Ten days to go... I repeat TEN days to go!

What the chuff have I done????

There’s just 10 days to go before my first ever half marathon with added 1300m+ ascent/descent. Nerves are kicking in and I’m sure the usual worry of have I done enough is with everyone that has signed up to do the Luchon Aneto Trail 2022.

Official Trail poster detailing the different distance of #LAT22

Let me tell you a little bit about Luchon Aneto Trail, it’s effectively a weekend trail running festival, the atmosphere is amazing and the reason that I signed up to do the K-Bour. I’m doing one of the smaller distances (it’s huge for me but seems tiny in comparrison to the rest of the events. Some of the numbers are impressive for a bike ride let alone a trail run. I cannot comprehend how the 65km or 85km events can be done in a day.

New shoes being broken in.

I’ve now run/trotted and walked all of the route and my verdict is in - 15% OK, 45% tough and 40% questioning every decision I’ve ever made in my life! I have mentally split it into chunks and I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to get out there and prepare myself for this.

Recce of the first half of the route, 10km and 1200m of climbing! This is about half way.

• Can I do it? Yes

• Do I run like a graceful gazelle? Nope nope and thrice nope - more like an aged gorrilla :)

• Have I done enough? I could have done more but I’m happy considering I started from zero

• Will it break me? Probably

• Why the chuff am I trotting for 21km to finish off exactly where I started? Nobody knows!

• Will I carry on after the event? Ask me in 10 days!?!

Me after my recce of the first 10km (most of the uphill - surprisingly fresh and within the time cut off!

Over the past month I have clocked up 155km and more than 9000m of ascent just on two feet. If anyone uses Strava you’ll no doubt have seen the Le Col Everest challenge. If you’d told me at the start of the year I’d trot the height of Everest in a month I would have chuckled heartily… well I did it and I’m treating myself to a special edition cycling top because of it.

Beautiful waterfall on the way to Lac Vert, just before I overtook a load of people, admitly all pensioners on a day out!

This month I’ve been to new places and seen new things and I love how much further I can go. whilst I’m on the move I don’t really take a lot in as I’m far too worried about getting my feet wrong. I’ve only fallen over once. I took the wrong turn once and ended up on my hands and knees scrambling up a muddy bank, clinging onto a fallen tree (definitely not pretty!). I’ve realised quite how much of a workout this trail running is, I’ve taken to wearing a headband as I was getting fed up of sweat in my eyes - it stings don’t you know!

Salamander en route to the top - gave me a good excuse to have a breather

June has also been an expensive month as I realised my preferred trail shoes were wearing out so I had to treat myself to some new ones so I had enough time to break them in. Plus the Lucy Locket leggings were finally available, I’ve had my eye on them for a while as they are perfect for my first mountain half marathon

New Shoes and new legs for the event

Well that’s me signing off, the next you’ll hear from me will be my first trail report. Wish me luck and remind me that it’s noble to come last someone has to do it.