Destination Chamonix

What started out as a pipe dream, morphed into a conversation at Geneva airport, and turned into an excited email this morning.

My application for running in the 2015 TDS was confirmed this morning.
I'm scared.
This will be the furthest that I've ever run (119km), even with the other races that I'm running beforehand.
This will be the most climbing I've ever done (7,250m).
This will be, by far, the toughest thing I've ever done.

My immediate thoughts are that I'm not fast enough to beat the cutoffs. Why was I stupid enough to apply for the TDS and not the CCC?
I'm not strong enough to do all of the vert.
I'll be going alone, I'm not strong enough mentally to do it.
I've told everyone that I'm doing it, and I'll fail spectacularly in front of all of them when I DNF.

I may be many things. But one thing I definitely am is stubborn. I'm going to train like I've never trained before. I'll run further, faster, longer and higher than I've done before.
I'm going to do this.

Last year, when Kirsty made me run back to Chamonix from Le Buet, I picked up a UTMB course marker. Kirsty asked if I was going to keep it and use it as inspiration... that tiny red and white flag is in my hallway, it catches my eye every time I walk into my flat.
Inspiration? Hell yeah!

But apart from any of this; I already knew I was in so I booked my flights and apartment at the weekend...