Run, Koper, run

It's been more than 2 weeks since the race, but I was constantly on the move since then and only now managed to sit down and write this post. Hopefully I still remember enough to give a decent account of the big day, but first... The day before... One day to go. It's time to start getting nervous but somehow I'm not. I fly in the morning from Amsterdam to Manchester, then a train ride to Windermere where I stop for an obligatory pasta meal in a pub. Then 1 hour bus ride to Consiston , where I register and check into a B&B. Now would be a time to try to take it easy and go to bed early; instead I decide to walk the last stage of the race that is coming tomorrow. Risky decision as I should be as well rested as possible, but I decide that I want to know what's in store for me on the race day. Moreover this gives me a chance to test out some things before the race (for instance GPS-based navigation), not to mention that this last stage I'm most likely to have to...

After the 50K in August last year I later decided that this year it will be time to increase the distance. Shorty after the Paris marathon I found Lakeland 50 -- a 50miles race in northern England, that I thought would be perfect. I was deeply surprised to learn that... it's full and I was put on the waiting list! I knew about marathons, but that there were so many people crazy enough to do ultras was a surprise to me. Few weeks ago I lost hopes of getting a spot there and was hectically looking for a replacement race. At the beginning of this week I finally found one that was looking very promising: Trail des Fantômes , a 50 kilometers trail race in Belgium. At first I dismissed it as it was "only" 50K and I already did that . But then I looked at the 2400m of ascent and the winning time last year, 05:00:26.8 -- much slower than my lousy 50K -- and realized that this is a different game altogether. I was about to subscribe for the race when... I got en email telli...