It's official!

Got email confirmation today that I have a place in this year's UTMB. Thank goodness as I've booked my flights! The rest of the plan is also starting to come together slowly...

As for tonight, took an evening off as my legs have been feeling niggly all day. Think it's the cycling on Monday night...so left it tonight and will run with the club tomorrow.

Initial thoughts on the UTMB

The enormity of the task ahead hit home today. I have nearly finished thinking about all the 'glossy bits' like booking flights, equipment, campsites, my recce runs etc and have actually begun to think a bit about how I'm going to get in good shape for this and stay injury free. Good question.

My tentative plan is to as follows:

I will start each day with a hike up the hill near me. A tiny blip of a thing compared to the Alps, but a hill none-the-less and beggars can't be choosers! I also plan to end each training run with the same climb, just when the legs are tired.

Mondays: Hilly high intensity cycling routes to allow the quads to build strength but reuce impact after high-mileage weekends.
Tuesdays: Club run.
Wednesdays: Specific hill reps.
Thursdays: Club run.
Fridays: Weights.
Saturdays: Medium runs of 10 - 15 miles with hills.
Sundays: Long runs of 20 - 30 miles with hills (incl. 3 peaks runs)

I aim to increase the intensity of each week over a 4 week period, with week 4 being a biggy and then reducing a little. Each block of 4 will also increase in mileage and intensity until the recce runs at the end of July and beginning of August at which point I'll cut it right back.

I plan to use sticks as often as possible on longer hilly runs to get used to them.

Initial thoughts only and highly flexible. Good to have a starting point though. I'll see just how serious I am about all of this tomorrow morning when my alarm goes off at 5.40 am. I HATE getting up early.

A little about the UTMB

Most people who are into running distances know something about the UTMB. Most long-distance walkers know the route simply as the TMB, or Tour de Mont Blanc.

For those who don't know, here is a map and some information:



And the profile:



Basically the Tour de Mont Blanc is a long distance trail which circumnavigates the Mont Blanc massif, passing through France, Italy and Switzerland en route. It is ca. 103 miles in distance and has an elevation gain in the region of 9000m.

The UTMB is a single stage, semi-self sufficient event and as you might be able to tell I am immensely excited about the prospect of preparing for and running this amazing trail!!

UTMB is go!

Heard news this morning that I have managed to get a place in the Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc - this year's 'big race'!

Here is the word from the official website:

2009 Registrations - 08/01/2009 ; 11:54
Between 17th December 2008 and January 7th 2009, more than 5000 runners were pre-registered to take part in one of the 4 events in the 2009 edition of The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®.

For each course, everyone has to justify the qualifying events, according to a new rule noticeably more exacting than for preceding years with the objective of opening the registrations to more experienced competitors and increasing the security of everybody. That way, the pre-registrations happened without a rush and the number of available places for each event was not exceeded.

The organizing committee therefore has the great pleasure of announcing that as of today all the runners pre-registered may confirm their registration (*).Everybody will receive, at the beginning of the next week, an e-mail explaining the procedure that they must follow to confirm their final registration.

I'm really excited about this race but more than a little nervous too! Delighted to have a place.

UTMB?

Just found out that the West Highland Way race carries the maximum points for qualification to the Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc, a race I am considering entering in 2009, a few months after the WHWR itself. With that race and the Round Rotherham 50 I have more then the necessary points for qualification. Qualifying is still a lottery, but at least now I have as much chance as anyone else.