Hello to all my friends.
With these few lines, I’d like to start by thanking you very much for your encouragement and your precious messages of support. 
Then tell you all about my UTMB and my 81.3km and 13h38’43” of pain…
In the early afternoon, at around 2pm, my stomach started cramping and bloating, which seriously disrupted my confidence and concentration…
I was hoping that by 6pm and departure time, those big genes would disappear, or at least diminish significantly. Unfortunately, they only got worse… quite simply, I couldn’t digest my 1 p.m. meal… what a horror…
How am I going to cope with the maximum intensity of a race like the UTMB? The best in the world are here, and no misfortune will be forgiven!
I’m trying hard to pretend that everything’s going well for me, in front of the journalists and cameras, but I can feel it… I’m going to suffer terribly… yet I’m clinging to the idea that everything will disappear little by little as the miles go by.
Alas… just the opposite…
An extremely fast start (as every year) meant that I had to stay as focused as possible to avoid crashing and keep my pace correct.
The minutes go by and I understand that it will be impossible for me to feed myself… what a catastrophe!!!! How will I be able to keep going at this intensity?
I feel nauseous, I want to vomit, I’m bloating harder and harder all over my stomach…
As a result, after about 1.5 hours of effort, chills ran down my spine, I got goose bumps… I quickly pulled out my cuffs, I had hypoglycemia.
I eat a lot of gels and energy bars, but it’s too late…
I meet up with my nephew Beñatou, who assists me at Les Contamines Montjoie, km 31.8. He refuels me, encourages me, motivates me, hugs me, kisses me to give me all his strength and courage.
I give it all I’ve got, once again ingesting a large quantity of carbohydrates while maintaining my effort and the same intensity…
Huge mistake on my part… 1h20′ after the start of this hypoglycemia, I had a huge reactionary hypoglycemia… just the opposite of what I should have had… followed by a hypoxia that struck every muscle in my body… it was devastating… I was barely at kilometer 40… 133 to go until Chamonix and my dream of crossing this finish line in my famous “trilogy”…
I’m in total perdition… I gobble up another huge quantity of food at the “La Balme” refreshment station. I keep on hoping that everything will work out in the end. I’m overtaken by dozens of people encouraging me and inviting me to follow them… impossible… I’m staggering, very cold.
Even covered in layers, gloves and hood, I’m freezing… all the runners passing me are in T-shirts…
Arriving at kilometer 50.7, the Chapieux feed station. I’m livid, white as an “ass” I’m told… they insist that I stop, because they think I’m unfit to continue. I stopped for about 30 minutes, sitting on a bench, staring into space, devouring cookies, cakes, cheese, ham…
I’m dissuaded from setting off again, as the next Courmayer base camp is 32km away…
My Basque Instinct comes out in full force and, stubborn as a bullock, I head off into the dark night towards the valley leading to the terrible Col de la Seigne…
The rest I don’t need to describe, because you’ve already guessed it…
Miraculously, I reach Courmayer at 7:38 a.m., km 81.3, after 13:38 of suffering, in a pitiful state… I can barely stand up, I have no strength left.
It’s totally impossible for me to continue and get to Chamonix.
Fortunately my family is there to take care of me and give me all their love… I break down, I cry, I haven’t lived up to my dream and my “trilogy”…
I can’t even undress myself because I’m so sore and exhausted… they’re there, changing me like a baby…
My UTMB stops here.
I beg your pardon… I was hoping to bring you more happiness. I missed everything…
I’m drained all over, and I need to take the time to regenerate physically now.
The future will tell me whether I can come back quickly or not… the rest of my season will depend on my health.
The human body is not a machine, as he showed me once again. It’s up to me to take care of it.
I give you a big hug.
See you soon.
Beñat
