Sooooo, have had a few days tho gather my thoughts and reflect on Epic camp - now that the brain fog has cleared and we are settled back in our chalet in Morzine for a full week with a little more time....( after an Epic camp style shopping expedition in Milan for the weekend with Di and Z! A fine antidote to wearing lycra for 12 hrs a day!!)
Have just listed my thoughts in bullet points, in no particular order of importance :-
-You can do far more than you think you can when all you have to do is train and the schedule is set.
- Say thank you and please to the support crew, they are working as hard as us and no amount of fatigue excuses bad manners.
- Humility is a wonderful attribute to have as an athlete.
-As I have heard previous campers say, its the mental gains from pushing through that you get mostly from Epic camp.I'll never forget how climbing the Col d'Iseran felt after what we had previously done that day, let alone the previous days. Or riding Mont Ventoux while sick.Or trying to exert myself in a triathlon on day 11 ;-)
-Low carb goes out the window by ~ day3-4. Not just due to the mouth-watering pastries on offer at breakfast time but you need calories- LOTS of them.
-Limit the sports nutrition to the "races" when required, feels a lot better eating real food day to day. Nuts, Snickers bars, salt tabs, peanut butter, crepe with nutella (only2!!), occasional peanut butter + jam sandwich on fresh crusty French bread, water +/- electrolyte tabs, Yum. Coffee.
- Legal PEDs of choice on camp:- 2 large espressos in the morn, occasional espresso and or coke zero mid ride, glass or 2 of the local vin rouge in the evening, extreme endurance, magnesium tabs and paracetamol during the longest rides to ease the undercarriage discomfort and back spasms on the long climbs. Took the odd ibuprofen where required but prefer to avoid NSAIDs unless absolutely necessary :-)
-Tea tree oil on the undercarriage area every night helped prevent and limit any sores, nappy rash cream also works great. I avoided any chamois cream.
-Epic campers are an awesome bunch of people, have made some great new acquaintances and special mention to the other 4 chicks on camp ( Shannon, Jen, Zarnia and Di). We met acclaimed coach Darren Smith at the pool here in Morzine the other day as we had been pointed out by Amelia as Epic campers - he coaches a squad of Olympian/ITU athletes ( all female) - he said to me that although we were the slowest athletes he bet we were the toughest. Ha ha. Everyone on Epic, regardless of sex, is tough but I think females pace a bit better especially early on in endurance events which is key to survival :-)
Finally, before this turns into an over extended ramble Id like to say a personal thanks and a big UPS to the following :-
- Coach John for organising, letting us come and also being my coach for the last few years and ensuring I was in any kind of shape to make it through an Epic camp.
-Oli,Tim, Ian and Julie ( plug for Pyrenees Multipart here too!) for their amazing support and help though the camp; always with a smile.
- Piet and his wife from Chalet 4 in Le Grand Bornand. Highly recommend this place - amazing FOOD and location
-Amelia and Joe from Tri4theAlps in Morzine. Again amazing food, accomm and they have extended their hospitality and help to us during our stay in Morzine.
And thats it. I must try blog more often as its amazing how much you forget. Currently enjoying some fine French saucisson, ham, cheese and veggies while watching the Tour stage up Mont Ventoux- since its Bastille Day here.
Salut.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Day 11. La Grande Finale, triathlon
Awoke a little drowsy after a good sleep, luckily one of the boys had made coffee so enjoyed a coffee or 2 then struggled to eat breakfast this morning. I may have reached saturation point with food by now ;-)
Today's schedule was a triathlon by Lac Mondriond. 1300m approx swim straight down the lake, 28km ride up the Col de joux vert and down into Morzine back to the lake then 3 laps of the lae to make a 9km run.
We had our briefing, I was still in confusion re where we were riding but hey ho. Brain fog n all that :-)
We were driven to the far end of the lake, wetties on , quick warm up then John shouted 4-3-2-1- GO!! Faaaark, felt like I was choking as my suit felt too tight round th neck or was it constriction from the cold water. Anyhow, channeled my inner Dory again , sighted quite well ( I think) then got out last but could see a cpl of white Epic caps just in front.
Total uncoordiantion in T1, helped by support crew and on to the bike, straight uphill really but it was a pleasant climb, peppered with goats, walkers with sticks and downhill knuckle draggers up the top. Nice descent into Morzine ( didnt get lost!!!!!!!) andpedalled crawled into t2 D.F.L. Oh well, get er done.
Once onto the run I felt good, ran 46.20 for the 9km, including a quick wee stop in the trees.
So, I not get camp completion as missed equation due to sickness on day 3 - I could have made it up to day but decided that I was happy with where I was at and that i had achieved far more than I ever thought possible, plus I felt it would be unfair on those who were sick now and unable to make it up.
I feel in terms of missing sessions in the camp it should be just like any race - its tough shit and your own call, tack ons for extra points if you want but if you miss something on that day then you have missed it. I had to make that call with my chesty cough and know it was the right thing at the time, just like bike mechanicals - its all part of competition and sometimes the deck of cards fall your way and sometimes against you.
Now its time for a weekend in Milan with my Epic girls, Di and Z - shopping, pizza and NO TRAINING. Cant wait!!
Camp has been a great experience to share with everyone but especially those 2 cool chicks, i am sure we will reminisce well into our old age :-)
Today's schedule was a triathlon by Lac Mondriond. 1300m approx swim straight down the lake, 28km ride up the Col de joux vert and down into Morzine back to the lake then 3 laps of the lae to make a 9km run.
We had our briefing, I was still in confusion re where we were riding but hey ho. Brain fog n all that :-)
We were driven to the far end of the lake, wetties on , quick warm up then John shouted 4-3-2-1- GO!! Faaaark, felt like I was choking as my suit felt too tight round th neck or was it constriction from the cold water. Anyhow, channeled my inner Dory again , sighted quite well ( I think) then got out last but could see a cpl of white Epic caps just in front.
Total uncoordiantion in T1, helped by support crew and on to the bike, straight uphill really but it was a pleasant climb, peppered with goats, walkers with sticks and downhill knuckle draggers up the top. Nice descent into Morzine ( didnt get lost!!!!!!!) and
Once onto the run I felt good, ran 46.20 for the 9km, including a quick wee stop in the trees.
So, I not get camp completion as missed equation due to sickness on day 3 - I could have made it up to day but decided that I was happy with where I was at and that i had achieved far more than I ever thought possible, plus I felt it would be unfair on those who were sick now and unable to make it up.
I feel in terms of missing sessions in the camp it should be just like any race - its tough shit and your own call, tack ons for extra points if you want but if you miss something on that day then you have missed it. I had to make that call with my chesty cough and know it was the right thing at the time, just like bike mechanicals - its all part of competition and sometimes the deck of cards fall your way and sometimes against you.
Now its time for a weekend in Milan with my Epic girls, Di and Z - shopping, pizza and NO TRAINING. Cant wait!!
Camp has been a great experience to share with everyone but especially those 2 cool chicks, i am sure we will reminisce well into our old age :-)
Day 10. Non 100x100 day.
Quick bullet points to summarise today as have writers block. Must be brain fog from the all the bread or a bit of fatigue?!!
Summary of day 10:-
- ZZZZ a little bit disturbed as was quite warm, slept til 6.30 ish
-brekky at the chalet then surfed the net and generally faffed, had a walk around the hood.
-Taken to pool for 11am, swam for an hour in beautiful outdoor 50m pool. 24 x100 only.
-Ascenseur into town and lunch at Satellite cafe
-more faffing and laziness/procrastination about doing long run
-4pm finally made it out for a 2 hr run, jog/shuffle. Legs not very cooperative really and my right toe was sore.
- After run, Di and I walked back via the Lake and river trail for almost an hour sa we had to do a minimum of 4 and a half hours, within the 12 hr window.
-made it back to chalet as everyone was eating canapés, managed a quick shower in between courses , downed a kir royale and a load of water, then a yummy salmon dinner and red wine altho i was not very hungry to be honest.
In bed and organised for day 11 by 9.45pm :-) drugged up on magnesium , extreme endurance, nurofen for my toe, half an antihistamine tablet......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Summary of day 10:-
- ZZZZ a little bit disturbed as was quite warm, slept til 6.30 ish
-brekky at the chalet then surfed the net and generally faffed, had a walk around the hood.
-Taken to pool for 11am, swam for an hour in beautiful outdoor 50m pool. 24 x100 only.
-Ascenseur into town and lunch at Satellite cafe
-more faffing and laziness/procrastination about doing long run
-4pm finally made it out for a 2 hr run, jog/shuffle. Legs not very cooperative really and my right toe was sore.
- After run, Di and I walked back via the Lake and river trail for almost an hour sa we had to do a minimum of 4 and a half hours, within the 12 hr window.
-made it back to chalet as everyone was eating canapés, managed a quick shower in between courses , downed a kir royale and a load of water, then a yummy salmon dinner and red wine altho i was not very hungry to be honest.
In bed and organised for day 11 by 9.45pm :-) drugged up on magnesium , extreme endurance, nurofen for my toe, half an antihistamine tablet......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Day 9- Gravel grinding+ 3.5 cols to Morzine.
Today's route from Grand Bornand to Morzine had to be changed a little due to landslide closing the Joux Plane so the ride route went to the Colombiere, (14km ascent) down a descent with patches of loose gravel and tar then straight up another gravelly climb which claimed the life of someone's derailleur. Just felt like being in Christchurch really :-)
A sharp right turn ( narrowly avoiding a collision with Coach john) then a further descent down to a town called Cluses which was a bit of a navigational clusterfuck but thankfully Zarnia's Garmin told us where to go and we duly followed along. Bit of gradual climbing a long a main road signed for Morzine and then we turned off to take the scenic route slightly uphill until we hit a wee village and the offical start of the Col de Ramez. 13km was what the sign said, started off ~ 8 % and wavered between 7-8 % for most kms. This felt really tough and reminiscent of the Iseran but given we were essentially riding a Tour stage, I tried to distract myself by reading the banners with ghosts of cyclists past on display. We did stop for a quick photo then continued trundle upwards.
My back was nagging a bit, my right hammy had been vert twingey since descending the Colombiere and the whole climb felt like a struggle, 3km to go and the average grade for the ensuing km said 10% on the sign. Yuk. Now I really felt like a monkey humping a football :-)
A slow grind uphill through a tunnel, quick off the bike for a stretch afterwards then survive the last 2km which were not so bad. I wolfed a Snickers bar and a coffee at the van then back downhill ( for only 8km. ;-( ) and met Di and Jen at the corner where we had to turn then we headed on with large sighs of dismay as we saw that we had to climb AGAIN. So much for 20 + km of downhill to Morzine. Aaaah.
We were on a windy country road that had a few bumps which took us up the Col de Aranacanaz ( wrong name, i can't remember the proper name ) then more ups and downs on winding roads with lots of moaning and groaning from us until we hit the outskirts of Morzine, unsure how to get to the lodge so Rob, who had joined us at this point managed to google map it on his phone so we wound through the centre of Morzine past hundreds of hairy legged downhill mountain bikers, across a swing bridge under the gondola then we managed to find the road and Brown bear lodge. 6h 20 riding time.
Lunch ( or what was left of it after the hungry hordes had eaten) was waiting and much needed, then just under the hour left to digest until it was time to run to the lake for a swim and meet the 10km run minimum. It was nice to run actually, I plugged my music in, did my 2 laps and a bit more of the lake to make my 10km and really enjoyed my run to shake the legs out. The lake ( Lac Mondrain) was perfectly flat and calm, a little chilly and after a 20 minute wrestle getting the Helix on, I also enjoyed a 1km swim which loosened off the stiff biking muscles.
Dinner at the lodge was highly tasty, free flowing red wine and a kir royale to accompany the canapés. Yummy. Wednesday is a kinda do-what -you-want day but minimums are 4.5 hrs of training, John and co are doing 100x 100 for his 40th birthday, dont think I'll do 100 x100 but maybe a few 100s ;-) and a run. Right, au revoir til tomorrow ;-)
A sharp right turn ( narrowly avoiding a collision with Coach john) then a further descent down to a town called Cluses which was a bit of a navigational clusterfuck but thankfully Zarnia's Garmin told us where to go and we duly followed along. Bit of gradual climbing a long a main road signed for Morzine and then we turned off to take the scenic route slightly uphill until we hit a wee village and the offical start of the Col de Ramez. 13km was what the sign said, started off ~ 8 % and wavered between 7-8 % for most kms. This felt really tough and reminiscent of the Iseran but given we were essentially riding a Tour stage, I tried to distract myself by reading the banners with ghosts of cyclists past on display. We did stop for a quick photo then continued trundle upwards.
My back was nagging a bit, my right hammy had been vert twingey since descending the Colombiere and the whole climb felt like a struggle, 3km to go and the average grade for the ensuing km said 10% on the sign. Yuk. Now I really felt like a monkey humping a football :-)
A slow grind uphill through a tunnel, quick off the bike for a stretch afterwards then survive the last 2km which were not so bad. I wolfed a Snickers bar and a coffee at the van then back downhill ( for only 8km. ;-( ) and met Di and Jen at the corner where we had to turn then we headed on with large sighs of dismay as we saw that we had to climb AGAIN. So much for 20 + km of downhill to Morzine. Aaaah.
We were on a windy country road that had a few bumps which took us up the Col de Aranacanaz ( wrong name, i can't remember the proper name ) then more ups and downs on winding roads with lots of moaning and groaning from us until we hit the outskirts of Morzine, unsure how to get to the lodge so Rob, who had joined us at this point managed to google map it on his phone so we wound through the centre of Morzine past hundreds of hairy legged downhill mountain bikers, across a swing bridge under the gondola then we managed to find the road and Brown bear lodge. 6h 20 riding time.
Lunch ( or what was left of it after the hungry hordes had eaten) was waiting and much needed, then just under the hour left to digest until it was time to run to the lake for a swim and meet the 10km run minimum. It was nice to run actually, I plugged my music in, did my 2 laps and a bit more of the lake to make my 10km and really enjoyed my run to shake the legs out. The lake ( Lac Mondrain) was perfectly flat and calm, a little chilly and after a 20 minute wrestle getting the Helix on, I also enjoyed a 1km swim which loosened off the stiff biking muscles.
Dinner at the lodge was highly tasty, free flowing red wine and a kir royale to accompany the canapés. Yummy. Wednesday is a kinda do-what -you-want day but minimums are 4.5 hrs of training, John and co are doing 100x 100 for his 40th birthday, dont think I'll do 100 x100 but maybe a few 100s ;-) and a run. Right, au revoir til tomorrow ;-)
Day 8 - Triathlon at Lac Annecy
Today we got a sleep in as breakfast was not scheduled til 7.30am.
My, what a spread of fruit, porridge , cereals, yogurt, ham, cheese, local bread, croissants, nutella, peanut butter and coffee from the Nespresso machine. Fit for a king!!
Once suitably repasted and sorted with wetsuits in the van, runners sitting outside on the deck, we headed on bikes the 32km downhill ( net ) to Lac Annecy our swim venue. It could get a little confusing on the way back I think!1
John showed us our swim course, quick warm up then off we went. I was following someone in an IM talk cap, must have missed the 2nd buoy as I was out of the water with the fast boys and had only swum 770m, not 1km but I was not the only one apparently!
On to the bikes, wrong turn for me through the village which I soon corrected and thankfully saw fellow camper, Walter, who pointed me in the correct direction then headed back. Once through the town of Thones it was uphill all the way home in the hot sun, splitting headache for me - felt like a sinus headache but did wonder if I had accidentally had a decaf coffee at breakfast as it was THAT kind of headache. That ride for me was a matter of survival, did not feel too great at all and was glad to get back to the Chalet. Our run was 1.7km slight downhill turnaround run back up hill to chalet twice through.
Thankfully my headache disappeared and despite a quick loo stop ( weird French public toilets - when you go in and shut the door, the loo flushes ??!!) I managed to dig it in and run at reasonable click all things considered prior and knowing that at ;east once finished that would training done for the day. A short day of only ~ 4 hrs . Wowsers!
After another tasty feast out in the sun, a few of us herded ourselves into the van and went into the town of Grand Bornand - its a beautiful spot, quite Swiss looking. Not much is open in France between 12 and 3pm as its siesta time. I think thats an AWESOME concept. Z and I headed straight for the Craft sale shop and bought some nicely discounted gear ( her more than me...!) then we found the others who pointed us in the direction of the ice cream shop; I felt I had already had way more dairy than I should be eating ( I am basically dairy free apart from a wee bit of cream in my coffee but have not had the will power to say NO to the amazing local cheeses on offer in France....) and didnt feel like an ice cream so opted for a coffee and bought 3 chocolate cows instead. For gifts of course, although there were only 2 left by the time we got back in the van :-)
Afternoon tea was served at 5pm. home made brioche and fruit breads with some chocolate and blended berry smoothies. I really should have downloaded Myfitnesspal before this camp as Id be interested to see what my daily calorie consumption would be. Better put the reins on the Nom noms next week when back to self catering :-)
My, what a spread of fruit, porridge , cereals, yogurt, ham, cheese, local bread, croissants, nutella, peanut butter and coffee from the Nespresso machine. Fit for a king!!
Once suitably repasted and sorted with wetsuits in the van, runners sitting outside on the deck, we headed on bikes the 32km downhill ( net ) to Lac Annecy our swim venue. It could get a little confusing on the way back I think!1
John showed us our swim course, quick warm up then off we went. I was following someone in an IM talk cap, must have missed the 2nd buoy as I was out of the water with the fast boys and had only swum 770m, not 1km but I was not the only one apparently!
On to the bikes, wrong turn for me through the village which I soon corrected and thankfully saw fellow camper, Walter, who pointed me in the correct direction then headed back. Once through the town of Thones it was uphill all the way home in the hot sun, splitting headache for me - felt like a sinus headache but did wonder if I had accidentally had a decaf coffee at breakfast as it was THAT kind of headache. That ride for me was a matter of survival, did not feel too great at all and was glad to get back to the Chalet. Our run was 1.7km slight downhill turnaround run back up hill to chalet twice through.
Thankfully my headache disappeared and despite a quick loo stop ( weird French public toilets - when you go in and shut the door, the loo flushes ??!!) I managed to dig it in and run at reasonable click all things considered prior and knowing that at ;east once finished that would training done for the day. A short day of only ~ 4 hrs . Wowsers!
After another tasty feast out in the sun, a few of us herded ourselves into the van and went into the town of Grand Bornand - its a beautiful spot, quite Swiss looking. Not much is open in France between 12 and 3pm as its siesta time. I think thats an AWESOME concept. Z and I headed straight for the Craft sale shop and bought some nicely discounted gear ( her more than me...!) then we found the others who pointed us in the direction of the ice cream shop; I felt I had already had way more dairy than I should be eating ( I am basically dairy free apart from a wee bit of cream in my coffee but have not had the will power to say NO to the amazing local cheeses on offer in France....) and didnt feel like an ice cream so opted for a coffee and bought 3 chocolate cows instead. For gifts of course, although there were only 2 left by the time we got back in the van :-)
Afternoon tea was served at 5pm. home made brioche and fruit breads with some chocolate and blended berry smoothies. I really should have downloaded Myfitnesspal before this camp as Id be interested to see what my daily calorie consumption would be. Better put the reins on the Nom noms next week when back to self catering :-)
Monday, July 4, 2016
Day 7- 3 more cols, tasty pastry + more fabulous surrounds
The day started off early for us 3 girls with a chilly descent from our chalet in St Foy to Bourg St Maurice - highly amused at the 3 French lads lying passed out on the grass verge after what had obviously been a great night out!
Once through Bourg, we started the climb of the Cormet de Rosalind which is a lesser know climb, ~ 14-15km long and around 2100m at the summit. It was bloody cold for the first 10 km as the hillsides were thick with pine trees and no sun but once out in the sun we were rewarded with more fabulous chocolate box views, jangling cow/goat bells and snow capped glacial peaks in the skyline.
The descent from the summit was FREEZING. Dam trees. Who needs 'em?!!!
After 22km of descending we ended up in a little town ( Beaufort? I think) where we found the patisserie ( best one yet!) and duly sat in the sun with coffee scoffing delectable delights. I finally succumbed to temptation and enjoyed an almond pastry thingy, filled with a custardy mixture and dusted in icing sugar. Then we set off to enjoy around 5 km of flat before hitting the next climb which was the Col?/climb to Les Saisies, a ski village and quite a busy ascent. Did I mention previously how jammed the Alps are with motorbikes? Some of whom think they own the road and the centre line is purely for artistic decoration.
Anyhow, this was another ~ 15 km climb ( I think, nicely switched back to break it up and my climbing legs had turned up ( more than likely the caffeine and the pastry :-)
This must be a climb on the TDF as there was Tour propaganda everywhere up top, big jerseys and finish lines. Must be awesome during an actual live stage!!
More pastries awaited at the top and other tasty morsels ( another point to mention that this is also Epic EATING camp!!) then time for another long descent, a very pleasant one in fact and once at the base time to hit the last climb of the day, the Col de Aravis which was also ~14 km ish ? Again, nicely switched backed but a bugger to have a one way road works ~1km from the summit where the light was RED for us. Grrrrr!
Once at the top another nice descent ( and not so chilly as the day had warmed up very nicely) down into St jean de Sixt and through the valley to le Grand Bornand, beautiful Swiss like little town. We are in the Savoie region of the Alps. The chalet we are staying in here is another 5 star affair ~ 7km up the valley from Le Grand Bornand, owned by Piet( a former Epic camper himself) and his wife. Its amazing here!!!
A fine spread of salad, veggies, meat and wraps awaited then decided to get the 7km run out of the way and run the net downhill to the pool although my stomach was not so happy after 6h 20 on the bike and large feast trio but I got er done and decided it was great last-10km-of-an-ironman -training. John had booked 2 lanes for us at the outdoor 25m pool ( packed!!) so I managed 45 minutes of some loosely termed swimming, lots of back stroke to stretch out the tight pecs and nagging upper back from all those long climbs. The swimming is great recovery I must say even altho it is with utmost reluctance that I step in the pool :-)
We were shuttled back by the super support crew, showered then an amazing home cooked al fresco dinner with local wines and way too much food consumed by us all. I'll bet the skiers and families who come here to cross country ski in winter do not eat anything close to what we are munching through :-) Oh well, all part of the fun.
Tomorrow is an "easier " day involving a triathlon "race".
Just checked TP - biggest training week ever of 45 hours. Thats a LOT of saddle time.
Once through Bourg, we started the climb of the Cormet de Rosalind which is a lesser know climb, ~ 14-15km long and around 2100m at the summit. It was bloody cold for the first 10 km as the hillsides were thick with pine trees and no sun but once out in the sun we were rewarded with more fabulous chocolate box views, jangling cow/goat bells and snow capped glacial peaks in the skyline.
The descent from the summit was FREEZING. Dam trees. Who needs 'em?!!!
After 22km of descending we ended up in a little town ( Beaufort? I think) where we found the patisserie ( best one yet!) and duly sat in the sun with coffee scoffing delectable delights. I finally succumbed to temptation and enjoyed an almond pastry thingy, filled with a custardy mixture and dusted in icing sugar. Then we set off to enjoy around 5 km of flat before hitting the next climb which was the Col?/climb to Les Saisies, a ski village and quite a busy ascent. Did I mention previously how jammed the Alps are with motorbikes? Some of whom think they own the road and the centre line is purely for artistic decoration.
Anyhow, this was another ~ 15 km climb ( I think, nicely switched back to break it up and my climbing legs had turned up ( more than likely the caffeine and the pastry :-)
This must be a climb on the TDF as there was Tour propaganda everywhere up top, big jerseys and finish lines. Must be awesome during an actual live stage!!
More pastries awaited at the top and other tasty morsels ( another point to mention that this is also Epic EATING camp!!) then time for another long descent, a very pleasant one in fact and once at the base time to hit the last climb of the day, the Col de Aravis which was also ~14 km ish ? Again, nicely switched backed but a bugger to have a one way road works ~1km from the summit where the light was RED for us. Grrrrr!
Once at the top another nice descent ( and not so chilly as the day had warmed up very nicely) down into St jean de Sixt and through the valley to le Grand Bornand, beautiful Swiss like little town. We are in the Savoie region of the Alps. The chalet we are staying in here is another 5 star affair ~ 7km up the valley from Le Grand Bornand, owned by Piet( a former Epic camper himself) and his wife. Its amazing here!!!
A fine spread of salad, veggies, meat and wraps awaited then decided to get the 7km run out of the way and run the net downhill to the pool although my stomach was not so happy after 6h 20 on the bike and large feast trio but I got er done and decided it was great last-10km-of-an-ironman -training. John had booked 2 lanes for us at the outdoor 25m pool ( packed!!) so I managed 45 minutes of some loosely termed swimming, lots of back stroke to stretch out the tight pecs and nagging upper back from all those long climbs. The swimming is great recovery I must say even altho it is with utmost reluctance that I step in the pool :-)
We were shuttled back by the super support crew, showered then an amazing home cooked al fresco dinner with local wines and way too much food consumed by us all. I'll bet the skiers and families who come here to cross country ski in winter do not eat anything close to what we are munching through :-) Oh well, all part of the fun.
Tomorrow is an "easier " day involving a triathlon "race".
Just checked TP - biggest training week ever of 45 hours. Thats a LOT of saddle time.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Day 6- rest day, wahoo!! Swim and run and general slouchiness:-)
The set plan was to run 15km at 6.30am but camp minimum for the day was a 1 hour run. Di ( roomie) and I opted not to set the alarm as she had developed the same lurgy I had had earlier in the week.
I didnt wake til 8am, almost a full 10 hours sleep which I felt was highly necessary.
Breakfast was served at 8.30 so the usual mound of food was consumed, still managed to avoid a pain au chocolat but opted to smother a banana in Nutella instead ( the French LOVE their Nutella!)
We took the van down to the pool rather than bike down; no way did I want to sit on a saddle today and thought prudent to stay off and be able to enjoy the forthcoming days.
WE swam for an hour in the outdoor pool, no lane ropes so again it was a bit of a mish-mash but it felt good on the body to be in the water, despite feeling like a dying walrus :-)
Once back at the chalet it was a pleasant lazy afternoon of laundry, massage, a wonderful lunch with lots f raw veggies and then organising of gear and I made it out for an hours run before dinner. Well, it was rather a run/walk as the trail headed uphill behind the chalet at reasonable gradient but it was good to get the fresh air and keep moving.
Tomorrow is another day with reasonable ascent, ending in a place called Grand Bornand which is close to Annecy. Another spot for 2 nights which makes a huge difference.
I didnt wake til 8am, almost a full 10 hours sleep which I felt was highly necessary.
Breakfast was served at 8.30 so the usual mound of food was consumed, still managed to avoid a pain au chocolat but opted to smother a banana in Nutella instead ( the French LOVE their Nutella!)
We took the van down to the pool rather than bike down; no way did I want to sit on a saddle today and thought prudent to stay off and be able to enjoy the forthcoming days.
WE swam for an hour in the outdoor pool, no lane ropes so again it was a bit of a mish-mash but it felt good on the body to be in the water, despite feeling like a dying walrus :-)
Once back at the chalet it was a pleasant lazy afternoon of laundry, massage, a wonderful lunch with lots f raw veggies and then organising of gear and I made it out for an hours run before dinner. Well, it was rather a run/walk as the trail headed uphill behind the chalet at reasonable gradient but it was good to get the fresh air and keep moving.
Tomorrow is another day with reasonable ascent, ending in a place called Grand Bornand which is close to Annecy. Another spot for 2 nights which makes a huge difference.
Day 5 - truly Epic day; 4 cols, lots of ascent + some Marmot spotting.
Just realised I haven't posted any stats with the previous posts ( for anyone interested) - on ride times and total ascents, TSS etc etc. I think I'll document all that in an epilogue post - easily bypassed for the non number geeks out there.
Soooooo, today started with trepidation of the mammoth ride ahead. Grupetto # 1 ( Di, Zarnia + myself) left early ~ 7.30 ish from La Grave to head back up the Lautouret.It was a stunning morning, not a cloud in the sky but quite chilly ( given we started at 1500m). We took it very slow to let brekky digest then 10km later hit the start if the Col de Galiber which climbs to 2800m; evident by the snow banked up on the roadside :-)
This was not too bad a climb, switchbacks to break up the gradient and a detour avoiding a tunnel ( thank god!! ) before the last km.
Quick refill and extra clothes on then down the long windy descent. Brrrr. A stop to disrobe then start the shorter climb up the Col de Telegraphe which was busy, full of motorbikes and other cyclists and we stopped for a coffee at the top. Looks like the TDF weill be passing through here as there was a large straw man on a bike perched at the top with some TDF signs.
A quick fix of my squeaking brakes from Ian ( super support crew) and then back down, did not enjoy this descent much as i couldnt seem to focus or concentrate and the road was bumpy in bits but made it down in one piece, the 3 of us regrouped and headed along through Madone and a few other villages in a big valley which was baking HOT and felt like a slog, especially the climb up the Col de Madeleine. We stopped to buy a cold drink in the only place open in one of the villages ( as it was siesta time!) and eventually after what felt like an eternity, we reached the base of the Col d 'Iseran which was ~ 18km of climbing.
Pretty tough after all the riding we had done prior ( 110km in 2200 ascent already). Beautiful scenery and plenty of switchbacks, with the air cooling off every 1km.
It was a random miss mash of mental strategies helping me get up here - spotted 5 marmots on the ascent and decided that they would be y spirit animal for this trip, given how I felt earlier in the week it was easy to identify with a short round furry creature darting around the Haute Alpes ;-)
One of the km markers said the next km was average 10 %. Jeeeeezus. Just pretended that i was halfway up Mt Pleasant road, only 3 km to go etc etc.
Made it to the top, flanked by snow banks and ski lifts then it was a 17km ascent down to Val d'sere which fortunately was in the sun and the time passed by looking at the signs for all the ski runs. It was pretty fresh down in the valley however so Di and i stopped to get a hot drink then a few of the others caught us and we set off for St. Foy-Tarentaise which was was ~20 km away. A few hairy moments through tunnels; one with a one way due to roadworks which did not accommodate for cycling speed saw life flash before our eyes ...but then, as if by magic, Ian appeared with the van and rescued us to take us the last 15 km home ( and thank god - meaty up hill for over 5km to the chalet ).
We arrived in weary and dirty ( well, I was anyway - covered in chain grease) after 7pm. Ride time for me that day was 8h 50 mins. 3700m ascent. By far the most EPIC day of riding ever.
"Rest" day the next day, YAY. I really need to get some laundry done!!
Soooooo, today started with trepidation of the mammoth ride ahead. Grupetto # 1 ( Di, Zarnia + myself) left early ~ 7.30 ish from La Grave to head back up the Lautouret.It was a stunning morning, not a cloud in the sky but quite chilly ( given we started at 1500m). We took it very slow to let brekky digest then 10km later hit the start if the Col de Galiber which climbs to 2800m; evident by the snow banked up on the roadside :-)
This was not too bad a climb, switchbacks to break up the gradient and a detour avoiding a tunnel ( thank god!! ) before the last km.
Quick refill and extra clothes on then down the long windy descent. Brrrr. A stop to disrobe then start the shorter climb up the Col de Telegraphe which was busy, full of motorbikes and other cyclists and we stopped for a coffee at the top. Looks like the TDF weill be passing through here as there was a large straw man on a bike perched at the top with some TDF signs.
A quick fix of my squeaking brakes from Ian ( super support crew) and then back down, did not enjoy this descent much as i couldnt seem to focus or concentrate and the road was bumpy in bits but made it down in one piece, the 3 of us regrouped and headed along through Madone and a few other villages in a big valley which was baking HOT and felt like a slog, especially the climb up the Col de Madeleine. We stopped to buy a cold drink in the only place open in one of the villages ( as it was siesta time!) and eventually after what felt like an eternity, we reached the base of the Col d 'Iseran which was ~ 18km of climbing.
Pretty tough after all the riding we had done prior ( 110km in 2200 ascent already). Beautiful scenery and plenty of switchbacks, with the air cooling off every 1km.
It was a random miss mash of mental strategies helping me get up here - spotted 5 marmots on the ascent and decided that they would be y spirit animal for this trip, given how I felt earlier in the week it was easy to identify with a short round furry creature darting around the Haute Alpes ;-)
One of the km markers said the next km was average 10 %. Jeeeeezus. Just pretended that i was halfway up Mt Pleasant road, only 3 km to go etc etc.
Made it to the top, flanked by snow banks and ski lifts then it was a 17km ascent down to Val d'sere which fortunately was in the sun and the time passed by looking at the signs for all the ski runs. It was pretty fresh down in the valley however so Di and i stopped to get a hot drink then a few of the others caught us and we set off for St. Foy-Tarentaise which was was ~20 km away. A few hairy moments through tunnels; one with a one way due to roadworks which did not accommodate for cycling speed saw life flash before our eyes ...but then, as if by magic, Ian appeared with the van and rescued us to take us the last 15 km home ( and thank god - meaty up hill for over 5km to the chalet ).
We arrived in weary and dirty ( well, I was anyway - covered in chain grease) after 7pm. Ride time for me that day was 8h 50 mins. 3700m ascent. By far the most EPIC day of riding ever.
"Rest" day the next day, YAY. I really need to get some laundry done!!
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Day 4- Alp d Huez day. Bike-swim-run-bike.
Oooooh la la, peanut butter on the breakfast table this morning. I just knew it was going to be a good day :-)
We set off on the descent to Bourg d'Oisans from our hotel; the road got wiped by a landslide in one place so we had a scenic detour for part of it. The road wound along by a lake, then perhaps a river (?) engulfed by the mountains either side with snow resident in the higher valleys. 30km of net descent later we were at the base of the ADH, this was a timed 'stage" so we set off as a group and up we went, 14km and 21 switch backs to reach the official TDF finish line.
Its not a bad climb at all actually, I would say easier than the izoard and def easier than Ventoux. We did get hammered with rain at one point but eventually rode out of it and arrived in the town which was a lot bigger than I had imagined it would be.
We had the pool booked, an outdoor 25 m for a timed 1500m swim; we were flouting a few rules apparently ( swim wear, gear on the "beach". foot wear etc etc) so once ensured that we were all toeing the line we got started. I must say swimming at 1900m presents an extra challenge over and above the usual floundering :-)
After swim it was then time for a 2 lap 10 km run, following the course for the ADH triathlon ( why the HELL have I signed up for that ??!!!!! Oh, ignorance is bliss :-)
It was rather a struggle to start with ; slight up hill on a trail then turnaround by Oli ( support crew) then a slight down and an uphill again. I tried in vain to hold off the Holy Hammer on the 2nd lap after squeezing past him at the start of the first but alas, he was able to get away from me with a slight descent :-)
We sat had a lunch at a nearby cafe/bar then it was time to saddle up and head down again. Di and I chose to go back down the way we came up but it was pretty horrendous, cars, bikes, people everywhere. Chaos.
Once at the base we rejoined Z who had ( sensibly) descended in the van then the 3 of us headed off back on the 30km ascent back to La Grave. I have to admit I'd been dreading it but Philinator had assured us earlier it was only ~ 3% so it would be pretty easy. Aside from another soaking in a brief thunder storm which forced us to take a quick shelter under a roof in a village for few minutes it was relatively uneventful and we made it home in good time to get organised, showered, dressed, packed and ready for the next day. Then it was wine O clock.
We set off on the descent to Bourg d'Oisans from our hotel; the road got wiped by a landslide in one place so we had a scenic detour for part of it. The road wound along by a lake, then perhaps a river (?) engulfed by the mountains either side with snow resident in the higher valleys. 30km of net descent later we were at the base of the ADH, this was a timed 'stage" so we set off as a group and up we went, 14km and 21 switch backs to reach the official TDF finish line.
Its not a bad climb at all actually, I would say easier than the izoard and def easier than Ventoux. We did get hammered with rain at one point but eventually rode out of it and arrived in the town which was a lot bigger than I had imagined it would be.
We had the pool booked, an outdoor 25 m for a timed 1500m swim; we were flouting a few rules apparently ( swim wear, gear on the "beach". foot wear etc etc) so once ensured that we were all toeing the line we got started. I must say swimming at 1900m presents an extra challenge over and above the usual floundering :-)
After swim it was then time for a 2 lap 10 km run, following the course for the ADH triathlon ( why the HELL have I signed up for that ??!!!!! Oh, ignorance is bliss :-)
It was rather a struggle to start with ; slight up hill on a trail then turnaround by Oli ( support crew) then a slight down and an uphill again. I tried in vain to hold off the Holy Hammer on the 2nd lap after squeezing past him at the start of the first but alas, he was able to get away from me with a slight descent :-)
We sat had a lunch at a nearby cafe/bar then it was time to saddle up and head down again. Di and I chose to go back down the way we came up but it was pretty horrendous, cars, bikes, people everywhere. Chaos.
Once at the base we rejoined Z who had ( sensibly) descended in the van then the 3 of us headed off back on the 30km ascent back to La Grave. I have to admit I'd been dreading it but Philinator had assured us earlier it was only ~ 3% so it would be pretty easy. Aside from another soaking in a brief thunder storm which forced us to take a quick shelter under a roof in a village for few minutes it was relatively uneventful and we made it home in good time to get organised, showered, dressed, packed and ready for the next day. Then it was wine O clock.
Day 3 Embrun to La Grave + hacking coughs :-), cols with lovely views+cowbells.
Had another good sleep but woke up rather chesty with a hacking cough, sounding like an ex smoker with emphysema and felt like one too.
We started off with a trip down to the lake and an easy run round the track to be shown the course for the aqua than. I could barely breathe, still coughing and very chesty. Oh the dilemma of applying common sense ( which in hindsight should have been applied on day 2 given the woeful riding - its a SIGN Christine you dumb blonde :-) or HTFU and embracing the JFT mantra of Epic camp.
After some deliberation and tears I decided an aqua than was probably not a good idea so chose to sit out and watch, what a glorious morning and a glorious swimming location. Think Wanaka on steroids but quite bit more balmy :-)
After everyone was done and we were shuttled back, breakfasted and organised ( poor support crew- we must try their patience immensely; its like herding cats trying to get a bunch of triathletes rolling out and doing as instructed!) I was dropped off ~ 34 km up the valley so that I could ride at my own pace and take it easy.
I set off in the sun after a quick pit stop then 6 km later started the 14km ascent of the Izoard, coughing and spluttering and gasping for air - its about an 8 % average climb and tougher than I had anticipated but the scenery was ( literally) breathtaking and I am sure the crisp mountain air worked wonders on my lungs. The faint clanging of cowbells reminded me of (the badly dubbed from German) Tv programme "Heidi" that I used to watch in my younger days and also that hey. I was in the French Alps. Fucking brilliant, who cares how my legs and lungs feel??!!!
Made it to the top, took a photo and rugged up for the long descent to Brandon, disrobed in Brandon ( hot!!) then a long gradual trundle up the valley towards the Col de lautouret with a quick stop at a servo for an ice cold coke zero ( heaven!!) then a further trundle to eventually reach the summit of the Lautouret ( it climbs at ~3% for AGES!!!). Then a 10km descent down to La Grave with 3 tunnels. I had no lights and was solo so shit scared would be a euphemistic way of putting it. However, the motorists are all pretty courteous to cyclists here - a treat in comparison to the small minded attitudes of many on our roads on NZ, I am ashamed to say.
Our repose for the next 2 nights was in La Grave at great little auberge called the Edelweiss ( how apt!!). Dinner was a tasty 3 course affair and of course the red wine in accompaniment was excellent also. Did I mention how cheap the wine is here and very good. The reds anyway; I had been rather scared since I love my Central Otago pinot noir but no, not had a bad one here in France yet :-)
We started off with a trip down to the lake and an easy run round the track to be shown the course for the aqua than. I could barely breathe, still coughing and very chesty. Oh the dilemma of applying common sense ( which in hindsight should have been applied on day 2 given the woeful riding - its a SIGN Christine you dumb blonde :-) or HTFU and embracing the JFT mantra of Epic camp.
After some deliberation and tears I decided an aqua than was probably not a good idea so chose to sit out and watch, what a glorious morning and a glorious swimming location. Think Wanaka on steroids but quite bit more balmy :-)
After everyone was done and we were shuttled back, breakfasted and organised ( poor support crew- we must try their patience immensely; its like herding cats trying to get a bunch of triathletes rolling out and doing as instructed!) I was dropped off ~ 34 km up the valley so that I could ride at my own pace and take it easy.
I set off in the sun after a quick pit stop then 6 km later started the 14km ascent of the Izoard, coughing and spluttering and gasping for air - its about an 8 % average climb and tougher than I had anticipated but the scenery was ( literally) breathtaking and I am sure the crisp mountain air worked wonders on my lungs. The faint clanging of cowbells reminded me of (the badly dubbed from German) Tv programme "Heidi" that I used to watch in my younger days and also that hey. I was in the French Alps. Fucking brilliant, who cares how my legs and lungs feel??!!!
Made it to the top, took a photo and rugged up for the long descent to Brandon, disrobed in Brandon ( hot!!) then a long gradual trundle up the valley towards the Col de lautouret with a quick stop at a servo for an ice cold coke zero ( heaven!!) then a further trundle to eventually reach the summit of the Lautouret ( it climbs at ~3% for AGES!!!). Then a 10km descent down to La Grave with 3 tunnels. I had no lights and was solo so shit scared would be a euphemistic way of putting it. However, the motorists are all pretty courteous to cyclists here - a treat in comparison to the small minded attitudes of many on our roads on NZ, I am ashamed to say.
Our repose for the next 2 nights was in La Grave at great little auberge called the Edelweiss ( how apt!!). Dinner was a tasty 3 course affair and of course the red wine in accompaniment was excellent also. Did I mention how cheap the wine is here and very good. The reds anyway; I had been rather scared since I love my Central Otago pinot noir but no, not had a bad one here in France yet :-)
Epic France day 2- Vaison to Embrun, the day of little power ;-)
After a pleasant sleep in my large bed , it was a 5.45am wake up ( sleep in!! Yay ) for an easy 30 minute run at 6 am round Vaison, then as usual a mad scramble to ensure bags all organised to be distributed amongst support crews and bike gear for the day all ready.
Breakfast was very tasty here, fresh cherries and good coffee. Once again I managed to exert some self control and say NO to the pain au chocolat.
Our ride for the day was quite a long one but nothing with the gradient of Monday - I have to say that as soon as I sat on my saddle, I knew I was in for a painful; day. I felt a bit better in terms of cough and the chest so hoped I was getting on top of things but the whole ride ( all 7 h 20 of it) was a laborious exercise. I just couldnt put out ANY power and I mean ANY. My average power for a ride of 170km, even with 1700m of total ascent was only 98 watts and my NP was ~ 110 if lucky. Pathetic. I was very grateful to Di and Zarnia for waiting for me at each aid point, must have been a painful day for them having a snail for company :-)
We made it to Embrue, circumnavigated the town and still no joy of finding the hotel; Garmins going haywire beeping in confusion so luckily we found an old man who headed us in the right direction and we made it. That was a long day :-)
We were bussed down to the lake for a swim shortly after, I couldn't get my wetsuit on my clammy skin for love nor money so opted to go non wettie and it was lovely and warm so I managed 21 mins.
Dinner was at the hotel... oh gosh I am so craving masses of fresh vegetables :-)
Breakfast was very tasty here, fresh cherries and good coffee. Once again I managed to exert some self control and say NO to the pain au chocolat.
Our ride for the day was quite a long one but nothing with the gradient of Monday - I have to say that as soon as I sat on my saddle, I knew I was in for a painful; day. I felt a bit better in terms of cough and the chest so hoped I was getting on top of things but the whole ride ( all 7 h 20 of it) was a laborious exercise. I just couldnt put out ANY power and I mean ANY. My average power for a ride of 170km, even with 1700m of total ascent was only 98 watts and my NP was ~ 110 if lucky. Pathetic. I was very grateful to Di and Zarnia for waiting for me at each aid point, must have been a painful day for them having a snail for company :-)
We made it to Embrue, circumnavigated the town and still no joy of finding the hotel; Garmins going haywire beeping in confusion so luckily we found an old man who headed us in the right direction and we made it. That was a long day :-)
We were bussed down to the lake for a swim shortly after, I couldn't get my wetsuit on my clammy skin for love nor money so opted to go non wettie and it was lovely and warm so I managed 21 mins.
Dinner was at the hotel... oh gosh I am so craving masses of fresh vegetables :-)
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