The Pyrenees and Kilian's Classik

I arrived in the pyrenees lacking air, sleep, and a run. First things first, I slipped on my shoes and I went for a short five mile jog through Font-Romeu, France. It was beautiful and hilly. I spent the next few days exploring the area by myself as well as with other Salomon folks. The second day I ended up caught in hail. Hail so big that it literally left welts on my legs and hands. I also had a nice sore spot on top my head. Because the hail interfered with getting in a track workout I awoke the next day early to try mile repeats at altitude. Surprisingly it wasn't too bad although I was gasping for air the majority of the workout and even during my recovery. Other than running I enjoyed good food, company, and incredible sweet desserts. My plan was to run the Kilian's Classik 45k (but more like a 50k according to folks GPS) on Sunday. I started to have some doubts as the terrain was more technical than in the bay area, the altitude was sucking out some of my energy, and it seemed I'd be the only Salomon woman partaking in the distance. But in the end, I put on my international Salomon attire and I went out to take in an epic run.

And epic it was. The longest run I've done since Boston has been around two hours. I ended up spending close to five and a half hours on my feet. I wouldn't call it running per se. It was more like moments (or better said bursts) of running, maneuvering, standstills, awe, and hiking. I've come to find out that scree and I are not very intimate. I pretty much have a pure hate for it. Whether I'm climbing it or descending it I can't move quickly and it frankly pisses me off. I didn't get too frustrated during this run though instead I found humor. On the very steep down pitch of scree I was laughing (and being laughed at by the Frenchmen standing at the top). It was literally so crazy it was stupid. I just concentrated on my footing and refused to sprain an ankle or die from falling off the side of the earth. So yes there was more scree and uneven grass (the kind where you absolutely roll your ankles no matter what) and technical downhills than I would typically like, but it was fun. It was an adventure. The second half of the course was my favorite. The sun came out and there were lakes and vistas that were so gorgeous I thought I was starring at a painting. There were spots of mud and rocks and more climbs. Ah there was Coke with an hour left that made me gitty. I cruised into the finish first woman with a happy epic adventure.

I headed to the airport after a quick shower and yummy french bread and cheese. Unfortunately the epic adventure continued. I had made an error with my ticket causing me to miss my flight and I was stuck in Girona, Spain. But it gets even better, I meet this wonderful woman who is in a similar predicament. She literally proved to me how amazing and kind hearted people can be. I stopped crying, got food, sleep, and a ticket for the next morning. I arrived in London yesterday. First things first, a big hug and kiss to Sam, lunch and a chai (I hadn't had one in two weeks… boy did I miss it!), and then an eleven mile run through Heathrow Park where my legs did some screaming from time to time.

Let the epic adventure continue…

Here's a small clip from the start :)