Today we ran the Aravis Trail finishing in Thônes. We headed out early for packet pick-up and to catch the bus to the start. We left Erik to explore the town at the finish line for an uncertain number of hours, not knowing exactly what the course had in store for us.
It was a beautiful, warm day, and a fantastic muddy, rocky route. I plan to write a full race report with all the details, but for now I'll say that it was tough terrain, difficult footing, killer climb, and crazy-steep descent over scree. Loved it! I had a surprisingly decent run, finishing in 03:35:01, 6th place for women, but more to that story later. Of the 5 runners we know, 4 of us finished the 25km and 1 the 52km routes. A good day all around, but the best part was the cold beer at the finish. Thanks Erik, best water boy ever!
As the day grew hotter, we gathered a picnic and headed to the nearby shore of Lac Annecy to lounge in the shade, eat ice cream, rent a paddle boat, and take a dip (finally a chance to wash off the sweat and blood and mud from the race). The lakefront was especially lively with the fête de la musique, and kept us entertained well past dark. The perfect start to summer!
