As i didn’t have any previous knowledge or any expectations for that run i sticked to Donnas advice and ran with Adrian, a well experienced Ultra runner who was over with us for the race. Beside Adrian and me there was Eoin, another member of the Irish-German travel contingent who made the way for the “season-ender” to lyon.
The first part was on the streets and just a normal jog out of Saint Etinne. Shortly before the start I decided to wear my gore-tex rain jacket as the temperatures on top of the hill would get close to zero. I feared to get caught in a storm or to hit the rain. All members of the team were running with jackets so I was sticking to the advice and experience of the others.
Kilometre 16 saw the first aid station. We stopped got chocolate and tea in and ate and drank as we were walking on. The legs were still fine and i felt great. It was a special feeling to run at night and to run on trails. I enjoyed it a lot. The scenery, as far as I could see and the landscape was amazing and thrilled me a lot. I loved the mixture between rough trails, paths and back roads.
Our little group went on and the aid station in Moreu was the last one we reached together. Eoin felt good and on a uphill he was gone. Adrian asked me to run with him. I was nervous to join him. I felt good but I still had respect for the distance. I didn’t know whats happening after 3.5 hours of running. I stayed with Adrian which was a brilliant idea. He helped me a lot with his economic running and his patience.
After a little while and a downhill section were I nearly crashed again (I was hitting both of my toes 4 to 5 times…) I lost adrian. I felt good so i carried on with the rhythm I was running. Still on trails, still downhill, uphill, left, right, through a forest, over a rock around a tree around a bear!! NOT!!… But still brilliant and very exciting. I was always waiting for the next highlight to come. My highlight would be some of the good back roads that were leading us from trail to trail. I had phases were I loved the trails and parts were I just wanted to stay on the road for another hour. Size 13 plus lunar trainers were a bad and miserable combination. Rocks went in the shoe and I felt the croppy stones. As it was at night and in the dark I couldn’t see some of the obstacles so I felt the entire course.
The feed station in St Genoux was a special one. An old barn in the middle of the Massif Central. roughly 80 runners full of mud and keen to get calories, drinks, gels and fruits in as fast as possible. I entered the old shed and was happy to get my mug filled with tea. I felt the pain and I started to feel the tiredness. It was 4 o’clock in the morning and I still had a good bit to go. Earlier on, from top of the mountain I saw the lights of Lyon. And I wanted to see those lights a bit closer now. I leaned against a wall and all of a sudden Adrian stood in front of me. We were happy to meet again and after empting the shoes from little stones we surged on.
I tried to get the legs moving and it worked. I got the rhythm back and running on the streets made it more easier than the madness on the trails. I felt my energy coming back and what happened then is still a miracle for me. the legs started to feel great, the tank felt full . I was running smooth and effective up and downhill. It was like changing gears. I was amazed and hyped by myself. I was pushing, not to hard, but I was forcing the speed. In this phase the only guys that passed me where the relay guys that started later and were hammering down the field at this stage. Those relay guys helped me a lot. I followed them as often as I could and it worked out pretty well. The next aid stations in Beaunant and centre Lyon didn’t exist for me anymore. I was on a high. I had pain. the knees, all muscles and the sole was hurting but it was too sweet to give up now. 
