While I was suffering in the low mountains of the Cévennes earlier this month, Shoko stalked around the departure area, where a professional race was starting an hour or so after ours.

It seems this is a fairly typical tactic for organizers and my next race (on the 26th) will be the same weekend as a pro race of similar name and (but much longer) route.  It’s a great idea to double up on these things and gives us lowly amateurs the feeling everything is being organized for us! In the case of this particular race it was good for Shoko too, since it gave her something to do for 2 hours and 36 minutes. Here are some pictures she took.