Training Log Archive: AliC

1ère Marathon du Grand Bec

Hm, not oodles of time to write at the moment (have to get ready to take the night train to Paris!), but the marathon today went well, if not amazingly. First lap was in the lead women's pack, which was 2 women with suits from the Haute Savoie Nordique team and 3-4 guys. Kept with the pack for the flat 7km of the 2nd lap, then pow! one girl just took off. Hm, ok, I can't quite go that speed.... so let her go.

Pack remained with the rest of us, then I thought they were going too slow up the hill, so I passed and was leading. Then we crested, and turns out my skis did not run well in the now-melting snow. Boo. So couldn't keep up on the downs/flats with the other girl and 2 guys who went with her.

Turns out first woman is currently on the French team, Aurelie or Emilie Simion? And the second was last year, Emilie Vina, but this year is doing the marathon circuit. I think I could have gotten Emilie, except for the past week's illness (hopefully won't come back from this...) and my skis not having nearly enough structure. And probably FC10 instead of 8 would have been good too....

Still fun, enjoyed it, and won 100 euro, woo!

C • Wow! 5

Woo, and back in France! Arrived to Lyon last night, and got to go to bed well before 6am, awesome. But woke up and head is all blocked up, still ill, boo.

Anyways, we drove along with the rest of France (vacances scolaires maintenant) from Lyon to La Féclaz. After settling into the chalet here, went for a ski with Frederic, starting from the finish stadium of WOC. Cool to be back and see it in snow!

I took it really easy since I had a bit of a headache and nose was all stuffy, but it was a super gorgeous day, could have been T-shirt skiing! We did the red loop from the stadium <> and then joined up and did the red loop from Crolles <> . I didn't recognize too much from orienteering, although at one point there was a really giant pit in the ground, must be one of the big ones on one of the maps!

Back out with Severine around la boucle bleu, helping her with technique. Her V1 looks way better than in the past, but she doesn't have the other techniques at all. Then scampered back and took some pictures, these mountains are so amazing!

Booooring, but the legs got their workout in. Was thinking of some intervals, but throat infection is still sticking in there, so decided best not to push it. Last night of observing for me tonight, should end up back in French ski land at the end of tomorrow!

C • Throat infection 3

Weird, couldn't sleep in the morning despite staying up all night, finally fell asleep ~7, up at 1045. Did some abs before first meal.

Feeling a bit better, so exercise bike times. Really the only option up here for the winter. Well, with studded shoes/mountain boots I could probably make it up to the Pico Veleta, but I'm not sure they'd let me, bah.

Anyways, just 15 min warm up and down with 10 x 1 min on, 1 min off. Turned the resistance all the way up for the 'on', it's a pretty wimpy bike... ah well!

C • With all that snow 8

3 x 25 pushups
3 x 15,15 hammies

And while brushing my hair afterwards, saw this guy out the window, cool!

And made it to the mountain! Now on the shoulder of Pico Veleta at the 30m telescope, gorgeous sunny day. Getting here is much different in the winter than in the summer, you still drive up from Granada, but then park at the ski center parking lot. Next you hop on the gondola for most of the way up the mountain, and then the final stage: SnowCat! Very cool, haven't ever been in one of those before! This one had an added-on 10 passenger cabin and some of the ascents were quite steep, attempted to not awkwardly smush into the guy downhill from me.

I'm observing here as part of the pool, which means that everyone puts their projects in, and then those best matching the current weather conditions (the higher frequency ~0.8mm projects require much less water vapour in the atmosphere to be feasible than those down at 3mm) and the visibility of the objects are actually observed. Generally, it uses the telescope much more effectively and everybody is happy. Although, someone will always be unhappy, because any given winter the weather will be more suited to some set of projects than others. In any case, today, as a reward for actually coming up here, I get to observe part of my own program, so pretty psyched about that, here we go HNC in early-type galaxies! (My objects are all observable overnight though, so means I'm stuck with the 22h-6h shift... ah well.)

And yep, illness made last night pretty unfun. Calling in anti-biotical reinforcements...

C • Poor O must feel left out :( 2

Hmm, good recipe for being sick: sleep on a plane, then stay with a family with 2 babies and 2 parents that are all sick, have jetlagged nights, woken-up-by-babies mornings, then do a ski marathon....

So, currently sick and in Spain, about to head up to the telescope tomorrow morning. Hopefully won't need antibiotics, but the Bournaud's all had to, so hm. Will decide tomorrow. Luckily now have some with.

C • I hope you feel better. Em... 8