Fifteen members of CACE drove down to the Ardennes for a weekend of fun and run! Johan, feeling that Saturday race would be a piece of cake, came by bike from home and not with an electric one. Nice ! 🚴
Friday evening, music and chitchats surrounded our team while bits and bites was opening the appetite towards the big pasta party… late but surely. The first challenge of the weekend was successfully passed with the failure of the induction hob and an horde of runners waiting for the carbs load session. 🥳
After a short night and quick breakfast, they headed to the starting line of the Verlaine’s Runner Trail nearby Durbuy. A first CACE team adventured to the 24km trail at 9h30 (1000m+), a second team engaged the non-the-less crazy 13km at 10h30 (500m+). Lucky them with one more hour of sleep! 😴
All blue-starry out-fits climbed, jumped, ramped, rolled down hills and “swam” cross L’Ourthe river dozens of times… A beautiful landscape behind, all of them succeeded to cross the finish line with a touch of mud on the back and smiles in their faces. (Editor’s note: shoes were clean by the river 🤣)
Sam on the podium of the 11km finished second 🥈with an amazing run on this challenging course.
All of our CACE runners had a top position in each category: Stassi (2nd), Nathalie (1st), Anna (2nd), Gyula (6th), Angelo (1st and 8th position overall!), Arthur (2nd), Nils (2nd), Niall (3rd looking for a revenge over Nils in the next race 😁 ), Miguel (4th in spare parts), Sebastian (9th taking it easy with Boston marathon in the legs), Mariaa (1st), Johan (2nd), Charlotte (2nd with an ultra on the trail poles too), and Ana (4th warming up for her swim session later).
Well done all!
After a well deserved siesta, swim for some that did not have enough with L’Ourthe, and the rest enjoying a salty-sweet apero and music from DJ Nils, it was time for a cooldown walk in Durbuy. A last nice dinner but this time in a restaurant… with the unstoppable mood of the (official) trailers. Exchanging each other experience and secrets like Nils’ one to climb the trail walls (noted for the next one 😁).
The night ended with our President, oops… Niall, redecorating the living room with the CACE flag and a last laugh.
Sunday morning. The sound of the L’Ourthe river flow was missing since the race or nobody planned a relaxing massage. The reason why was unclear but a few needed a last jogging along the river. Only one wish: no more hills, having enough of them the day before. Luckily such thing does not exist in the Ardennes. 😁 The wise people slept in before a a last breakfast all together.
Time for a good bye or a tour in bike. All agreed that this was a real tough trail… but as passionate runners we will repeat it in October with the Black Forest Master trail.
Ready to join and learn Nils’ secret?
Side note: As a newcomer in CACE club, I really enjoyed this weekend. A first trail experience with the cherry on the cake: an amazing team. A really funny and pleasant weekend. Looking forward for the next one.
Miguel