Arrival Friday in the company of Isabella collection of numbers without difficulties, it is quiet in the tent under the Eiffel Tower.
Saturday 20. He fell
beautiful showers at night, and it lasts a little longer in the morning. Transfer by train then bus (queuing ... wait .... ... .. Re-file re-wait ...) and a little walk along the marquee Bouglione and we are very close to the Ark of departure.
There is about 1 hour to fill. Breakfast tea (finally not too many people ...), some pieces of cake, as we approach noon, I get hungry. It is a cool and overcast, but the sky cleared. We find our compatriots
Gaume, David and Ferrid, stagnate in a tent, waiting patiently for the fateful hour. Hey, I am approached by others ... Gaume: Philippe and Pierre (from Vance, for regional), what a surprise! The hour approaches, we place ourselves on the court departure.
Ferrid and David
And we come almost nose to nose with Damien met our Moroccan adventure last month.
Right, Damien
I decided to make my race with Isa, I know she manages very well the long distances and it will save me from myself trapped by the "good feelings".
12.30. The weather is relatively mild, the sun made some beautiful appearances, they go for a package (a big ...) hours of fun (At least I hope!).
The escapee Will he take the plunge?
The first 20 kilometers is conducted at a moderate pace, some passages are more like a "Urban Trail" across cities,
but most trails are located in the forest along some ponds, and a golf course (which users seem to ignore completely our way!).
I take one or the other down to let me go with some pleasure by doubling competitors, but Isa does not follow. Well, I slowed and waited, but the pace seems unusually subdued. She admitted to me, then, have little worries from stomach cramps ... .2
e km! Ouch, ouch! It will be forced to drop several stops that our average. But not with impatience, the race goes on. Both coasts medium, and here we are at the first pit stop (km 21
) in 2:24 '. Here, we fill up (water and food) because we went for 32 km of total autonomy. Forest roads
succeed, some muddy passages, interspersed with a rhythm by the few nice "bumps", ribs not very long but steep that we address in sparing our thighs.
Small ponds over here, and there, small paths enjoyable. But the weather is still mild and small drops are felt from time to time. We address the
km40 after 5:15 'running around. Already a marathon traveled
... Very nice transition to the Meudon Observatory, where we enjoy a few minutes from the point of view essential to Paris.
The next break will be forced to
km47 (6:05 ') for control equipment required (blanket) and duty to apply the cuff fluorescent.
Isa is my intention to take the lead and "make my race." I propose to accompany him to next ravito and to take stock. Here we go again with a vengeance, and so personally I blame a small slowdown, this time seems Isabelle "return" in the race. But the rain made its appearance, the ribs become slippery, and the last miles before refueling (as expected, we are running out of water ...) seem endless light increasingly weakened, and no one decides to be equipped with front .... The ravito is near, it will be the opportunity to do so!
is in the dark as we arrive at
53 e km (Chaville), with 07h running already. PHEW! We dive on ravito, and everything goes: coca PET water, soup, cheese, salami, chocolate, fruit, cake, and the full fleet of course (water bag and water bottles). We take the time to "retype", 10 to 15 minutes, and set off again, the shape is back. This time for 10 km until the next checkpoint, it will seem shorter. And remember to showers our memory, more and more sustained, with a front less and less effective (finite rechargeable batteries!), the ground more and more slippery, which does not facilitate our progress, while this time, we wish well rhythm.
63 e km (Jardy), 8:53, we left, we're at a little over 1 hour from the time barrier. Ravito fast (there is almost nothing ....), We do not look towards the next score for a good soup, pouring rain. Some elevation changes, more or less marked (in fact probably the same as the first, but the miles and more in legs ...), a little town (it lacks flaggers ...) and we arrive at the following ravito fairly quickly (it's relative: 54 'for 6 miles! "But given the conditions ... Especially printing we had ...).
69 e km (9:47), 'area of St. Cloud. Sausage, cheese, cookies, cola, soup ... the total before the last round to the great Iron Lady.
And this time, enough with the difficulties. 1 km down to the quays of the Seine, the Tour for the Ile Seguin, Boulogne-Billancourt, rain redoubled in intensity, this is not the most welcoming places in the French capital, and the course more or less well marked on the sidewalks wet, not very well lit, muddy (it was like back in Morocco ...) and then crossing intersections , bridges, docks ... Our goal is getting closer, all lit up.
few more twists, some hesitation (signalers had deserted places with some of the markup. ...), And we are within walking distance, and a few steps from the finish ... Passing through a flash small tent-podium, channeled along rows of spectators chanted various incentives, we arrived at the beginning ... (and with the access ticket, please!) of the final climb of 360 steps that lead us towards our epic final in Paris.
's it! After 11:16, the race, we are particularly proud (especially Isa who did not think to reach the finish) and happy to have managed to complete this new adventure! It's pouring!
It is relatively cold once arrested, quickly remember the polo, elevator, dry clothes and return for a rest well deserved, after a short debriefing and a time clock to find a peaceful sleep.
Conclusion: over such a distance, it is impossible to give precise rules of racing, anything can happen at any time. Being reached after injury-free and in good shape is quite an achievement in itself. The course was more hilly estimated, we must not underestimate the Paris region which is full of beautiful courses. The weather did not help our race. And
yellow card to the organization. Some supplies were inadequate supplied, it would have been desirable to provide a supplemental water as possible to control the km 47, in case of blow, he lacked visibly flagging and markers in some places, especially at the end of term when we were in the city ; apparently missing aid station on arrival. And a little entertainment at the finish on the first floor .... Too bad! Organizers
dénombrent 19% drop (or 300), and those who have not had the courage to go up one floor
st .... are not classified!
result ( http://www.topchrono.biz )
11h16'23 - 871 e on 1256 (General) - 140 e of 224 (V2H)
Isabella 11:16:22 - 866 e - 18/27 (SEF )
Ferrid : 10:45:51 - 675 e - 99/224 (V2H)
David : 11:48:38 - 1034 e - 16/29 (V3H) 
