i'll never forget. I realized how easy it is suddenly to just run under sunlight rather than darkness (though i must admit the starry night was magical as well) . Then, when i finally regained my energy i was facing problem #3 : blisters. My big toe was not extremely painful but it did hurt on the downhills and i was so scared that i would have to stop if the pain got worse so i had to be careful. I was moving still quite slowly due to too many toilet breaks but i was fine and the food got better from station to station. The volunteers at the stations were so kind , helpful and smily. They filled my bottles and offered any possible help. At some point, i had to give up on finding vegetarian food (which is extremely rare in Spain) and i just ate everything that i liked! After about 70 km we started to have a sharp ascent and i was happy to climb since well...i'm better in climbing and my feet liked it more than downhills . It was so spectacular to witness the view from above after more than an hour climb but once i reached the 84km station my feet hurt so bad i felt as if i was just done for the day. It was as if my body was telling me it just wanted to stop and get rest. The fact that i had about 50 km till finish line seemed so cruel at that point. My feet ached with every step. I decided to stick with same shoes (salomon slab sense ultra- good shoes but not for this type of race obviously ) and change socks. It was also starting to get cold and dark and the finish line seemed so far away at that point that i thought i would never get there.

I ate pasta, re-arranged myself and slowly stepped out of the station. I was so relieved to see i could still somewhat run downhills (my quads were so toasted....) but my happiness didn't last for long. In fact, had i known what was waiting for me i would have quit in the 84km check point. Not only did the trail was very wet (bad for my blisters ) it was just going down on big stones and rocks that i just could no run on. I had to hobble like an old granny till every km felt like forever. At every station i passed i was sure it would get better. It didn't. In fact it got worse. My feet were so achy and painful that at some point i just gave up on running and switched to walking. I was feeling so frustrated since on top of that the trail was not clearly marked and my head torch was not providing me enough light to see clearly. I just wanted to stop and cry. 17km before the finish line we got to eat paella and i swear it felt like the best food i've ever eaten. There were a lady and a young boy at the station and they were so kind and helped me to get back on my feet. At that point i almost lost my running ability. The last kms felt so painful since i felt as if i had tons of tiny rock in my shoes but only later i realized those were blisters. I had to basically just walk and occasionally notice how runners bypass me. It was so frustrating i started to wish i had stopped the race and my misery earlier. I also realized that if i kept walking i might never reach the finish line before the cut-off. So i just tried my best to run when possible and walk when impossible. It was so painful but i got my hope again when i saw the sign notifying 10km till finish line. I jogged in pain to what seemed to be the longest 10km i've ever run. I felt as if i'd never reach the finish line but as i started to see from far the expo center i realized my pain might actually see some end. I reached the finish line 28:40 hr after the start and i was so happy and relieved to see there Johannes waiting for me since i was sure he would not even know when i'd finish. I had a mix emotions of disbelief happiness and relief it was over. I'm not gonna pretend i had a good race. I wish i was faster and more efficient. On the other hand, Transgrancanaria made me realized that the impossible is possible! I really wanted to finish this race in about 24-25 hours which i believe i could, had i been able to train properly and had not suffered from blisters. But i did it anyway. I don't know if i ever get to run a solid race again but for sure i learn a lot from each one i suffer and go deep into the pain cave. No regrets whatsoever.

When i removed my shoes i was so terrified from the way my feet looked like that i went to the medical staff to get first help. They relieved my pain but i was so terrified i wouldn't be able to walk for the next month. I was so relieved when i could walk the next day and i got better day by day. I only wish i could stay more and recover in Gran Canaria instead of flying back the next day. Now, a week later i'm getting better each day. My gluteus are pain free (wtf happened there ?!! ) , my hamstring is sore but hopefully it gets better and my shin bones hurt from the downhills but otherwise my feet are ok! Even my arthritic foot is surprisingly doing good!!! I still have to remind myself that 7 months ago i could not even hike!! I thought i'd never run again so this is a promising starting point for 2018!

I just have to figure out how to minimize my 'stress effects' before each race. Not sure yet how to handle it. To conclude, here are my conclusion from this race:

• If you're about to run a race for at least 25 hours it's a great idea to change shoes and socks during race (if possible to take via drop bags). If the trail is very rocky, make sure to have highly cushioned shoes. My Salomon sense ultra are great up to 50km but further they lacked the padding and cushioning needed to prevent blisters. In addition, anti-chafing products are a MUST! ​

• Make sure to have enough light! This is so vital. My head torch (black diamond revolt ) died after two hours and luckily i had spare batteries and lamp. This could save you from a nasty fall!

• Eat enough. And real food! Do not rely on gels or candies. I eat baby-food (mashed fruits) on the way since i can't digest energy bars and it works perfectly (for me anyway).

• Don't let pain get in the way of running unless the pain gets worse with time or you're risking a severe injury (muscle/bone/tendon issues) . For instance, my blisters were so achy but they heal within few days so it would be so sad to stop a race for this reason. I know it's hard to tell but i realize this is something you learn with time....it took me 3 years to learn and i'm still learning.

• Check the weather forecast and even if not mandatory take extra layers. We had a very cold night to run through and luckily i had enough layers on me. Furthermore, luckily, i had the sense to take gloves with me as well.

• Most important: look around you and enjoy the view: that's the one thing that will make you smile when you're in pain. Taking a look around me brought such a huge smile on my face!

• The aid stations are extremely vital in big races-use them to the max. Remember to thank the volunteers who prepare food and take care of runners throughout a whole race! They are amazing!

• Good friends are the most valuable thing you can take with you to a race! ​

• Smile and be kind to other runners :races are a great opportunity to make new friendships.

• If you're vegetarian, you must forget about it if you're racing in Spain.