As a trail runner who recently moved to New Caledonia, I explore the trails here and beyond.
Welcome to Gecko Traileur, my travel diary from New Caledonia to trails all over the world. 🦎
- UTMB Nice race
Friday morning – here we are. With a mate, Antoine, we catch the UTMB organisers’ bus to Auron, the race start. The journey gives us a chance to admire the scenery and, at the same time, I realise just how imposing the mountains are; it’s quite a change from the hills of New Caledonia. It’s… - UTMB Nice Training: last long run
For the final long run of my training programme, I’m sticking to the Ouen Toro route. The aim is to complete it in 3 hours 10 minutes with 900 metres of elevation gain. I’m feeling a bit tired, so I’m taking my time. As a result, I set off at midday… I start off on… - UTMB Nice Training: Decline in training volume
Having reached the peak of my training, I’m going back to two sessions at the weekend, with more reasonable durations. Even so, things aren’t going to go quite as planned. Day 1: the usual round trip to Mont-Dore 3 hours 50 minutes – 1,400 m elevation gain Set off with a friend. The weather is… - UTMB Nice Training: last long session
This weekend’s session is the longest single-day run of this training programme, clocking up 9 hours 10 minutes and 2,310 metres of elevation gain. For this session, I’m doing a round trip along the GR1, setting off from Dumbéa Park. I’m feeling the fatigue build up, but I’m starting the day feeling less tired than… - UTMB Nice Training: Mont Dore, as usual
Here we go again for a long two-day session – 5 h 30 mins and 1,400 metres of elevation gain – 7 h 20 mins and 1,850 metres of elevation gain Once again, Mont Dore – this place is particularly well-suited to training. In one and the same spot, you can vary the types of session you… - UTMB Nice Training: Same loop
This weekend, I’m doing the same loop as last Sunday: Pic aux Chèvres – Les Éoliennes – Plum – La Corniche – Mont Dore. The aim for today is to complete this loop in less time. Firstly, by avoiding the same route mistakes, and secondly, by picking up the pace. This time I’ve only got…