Memories from CCC

I wasn’t actually going to post this article. But I’m too lazy (and in the depths of training to come up with anything else). It’s probably a little more open and vulnerable than I usually like to be. I like to think I carry a laid-back, quiet confidence. The kind where I can put my head down, train hard, race well, and be content with where I'm at. But the reality is, that’s not always how it feels.

I wrote the following a few weeks ago, after getting back onto the CCC by UTMB course as I properly returned to training after Western States. Reading it back now, I nearly left it sitting in my drafts. But I think it’s important to show that we aren’t always 100% confident in what we’re doing. Sometimes you’re full of belief. Other times you’re questioning whether you’re doing enough, whether you’ve learnt the right lessons, or whether you’re ready for what’s coming.

I certainly don’t have all the answers. But I have learnt to just keep turning up, putting the work in day after day, and trusting that, when the time comes, you’re maximising the chances that it’ll all come together. Here’s what I wrote...

I think I need a bit of catharsis. I’ve been getting back into training, and I actually feel better than I think I should. We’ve been in some beautiful locations, and I've made a point of only running when I felt like it. At a duration that felt right. Routes that inspired me. And an intensity that felt right for that day.

Following our holiday on the Italian coast, we moved up into the Aosta Valley, to Morgex, getting very close to Courmayeur. It was here that things started to feel a whole lot more real. CCC is in six weeks or so, and yes, I’m feeling good. But jeez, there are some big hills around here.

Being right next to Courmayeur for three days, I made the most of getting up onto the first climb of CCC: Tête de la Tronche. A brutal way to start any race, let alone CCC, where the elevation gain just continues to stack up to a total of 6000m of ascent (after that initial 1300m climb).

That’s where things start to become daunting. Out recceing the course, I gave this climb a good nudge to see where I was at. Realistically, I should have no expectations, as I’m really just getting back into the swing of things. I took around 72 minutes to get up there. Only slightly faster than I did on race day in 2024, where I ended up placing 4th. I’m happy about that. I always feel like you get more out of yourself on race day, so there should be more left to give… or not…

The thing is, I remember quite vividly how absolutely ruined I was later on in that race. It's almost like I need therapy to get over this. However, you readers will be a great alternative.

Have you got any memories that, when thinking back, bring on anxiety about going through that situation again? For me, it’s not anxiety, per se, but more of a ruminating thought process. How do I get myself to race day where I can either:

A) Pace myself better, or
B) Be in better shape to handle the punishment?

One hundred kilometres with 6,000 metres of climbing and descending will never be easy, but I must find that fine line that allows me to put together a more even race in terms of effort. Hopefully I can find a mix of A and B. Having raced the course before, I know what I’m preparing for. I know how quickly burning matches early at CCC comes back to bite you. But as Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” The way I see it, all I can do is prepare as well as I can. Then do as ultra runners do and be prepared to adapt on the fly.

This training block, although shorter than I’d normally like, has been going really well. We’re now up in Tignes 2100, training at altitude. We’ve been accumulating plenty of vert, dropping down to Bourg Saint Maurice for the faster sessions, and making the most of the easy days with some quality family time. The plan is simple: a couple more solid weeks up here before heading to the madness of Chamonix.

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