Training Log Archive: phatty

Early AM yoga session before another day of making sick kicks for SS17.

Took it up a notch. I'm pretty sure I'm good to go for a triathlon after two swims in two days.

I'm fairly confident that my first swim in a long time was of Harps swimplan quality.

C • My colleagues from China 2

When in China, play badminton! This was intense and bloody hot. I was invited to play for 2 hours with 3 Chinese guys, all who play badminton each week. I play once per year.

It took me a game to warm up but I hit a decent enough groove. It was 30C+ in the arena and I sweat big time. So much so that they had to get a squeegee kid to come and mop up the court as we were all slipping around too much in the puddles I created. It seems as though the Chinese guys don't sweat so much. As for me, I could hardly grip my raquette and my clothes were as wet as they would be if they were dunked in the river (although one doesn't want to go into the river that runs through Dongguan). Nearing the end, they suggested that I take my shirt off so as not to sweat so much on the floor. Maybe they just wanted to make fun of my manjugs bouncing around the court...

By way of some miracle, I won more games than I lost! I've got to give Goose a run for his money some day.

C • You Paint... 2

Last day toute seul so of course I headed out for what was supposed to be an epic. I had a bit of a route fail but on the upside, I discovered a really cool and hidden away valley in des Bauges. I'll bring Wee back to play in the little river's rapids and waterfalls.

Another post-work ride before dark in perfect temperatures. Up to Col de la Forclaz (man, that last 1 km at 11% is a killer!), back to Col de Bluffy, and return. Didn't quite have the same zip as yesterday evening. Probably wasted it on giving that dude a run for his $...

As I'm bach'ing it at the moment (the apartment is scary quiet!), I headed out for a post-work ride. After almost falling asleep before heading out, I was surprisingly good to go once I was rolling along. Once I hit Col de Bluffy, I realized I was slowly reeling a guy in who was in front and seemingly pedalling along with intensity. He pulled away on the downhill, of course, but then I whizzed by him on a flat. He didn't like that and I've learned that many French and Italian riders HATE being passed - even on a leisurely ride. So, I played along and tried to put the screws to him. We hit a slight grade climb and I huffed and puffed along at 35 kph but still heard him on my wheel. A couple of dodges through some traffic and he was dropped. My ego was nicely stroked...

C • Bach'ing it 7

Up and down the Parmelan with work colleagues first thing on a Monday AM - very cool way to start the day!

C • Indeed! 3

The big climb up to Col de Sauts and the technical run down afterward...you wouldn't have known that it was steamy hot out as the forest hid it nicely.

With Leanimal to Col de Leschaux and back. I took it easy on the descent as one of the last times I rode with Lee, she gave me sh!t for being too aggressive. However, this time she told me that she would have gone faster normally. It's hard to figure women out...

Yesterday must have pooched my climbing legs because I just didn't have it. Never the less, it was a good ride starting just below the top of the Semnoz and doing Col de Marais and Col de la Croix Frie. I have no idea why, but for the first time, my feet were incredibly sore. It got really bad at times...so bizarre.

Holy %^&, Wee is heavy. She made it about 200m up the Parmelan before she announced that she was too tired to walk. Great. Into the pack went her 20kg body. This was NOT as easy as last summer in Norway and my shirt was absolutely soaked with sweat upon reaching the top. She yelled at me to 'RUN' on the way back down...not a ^&&*'n chance kiddo, Daddy's getting old!

Morning tour of the Veyrier before the HEAT kicks in. Splashed down into our white trash pool upon my return...and it felt so good.

C • you keep dissing this pool 2

Sunny lunchtime ride around Mandalaz

So...hot...outside...

Crashed into our newly purchased white trash backyard kiddie pool upon reaching home, dripping in sweat...

C • I've heard.... 3

MB Race out of Combloux / Megeve - Ecuador wasn't kind to my bike last November and I didn't sign up for this race until I knew that the shop had managed to fix everything, just before the race. Other than technical riding skill, which was lacking for sure at times, road bike prep seems to go a long way.

This was a truly well organized race. There is one big, non-repeating, 140k loop. However, there are cut-offs along the way; at 70k and at 100k. I never once was too concerned that I went the wrong way as the signage was clear and there were volunteers everywhere. 50% of the town population must have been out to volunteer! When this race first began ~5 years ago, only 1 guy managed to finish the full course. This year, 137 did - including 4 women after having only 1 full course female finisher to date.

My goal was to do the 70k. However, I knew that I would be close to the 100k cut-off and my pride would undoubted take over and force me to ride onward. And, that's exactly what happened. I came into the 70k mark with an hour to spare...sh!t, I had no choice but to continue.

Without getting into a boring blow by blow account of the course, the short story is that is was tough. Some of the climbs seem unrelenting. You could see where you were headed (eg. a super tall ridge line) and you just had to spin your way along to get it done. Even though the start was at 6h00, it was hot from the beginning to the end. I drank 12L of water, had 4 Endurolite pills, stopped to dowse myself in water several times, and ate a LOT of cheese and meat sticks. The idea of eating anything sugary, outside of Coke (of course!), was a non-starter - salt, liquid, or fat was all I seemed to crave.

As for the technicality of the course, you really had to be on your game. Some of the descents were just gnarly. I had my seat dug into my gut to get as low as I could on many occasions, wishing I had one of those auto seat post set ups. You also had to have a very good bike. Anything entry level would have been shaken and rattled to bits. I was quite happy that my old bike held up admirably.

After moving onward at the 70k mark, I knew that 100k would be the terminus to my day, irrespective of what time I got there. Getting to the 82k feed station was a mental battle as my legs didn't have much to give anymore in the heat of the day. But like every race one does, as long as you keep moving, you'll get there eventually. There was definitely walking up the LONG grind after that point.

I ended up making it to the end of the 100k just over an hour before the cut-off to keep going for the 140k, but I was done for the day and happy with the effort. Again, the event was very well organized and I would recommend it to any MTB aficionado.

C • Wow... what a ride! 11