No bullsh*t Reunion race review : Beaten but not defeated - pain & pride collide

Wednesday, 29 October 2014 00:00 Diagonal des Fous 2014

Intro

"How much damage do you think you have done to your body over the last few days"

- question asked by my beloved cousin Ivan just after the race. I was sore yes but it did lead me to ponder for a few minutes...

find my answer below...

As you probably read on my before blog this race, there were many doubts in my mind going into this race. What was guaranteed was an epic race, a journey where i would have to dig deep and hopefully get the result i wanted. The experience did not disappoint (even if my race did), it was everything as hard as it is known for but the real battle was within as i predicted….. What follows is my honest, no bullsh*t race report....

Disclaimer - do NOT read this

do NOT read this if you are bothered by

an honest no bullsh*t race review with no sell out to sponsors or worries about stepping on peoples toes !

someone trying to hack the system and achieve a result his preparation does not deserve

extreme competitive spirit almost bringing serious injury

someone pushing themselves to injury, pain and beyond

someone crying as his race falls apart : (

someone so stubborn despite alot of pain they refuse painkillers (perhaps stupidly)

talk of great nutrition and what it can empower you to do : )

Reunion

Reunion Island is dominated by two towering volcanic peaks, massive walls and three cliff-rimmed cirques, it includes a great variety of rugged terrain and impressive escarpments, forested gorges and basins creating a visually striking landscape, or as i call it a fantasyscape.

As a volcanic island, the topography of Reunion Island is unique and craggy, with the island's most enticing natural formations being its three cirques, formed as the volcano Piton des Neiges imploded and further shaped by centuries of erosion and growth.

Most often referred to as natural amphitheaters, these cirques - Salazie, Cilaos, and Mafate - are all different, each attracting travellers that are looking for a true adventure. Some come here for the incredible canyoning excursions. Others want to hike the hundreds of kilometers of trails that traverse the cirques. I came here for one incredible excursions and one exursiion only… the Diagonal des FOUS

20 years coming ….



This race has been a long time coming …. it was almost 20 years ago in fact that a young and bright eyed friend, Tom Curran shared his amazement at an article he found in some running magazine. A crazy crazy race on a little french island i had never heard of. Since then I have of course become accustomed to the french culture, and both that and my ultra running was going to lead me here sooner or later (and probably repeatily !)

The Race

The Diagonal des Fous (or the Grand Raid as it is called locally) is a mythical and legendary ultra marathon, not only due to its age and location but also becuase it is the most technical and one of the most difficult in the world. It is in its 22nd year and has evolved gradually but has been at a length of 163km and approx 10,000m of ascent for many years. However this year because of safety issues with a certain section they had to extend the race by 9km meaning that the total distance was 172km.

The race is an essential part of life in Reunion. Everybody has either attempted the race or has someone in thier family that has attempted it. The island goes mad for one weekend a year... this weekend.



The route is basically the crossing of this little volcanic island from south to north across a number of different microclimates. The race can essentially be cut into 5 parts… (or i see it that way anyhow)

part 1 is the beginning where we climb up near (or in previous editions on) the worlds most active volcano,

part 2,3,4 are the crossing of the 3 famed cirques (Cilaos, Salazie and Mafate respectively. Check below for some fairly epic photos of these places)

part 5 is after coming out of the cirques into forest and sugar cane fields with amazing ocean views and is said to be easier but after so much in effort it rarely seems that way.

My Season

After a great race in Chile / Patagonia and an ok early season despite alot of rest due to knee issues, i had some health issue in august which prevented me from doing my core training for about 4 weeks. Distraught i would have cancelled everything if i was able to but flights were non refundable ! Anyhow i focused on what i could do during this time and stuck to certain exercises. 2 trips to Chamonix in september also helped me get fitness level to an acceptable level.

My aim

As i said in my BEFORE blog i wanted to finish in the top 10%. As there was approx 2500 starters that meant finishing in the top 250.

But this was to be honest the least i wanted from this race. I said to myself if i was inside the top 10%i would not be unhappy but i wanted to be in the top 5% to be very happy (or indeed ideally the top 100). Ironically as i was looking through my before blog i saw the slogan on the back of my t-shirt :

Dream it Do it …

so i did just that...... well the dream part anyhow.

As for the the 'Do it' part i had great belief....

Strategy - Dissecting the discipline

Because of average running form i decided to look at the ultra discipline and more specifically at the race i was about to do. A la Tim Ferriss (author of 4 hour work week and 4 hour chef) i sat down to dissect such an ultra trail and look for time performance improvements. Tim has in the mentioned books some great advice on how to excel at ANYTHING you do by breaking it into the *elements* and then focusing on those elements that bring the greatest return.

For me, for Diagonal des Fous the following points would allow me to do this race faster and have the significant time gains without being in top form and also considering it is very very technical and i am not a technical runner.

No Sleep (no time lost) - most people in ultras (outside the elite) would have some bit of sleep and especially in this one considering it is so slow (technical) and long (9km extra). Therefore my strategy was to plan on NO SLEEP unless i felt i really needed it. Of course there is the school of thought that says that 30-60 mins sleep will allow you do gain significant time later… i do not adhere to this school !

- most people in ultras (outside the elite) would have some bit of sleep and especially in this one considering it is so slow (technical) and long (9km extra). Therefore my strategy was to plan on NO SLEEP unless i felt i really needed it. Of course there is the school of thought that says that 30-60 mins sleep will allow you do gain significant time later… i do not adhere to this school ! No Wasted time at food stations - alot of runners hang around food stations for way too long… My plan was to fill up liquids have a drink, crack a joke with the volunteers and get on my way.

- alot of runners hang around food stations for way too long… My plan was to fill up liquids have a drink, crack a joke with the volunteers and get on my way. No walk No walk No walk - this was a chant i planned to sing to myself at times when other runners would walk on the flat or light uphills. Again lots of time to be made here but would need a strong head.

- this was a chant i planned to sing to myself at times when other runners would walk on the flat or light uphills. Again lots of time to be made here but would need a strong head. Nutrition - this is the biggest area where i could gain time in relation to my previous ultras where i always spend time vomiting. I had decided to run on natural products and avoid gels and crap. I also decided to test a product i found in a local plant/herb centre, Arrow root. This is supposed to line your stomach so as to make it less sensitive to getting upset and therefore preventing vomiting.

The Grand Raid Start - almost a disaster

Arriving at the start late and taking the time to go through bag checks meant that I was literally last which was going to be a disaster to pass after the gun went off. Seeing one of the pros bypass the normal route to the start and being escorted to the front we jumped a few barriers etc and made it to the front-isn - phew...

Kick off was explosive with a massive Creol ambience - roads lined with 80,000 spectators, just like the Tour de France for a good 12 km....... before we headed into the mountains... the unknown !

I had a watch on but i did not activate gps as the battery would not last so my buddy was monitoring our pace and calming me down to a 10km/h pace saying 'let them go they will be fecked in a few hours’. It really was funny to see the speed on some of them, you’d think they were racing a semi marathon !

The Race within the Race

After a few km I ran into a french fella i know…nice guy... lets call him…. Pierre. We ran the utmb 'together' a few years ago and that year he finished in front of me (it was back in my vomiting days!) He is a very competitive lad.

Anyhow I had a nice chat with him and we bumped into each other a few times over the first few hours.

Then at one stage Pierre said 'if we keep crossing like this i will end up thinking we are the same level’ ……

I brushed this off saying don’t worry Pierre I don’t have nearly the amount of running as you do this year. Now Interpret this as you may but as i thought about this over the next while i said to myself

‘You are such a tw*t, remove my gut problems alone and ill kick your ass even without adequate training.’

And hence my aim for the race shifted to KICKING THIS FROG'S ASS.

After 14 km I was around 500th position and just trotting on enjoying things as there was a long trip ahead.



Night one - bad conditions, what bad conditions ?



Night one was pretty uneventful, it was just a matter of keeping the head down and clocking up the miles. However after about 20 km rain started and shortly after in places with higher altitude wind and fog came to greet us. I know i do joke around with other runners that i was praying for bad weather but i actually did enjoy this night. The joke is that I am water proof just because im a paddy, which if course is not true!

It did surprise me then the next day when speaking to some volunteers they mentioned the big abandon rate on night one. What?? i thought !! come on guys this is an ultra trail and not a jog on the beach. I was further bemused, after the event, by the local press coverage of the event calling it one of the toughest years ever.

After about 40km the sun started to come up yet the fog remained. I had moved up into 281 position and was feeling good. Not pushing things just enjoying the race and staying constant.



Cirque de Cilaos - Sun and Heat Arrrive



Just as we dropped into the Cirque de Cilaos the sun came out, or rather we left the fog + rain behind on the mountains. Arrival at the first 1st big aid station in the stadium of Cilaos was uplifting, even if it was only about 1/3 of the race - I had been going for almost 12 hours already !!

Cilaos is known for its colourful fields of flowers, forests of unique indigenous trees, and soaring walls and pounding waterfalls that attract the most avid canyoners. I could have done with one of those waterfalls in the midday heat, but allas, i did not cross any : (



I tried to eat pasta but it was crap, so i had an apple reloaded my bag, put on loads of sun cream and took off.

Just before leaving Pierre arrived and sat across from me and we chatted somewhat. He started complaining that it was not his day blah blah blah. Doubt was engulfing him i could see. I resisted entering his childish games of mentioning that my tendons were beginning to pain etc etc There's just no point in being negative - this is a long race , everyone suffers (some more than others which i would soon see), so its a matter of keeping spirits up and belief intact.

As Dr. Haley Perlus a sport psychologist says "Your mind can be your biggest enemy or your greatest ally."

As i left I said I would be taking the next ascent easy so he should catch up and we can chat then - knowing too right that i would be pushing it hard so as i would never see him again….



However there was one fatal error here in Cilaos

I had planned on running with two powerade sized bottles on my shoulders and one bike water bottle on a side pocket of my rug sack. The latter i forgot from my drop bag and hence ran out of liquid a few times and was no doubt the cause of my problems later.

At Cilaos which is km 65 i was in 239 place so i was advancing quite well and feeling strong, confirmed by my non stop climb to the Piton des Neiges refuge just after (a 1000m climb in the heat). Up to this point I did not even know my position, but after switching on my phone a buddy in france Jerome was texting me updates every few hours. I let him in my new race aim, to kick frogs ass and told him to keep me updated, which he did with a passion throughout the night.

The highest point on the island of Reunion is the Piton des Neiges and soars to 3,070 meters and is obviously the most dominant geological feature on the island. It basically occupies much of the northwestern two-thirds of the island. Unlike the island's other famous volcano, this one has been inactive for approximately 20,000 years. Its name translates as "Snow Peak", but never does have any snow.

We did not climb to the top of the Piton des Neiges but only to the refuge that hikers use as a base to attack the summit hike. After a quick drink stop at the refuge, a chat with the volunteers and some tourism ireland sales speil i started my long decent into the cirque de salazie and the food stop of Hell Bourg where Valerie was going to be waiting.



Cirque de Salazie (The Hallunications begin)



The Cirque de Salazie is the largest and greenest of the island's three natural amphitheatres. This cirque is both rugged and beautiful, best described as a long, deep canyon, lined with more than 100 magnificent waterfalls and full of hills and valleys ripe for exploration.

Hell-Bourg has been the recipient of France's coveted "most beautiful French villages" award. This enchanting little mountain town is Creole culture at its finest, boasting enchanting Creole houses and colourful flower gardens that simply delight the eye.

Before coming into Hell-Bourg I started to see things…. yes, hallucinations. Just small things like animals in place of rocks and stuff. At one stage as i was descending a technical passage i put my hand up to grab a branch to use as leverage but sensing/seeing the snake wrapped around it i quickly pulled back my hand…. ah the joys of sleep deprivation !! I was not expecting hallucinations this early but considering i had not slept for about 2 1/2 days it was not really surprising. All i could think was, my goodness tonight is going to be fun !!!!



I arrived into Hell-Bourg (87km) in 232th position and feeling quite well despite the heat. It was good to see Valerie and Enya who had prepared a fruit shake for me.The inside of my leg was starting to pain a little and i did get a quick massage but i should perhaps have drank a bucket of water.

The fruit & chia shakes are an important part of my nutrition plan and unfortunately and due to no fault of her own Valerie had forgotten the fresh ginger !! It remains to be seen if ginger would have aided me on the upcoming stages of the race, but it quite probably would have.

Depending on what conspiracy theorists you speak to, some would say that Valerie was paid off, and others would say she did it of her own accord to ensure a return visit to reunion island : )

Ginger is a superb herb with great anti- inflammatory properties. Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly.

Anyhow sensing Pierre breathing down my shoulders I took off pretty quickly to tackle my second night (3rd sleepless night due to an inability to sleep the night previous to race start) with a trip through the Cirque de Mafate which unfortunately i would not experience in daylight :(

I was feeling good and ready to make this night count - I knew a good night would gain a load of places for me and that the race was only getting started….

Mafate - adventure in the darkness

The Cirque de Mafate is totally surrounded by mountains. This rugged and wild cirque is the only one of the island's three natural amphitheatres that's accessible only on foot or by helicopter. It takes a special kind of person to live here, as there is no main electrical supply. Residents use solar panels or diesel generators to avail themselves of power for lighting, cooking, and other daily activities. I have friends who have been hiking in the area that were passed by old ladies with their kids bringing bags of shopping up to their homes !!!

There was a tough climb out of Hell-Bourg and into the night sky. After that there was a few ups and downs and across a few plateaus. We passed through 3 more food stations and at Roche Plate at 114km i was into 193rd position and really ready to push into next gear.

As I got to the base of Miado, which was a very steep and technical 1000m climb my abducteur was beginning to pain me quite badly. I started to compensate for my left leg.



Just after the summit there was a food station with a cabin that people were using to go for a nap as it was the very early hours of the morning and there was some fog and rain. It was not in my game plan and no question I would stop.

After the climb we had a looooooooong 18km (2000m-) descent to the next big food station and bag drop. This was very painful for me and it was clear i had a big problem on my hands. The sun was up and i had some amazing views of the coastline below. I just kept my head down and kept moving but i was very conscious that my leg could not keep up with the rest of my body. At exactly the point when i should have been using my left leg to lay off the clutch and increase gears it was quite the opposite…

Halt-la : Things go VERY pear shaped.

The last few km to get to Halt là were quite an ordeal in the hot sun. At one stage we had to cross a river by jumping from boulder to boulder. Some thing i was not able to do. It took some time to figure out how to get across to the amusement of photographers.



At the camp I was hanging around there for about an hour in total. Valerie had made me a fruit shake filled with ginger this time ! but it was little comfort.

I saw two physios that watched me as a struggle to get on to their treatment table. I could see their looks to each other as they treated me, looks that said i was a goner. It was the same look on most of the volunteers at that camp as they saw me hobble around finding it hard to do just about anything, like change my socks. I had a chat with the doctor who wanted to give me painkillers, i was reluctant as i have never taken them and don’t like doing so. My view is that if i can’t get through a race without them then i should not be there- they are allowed but they are in my opinion performance enhancing.

True everyone else is doing it . But i did not want to be sucked into that habit. I did agree though on the moment as i was quiet delirious with everything that was going on . However as she disappeared and was not in sight for some time and after a 30 minute lie down I decided to leave before I may travel down that road. During that time I was also offered something by a lady who obviously was a mother/wife/supporter of another runner. I thankfully declined - she meant well.

The Ordeal



Actually getting up the steam to leave the camp was an ordeal. I thought of a motivational video (sent to me by a buddy Lee a few months ago) that i often listen to from time to time

“When life knocks you down try to land on your back because as long as you can look up you can get up."

and so i got up ….



The midday sun was out so it was very hot, i could only barely walk and i had another 33km ahead. The hour i had lost in the camp I was sure had lost me like 100 places. The pain was fairly excruciating. I started to cry, cry in anger that things were falling apart when they were looking so rosy. I was previously in the top 180 and had great believe that i would easily enter the top 100, but now that was a fading dream, a fantasy. Am i that much of an idealist to think that i can perform at that level ? I was no longer boisterous and confident as i ascended the fields of sugar canes. i was just a weak injured tit, crying like a 5 year old boy.

"What reason can you remember, that you can call on, that you can reach on, that can make you get back up, find that reason"

Its not just the fine rhetoric of this video that dryed the tears away and immediately increased my pace. True it was a catalyst but i thought of everyone that really inspires me - and I’m not talking about the elite or the world famous trail runners. I’m talking about people with real pain, pain and suffering that they did not choose, but that battle on day in day out. We all have those people around us, people that suffer from chronic disease like cancer, heart disease, auto immune diseases or depression & mental illnesses.

What i was going through was not even the tip of the iceberg, my pain would end soon whereas others would fight on…

So i fought on …

there was someone chasing me (Pierre) and i was not throwing the towel in, i was beaten, injured, tired and dirty but i was going to do everything i could to remain true to myself & my self-promise to kick his sorry ass.

FYI here is the video i refer to above

The lepper marches on

I was getting reports via sms that Pierre was closing in. I knew he probably slept and was in good shape to finish fast as opposed to me dragging my left leg behind me like a lepper

I took a while to see how i could make the most ground with my handicap. My right leg had to be above my left leg, and i needed to actually swing my left leg into place. This was ok on constant ground but in technical terrain it was very tricky and every few minutes i would get it wrong and a bolt of pain would go up my left leg and i would let out a scream - "agggggh fu*k” i would shout followed by “cop on you stupid ejet and concentrate one two one two one two “



At the very last food station at the top of a mountain before the long descent to the finish line at St Denis was a great feeling. i could almost smell the finish. But little did i know what was in store for me…..

There i had a little banter with the volunteers before heading on my way. As i was leaving some of the girls suggested i put on my jacket as night was falling…. i pointed to my flag (which i had just attached to my bag for the finish) and said … do you know where i come from …. i said it could drop 15 degrees and it would still be an indian summer where i come from…

One of the girls, the physio, seeing i was in great pain as i left said, you know you have a good two hours ahead of you, do you want a painkiller ?

Was i going to give in, and dedicate my finishing of this race to the pharmaceutical industry - not today people, i was doing this alone.

I pointed to my flag and smiled. The voulnteers looked at me, laughed and wished me luck.

The Germans, the blood, the longest 4km of my life and the cat & mouse !!

The last descent of 4km was the most painful period i have ever had….. EVER. Night fell. It was very steep, It was very very technical. I could see the city lights faaaaaar below, i could hear the music pumping in the stadium below.

But i was slower than a turtle. My left leg was shooting with pain and negotiating where i placed it was of utmost importance. I was shouting and screaming when ever i hit my leg off something, I was talking to myself to keep myself awake, I ran out of water so i was dehydrated. I was chanting "up down up down up down" or "one two one two one two" to try to keep my focus on advancing properly with my handicap (obviously peppered with many many four letter swear words). I was an injured mouse being chased by a cat in full stride....

Just to underline my speed, or lack of it : this last 4km section took me 2.5 hours to complete - It took an able bodied Pierre 1 hour !!

It was obvious from the 'sounds' that were coming out of me that i was not 'enjoying' the decent. As i stood aside to leave people pass (from either my race or the shorter 85km kids race :) many did ask if i was ok BUT only two people/groups stopped to enquire - they were Germans ! To be perfectly honest I did cross a group of loud Germans earlier in the race (a group of 3 if i can remember correctly). Im not the biggest fan of thier language at the best of times and even less during an ultra when I just want a bit of peace and quiet....

One group of guys, no doubt the aforementioned, stopped and filled up my water bottle (emptying thiers in the process), and another guy stuck with me for 15 minutes helping me down some very very rough passages. All were German. After that experience I can honestly say that the german langauge seems to have a newfound ring of poetry to it - music to my ears... music to my ears....

At one stage I passed what looked like a rock with a massive spattering of blood. I said to myself "noooooo that must be paint, there is so much of it". However after chatting to my Dutch buddy Marc about his race and the stitches he had to get after a rough fall, it must well have been blood stains.

(On the left is a bonus image of Anne, a new dutch friend's foot. I do not unfortunately have any visuals of my woes as they were hidden away under my skin. These guys, both finishers, but both tough as nails, embody Winston Churchill's time worn words 'Never, never, never give up.' )

I could easily have layed against a tree and slept for a few hours but Valerie and Enya were patiently waiting below. Also i could not let up, Pierre was hot on my heals. I got an sms on my way down that he was just behind me….

At a certain stage i saw him power past me, i was sure it was him.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

True i was going into my 4th night without sleep but i was sure it was him - Sh*t ! ahhh well i did my best, now it was just a matter of getting home safe !

The finish line .... disgust ... pain .... pride ....

I was disgusted as i got to the stadium. i was handed the tricolour but I was ashamed and pissed off. I had failed on all accounts, ok i was injured and it could have been so different but at the end of the day where and when you finish is what counts and its all relative to your aspirations and expectations. i did not want my big tricolour finish but i was told to shut up and enjoy it … so I did …

and besides it was the only irish flag these people would see this year so I finished trotting, holding it proudly in the air as the pain in my leg subsided for a few minutes, the pain which was and integral part of my pride.

I finished in 322nd place in a total time of 46h20mn04s ....

It was after finishing and when i was getting out of the shower an hour later that i heard that Pierre just arrived….

WTF ????? what ?????? !!!

I must have hallucinated up in the mountain that he passed me. In the end i was rewarded for perceiving. I did not give up and whereas i wanted to finish HOURS in front of him I did at least finish in front of him ....

After about 4 days without any sleep i was ready for the sack !

Conclusion.

Whereas I did not achieve my main goal and hence the experience being a bit of a failure I do like to pull positive from negative. I’m sure this failure will be a building block for the future.

I'm very encouraged that

> my stomach problems are hopefully a thing of the past,

> with just a few tweaks i can prevent such and injury and perform significantly better,

> despite injury from about half way i still finished in the top 15%

> my best 100 miler is not far in front of me,

> I did not throw the towel in when it was by far the easiest thing to do,

> I did not stuff myself with pain killers.

Aside from the competitive side of the race, it was a fabulous journey through an amazing island… but i have just a few final words

Don’t you be going anywhere Reunion

I have unfinished business and i WILL be back...

(2016)



Free Bonus Chapter : )



Just cos I’m a nice guy i want to share something pretty amazing i discovered recently : Kale crisps

You are all familiar with Kale right ? and its amazing nutritional qualities ( click here if you are late getting to the party)

Well its also easy to turn Kale into crisps…. yup push over fatty, unhealthy TAYTOS as these things rock and these things are soooo healthy.

Click here for one variant on how to make them …. just use google for alot more

Enjoy !!

Question answered

In relation to the 'damage' i did to my body, which i must say is a very relevant question (Thanks Ivan).

Ligaments and tendons will heal.

The dissappointment may take a little longer.

However the experience, memories and profound sense of freedom (far from the routine and constraints of daily life) will NEVER dissapear.

Generally speaking, aside from meeting great new and likeminded people from around the world, if doing these events inspires me to, on a day to day basis, treat my body with the utmost respect through eating the very best (mostly) organic, whole foods then i consider the damage i do to my body is inversely proportional to the length and competitivness of the ultra marathons i do....

And on that note I know its hard to question 'truths' we have all be bombarded with all our lives but You should all know this - click here to live longer and in better health