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 :-)
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
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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