We are excited and pleased to welcome Mike Aigroz as a Project Horizon Athlete. Mike is a free runner from Switzerland. The former triathlete has now discovered trail running for himself and regularly outperforms his competitors. It doesn't matter to him whether it's day or night, he loves the challenge and breathtaking routes in the great outdoors.
In this post, Mike shares his adventure at L'Ultra-Trail® du Barlatay, a trail running event over spectacular mountain landscapes.
I just love to run! This is the answer to the question that is asked so often: why are you doing this?
All my life I've climbed hills and mountains, negotiated long straights and steep trails, failed many times, sometimes fell, but I never lost my passion for running. I've grown with the rhythm of the energies, with the simple attitude of running Ultra Trail for fun.
The routes are all different, you have to adapt to the environment, respect it, that's what makes trail running so appealing. Each run has its own story, its own route (which changes often along the way), its own time (with a fondness for the lights at sunset) and of course the privileged moments to spot the wildlife that I love so much .
And what about the competition? Yes, right, I can tell you about my win at L'Ultra-Trail® du Barlatay 103km/6600m D+! A track with an ultra-brittle profile! Start at 10pm - ideal to test your mental toughness and resistance to fatigue.
I divided the race into two different sections: night/day.
I ran the first 56 km with only my Petzl light visible, unsure of the markings (time/distance) since I always run without a watch, with a strong desire to sleep. Luckily at km 28 and 48 I have my friend Lars as an experienced gas station attendant and mental trainer who fills me up and distracts me. The sunrise and the team of volunteers at Pic Chaussy get me out of the night just in time to start the second part of the race. This one is much more comfortable and I finally have that very good feeling that you can only have on long journeys. I get my beer in a little less than 15 hours of effort! A wonder! THANK YOU l'Etivaz.
Next adventure: La Diagonale Des Fous, Reunion Island. Departing October 24th. At 22 o clock. That can not be a coincidence :-)
