Nathalie Mauclair: the TIKKA RXP brightens her UTMB® dreams!

On Saturday, August 30, 2014, the UTMB® frontrunners crossed the finish line. Among them, Nathalie Mauclair, who ran the last few kilometers side-by-side with her daughter on the way to a more-than-impressive third place finish. Nathalie has been a part of Team Petzl France since 2013. This year she decided to test the new TIKKA RXP and share with us her experience using this headlamp for the 2014 UTMB®. Beyond her athletic expertise, we would also like to "shine the spotlight" on the joy she shares with her family through trail running.

Interview with Nathalie Mauclair

How was the race?
"Great! During the first half of the race I simply enjoyed the euphoric pleasure of running. The second half proved much harder. I had hoped to accelerate on the descents, but instead I experienced an alternating mix of fatigue and high energy over the final twelve hours. I did manage to eat well, which was the biggest uncertainty for me at the start.
I was also able to stay focused throughout the entire race. Since I only scouted out 15km of the course beforehand, I did experience a few surprises along the way. If you can't stay focused, you will indeed have problems."

What was your biggest challenge during the race?
"The major challenge for me was the altitude. I'm not used to running at higher altitudes since I live in low-lying Sarthe. So above 2000m elevation, I started to feel a bit out of breath."

It started raining hard in Chamonix just a few minutes before the start of the race. How did you handle this type of weather, which is far from ideal for running?
"Ordinarily, I don't like running in the rain. But this time around, it went pretty well. Was it due to all the excitement at the starting line? In any case, I was able to change my clothes several times during the race as well as my shoes based on the terrain ahead. This meant that on the muddier sections of the course, I had shoes with good grip."

You ran with the TIKKA RXP. What do think of this headlamp?
"I chose to use the TIKKA RXP instead of the NAO to save weight. I set it on a single program with a wide beam to ensure a relatively long burn time. The headlamp performed well throughout the race. Even in the fog, I didn't have any problems. One detail that I really appreciated was how comfortable it is to wear. I often wear some sort of running-designed bandana underneath my headlamp to eliminate any uncomfortable pressure points. This time around, I didn't need to."

What was your best moment in the race?
"Arriving in Chamonix was very exciting. Like I said prior to the race, you visualize yourself starting as well as crossing the finish line. This was a very powerful moment. But what touched me the most was running the last 3 kilometers with my 7 year old daughter, and to cross the finish line hand-in-hand with her. This was an emotional moment for me and reinforces my desire to share my passion with my family."

Even though the TIKKA RXP lit up the race for Nathalie, she likes to remind everyone that her entire family was always there to support her through the dark of the night. A special homage to this "regular family," like she says, that allows her to follow her dreams.