June 11 (Fathers day)
The Defi des Manants was a beautiful race starting at a castle (château de
Vare) just north of Pont dÁin in the foothills of the Jura Montains. 16km with 700m of height gain. Things whent bad at the start, I was simply going backwards in the field all the way until about half way.
Vare) just north of Pont dÁin in the foothills of the Jura Montains. 16km with 700m of height gain. Things whent bad at the start, I was simply going backwards in the field all the way until about half way.
The second half was payback though. The lungs and legs seemed to work well and I passed through the field. I probably reeled in about 20 places in the final 7km.
It is a very unusual day that I am stronger in the end of the race than the beginning. It has happened twice now in successive weekends... It is an intoxicating feeling. I may have to try the conservative approach a bit more often. I forgot to stop my watch, but the official time was 1:33, 16.5km with nearly 700m vertical.
I naively thought there would only be 50 or 60 people entering the race so could come in the top 10.... There where many more and although I was not chicked by a junior female, senior female or even V1 female, I was by a V2F (I think she is an elite cross county girl... still)
I saw Philippe at the end, I had not realized I had traded positions with him several times over the 16k. I came in 14th Vet in 1:33, Philippe was a couple of slots behind me.
Unfortunately, Mark went into hospital as I was finishing the race. We ended up going over to Lyon in the afternoon to see if there was anything we could do.
It is a very unusual day that I am stronger in the end of the race than the beginning. It has happened twice now in successive weekends... It is an intoxicating feeling. I may have to try the conservative approach a bit more often. I forgot to stop my watch, but the official time was 1:33, 16.5km with nearly 700m vertical.
I naively thought there would only be 50 or 60 people entering the race so could come in the top 10.... There where many more and although I was not chicked by a junior female, senior female or even V1 female, I was by a V2F (I think she is an elite cross county girl... still)
I saw Philippe at the end, I had not realized I had traded positions with him several times over the 16k. I came in 14th Vet in 1:33, Philippe was a couple of slots behind me.
Unfortunately, Mark went into hospital as I was finishing the race. We ended up going over to Lyon in the afternoon to see if there was anything we could do.
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