Glaciers, Gondolas, and the UTMB Course: The first 11 days

Today is day 11 of our trip, and we're taking a much-needed "chill day." That really just means we don't have any big plans or long runs on the schedule—just a little work, some downtime, and a chance to catch up on writing.

Over the past few days, I've run more than 30 miles of the UTMB course. By race day, I'll have covered just under 40 of the race's 108 miles. It doesn't feel like enough, but it's certainly enough to know what I've gotten myself into.

The final section of the race is going to bring tears. I'm sure they'll be tears of relief for making it that far, but also tears from the pain of tackling the rocks and roots that make up the last climb—3,100 feet of elevation gain over just 3 miles, rounding out 31k. That's going to be a brutal way to finish.

On Monday, we took the train to Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France and one of the longest in the Alps, where we explored the ice caves carved into the glacier. It was a rest day for me after a few days of challenging runs. The ice caves were fascinating, but also a little humbling. Seeing how quickly the glacier is melting makes you wonder how much of it will still be here in a few years. The views were absolutely spectacular.

Afterward, we headed back to Chamonix for lunch. I'd describe Chamonix as Disneyland for mountain athletes—crowded, beautiful, and packed with great food, gear shops, and outdoor culture. It's an awesome place to visit, but after a while you're ready to escape the crowds. The only problem is getting out means sitting in some truly horrendous traffic. After lunch, we made our way back to our cozy little place in Les Houches.

On Tuesday, after a short two-hour run up to the Christ Statue and the zoo—the same route we took Nora on a few days earlier—we rode the Aiguille du Midi cable car. The journey starts with one gondola to a mid-station, where you transfer to a second gondola that climbs to the summit at nearly 3,842 meters (12,605 feet).

From the top, we took the Panoramic Mont-Blanc tram across the glacier into Italy. We didn't have enough time to continue all the way down to Courmayeur because a thunderstorm was moving in, so we turned around and caught the tram back before the weather hit.

It was wild to leave 90-degree heat in Chamonix and arrive at the summit, where it was only about 40 degrees. The scenery was incredible, and we watched groups of climbers making their way toward Mont Blanc. After soaking in the views, we headed back down—and, once again, battled the traffic trying to get out of Chamonix.

Yesterday, Sam and I drove to Vallorcine and ran all the way back to Les Houches. The route was absolutely beautiful, but it was also incredibly tough. It included the final climb of the UTMB course leading to the finish line, followed by the first six miles of the race.

That last climb is a doozy. As I made my way up, I kept trying to picture what it would feel like to be there on race day, tackling those same trails between miles 100 and 108. I imagined moving slowly, digging deep, and...I imagined tears.

After we finished, showered, and grabbed some food, we walked about a mile to the train station and took the hour-long train ride back to our car in Vallorcine. Looking back, we probably should have just taken the train there first. We wanted to start running earlier in the morning, and we accomplished that, but I'm not sure it was worth the extra effort at the end of the day.

We wrapped up the evening with pizza at Antoine's, and it was incredible. I ordered the Zucco, topped with pumpkin cream sauce, blue cheese, and walnuts—definitely not something I would normally choose, but it was fantastic. I've been trying to branch out and order different things. Nora seems to be doing a pretty good job of that on her own.