Sainte Foy Tarentaise : 30 September 2020
Gerda Steyn should have been competing at the Olympics this summer. Instead, she has been training in Sainte Foy and preparing for the London marathon this coming Sunday, 04 October. As a child, my parents would send me on errands, telling me to run like the wind. Seeing Gerda on her training runs, I now know what my parents meant!
The photo below taken earlier this summer, shows Gerda pausing on a training run to admire the view of Vallon du Clou.
It’s great to think that a little bit of Sainte Foy training has helped in her winning achievements. Gerda is the current Two Oceans champion and winner of the Comrades Marathon, winning both in the same year, smashing records and becoming the first woman to complete the uphill version of Comrades in under six hours! (They run the race in the uphill and downhill directions on alternate years). Here is Gerda being interviewed on SABC News two days after winning Comrades in 2019. (Neither event took place this year due to Covid).
During the summer, Gerda set up Sainte Foy Runners and organised twice weekly 5km runs for people of all levels, followed by a refreshing drink at 1580m.
Sainte Foy Runners enjoying an evening training run on the track to Planay Dessus.
Mountain trail running is very popular in France, and for good reasons. It’s good for you, the views are stunning, and it’s a great way to explore the mountains. You don’t have to compete in any of the many competitions, but they are lots of fun if you do!
Tarentrail are a running club based in Bourg Saint Maurice and hold weekly training sessions, every Tuesday evening throughout the year. (Head torches and an extra top required in winter!) Below, you can see Tarentrailers on an autumnal weekend outing in the mountains above Les Chapieux. We ran up to the top of Tête Nord des Fours with breathtaking views of the Beaufortain Valley and Lac de Roseland, down to the Ville de Glaciers (a ‘town’ of four houses!), and back to Les Chambres du Soliel at Les Chapieux for a fabulous lunch.
It isn’t always sunny weather though, but personally I love running in the rain. It’s so refreshing to feel the tiny droplets of rain on your skin, and the rain releases lots of earthy smells from the ground. Nature really comes alive in the rain and it’s a veritable treat for your senses.
This last photo shows the Tarentrail runners setting off on a warm up run before last week’s training session.
I also love running in the snow, and enjoying being out in the winter scenery, which as I’m sure you know is stunning. Look out for snowy photos of our wonderful mountain scenery in future posts.
Read other articles about Sainte Foy on the Time to Ski blog page
