Hello,
I introduce myself, Sophie Legendre, 44 year’s old, I am originally French but I am living in San Francisco for 21 years. I was born in Essonne (Paris South East suburb ) but since my childhood, my destination city, winter and summer, has always been Chamonix. My uncle has a chalet in Les Houches and my parents quickly had their heart and their life balanced between Chamonix and Paris. For my part, I have study in a cooking school in Paris, and I had the chance to do my internship in Chamonix among others and fully live my passion for mountain sports. I had the chance to work then at the Auberge du Bois Prin, 2 Michelin stars and enjoy the valley. Since the age of 16 year’s old, I was thoroughly in paragliding, snowboarding and trails (without running at the time). By moving to San Francisco, paragliding has unfortunately lost its place after 15 years of incredible flying.
I have always been pretty athletic but I did not really run ...not before my 39 years! It is true that my brother Christian Baudet, 8 years older than me, was a great influence on my current passion. I was a fervent supporter of his many races, CCC, TDS and UTMB, that he had made. So I decide one morning back in San Francisco to go run to the beach on September 8th, 2013. And since then, I followed my practices and thanks to the many encouragements from my husband Laurent and my family in France and my perseverance, here I am registered for my first half-marathon in April 2014 (and it goes up in San Francisco). And then I participate in the Cross of Mont Blanc in June 2015 with my niece Gaelle, his friend and my nephew Luc, Christian was too tired to do it because he had made the 80km of Mont Blanc the day before, little player;)
I tell myself that nothing is impossible then
I fall in love with the trail running and can escape from my work, the stress of having my own business, Les Cent Culottes, French Lingerie store. I always wear my logo t-shirt during my races as a lucky charm! My predestined land is Marin Headlands, these mountains just after the Golden Gate Bridge, so wild and so beautiful. I do my first trail in November 2015 in the Bay area, the 30km of Mount Tam Trail Run. And then I follow other races to make my big trail at the time, more technical and higher, the Trail of the Tour des Fizz 5 refuges ... in the rain and mud. My brother will be starting with me, the first trail I do with the one who was my mentor. It gives me wings and I tell myself that nothing is impossible then. I ran the same year the same Mount Tam Trail Run but the 50 km this time, and I saw myself growing wings. I also decided to focus on my speed a bit and did the Santa Cruz marathon in April 2017. Almost as hard as my trail climbs, trail runners go far but flat speed can hurt too!
Run again and again, further and more often
On July 8, 2017, I panic a bit during my daily training because I am registered for the Verbier Trail Crossing in Switzerland ... 62km with 4500 D + in the Alps much more technical than my California trails! I train alone, my friends from San Francisco running at 10km max, 1 to 2 times a week, in SF Park. It is also my moment, without my professional or family obligations (I have 2 little boys of 10 and 13 years’ old, and 2 daughter-in-laws of 21 and 22 years’ old) and a husband who works like crazy in the restaurant business. I do not try to necessarily boost my performance, only to enjoy nature and run again and again, further and more often. The trail of Verbier was magical, great meetings and many abandon, it motivates me to see that I could finish this challenge of 68 km running in the night without resting for 17 hours! Great satisfaction. I also decide to do the North Face Endurance the 80km / 50 miles in California, San Francisco !! Mythical race also in the States. Surprisingly, I did not think as I was going to suffer so much compared to the trails that I had done in the Alps, the conditions were less technical but the stations were simpler, and especially faster race without rest! I was injured at the half of the race and finished the second part with the ligament of my plantar arch slammed without really being able to pause my foot without great pain. I realize that the will is then as strong to finish a race as any training! So I went back swimming to continue my training and it helped me to overcome my injuries. I continue to swim twice a week between my runs actually.
In our childhood mountains, my return to the sources
Not being taken to the lottery for the 90km of Mont Blanc with my brother this year, I decided to try everything, the CCC / UTMB for this month of August! Worst scenario, I would be more likely to be taken next year. Christian enrolled at the UTMB without believing, unwillingly, more to accompany me, since he did twice already and especially in extreme conditions last year, but here it is, he was accepted but not me! Great disappointment but I sign the next day for a solidarity bib with Freres des Hommes. Incredibly, all solidarity bibs were taken 2 hours after the results of the draw. The UTMB becomes so requested and mythical especially with the elite that was there in 2017! Here I am, on the waiting list for a month, trying by many helps to try to have a place, but nothing. The race is so popular! But thanks to a withdrawal, here I am "fished out" and I will be able to participate in the CCC, 101km, 6 100 meters of elevation! The accomplishment after 5 years of well-deserved training! This solidarity bib will allow me to run the same day as my brother who will do the UTMB, in our Childhood mountains, my homecoming, living 10 000km from there now.
I chose the association Freres des Hommes because it represents me a little. A French cook training, selling French lingerie in the United States now for 16 years, swinging between 2 nationalities. I feel a little like a citizen of the world.
Much more impact than Trump
This association allows the precarious populations of 3 continents and Haiti to have a professional training. It helps young people and adults to learn a training for a possible job or simply to survive daily knowing how to exploit the agricultural land. This kind of association has much more impact than the acts of our current American president who throw roll of papers to the people of the Caribbean after natural disasters!!
Here I am registered for the little sister of the UTMB ... the CCC. By being with a solidarity bib, with all the support and donation of my loved ones, the pressure is intense and I have no right to abandon.
I must finish this race. Thanks again to Freres des Hommes for supporting me in my dream and in this experience ... To be continued!
Sophie Legendre
