Marmotte 2010

Good week for training, didnt get anything done on saturday but everything else went as planned.

Did 215km on Sunday at the Mick Byrne, good tough course and is easily the strongest day i've had on the bike in a long time, if not ever. My pace is similar to before, but a lot less effort required climbing and increased endurance and strength. Was with empty from boards for most of the ride, until i got dropped at glenmacnass on way home, the last 35km were tough but i'd previously only gone 130km as longest spin year to date so not worried about that too much.

Dropped another 4lbs which makes a huge difference on the hills, if i get another 7lb off before Marmotte I'll feel ready.

This week i'm resting up a little, especially after sunday and i've a spin planned for next sunday to cover djouce - lugala - slieve mann x2 - SE x 2 - Wicklow gap x 2 - glenmacnass - home.
Probably do a day in the gym and a swim one morning this week to keep me ticking over til sunday.

Training and especially the diet is starting to show dividends which is a relief and particularly satisfying when I can see and feel the rewards.

ROK ON wrote: »

On our longest day we spent 130km covering almost 3000km of climbing. It was tough but very very doable.

Savage climbing, 3 million metres of climbing. Nope, not for me.

Not long to go, last 2 weeks were up and down. Have a good days training followed by a night out for a 3 course meal, one cancelling out the other.

Yesterday did: Cruagh, Sally Gap, Laragh, 2 x Shay Elliott, 2 x Slieve Mann, Glenmacnass, Home.

Bonked on Glenmacnass, dehydrated and didnt fuel enough, was a torturous long drag home. The 120km yesterday was tougher than the 215km Mick Byrne because I bonked, such a difference proper eating plans make. Was my own fault for skipping the stop at laragh shop on way back, trying to save a few mins to get home for the match, another lesson learned (although I kind of had a feeling I'd regret it as I cycled past the shop at Laragh).

My last 6hr plus ride will be next weekend, where i'll do same as yesterday plus wicklow GAP X 2 OR 10 x Cruagh. After that it will be short one hour spins up stocking lane/cruagh/ kilakee and practice descending too. The 2 weeks before Marmotte will be mostly short session bike work or swimming and gym to taper down and let the Glycogen bulid up so I can slowly carb load the last week and be fresh as possible for it.

It will be more a mental battle staying of the bike the last week, tough rides the week before will only weaken the muscles instead of strengthening them for the event itself. I'll have a couple of short 1-2 hr spins during the week at a higher heart rate than normal to try an increase aerobic capacity.

16k tt last night - first time on the bike since the Burren tour last Saturday. That's the training finished now - flying out on Monday. Prix des Rouses on Wednesday and then a quick dash around the Marmotte on Saturday. Piece of p*ss I'd say...

I'll put up a report later of the trip, over next day or two when I get the time. Or else I might blog it and send the link. I dont normally but its no ordinary course. Have a few photos along the route also.

Mosiki wrote: »

My Marmotte......

Wonderful report, amazing effort.

I love this one...

Jesus well done and well written, the pain certainly comes across on that. The Croix de Fer is a different col from the Glandon, basically if you go straight on instead of turning for the Glandon it is another kilometer or so. So the climb we did is the climb to both the Glandon and Croix de Fer if that makes sense. The cols themselves are the passes at the top rather than the climbs.

Pacing and nutrition are essential for that ride. You really have to go slow at the start and keep something in reserve for later in the day. The heat is what it is, the only way to deal with that is do more cycling in higher temperatures and you do adapt to it. It still makes it tougher certainly but it becomes manageable.

On the food stops, I was near the front (7am start) and what you describe is I think pretty much what it is, bread and salami, we had brie cheese as well. On the one hand I think it is fine but the problem is it is difficult to get down quickly and they don't really have anything you can take with you. This year I carried all my food myself (7 bars) to minimise stopping and so I wouldn't have to rely on them.

Good luck in 2011!

Mosiki wrote: »

My Marmotte......

Eggie!!!!!! I didn't notice that you had change your nick, I thought we kinda lost you. Amazing report, well done man, well done.

It's probably crazy, but reading those lines (and all the other reports) I want to do it as well, feel the pain. If you need a training buddy for the 2011 Marmotte let me know, I 'll be doing it!

Fair play Mosiki, that was a pretty harrowing read but is one of the best accounts of capturing just how epic those climbs are that I've seen. When I was reading the Glandon bit I was sure you weren't gonna make it to Alpe D'Huez so fair play to you for having a shot at it when it would've been so much easier to not even try. Strange thing is, even after all that sufferring it still sounds like you enjoyed it! And in a bizarre way, I get that, it's kinda part of what cycling's all about.

The funny thing is that I think the pain affects the memory and it sounds like your recollection of the Galibier doesn't reflect just how hard it is. My memory is that it's 8% or so for the first bit coming out of the village and then after a few km there's a fairly flat bit but then it kicks up from there towards Plan Lachat. My hunch is people don't recognise how steep that section is as doesn't look steep but my vague recollection is there's plenty of 11% and 10% sections in the run-up to Plan Lachat. I remember it this way as I was told by locals beforehand that the climb only really starts 9km from the end (which I think is the actual distance from Plan Lachat to the summit, not 5 or 6km). Plan Lachat is at 2000m and Valloire is around 1400m, so you've ascended around 600m before you even 'begin' the climb.

I found Plan Lachat to be pyschologically the most difficult stretch of road I've ever done on the bike as you're cycling into the end of a U-shaped valley and you can see the angle of the road on the other side with a rare unobstructed side-on view - and that particular stretch (which I witnessed a truck fail to get up ahead of me) is 15-16% gradient and it just looks incredibly intimidating....and add in that I was already sufferring from what was allegedly the easy bit and it was the closest I came to getting off the bike.

But that bit all seems to have been a haze for you....you're probably better off!

One thing I'd ask - if you're going to do it again, does it have to be as part of the official event? I did it solo (girlfriend did support car) in September and though the extreme cold at the summits and on the descents (my Garmin battery froze when the mist came in on top of the Galibier), on balance I'd opt for that any day over descending with 9,000 lunatics and dealing with that intense heat and limited access to water and food.

Mosiki wrote: »

My Marmotte......

Great report - enthralling reading, fair dues to you ..

I have the utmost respect for anyone who even tries this let alone finish it.

I would love to give it a go and try as part of a group as you'd have people around to push you along in training for the race and for the race itself.

Maybe who know in 2012 i might give it a go. Would need some serious training and loose maybe 3 stone before i could tackle this. Not many hills let alone mountains in meath to train on so i might have to travel to find some.

honkjelly wrote: »

Think i might have been on a boards spin with you the first time you went up Shay Elliot. Just came across your report this morning. Great read and think your goals for next year are spot on. Hill Repeats!

Yeah, the super windy day!

Mosiki wrote: »

That time of year again, Marmotte 2011 - entered. Now the easy bit, drop 20lbs and speed up over hte next 6 months and try it all again.

Your experience of last year will definitely stand to you. Best of luck with it-we'll be looking forward to another report like the last one, this time with a happy ending.:D

For those who enjoy pain and cruelty (of the self inflicted type), can register via the website below I believe (my mate registers me so I have no experience first hand).

http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/index.php?langue=2