TMB - Day 3: nr. Col du Balme (29km)

If I'm completely honest this isn't going well!
Two days in and I'm way behind my distance with almost no hope of catching up. The weather was once again amazing, at one point my thermometer recorded 27 degrees - great if you're on a beach!
It's also a real struggle to get enough water, I'm drinking litres but there aren't many places to refill.
On the plus side I'm in my lovely warm sleeping bag hoping to get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow I re-adjust my plans.
Sorry no photos
I've also got a broken camera a broken spork :(

TMB - Day 3: Aguillete des posettes (27km)

Another ridiculous mountain climbed, my legs are like rubber and I'm really really tired. Got another 4km to the next refuge, hopefully the descent will be easy.
More pictures.

TMB - Day 3: Tre-Le-Champ (24km)

Another hot day and although I've got to the point I hoped to be at yesterday, it is now the warmest part of the day and I've got a long uphill to do.
Although it's only the second day I'm thinking I might have to shorten the route. The paths aren't easy, the heat is a little uncomfortable and the weight of the pack up the hills just slows me down so much. Ultimately, at the moment I'm just not enjoying it very much and that upsets me because I've been looking forward to this for months.
Here's another pretty picture.

TMB - Day 2: Le Flegere (17km)

I knew today would be though but it went so far beyond that! A little short of 12 hours walking and I finally made to a campsite, 7km short of my target but it could have been so much worse. 10km of  muderous climbing and then another 2km coming down that at times resembled an obstacle course, thankfully the last 5km were undulating but not too severe.
I've climbed over a mile in height, reached a maximum height of nearly 2 miles above sea-level and I'm totally shattered.
Got to try and make up a little time tomorrow if I can.
Goodnight.

Here's some pictures., well one anyway!

TMB - Day 3: Le Christ-Roi (2km)

1 hour and 2km into the walk and I'm already 1180m above sea-level. It's been tough going and the temperature is already up towards 20 degrees, thankfully it's been mostly  forest so far and the shade has been a huge relief. Even with the shade I am soaked through with sweat and taking the opportunity to get some fluids.
It doesn't seem that it is going to get any easier for quite a few hours yet but I'm not having any real issues with my pack, so that is good news and if I do start to feel a bit tired I can just look at the scenery, that's pretty uplifting....

TMB - Day 1: Les Houches

After a very early start this morning, by 11:30am I was already in my 3rd country of the day, I find myself in the beautiful village of Les Houches. Located in the Chamonix valley at the foot of the Alps it is a genuinely spectacular place, only now that I'm here do I have a real gauge of the challenge ahead - these mountains are huge. When I found out the other day that the higher peaks along the TMB are nearly twice the height of Ben Nevis it isn't hard to realise that it's going to be tough but seeing these monsters in real life is different, very different and if I'm honest pretty terrifying.
Since arriving around lunch time it's been a very sedate day, set up camp, have a wander round the village to find the actual TMB route ready for tomorrow and then late lunch and a siesta. A local cat decided that I didn't want the ham I'd bought for lunch and while I was sleeping waltzed off with it.
It has been just the most relaxing day and with glorious sun all day, temperatures around 25 degrees, the perfect tonic before I set about the huge climbs in the morning.
The weather reports are now suggesting decreased chance of rain and clearer skies which, if they're right, is a massive boost.
Should be quite an early start tomorrow, 24km to cover and mostly uphill, in addition there a couple of big peaks to summit - if it goes well it'll really settle my nerves and fill me with, if it goes badly well that just isn't going to happen. Confidence not complacency!
Au revoir!

Halloween 5k Nite Run

Firstly I wish to apologise for the spelling of night in the subject header, I have merely duplicated the organisers spelling.

On monday 31st of october I entered my first 5k run, a little less hard work than the marathons and half-marathons run before but this was a night run and fancy dress, how could I resist?
Despite the sunglasses I managed to finish 49th out of of 450 and had a fantastically funny time with some of my friends from the SRC, the pumpkin soup was pretty good as well!

Here are the photos, many thanks to Stewart Turkington for them.