Epic Camp Italy - Day 1.Aquathon then a wee ride from Cortina

 After another early wake up, this time around 2.30 am despite my Garmin telling me I am slowly acclimated to the new time zone ( only 1.5 hrs ahead as opposed to 3 , the day before) it was eventually time to load bags and bikes in the vans then coffee and attack the hearty breakfast buffet before departure for Cortina d"Ampezzo  via Lago di S. Croce.

We arrived at the lake around 75 mins later, after an uncomfortable trip squashed into the back of the small rental where the windows don't open and the aircon don't reach!! Emerged with cramp and a drouth before had even set foot in the lake !!

It was a stunning location though, water temp was perfectly fresh and pleasant given it was quite toasty and a quick wriggle into wetsuits, a warm up swim then John gave us the race briefing - 5 laps of 300m with an Aussie exit each lap. Then a 7km trail run after. It was a blind handicap with mass start, Blind and handicapped is literally how I feel at swim starts so it was an apt description of a race.

I have to say I enjoyed the swim , apart from the Aussie exits  - transition was very relaxed as am way out of practice with these type of activities , also remembered the zip on my trisuit isn't fully functional anymore so had to roll it down to my waist, fortunately Epic camp doesn't adhere to Ironman rules so I wasn't disqualified. Had a pretty good run but could feel myself running low on fuel and it was getting hot hot hot ...! No sign of the forecast 10.5mm rain ( yet)

After such an auspicious start to the camp, was looking forward to our afternoon ride. After a van ride to Cortina, sorting of bikes and lunch we set off at 1.45 through town and were soon climbing. First climb of the day was the Passo di Giau.. It felt a lot harder than it looked, possibly due to the heat and the lunch regurgitating in my tummy. I had a mild panic attack about the fact that I haven't changed any of the gearing on my bike for this trip ( smallest I have is a 36-28) as this felt really hard, harder than I thought it should. Then found myself questioning why am I not bumbling round museums with a Lonely Planet guide and admiring fine Italian architecture - or even enjoying the hiking trails which were visible as we climbed- like normal people do?!! FFS. Why? Why?

I threw back a gel at this point, which turned the frown upside down and got rid of the nihilistic thoughts plus it was getting a little cooler as we neared the top. 

Descent down was dry and not fraught with too much anxiety - the next part of the ride was very pleasant then we started the next ascent of the Falzarego which was enjoyable although I could feel aches and pains in places, as you do and mild annoyance at the noise of the motorbikes....plus the gang of middle aged men in Porsches ( about 10 cars came whizzing past us at breakneck speed ).

Ominous dark cloud were visible in the distance and I was a bit worried we would get caught in a thunder storm, the lower half of the road was quite wet but luckily we missed the rain as the faster guys got a soaking apparently. Benefits to being in the grupetto !!

We rolled in after 4h14 mins at 6.30 pm and ready for dinner, dehydrated and def low in calories.I was so tired after that big day even eating dinner was a struggle but the excitement of salmon and veggies for dinner overrode the desire to lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling for the evening!

Fingers crossed for a longer zzz tonight, better throw back some pharmaceuticals I think.

Big day on tap  for day 2 so we will see what it brings, one thing for sure - it won't be bringing me the Zoncolan. Done it on Rouvy anyway, pfffffftt.

Epic Camp Italy - -prologue and random ramblings

Well, well, well. Here we are again putting metaphorical pen to paper in advance of another camp. Asking myself existential questions as to I why I choose 10 days of type 2 fun and extreme exhaustion as a holiday. Then I get to Epic camp and realise I'm with a bunch of people cut from the same cloth and also define this as a favourite way to vacazione, something about mutual suffering - right?!!! Perhaps us A types all need to pedal away from everything for a period of time, who knows?!! This build up has been rather less focused than previous camps. The joy of riding my bike for long distances and general enjoyment of cycling has waned over the last few years along with other aspects of life that have taken priority Epic camp is not to be disrespected however. I'm approaching this with less aerobic fitness ( esp cycling ) but a more robust chassis from a good focus at lifting heavy shit in the gym ( as Stacy Sims says:-) which has ironed out many of the niggles I used to be plagued with while racking up volume of triathlon training. Still have a bit of run speed in the legs and swimming, well, mehhh- that will just be a showcase of my innate talents in the water as usual. My main concern for the camp ( apart from the usual trepidation about the task(s) ahead) is that without the burning desire for long distance triathlon, can I keep it rolling when it gets really tough ? I'm not sure my mental fortitude is what it once was but I suppose I'll find out and attempt to live up to the moniker of my alter ego: The Grinder. Broke up the journey with a 2 night stop in Singapore, then arrived into Milan a day after the rest of the NZ crew who had undertaken the mammoth journey in one hit. We had a longish day travelling to Venice yesterday and picking up hire bikes en route. Thankfully John spared me the ordeal of navigation ( given I was riding shotgun) and we made it to the hotel with car intact despite agitated Italians blaring horns and appearing behind us at ~100mph. Or massive trucks changing lanes with no indication at similar speeds, jeepers. I thought Christchurch was full of ignorant,road entitled w*****s but this was an extra level!! We had a pleasant tourist jog round the beautiful Venice this morning before the masses arrived ( tourists that is, not the rest of the campers ha ). then back to the hotel to demolish the breakfast buffet ( in keeping with daily Epic camp traditions, right?!). Bike built up and ready then time to spend the the day to do some more touristing and relax, probably for the last time until camp is done! I'll add some photos from our Venice run, aim is to blog daily and document each day as I have done previously. Fingers crossed I can sleep a litte later than 3.30am ****** No pics sorry as having some issue with Google saying I've denied access to cookies or something , couldnt make sense of how it told me to fix and another night of 3am wake up means comprehension is even less likely today. Will try later when have to write Day 1 blog, if I make it through an aqua thon and a ride !!****

Taper Tourist Wednesday

Bloody oath. A day off to rest and taper.... well, could have done a wee SBR but actually by today, I just couldn't be bothered and felt a day off was in order as hadn't had a total rest day for 12 days .... and 40 hours of training later...... Main goal was to keep moving and stretch today so a bit of walking......also must avoid putting my body into some acute shock with the abrupt halt to training. Not much of interest to waffle on about today ( no need to report on the minutiae of triathlon race prep........yawn). so this will be mainly made up of photos- post lunch , a group of us took the telecabine-lift-stairs- to get the cable car up to the top of the mountain - well, not strictly the top but up to Dome des Rousses at 2800m. The actual top is at 3300m and required a walk across to get another cable car.Amazing views, some perma snow and the odd little Alpine flower.

VAUJANY.

Will hang mid air for views. Best ice cream ever. Dinner at the big chalet and a wee glass of red to help relax and alleviate my heightening anxieties about ( wetsuit) swimming in a lake with 1800 other people. It's been too long then bed time....luckily found a plunger and some coffee in our chalet given I was housed with some non coffee drinkers. Some choices I will never understand :-)

Tuesday- La Grave>lost>lake> Bourg d'Oisans. > Vaujany

I think I had a good sleep here, benefits of being higher up in the mountains is that it cools down extensively at night. Yay. I'm at the point in my life however where I 'm not sure if it is actually summer heat or hormones .... likely both I'd say. Woke early so had a wee walk round the village. Very pretty. Gutted we weren't going to be there long enough to take the cable car visible opposite.

Bags down, brekky then off on the 30 km descent to Bourg d"oisans. Of course the group splintered by the time we got to the Bourg and somehow, following what Garmin was directing us, Dave, Steph, Tanya and myself ended up at. the other end of town realising we were not anywhere near the lake! We checked the Life 360 app which showed everyone else at the opposite end of town.... thanks to some actual navigating, Tanya got us back om course and we finally arrived at the car park to see the vans which were all locked up and no support crew there.........the lake was 1km down a path/ gravelly road so Dave volunteered to go down and grab the key while we decided that by the time we got there, the others would be finished swimming so no point. Have to confess was slightly cranky at this point.........anyhoo, we made it down then was time for a scenic team photo in our Epic camp kit ... and a group excursion by bike to the Intermarche ( supermarket) to stock up on any goodies needed for race and snacks....then was time to have coffee in Bourg, check out the bike shop before heading to Vaujany which was 21 km away but a 5km climb ( 900m up from Bd'O). So excited just couldn't hide it :-)

Cool bunch of peeps.

Bourg d"Oisans, coffee.....shopping for TdF + bike propaganda....... Once caffeinated we set off for Vaujany, winding through town on a bike path which took us almost all the way to the Lac du Vernay ( swim location for Thurs. Its a hydro lake, not for general public use) then the climb up to Vaujany. Jeezus!! Beautiful ride on a narrow, winding road through little villages but steep. I was starving having not eaten since brekky apart from half a nutella filled crepe....it was baking hot by this time too.......lots of groaning and moaning from the group and we finally made it..... to the main chalet anyway where lunch had been waiting, already devoured by the others...

Extra chamois time for sweaty and hungry humans Post lunch then had to navigate my way to my chalet, a room to myself for the next 3 nights and a double bed !! BLISS. The chalets are luxurious and like a proper home. Front loader washing machine, dishwasher, comfy lounge, decked out in IKEA. Can I just stay here forever? Just kidding, would miss my dogs too much.

Chalet Polaris. Views were magnificent.

Monday, Monday......so good to me....

St Jean de Maurienne to La Grave via Telegraphe, Galibier. Had a great sleep and felt a touch more refreshed after an easier day prior.... butt and legs slightly recovered/healed and ready to face getting back on the horse today. Quads still a bit tender tho. It was cloudy and humid this morning although a bit cooler than previous days which was very welcome. After a little roadworks detour which saw us stray off course, we made it to the start of the Telegraphe climb which was 12 km. It wasn't raining but the air was damp and quite sticky. I had a great climb up here, amazing what an easy day can do.... joined up with Pete, Lisa and Marisa who had left just after us but must have passed us at some point on our detour.... .

We stopped and had a coffee at the top here, and a pit stop then put a couple of jackets on as it was cloudy and a bit more chilly. I can't remember how long the descent was but it wasn't too long before you start the climb up the Galibier... we passed through a small town and had a wave from Oli and Kylie in a cafe then it was 17km to start the climb ( its 1250m ascent up there)... oof, too hot again so jackets off and luckily Ian came past in the van so were able to throw those in. Scenery wise, this was similar to the Iseran with some snow bowls visible in the rocky peaks, alpine wildflowers, cowbells, thin air...the last few kms felt a bit struggley, mainly because I think I hadnt fueled enough on the Telegraphe and after.... its quite bizarre as you turn the corner to reach the top and its like a Piccadilly circus of motorbikes, more motorbikes, cars and a few cyclists and more gangs of motorbikes...was bloody freezing up there too!!

It was quite a pleasant descent ( compared to others.... although hopefully after all the riding I'm descending a little less Granny like ) to the top of the Col du Lautouret then spotted the support crew who had lunch ready. SO hungry. Amazing scenery and we were all chanelling our inner marmotte ( see photos below )

Once lunch digested it was 10km down to La Grave... through a couple of tunnels but a nice descent to our base for the night with views to die for; at 1500m. Quick throwing of stuff into rooms and bike to the sheds then into the van for a mass exodus to Alpe d"huez to register and have a wee run at altitude and round one lap of the course. The ride up the Alpe did not fill me with much excitement about the race I must say...we tropped to registration which was rather busy so decided to run first. I was a bit CBF mode and weary as well as still lacking in energy #hangry much?! so Tanya and I just toddled easily round the course chopping off about 1.7 km to make for a 5km. Then rego time and an extensive debate ensued between myself and the reg lady who couldnt understand my Tri NZ membership declaration. Mostly my fault as I only uploaded to my registration the day before...........she was also confused as I was down as Scottish but affiliated to Tri NZ. Anyway much begging and pleasding and agreeing that Brexit was a terrible idea, I was able to register. Phew ( or not??!) Back down in the van ( thank GOD we don't have to descend that on race day) then back to the hotel for showers, organisation for the next day then wines and dinner. Can't even remember what we had that night but I did rejoice that it wasn't melted cheese. "Easier " day tomorrow and on to Vaujany where we will reside for the next 3 nights in chalets. So good to not have to be moving on and packing up, that feels like a more monumental task every day as the fatigue sets in deeper and deeper.

Spent Sunday.

No, I have not forgotten to complete the sentence.....just an apt description of the mind and body after my biggest training week since 2019!! Not much to report on today so will keep it brief and a few photos.......... Slept til 7, leisurely brekky with a little food fatigue in the mix too. More bread, ham and cheese consumed. Off to the pool for some "games".......nooooooo, I know exactly what this means. After an auspicious start and what felt like a good warm up, it was time for the handicapped ( literally and metaphorically in some cases...!) 400m. based on half IM swim times. Well, I havent' swum a half ironman swim since 2019. The fishies all started first then it was time for the rest of us , although Dave D and I had an interloper in our lane doing back stroke while we did ours ( Molina) who kindly mentioned he thought we were just cooling down like him. No, we are just fucking slow......!! St J de M pool - site of some intense battles :-)

After the 8 mins of thrashing and general questioining of life choices, it was a 50 m kick race. Actually I was not to bad at that though was so starved of oxygen after 25m I thought I was going to explode! Then team relays based on where you reside, sorry John. Was always a ganble being stuck with a big handicap ( Dave D and myself). So Team Chch were DFL in that!! A quick trip to the supermarket for snacks before it shut then back to the hotel and an afternoon sleep for me. Finally dragged myself out for an easy 5km round St jean du Maurienne stopping to take photos.

Tomorrow, we ride to La Grave via the Cols de Telegraphe, Galibier and Lautouret. Hope my quads have recovered after a day's rest!

Saturday -sucking in air then sizzling hot

Val d "Isere to St Jean de Maurienne 106 km. 1523 asc. 5km shuffle before brekky.

Sunset in Val d'Isere Had a sub par sleep in my sauna style bunk room and a rebellious tummy , likely from the overload of melted cheese or, in fact, any cheese. Dragged myself up at 5.45 nd joined Kylie and Tanya and we had a cruisy jog down throught the main st until we hit a rocky track. Kylie went on to join up with the guys and we turned around as rocky trails are hazardous on fatgued minds and bodies.Running back up to the hotel was hard work- altitude ( Val d'isere sits at 1800m) and fatigue. Kinda like that post Ironman feeling when your breathing muscles are tired and you can barely walk up a flight of stairs. After a decent brekky and gallons of mediocre French coffee we set off...16km of uphill up the Iseran, which I had only climbed from the other side and had in my head that today was the super steep side. It was actually a pretty pleasant climb ( most are when related to Ventoux or Forclaz..!) and stunningly beautiful with Alpine flowers and glaciated scenery. Much to our delight the Jumbo Visma team car came past and following suit were a few of the non TdF riders who were apparently doing "reps" on each side of the Col. jeezus!! The team car went past me at one point around 4 km from the summit; windows open so I yelled out "STicky Bottle" but wasn't obliged.... likely because I don't know you say it in Belgian.

Grinding on the Iseran. It was pretty busy at the top with motor bikes, cars, bikes and hard to get a photo of the summit which is 2770m; the highest sealed road in the Alps. Another long descent and Ian waiting at the bottom with the van so that we could disrobe of all the warm gear ( chilly up top! Still some wee snow patches). Then we headed down a long hot valley through a couple of beautiful wee towns towards lunch stop in Modane - the Garmin was directing us on the "route panoramique" - uh-oh, another grind up hill. Yes. And road works so it was a dusty ride in the searing heat through fresh seal /light gravelly bits until we hit a long gentle descent and made it through Modane until we founbd the lunch stop - the support crew had done a fabulous job and a huge spread on a picnic table for us. Yummy. Guzzled down a wrap, melon and some apricot juice then the heavenly nectar that is a cup of coke with ice in it. We had to take a detour due to roadworks ( large landslide) which again meant a steep , hot and dusty grind up through a tiny village then a descent to join the bike path on the main road, slight downhill all the way to St Jean de Maurienne. It was a little windy too but luckily Gordo had joined our group so he and Daryl did a fine job of sheltering us 3 girls and made for a swift ride to the hotel. But oh my goodness it was HOT!! Again, bikes offloaded, into the rooms, showered and it was beer O clock again. Dinner was at a restaurant owned by the hotel approx 500m away..... food was pretty good but it took an eternity to be served and in between courses - I think we ate dessert at 9pm... I had to have a cold shower when returned to cool myself down, it was only the next morning we spotted the air con unit above the door in the room. Not the only ones to miss it tho!! St Jean de Maurienne- famous for the home of Opinel who invented the knives. And a bike race dedicated to his memory. How cool.