We’ve been back for almost two weeks and I’ve been avoiding writing this post… which is ridiculous, because we had a wonderful, relaxing, amazing two weeks of vacation in the French Alps, filled with quality family time, yummy food and beverages, and amazingly scenic hikes. It was truly a vacation I’ll remember for years to come. For the best of reasons…
And, the not-so-best. I was a DNS (“did not start”) at the UTMB, the big 107-mile ultra marathon that I had been training for all year.
I could rattle off a half-dozen reasons for the DNS, but it comes down to my knee/upper quad, injured slightly before we left… and it really, really did not like the steep Alpine downhills. One should really not start a race like the UTMB with a bum knee. On practice runs/hikes, my climbing was on track, but I just could not move quickly on the downhills without feeling a niggle in my knee.
And then, on a practice 17-mile race through the amazing Pralognan-la-Vanoise, I woke up the next morning feeling like someone hit my right knee with a hammer. It felt normal the next day, but that’s when I knew the UTMB wouldn’t be a good idea.
Lovin’ the uphills
But oh, those downhills
And, while I feel a twinge of regret, I honestly couldn’t start a race that I knew I couldn’t finish. Ultimately, I didn’t care!
Ah, the mountains
Mid-long-hike with beloved cousins
Those mountains, that lake
Mid-hike picnic
Dunking myself in freezing water to win a 10-euro bet
Cousins
Fun run Beast Mode in Chamonix
Discovering a (lasting?) love for rock-climbing
Mr. P, suffering through the 120-km TDS
Finishing the TDS with Little Boy
My Happy Place
