“In order to keep an average 4km/hour I had to go up hills at 2km/hour and down at 6km/hour. I was barely doing this at this stage as the downhills were becoming painfully sore on the legs. My hunch was right. The last big hill up and over to Argentiere was the steepest of them all.” 

From 2012 Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc report

Running in the mountains has its ups and downs. Joy and fun alternate with more challenging times. Determination is needed – whether you run, walk or sometimes crawl. The hoped for goal may be a stunning mountain top view at the end of a long climb. However that vista may not come without several disappointments from false summits. It may also transpire that any summit is covered in mist and pouring rain or snow and you see nothing! Whatever the outcome it is likely you will have a sense of achievement, regardless of how pleasant or arduous the journey has been.

“Eventually I got to the top above Argentiere, a bit light headed but it would be all downhill, literally, for the last 15km. However that last ascent had taken its toll on many of us and within about 15 mins. met 3 people in difficulties. One fellow violently vomiting but insisting I move on. Another did something to his back and said the race was over for him – I felt sad for him as he had come all the way from Panama to do this and was only 15 km from the end. He had phoned for help which was on its way. Another fellow lay on the ground wrapped in survival blankets with a volunteer looking after him.“

From 2012 Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc report

The mountain top and the valley is the world as it is. Traversing such a landscape involves lots of undulations. Both ascending and descending are stressful on the legs. Yet this is the path to improvement. Good training will bring growth. Or more often for me nowadays simply to maintain fitness. For me, it is all too easy to be addicted to the comfortable. Yet yielding to what I deem comfortable in training means I will not grow. The reality is muscles, heart, lungs and my determination need to be stretched and stressed. If this effort is interchanged with proper rest the training response is improvement. Wonderful.

Yet running prowess is a fleeting asset. It isn’t something that you can just hold onto. Like any form of physical fitness, it requires maintenance. The sobering fact is muscles lose resilience without use. Endurance and strength fade if the body is not appropriately stressed and challenged. This reality can be applied to most areas of human achievement and growth. Our potential is not realised without effort and discomfort.

This world of challenge in order to develop physically mirrors a wider truth about myself. How do I grow as a person? In life I navigate a landscape filled with figurative ‘highs and lows’. What is my attitude to the fact life is never static? That, spiritually speaking, I am a traveller with a destination and not a settler. Do I embrace this? How do I exercise, maintain my inner life? What spiritual disciplines do I engage in? It might include things like facing up to uncomfortable and dark things about myself?

“So down to Argentiere to take in more food and then the prospect of a gentle descent along the valley. From there on in it seemed every man and his dog was out to greet you and by the time I hit the outskirts of Chamonix you felt like some minor celebrity. I really want to thank the French for the terrific enthusiasm they inject into you. “Allee, allee, Bon courage” (‘Keep going, take courage’) I must have heard scores of times.“

From 2012 Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc report

One of the things about long distance running is that any trials experienced are short lived. They are usually soon forgotten on arriving at your destination. It seems any adversity experienced takes second place to the joy of completing. Of achieving, of reaching your goal.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Psalm‬ ‭30‬: verse 5b‬ ‭(KJV‬‬).

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