Barefoot Pat' Blog

La Gypaete (40 km, 2500+, 3300-) is not a casual "petite ballade" even though the numbers are not very impressive, compared to other races in the area.   Still, with the temperatures we had that day, and in Huaraches, the very steep down slopes and mud slides in every forest parts were brutal and destructive, ... and suffering is NOT Tarahumara Spirit. I finally found my limits of what I can do with Huaraches in the wild!!! I started suffering when going down the Pointe d'Andey, and ultimate nightmare was in the last part, down from Lac Bénit to the finish line. With the mud between my feet and my sandals and no water to rinse, my Huaraches were slipping out of my feet, with the strings going though the skin. The pain was so excruciating that sometimes I had to go down butt first to have some relief from the skinning between my toes. One hour like this makes some body memory. But now, it is slowly healing and I learned a lesson. Unless I am 100% sure that the ...

4 heures, 22 kms, 1200m +   http://www.movescount.com/moves/move64242803 Avec Kristof, de sortie de crève et d'orteils explosés (8 sur 10 aux Crêtes du salève) Pour une fois on ne s'est pas perdu et on a trouvé le chemin pour aller à la Muraz depuis l'Observatoire, et on a rencontré un gentil blaireau, pas farouche du tout Et vers la fin, je sentais que la sandale gauche avait un peu de flottement dans le posé. Elle était toute prête à lacher juste en arrivant au parking. Timing parfait car samedi prochain au col de Jalouvre ça aurait été moins fun. Quoique ça ne prenne environ que 10 minutes à réparer dans la nature.

Finally a trail I could run in Huaraches. The week before was wet but not as wet as the week before the Malpassant. So I took my Skechers and my Xeroshoes, and asked the organizers just before the race. They said that it was OK almost everywhere, save for a small portion at the end, in the last leg below the Salève. Indeed, it was damp but OK, save for this last part, with super super viscous mud in the end, I had to run in the dirt and dead leaves after to get my Huaraches to stick again to my feet.   And now, I am ready for the Trail du Gypaete in Huaraches...

After a week of pouring rain, sunshine just for the race. It was so wet and muddy that I decided to wear my Skechers GoBionic Trail instead of my Huaraches. That was a good idea. Trails were turned into streams, and we had to cross mud puddles big enough to drown people in them. It was a child's dream to run through them full speed yelling:"Watch out, it's gonna be wet", to the runners trying to avoid it on the sides....