I am now sick of trains. Maybe it is better if you travel with someone, or aren’t changing trains four times in one day. Initially it started out nice, but this has just been dragging on. I’ve watched many episodes of “My Name is Earl” on my iPad, and that has helped. In fifteen minutes my last train arrives, and in half an hour I should be in Cavaillon.
I hope everything is in order, because I have spent the whole day traveling and I would like a good meal and a bed of my own. Ideally, my bike will be ready too, but I think I will have to pick that up tomorrow.
2012-9-6 19:10

Well, I’m in Lyon. It is everything I dreamed it would be: a train station filled with people. My train to Avignon leaves in about half an hour. Nothing too exciting to report. I’ve had a lunch, but I don’t see any bathrooms around.
I’m now in a bigger city, so I’m slightly more nervous. I hear the stories about pickpockets, and “thieving gypsies”, so I’m trying to be more watchful. Chamonix was such a small town I didn’t have as many concerns. But now I’m wandering around a big train station, looking lost, and hauling a big suitcase. I probably have some target sign written on me.
2012-9-6 15:55

Do you know that stress that hits you when you are in a foreign country, where you don’t speak the language, and the train you are in starts moving backwards? And the announcer is saying a long complicated thing you don’t understand? And your next layover is less than ten minutes?
Turns out it was a normal train operation. We enter a station and leave the same way we came in. Fine, but that doesn’t help explain when the train is a few minutes late coming into the only station where you have a short transfer time. And I’ve never been in this station before so I don’t exactly know where my train is going to be.
In any case, I’m on my third train, leaving Bellegarde, heading to Lyon. I’ve been in Lyon before, but that was five years ago. I remember it taking forever for dinner to get served, so that we had to rush out of the restaurant instead of properly enjoying food in the gastronomical capital of France.
Would they be offended if I only wanted a sandwich while I was there? Not that I don’t trust them or anything.
2012-9-6 14:10

A British person can be drowned out by the sound of a train moving.
The views were very nice. I got a good look at the road through the mountains that had to be constructed on massive pylons way above the valley floor. It even curves around. I was too slow to get a picture. I remember being on it coming in to the valley, but then it was to cloudy and rainy to see anything.
My train arrived in St Gervais on schedule. And I saw what I thought was my next train, so I rushed over to get on board. I only had eight minutes to get there, and all the stations invariably have lots of stairs that are inconvenient when hauling luggage.
The sign implied it was my train, so I got on board, but it was completely empty. Doubts started creeping in. After pondering for awhile, I checked my train ticket to confirm everything. Yes, this was my train, but I had an hour and eight minutes to get on board.
So, plenty of time. But not enough time to tour St Gervais. I shouldn’t worry about that though. It took me half an hour to realize that I have already been in this town when I ran the UTMB. Mind you, it was Roth dark then. I just sat outside the state for awhile, mulling buying a sandwich. I was too lazy to actually get one, so I won’t be eating until I get to Lyon at about three in the afternoon.
2012-9-6 12:09

So, I’m on my train to St Gervais. There will be a total of five different trains today. I’m hoping for epic scenery, but I don’t know if I will be able to take good pictures through the train’s glass.
I’m noticing something about accents. Many years ago, I was stuck on a bus in Jamaica where there was a Texan with a thick, hick accent. And he loved to talk about anything and everything. It was very grating after awhile. I could probably link to the old post complaining about it if I was inclined.
Here in Europe, that hasn’t been a problem so far. The accent are more exotic, and even then, I can’t understand what people are saying so it has less chance to be annoying.
Until you meet the British. A couple has boarded my same train and they will not stop talking. And now the accent has started to get grating. Why is that? The English accent is usually quite nice. Queen’s English and all that.
I should probably mention that a lot of of my posts today may be very inane. There isn’t much to do in a train except record random thoughts.
2012-9-6 10:17

It was a good day. I did laundry in the morning, and did some relaxing. But before too long, I got my stuff together (with lessons learned from yesterday) and set off to do another hike. I consulted with the reception at the hostel and got a good plan to go see Lac Blanc.
Unfortunately, I missed the bus to Chamonix. The next one was going to be an hour later, so the hike started with a 20 minute walk to Chamonix. There I checked out the tourist office and got a trail map, and nearby I got a sandwich for the trip.
Then I hiked to Les Praz. That took about half an hour, and I inadvertently stalked a girl most of the way. She ended up going to the same cable car station I was. After talking to her, Lauren from Colarado, we found out we were going to the same place. So we both got on the cable car to La Flegere. Then we had a nice hike to Lac Blanc.
The terrain was rough, but the lake was beautiful. I took lots of pictures. If I didn’t have a traveling companion, and there wasn’t a packed restaurant overlooking everything, I would have been very tempted to go for a swim. I should have gone wading as a way to ice my ankle.
She proposed that we go to Lacs des Cheserys, and that sounded like a good idea. The climb down was somewhat scary, and included ladders. At the first lake I convinced Lauren to take a ten minute break. I took the opportunity to put on my tevas and go wading a bit. It wasn’t as cold as Lac Blanc, but it felt good on my ankle. We continued along for awhile, until we came on to the Chalet des Cheserys trail that would take us back to the cable car.
That was a beautiful route. It went along the curve of the mountain. There were impressive views of the valley, and of Mont Blanc. Along the way there were some thick, straight, solitary stone walls, that looked like they might have been fortifications, but they were all alone.
Of course I twisted my ankle a few times. It feels better now, but I really need to find a way to strengthen it.
We returned to the cable car and got back to Chamonix.
There I got an ice cream, and finally got my train ticket to my next destination, Cavillion. Apparently I’m going to be traveling all day tomorrow. My train starts at ten o’clock, and I won’t arrive until seven in the evening. I hope I’ll still be able to get my bicycle.
I contemplated going to a restaurant to eat while I was in Chamonix. The hostel makes fantastic meals, that are affordable, and are local cuisine. And they don’t charge for water. But I feel like I’m taking the easy way out when I do that. So I checked out a restaurant that had been recommended to me, MBC which was run by Canadians. I don’t know what those initials stand for (Micro-Brewery Chamonix? Mont Blanc Canada? Mont British Columbia?) anyway, when I went in, it had a lot of Canadian paraphernalia. Including the menu. It all looked straight from my homeland. And while I appreciate the effort, I really should try something that I can’t get at home. Eating at the hostel it is.
I’ve noticed the German hikers, that had previously stayed in my room, lurking around. I think they are sneaking in to use the shower and bathrooms while they go camping in the mountains.
2012-9-5 22:00

I guess I should clarify. I am not living in a high crime area. While going through my stuff yesterday to pack it, I found my missing power adaptor. The knife, I suspect, fell out of my pack at some point; unfortunate, but not malicious intent. I just wish this place had a lost and found. Either that, or it will show up in my carry-on when I go through security.
I did some packing yesterday, and I’m feeling a lot better about things. I’m even doing some laundry right now. It should make life easier when I leave tomorrow for Cavillion.
I found that my new power adaptor actually does charge everything. It just won’t charge the iPad while it is on. I left it plugged in overnight and now I’m playing with a full charge.

The salmon dinner at the hostel was fantastic.
And because it is the low season here, I finally have the room all to myself. Not a German in sight. I think I’ll take this opportunity to reorganize my luggage.
And maybe to finally shave. I haven’t since I crossed the border into France. Although I am not sure if I should. Do I look good if I’m scruffy? I noticed in the television show “Community” that the lead character stopped shaving, but never seemed to progress to a full beard.
I look like a backpacker.
2012-9-4 22:33

I actually was productive today. I decided I should go do a hike.
I first had to empty my race bag to get the equipment I would like to have. The new backpack I purchased for the run was nice and big, but it was not as waterproof as I had hoped. It is really regrettable that the race insisted I bring my travel documentation with me; my passport looks a mess now.
While I’m on the subject, I have a growing concern that some of my stuff is missing. I purchased a nice souvenir UTMB knife for the race, and I can’t find it anymore. I also can’t find the power adaptor for my iDevices. You know, the one that doesn’t work anymore. I wonder if I’m missing anything else.
Anyway, I set out on my hike with my usual level of preparedness; barely any. I will give myself credit for wearing my trail runners and having my hiking poles. But I also managed to bring an empty water bottle. I was planning on filling it along the way, but it kept slipping my mind. I left at a bit after one o’clock, and planned to grab something to eat as soon as possible. But the hostel’s bar was closed, so I couldn’t grab something there. There will probably be some quaint restaurant along the way where I can get a sandwich. A sandwich would be really nice.
So I set out, and found a trail going to the Cascade du Dade, which was recommended to me. It took half an hour to get there, with me stopping to take some pictures too. There was indeed a restaurant right by a pleasant waterfall. So I went in to get my sandwich.
They were out of bread.
I did not wish to support an establishment that is using such a base bait-and-switch tactic. The omelets might have been nice, but they were priced higher than the sandwich I craved. I mulled outside the restaurant for awhile.
There was a sign there, pointing down a trail, saying that the Plan de L’Aiguille was a three hour hike away. Well, they had sandwiches there yesterday. It is like the competition was advertising right outside the restaurant. Once I get in my head to do something, like getting a sandwich, it is very hard to convince me otherwise. So I had a new plan.
Fortunately, I had a powerbar with me to help tide me over. The lack of water was annoying. Especially since I passed a bunch of signs in French saying something about a perimeter of potable water. Was I entering, or leaving? Who knows? Suck it up, princess. If you don’t suffer, you won’t learn.
Well, I was motivated, and I climbed the 1100 vertical meters in about two and a quarter hours. Fifteen minutes before the end, was the Resort de L’Aiguille. It was a restaurant, right next to a blessed hose of water that I was told was potable. But this restaurant, despite having free range donkeys, did not have sandwiches. Onward Ho!
I finally got to the little snack bar at the cable car. I went in, and ordered an Orangina that, despite not having ever had before, I was craving for the last few hours. Then I publicly debated getting a hot dog instead of a sandwich.
They were out of bread.
I don’t know what kind of clown college is running this mountain, but I am very disappointed in them. Here the bait-and-switch worked and I had a small piece of apple pie. Then I took the cable car down the mountain. A ten minute ride over what took me 2.25 hours to climb.
In Chamonix, I did a bit of shopping. I got a new charger. I got some ice cream. I tried to buy a new knife, but they are now only available on the website, which means there will be shipping charges I don’t want to deal with. I hate it when I want to give money to people, and they don’t want to take it.
I took the bus back to the hostel, and started trying to charge my devices. But the new charger only works for the iPhone. My iPad requires too much power. I think it prevents the battery from being drained, but it isn’t adding to it. I think I need to return this and buy the more expensive one.
I’m going to have the salmon filet dinner now.
2012-9-4 20:04

So, I got up early to try and get on to the tour bus to Italy. I got to the stop an hour before it arrived. However, when the bus came, I was told it was full. Once again, Italy has thwarted me. Oh why must you task me, country of Roman ruins?
So now what?
I’m tempted to try and go for a hike in the countryside. I should go in to town and find a charger. Maybe use my health insurance and ask about my ankle at the hospital. The weather, as always, is iffy. It could be beautiful, or it could be cloudy.
So far all I’ve been doing is being lazy and using up the batteries on my iPad. It’s relaxing for me.
2012-9-4 11:37

Today I did the cable cars. I got a pass at the hostel, and then went out and made an attempt to actually see Mont Blanc. And Italy. I was supposed to see both on the run, and I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t.
I wish I had planned the trip better. I brought a lot of stuff, but it never occurred to me that even though the valley is nice and pleasant, the snow covered mountain top might have differing weather. Well, I showed my Canada by going up in shorts and t-shirt.
The first cable car was to Plan de L’Aiguille. It was scary when it went by a support tower; it caused the entire carriage to start swaying. There we took another cable car way up to Aiguille du Midi. There you could really feel the cold. Fortunately, large parts were indoors. Although the elevation really hit me when I was just climbing some stairs; I got a little light headed. They had a nice museum displaying climbing tools and techniques. And there was a hole in the ice that led outside where climbers were coming in. From the observation place you could see lots of people climbing up the mountain planning to take the cable car at 3842m back down. I’m hardly one to judge.
I also found out that Italy was closed. The cable car across the massif to Pointe Helbronner was closed in September, so there would be no gelato for me. And the clouds prevented me from seeing Mont Blanc itself.
Going back down, I lingered longer at the Plan de L’Aiguille. There was a pleasant cafe where I enjoyed a sandwich and hot chocolate. I met some Americans from Seattle and we talked a bit. They decided to go for a hike. I was very tempted to hike down to Chamonix; the sign said it would only take two hours. But my ankle still hurts, and going downhill is murder on my quads.
After getting back to Chamonix, I walked across the village and took the cable car up the opposite mountain to Planpraz. There wasn’t much to see here, but it was a relaxing place to hang out for awhile and enjoy watching clouds flow below you. Or through you.
Then back to Chamonix, some ice cream, and back to the hostel.
For dinner they were serving Swiss cheese fondue. I’m glad I tried it, but never again. It starts out tasting good, but then the rich cheese hits you and you spend the next few hours in a hate spiral with your stomach.
After considering my options I have decided not to go to Marseille tomorrow. I checked the train schedules, and it is actually past my destination for the bike trip. Since I am renting a bike, I don’t need to borrow my friend’s in Marseille. So I’ll do less time traveling, and two more days in Chamonix. I could try and spend another day elsewhere, such as Lyon or Avignon, but I like not having to find another hostel. I even found a tour bus that is going to go under the tunnel to Italy. I might still meet my goals.
In other news, my USB charger has died. So I have no way to charge my iDevices, without begging from strangers. I better try and find a replacement quick.
2012-9-3 23:27

I recovered from the lack of sleep from the run fairly quickly. I suppose it helps to have a breakfast deadline; get up if you want to eat.
I went back into Chamonix for the award ceremony. It was disappointing. I know I wasn’t expecting a winner’s trophy, but I was let down not having the finisher’s vest. So no winner’s cowbell for me. But the announcer was speaking mostly in French. Every so often, someone would come and summarize in English, but it’s hard to feel excited about that.
Which explains why I left the actual ceremony and found a big television monitor displaying it. I could still hear the announcer with a millisecond delay, and I got to sit in a nice warm spot free from the crowds.
Afterwards there was a lunch for everyone. It was mostly local cuisine, so that was different.
Then I spent the rest of the day wandering Chamonix. It was bigger than I expected, but the leg movement was probably good for me. I had dinner at a restaurant there, roasted chicken in tarragon sauce. It was really good. However, the water I had to drink with it, cost about 30% of the final bill. I really need to stop trusting waitstaff here. At least I was smart enough not to touch the bread they put on the table.
When I got back to the hostel, I spent a lot of time trying to update my journal about the run. I didn’t finish it until today, and I still wish I could have done better. I was more interested in getting all the facts down than making a good story. I think I need an editor to tighten it up.

I do have some overall thoughts about the run.
The mountains were everywhere: There was only about 10km of running at the start, and 5km running at the end. Everything else was at an angle. Sure you could run some of the downhills, but a lot of them were too steep it too treacherous and so you had to take them slow. And every mountain seemed to be worse than the last one.
European wilderness is different: Because people have lived here so long, there are small parts of civilization everywhere. Almost every waterway had a bridge. There were no lessons on how to deal with bears. In fact, I recall on my hike to Mount Sala seeing a poster on how to deal with cows. That may have been helpful here. Especially in the middle of the night when you realize there is a cow next to you and no fence.
Maliciousness: I never got the sense that the true course was cruel and unusual. I only ran part of it, but I got the sense that it wasn’t trying to be mean. It was taking the easiest route around the mountain. Easy being very relative under the circumstances. However, after I left the true course, I got the impression that they were trying to make up for missing the rest and all bets were off.
2012-9-3 22:10

There is something very relaxing about running a race that no one you know is, or ever will be, doing. The change to the race meant this was a one-shot. I had no one to compete with. At no time will anyone else I know run this race and then say they were faster. I could just try and finish without pressure.
I gave myself a goal of doing four kilometers an hour. Every time I passed a point, I would figure out how many hours to the next point and try and make it in that time. Even if I was ahead of the overall schedule, I could use that to orient myself.
The starting line was a mess. It was probably well organized, but trying to get 2300 people through a chute is inevitably going to be problematic. Problems on all sides too; a guy next to me in the huge crowd just squatted down to relive himself. My issues were the bottle of Boost I had brought with me had had the safety seal broken and had turned to cheese. “Fromage” as the locals say. I suppose it is better I found that out before I carried it all the way through the Alps. Also my GPS unit hadn’t been fully charged, so it only lasted an hour into the race.
It wasn’t raining at the start, but that wasn’t going to last. We walked through the starting gate, eventually we ran for half a minute and then got caught in another traffic jam. Eventually it opened up and we started to head out of town, with many runners quickly going to the side of the road for pit stops.
We ran along the banks of a mountain river. Unfortunately, 6 km in, I twisted my ankle. I decided to ignore it. I’m not going to give up that early. And for the most part it was okay.
An hour into it, it started to become dark and the rain picked up. Before the race, my mother wished my luck with the full moon. So I was thrilled when I saw it rise. It was literally behind the runners further up the mountain. I took some pictures of their silhouettes. It was very beautiful.
Well, according to Star Wars, “That’s no moon.” The support station had a big globe light propped up above them. I never actually saw the moon at any time.
The first pass of Le Delevret wasn’t that bad. It was a gradual ascent, although I slipped and fell in the mud on the trail on the way down. At one point the trail became so narrow it became a conga line. There was no passing. And then into the lovely village of Saint Gervais. Civilization! Now this was a support station. Bananas, hot soup, local cheese, Coke. (I drank more Coke on this run than I normally do in a week.)
After 21km we now have the biggest mountain of the run to face. The first ten kilometers were a bit confusing because I kept expecting us to drop away from the road nearby. But it kept with us all the way into the village of Les Contamines. Then we started to climb along trails.
It rained all night. Well, it also snowed, but it was nothing terrible. I’ve handled much worse. The organizers were saying that people should be bringing four layers of clothing with them, instead of the normal two. I ran in shorts the entire way. The rain jacket was good to have, but I never used the hood they insisted it should have. The Goretex socks I had on were a lifesaver. I highly recommend them.
And yes, there were clouds that I had to go through. It was hard to see anything, beyond the fact that it was night. But for the most part, I don’t think I ever actually saw any of the mountains I was running along.
After passing the summit, and down, what felt like a rockslide someone had traced a path on, there was an alpine hospital in the middle of nowhere. I distinctly remember it, because a kilometer after it, I twisted my ankle again. I think it had something to do with the night running I became a lot more cautious in my running after that, and it slowed me down a bit.
It also made me hesitant to change my footwear. With the change of course, we no longer had access to the support bag at the halfway mark. I wouldn’t be able to change my shoes. So it became more important to have a change of socks, and I did have extras. But if I took off my shoe, would my ankle swell and prevent me from getting the shoe back on? It wasn’t so much a problem with the cold, so I wasn’t sweating into my socks. Little did I realize how hard it is to remove Goretex socks, because they don’t stretch. I only found out when trying to take my clothes off before a shower.
I got lost heading back into Les Contamines. I don’t know where I went wrong, but I did eventually find the transition and saw bunches of runners coming from a different direction. I guess I took the long way. There was also a blessed public washroom. FYI public washrooms in France are scary. No seat, just a hole. Hope you have good balance.
The next mountain was small, and not too bad. And I was able to run down the other side safely into the village of La Villette. The next mountain was malicious. It started with some paved paths, but after awhile it became a conga line along the narrow switchback to the top. I had to take frequent breaks. Frustratingly, at the top was a tram station. The trip down was just that, a trip. It was steep and all mud. Mud stirred up by 1700 other runners. But I made it to Les Houches on my schedule, barely.
The next climb should have been pleasant. It was on a road, going up gradually to a park. But I started to encounter my biggest problem: digestion. I’m not used to the bacteria in the water here, so the digestion system was not happy with me. It didn’t help that I had the complimentary pasta dinner an hour and a half before race time. I had assumed that I didn’t have Imodium with me, because I didn’t remember packing it. For the rest of the race, my lower intestines were in open rebellion.
I got down that mountain slower than I would have liked, and knew there was only one left. After hitting a support station, there was an uphill, that, for some reason, I assumed was that mountain. So I was feeling fairly cocky, and surprised at how ahead of schedule I was. No I wasn’t. The worst was yet to come. Steep, side of the mountain, conga line of exhaustion. And there was no point to it either, because we never went over the top, we just went down the same side, at the same level of steepness.
Eventually we got down, but my quads were so exhausted, that it was literally painful to slow down to the same pace as the person ahead of me. It was great when it opened up into the village and the last support station.
I had four and a half hours to do the last 10km. My legs hurt, and I decided that I deserved a break. I sat down for a solid twenty minutes and had people bring me food. I even found my secret stash of pills. Imodium, along with some much needed Tylenol that actually shut my quads up and let me run again.
Now, I had been told the last ten kilometers were all downhill. I did have a goal in my mind of finishing in 24 hours. But this was beginning to feel like the Sinister 7; a short run, downhill, after a long run, in two hours.
It was not all downhill. There was a rather noticeable uphill along the side of a mountain. So the first part was slow, but then the Tylenol started to kick in and I could run again. I even found a nice woman from Chile to help me keep at it. I think she thought there was a 24 hour time limit, so she was very motivated to finish in that time. And at some point, my compression shorts developed a rip that decided it would be fine to scrape across my sensitive skin. Then the end was in sight and we were running through the village of Chamonix, in areas I recognized. And then there was the finish line.
23:43:48
It felt great to cross it. I was done. I was so happy. I was also really emotional. Unfortunately, they had run out of the finishing prize in my size, so I have no evidence to show that I did this.
And I was all alone. No one I knew was there. Nobody was even speaking English. There was nothing. I guess this is what they mean when they say “The loneliness of the long distance runner.”
I’m really going to have to force someone to come with me next time.
2012-9-3 20:00

“No battle plan survives contact with the enemy” – Helmuth von Moltke

The enemy in this case is the weather. It has been raining quite some time, and it is getting colder. I might actually have to stop wearing shorts. And the organizers think it is bad enough that they are radically changing the race. It is now only going to be 100km, all of it in France.
They didn’t mention this at all when I picked up my race package, and I only got a text message that said “Start around 7pm. Weather conditions too difficult on the mountain pass. New course 100km France only.”
This doesn’t feel nearly as epic.

Since I’m still running at night, I’m going to go back to bed. Last night wasn’t very restful. I now have two Italians in the room as well. One of them thought it would be okay to talk on the phone at ten o’clock while I was trying to sleep.

The rain continues. And with the Internet down, I don’t know what it will be like tomorrow. Hopefully better. I don’t mind cold weather, but I dislike running in rain at night.
I am not experienced at being at a hostel, so I don’t know all the secrets. One I should have known, from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, is to bring a towel. For some reason I thought there would be one available. I can rent one, but I think I’ll check the village for a souvenir quality one tomorrow.
The room seems nice enough, but it is steadily filling up with Germans. There are three right now, so hopefully we’ve met quota. I stayed in and had dinner here, Croziflette. I don’t know what it is, but it is a local dish, and I should try new things. Although that is usually the exact opposite of what you want to do during an ultra.
2012-8-30 20:44

I arrived in the rain and got to the hostel. They wouldn’t let me in until after five, so I had time to kill. I spent a bit of time using their Internet. I had to pay for it, but I think a week of Internet is worth it for the convenience. They also gave me a free bus pass for the entire week, so I used it to get into Chamonix.
I tried to get my race package, but was informed that I need to have my backpack and other supplies with me. Those were still at my hostel, which had locked them up, so I’ll have to do it tomorrow. In the meantime I checked out the expo.
There were a lot of vendors. A surprisingly large number were advertising other ultras around the world. I guess if you are looking for a demographic of stupid people, you’re in the right place. I got a lot of souvenirs for myself, because I was told to come back to Canada looking “like Mont Blanc threw up on [me].” Mission accomplished.
I don’t think I’m too concerned about the conditions here. I found it quite refreshing with the rain, and I wasn’t as cold as the locals. They even commented as such. But I now have a lot more supplies in case they want me to overheat. (They sound like my mother, who thinks I’m never wearing enough even if I feel fine. I wonder if that’s a European thing?)
Now I’m back at my hostel. I’ve been waiting 45 minutes for the line to check in to die down. Looks like I’m up.

It’s raining. A lot.
I said goodbye to my cousin and got a bus to the airport. There I had hoped to be able to get a bus to Chamonix. I wasn’t sure I would be able to. Because I wasn’t flying in, I didn’t know when I would arrive. So I never reserved a spot on the bus. And when I did have a better idea, I was told it was too late to make a reservation.
But I didn’t need to worry. I was able to get the bus, for a good price. Now I’m on the way, being told that there are beautiful views of the mountain, except all the rain and clouds is preventing us from actually seeing them. The driver is trying to convince us that on our left we would be able to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
I got messaged before I left that they are saying there are winter conditions on the mountain. I’m wondering if that will make it easier. I’m Canadian, so the cold doesn’t bother me as much. I won’t have to carry so much in my backpack, because I’ll be wearing it. And heat is a real killer on ultras.
However, they are also saying we need to have another layer with us on the run. I may be forced to buy some more clothing there.
2012-8-30 10:52

Yesterday afternoon, after the boat trip, I took a nice walk along the waterfront until I got to the U.N. It rained a bit along the way, but nothing too serious. There I was able to take a tour. Security to get in wasn’t too bad, except I think they would have preferred if I had had a passport instead of just an Alberta driver’s license. The person taking my security had relatives in Wabamum, so I had some plausibility. 
Before the tour, I checked out the giftshop. I usually like to buy a mug as a souvenir on vacations, and one with the symbol of the U.N. would probably be a good choice. But everything in Geneva is expensive, and I did not feel like paying $20 for a mug. I’ll be buying my overpriced souvenirs in Chamonix, thank you very much.
The tour was enjoyable. We heard about the terrorist attack on the place last month. It wasn’t really covered in the news, but a rogue fox made it past security, attacked and killed one of the peacocks. It even went so far as to eat the body. This is an wanton act of terror and I’m surprised that more people aren’t upset about it.
In one of the first conference rooms, we learned about how they arrange the countries, alphabetically. This immediately made me recall an old “Yes, Minister” episode, so I had to ask “Does that mean Iran, Iraq, and Israel all sit together?” I had it explained how they made exceptions for the first two during their war, and how they were each encouraged to use different, doors. Israel is saved by the presence of Ireland.
I also asked about the difference between Geneva and New York. Apparently the leaders meet in New York, but all the work is done in Geneva. “New York is the brains, and Geneva is the muscle.” So if one wants to present demands to the U.N., you can’t do it here.
After the tour it was raining. I can’t really explain it, but that seemed to make me happy. I guess I like being out, ignoring inclement weather, while everyone else scurries around trying to stay dry. I don’t know how my pictures of the outside will turn out. The fountains lose something in the pouring rain, but I did enjoy the man who had two kids on his bicycle, deliberately riding through the fountains.
The walk back home was long, and I’m starting to get concerned that I’m not giving my legs a good break before the ultra tomorrow.
2012-8-30 10:40

Today I got up and caught the boat to Yvoire without any difficulty. The trip was pleasant. It was sunny and I got to see all the beautiful scenery as we went along Lake Geneva, stopping at many small towns. Relaxing, and it gave my legs some needed rest.
The best feature of the boat was that there was an opening on the passenger deck to the engine below. So you could see the big pistons and flywheels working to drive the paddles.
Yvoire was quaint. It is an old medieval village, so there wasn’t much to see or do. I’m glad there was only an hour long stopover. I took a bunch of pictures, and then had the traditional lunch of Lake Geneva, Filets de Perches. It was basically the French version of fish and chips. Good, and I got ice cream with it.
Then back to the boat. It was less crowded on the return. At around two o’clock I got rather sleepy, so I was able to lay down and rest. This caused me to get a bit too much sun on my face, so there is a little similarity to a raccoon now. I didn’t wear sunscreen because yesterday it was completely cloudy when I wore it. Why would I need it today when the weather report said cloudy and rainy?
There was only one issue on the trip. Someone sneezed and I reflexively blessed them. I did catch myself, and realized that I was in a foreign country and “Gesundheit” might be a better saying. A few minutes later, another tourist started talking German to me.

I’m trying to figure out what to do tomorrow. I want to be lazy, because I spent too much time on my feet today. I thought of taking a boat ride on Lake Geneva, but it looks like it will be raining tomorrow. I might finally get to the U.N. and there was that tower I wanted to climb. I could go swim in the Lake. It is going to be warm.
Most of these feel like a waste of opportunity. I should be doing fun and exciting thing that I can’t do at home. A friend once said that he did a European vacation where he rented a place and just acted like it was his home.
If I was home and had free time what would I be doing? Maybe some programming. At best, get a hot chocolate and do the programming at a coffee house. Those really aren’t options here. I didn’t bring a laptop, only an iPad.
I’ll figure something out.

I accidentally snuck into France looking for a Coke.
After a long hike of about 25 km, more than I probably should have, I got to my destination, the town of La Cure. I was rather thirsty so I wandered about, looking for a place that would serve me a Coke. I didn’t pay to much attention to the building marked “Douane La Cure”, but I noticed there was a lot of traffic and the license plates were more French than usual. I eventually clued in, or remembered that douane may mean “customs”. Checked my map and there’s the border. Fortunately, there was no problem sneaking back in.
The hike was good, but I wish the routes had been clearer. If I hadn’t made so many wrong turns, I wouldn’t be waiting here for 40 minutes for my train. Only comes once an hour.
It was overcast today, so I don’t think I got spectacular pictures. But it was pleasant weather for a hike. I hope Mont Blanc has similar weather.
The highlight on the way down was when I passed a farm. There were many along the way, but at this one a lady talked to me about where I was going. We discussed over a map and eventually a horse came over to see if it could help as well. (It couldn’t) And then while I was walking down the trail, a donkey tried to mug me. More of a pickpocket attempt, but it really did have to work on its nonchalant shadowing skills.
I think I hear my train now. Yep, there it is. It looks full of French day trippers.
And now the sun is coming out.
Published 16:45

What were they smoking when they set up this trail system? The markings are terrible. I’ve gotten lost way too often, despite having a good map.
I made it to the mountain. Now I just have to get to the La Cure train station without getting lost again.
According to the sign post, it should take me 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to my train. That’s when it leaves, so I can’t afford to get lost again.
Published 15:28

My hosts have indicated that there is very little to do in Geneva. Nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit there. I could go to the watch museum, but I don’t think they’ll let me in if I’m wearing a digital watch.
So, I’m taking a day trip out to hike in the mountains. They gave me the schedule to take and it seemed simple enough. I got to the train station on time, and even got onto the correct train. Unfortunately, buying a ticket wasn’t nearly as easy.
I got off the train and waited in line for a ticket teller. It would have helped if I wasn’t in the bus ticket line. After redirecting myself, I got my tickets. I had long since missed my train, so I’ve got to kill time now. I played around with the ticket machines and I eventually figured them out. Got a sandwich for the hike. Now I just have to hope that I can figure out the next train station where I have six minutes to make my connection.
Published 10:28

My first day went well, except for some banking problems.
I left my cousin’s place and checked out the Jet d’eau nearby. It is basically the local equivalent of what the Eiffel tower is to Paris. Civic monument that represents the town, just not as well known. It’s a jet of water that goes 140 meters into the air. Interestingly, it is more like the movie version of the Eiffel tower, in that you can see it anywhere in the city. It actually got in the way of some pictures I wanted to take. Specifically one of Mont Blanc.
After leaving the water fountain, and watching the children pet the swans(?!) I went along the waterfront. I was getting near where I was told to have lunch when I got concerned that I didn’t have any local currency. It was harder to find a bank than I thought it would be. The place marked “private bank” wasn’t helpful, and a security guard directed me in the opposite direction. I finally stopped at the information building and was told to go even further out of my way. I got to my instant teller, got the funds, and then got the lunch.
Then I started getting tired. Not surprising with jet lag and everything. I probably only had four hours sleep in the past while. But still, I’m a trooper, so I must continue sightseeing. I went to the old city and, well, found it really boring. There was only a bunch of old buildings housing very expensive shops. Not many people on the streets. Best part was that it was hilly there so I got to climb stairs.
I checked out the cathedral of Saint Pierre. It was beautiful, and I didn’t burst into flames crossing the threshold. It did leave a trap for me though. You could pay extra to climb the tower. That sounds perfect for me. Unfortunately, I was getting really tired by this point. I’ll save that for another day, but I will be back.
I went back to home base and took a nap for a couple of hours. Then my cousin came home and we talked. Her boyfriend joined us later, and he seems very nice. We even went through some of the pictures I had from Denmark five years ago. It was fascinating to hear her perspective on a bunch of them.
The plan for tomorrow is to go for a hike in the mountains by myself. Wait, isn’t that the traditional way tourists go missing in Europe?

I have arrived and am at my cousin’s place. The airport and bus system were fairly efficient and she gave me good directions.
I haven’t done much so far. I plan to go out and wander the mean streets of Geneva. She’s gone off to work, leaving me to my own devices.
Note: “One Thousand Words” was not a terrible movie. It wasn’t funny, but it was a pleasant drama. Mind you, I fast-forwarded through the parts that looked like silly slapstick. Sigh. I remember when Eddie Murphy was funny.

First leg could have gone better
One of the reasons I will choose Air Canada over another carrier is that they have really nice televisions at each seat. No extra cost and you can choose any movie. Good selection too.
Unfortunately, at my seat, the television didn’t work. After about fifteen minutes I was able to be switched with a Sikh gentleman who wasn’t using his. I did get to keep having a window seat, but the new guy in front of me liked having his seat back; one of my biggest peeves.
Choosing a movie to watch in an airplane is a difficult matter. I don’t want to watch a big epic movie, because those you want to watch on a big screen. A seat television is not a big screen. I also don’t want to pick a movie that might be a movie night option in the future. What I am left with are movies that I don’t believe will actually be that good. Which works out in a way. I am a captive audience, so I can’t squirm away from embarrassing scenes.
I saw “Dark Shadows” first. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. Overall, I guess I would say it wasn’t a waste of my time. Your mileage may vary, depending on how much you like Johnny Depp.
For my next movie, I saw “The Adventures of Tintin”. I’m not sure how I felt about this. I have read all of the Tintin stories, so I’m familiar with the characters. For the most part, they acted appropriately, except for one previously minor character turning into a big villain. It fell into the trap of trying to be too 3D, which was annoying in a 2D screen. Objects leaping out at you make me feel like I am not the target audience.
I guess my biggest complaint was that there were areas in the movie that felt rushed and could have been dealt with better. Instead, the time was spent making big, contrived, action scenes that felt out of character with the original stories.
Maybe it would have been better if I wasn’t familiar with Tintin before watching.
I actually can’t completely comment on the film. My flight ended before I could see the last fifteen minutes.

I’ve arrived at the airport. I’m through security and now I’m just waiting to board.
I don’t know if I’m ready for this. I’m pretty sure I woke up screaming this morning. Am I forgetting anything?
Hopefully my condo will still be standing when I get back. I’ve got people coming in while I’m gone. People I trust not to throw wild parties.
The plan is to water my plants. There are three of them, two on the deck and one in the computer room. The computer room one has an automatic acting system, so it should be good, but I don’t know if it waters enough. On the deck there is the hops which seems to want gallons of water. And then there is the large pot that has a lot of dead plants in it, but still has some oregano that I hope survives. I’ve been using my kettle to do the watering. Checking the mail would also be nice.
In exchange for these services, I’m letting someone use it to prepare for her wedding which will be at the church next door. And in addition, other friends get to borrow the car. The car is nearly out of gas, so I’m not that nice.
If I’m sounding rather specific about trivialities that no one should care about, it is because I’m hoping this serves as a reminder/instructions to my friends.
Thank you.

In a few days I leave for Europe. I’m not bringing my laptop, so updating the blog will be harder. I still want to do it though. But with this post I am proving that I can do it with my iPad. That will be a lot easier to use.

Am I a bad person?
Today, the Canadian Death Race ended. My friend, Mike was running it. Mike is a person I am very competitive against. I failed to finish the Sinister 7, the first time I had ever failed to finish an ultra. Mike did finish. So he remained undefeated. This left me feeling like I was on unequal footing with him. If he has something over me, I don’t feel I am on the same level.
I think there was a Community episode about this.
Mike however did not finish the Death Race. From the reasons above, it is clear a large part of me didn’t want him to finish. But I did want him to finish. I would have bet money on him finishing. I know the suckage that happens when you don’t finish an ultra. Not much immediately, but it grows over time.
It does make it clear that it is good I didn’t do the Death Race. Four weeks is apparently not enough time to recover from an ultra.
I did however, go out and run 58.4km today. I wanted one last long training run before Mont-Blanc. I had a route planned out that would have taken me all the way to the Anthony Henday bridge. However, 28km in, as I was nearing Terwillegar park, I came across a large puddle. As soon as I stopped to contemplate my options, I was attacked by a lot of mosquitos. That’s when I decided that Terwillegar park is probably going to be very similar to this one spot. I turned around and decided to retrace my route. Including all the long-cuts I had done to keep the distance true.
It got rather hot. Thankfully, there is a COLD water tap in Hawrelak park that I soaked my head in. But still, it was a long trip home.
Only I didn’t go directly home. I ran past home to go to a Subway restaurant. I wish I had been five seconds faster. Just as I was getting there, a gaggle of four women were entering. Be polite and let them in first. And I didn’t have the energy to fight them. So I was waiting what felt like ten minutes before I could order my sub.