TransAlpine Run

figs

Been following this for the last few weeks, and think I've found myself a long term goal! It's an eight day 300km adventure race accross the Alps.

http://www.transalpine-run.com/alps_cross_start.htm

Just wondering if anyone here has any experience of this? Might be up the street of some of you Ultra or IMRA guys.

The race itself is almost 8 successive marathons, which usually includes in excess of 1,500m ascent and descent on a daily basis. The scenery is amazing. The photos and video clips equally so.


I'm really intrigued, and wondering what kind of level of training would be necessary to complete it?

Would running in the mountains in Ireland prepare me to do this? I've some alpine experience from hiking in 3,000m+ ranges, but never attempted running in them... looks fun though!

<Mods - please move if should be in Events forum>

SureWhyNot!

There should be a sample training programme on the website for the Trans-Alps. They will probably put it up once this years event is over. The route though alternates between east and west routes, so next year will be eastern (original & shorter) route towards Switzerland. We have completed the western route, with the final day through the Dolomites being the highlight.

We have found that the Mournes are the best in terms of training for the steep ground. The Maumturks and Bens offer good routes too. While the Wicklow Way offers a great route for building distance. Slieve Bloom Way & the Tain Way are also close enough to Dublin.

Hardest part is finding a partner in crime and getting both of you to the start line each morning.

jb-ski

figs wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone here has any experience of this? Might be up the street of some of you Ultra or IMRA guys.


I'm really intrigued, and wondering what kind of level of training would be necessary to complete it?

this looks like a fantastic event,
way out of my league at the moment but it's definitely an event that would tempt me to sign up (some time).

Anyone here done this before?

(mrs. jb wasn't to enamoured with the idea when i very enthusiastically showed her OP's post , because of training time involved)

another bonus is you can pop over to Munich for the Oktoberfest directly afterwards, just in case the body isn't totally wrecked already!

deise muay thai

Would running in the mountains in Ireland prepare me to do this?

I'd compare the two like this: Ireland = Hell. Swiss alps = Heaven. Train loads in the irish mountains and when you get to the alps you'll have a smile on your face from start to finish (everyday). This isn't saying its easy but its much easier terrain to deal with. You'll also be getting away from the Irish weather too.

figs

jb-ski wrote: »

this looks like a fantastic event,
way out of my league at the moment but it's definitely an event that would tempt me to sign up (some time).

Yup, many leagues beyond my current fitness / experience at the moment. As I said a long term goal... am planning on making an attempt for 2013 race.

jb-ski wrote: »

(mrs. jb wasn't to enamoured with the idea when i very enthusiastically showed her OP's post , because of training time involved)

Mrs figs's reaction was "you must be f&^%ing joking". I've a feeling the training might be the easiest bit of this!

jb-ski wrote: »

another bonus is you can pop over to Munich for the Oktoberfest directly afterwards, just in case the body isn't totally wrecked already!

Mrs figs had a very similar reaction to this suggestion!

figs

SureWhyNot! wrote: »

There should be a sample training programme on the website for the Trans-Alps. They will probably put it up once this years event is over. The route though alternates between east and west routes, so next year will be eastern (original & shorter) route towards Switzerland. We have completed the western route, with the final day through the Dolomites being the highlight.

We have found that the Mournes are the best in terms of training for the steep ground. The Maumturks and Bens offer good routes too. While the Wicklow Way offers a great route for building distance. Slieve Bloom Way & the Tain Way are also close enough to Dublin.

Hardest part is finding a partner in crime and getting both of you to the start line each morning.

SWN! - thanks for the info... could you indicate your previous experience, and the plan you had going into this race (ie: to run/race it or to run/walk/finish)? What kind of training did this involve (mileages / sessions, etc...)?

At the moment I've very little mountain running experience. My attempt for this race will be in three years time, so I hope to get 2 years of IMRA under my belt, and then a year of specific training. Hopefully that might get me around. With a bit of luck, I can find someone else to accompany me in that time!

SureWhyNot!

I was lucky, it was her idea.

We completed with a couple of marathons under our belts. Our introduction to running was IMRA, so we had a good start. On our course you needed to be able to lash out 10k in one hour on the flat to be comfortable (all day every day, start and end of the day). The climbs are generally steep enough you're walking unless you're top 5 in your class. The downhill will kill the knees, and I would think you need to train for that more than the uphills. 8 days and 16000 metres of downhill is tougher than 8 days and 16000m of uphill.

In the end the weather was a factor, one stage was cut short due to thunder storms. And having just come home from chamonix and witnessed the UTMB disaster I would never eulogise about the alpine weather. Training in Ireland should prepare the head, heart and soul thoroughly.

Otherwise it was IMRA runs and mileage. Along with plenty of hikes such as the glencoahgan, glan of imaal or coumloughra horseshoes (it was handy that we saw these as a day off). Multi-sport races are handy too, watch out for the WAR/ROAR series around Dublin which offer some hours out on your feet and working out hydration/eating patterns. In many ways they are closer to the Trans-Alps than ultra-running on the road.

mithril

How would you compare the difficulty of the TransAlpine Run with UTMB?

I suspect an off-road Ultra might be the best preparation and I am aware of 4 in the country (Mourne and Causeway Coast which are new, the long running Wicklow Way Ultra and the Art O'Neill Ultra at night).

SureWhyNot!

They are both a good test of body and mind, but I think the toughest aspects of each are very different.

In the trans-alps there is a lot more management of your body and your team. In the UTMB it is very much about you, and focus getting to the end, especially on the second night. For the UTMB you are looking to build up to 6pm on Friday, for the trans-alps you have to get to the start line with knees, heart, feet, soul and team-mate intact for 8 days.

mithril

SureWhyNot! wrote: »

with knees, heart, feet, soul and team-mate intact for 8 days.

Given the emphasis on protecting knees, do you recommend use of hiking poles on the run itself and during training? If so, which ones would you recommend?

SureWhyNot!

I would most definitely bring them, not that you will use them everyday. We bought a pair two weeks before heading over the Trans-Alps, just in case, and by the end of it were bringing them out for the longer days.

I personally found them very handy for setting a rhythm on the uphills, I found it harder to get used to using them on descents. Then last year in the UTMB we found that we were getting much more use out of them.

As for the type, it probably depends on how you personally use them. We have two sets of carbon poles, one set are from Lidl, superlight, but they don't collapse. We have another pair of carbon ones from Decathlon (now in Belfast) which do collapse, but the locks mean they are heavier.

The increase in weight with the locks means that they are marginally lighter than similar titanium or aluminium poles. There are loads of ultra-light poles with reduced numbers of locks or thinner sections. Which ones suit you can depend on the weight you put through them. I know some people lean quite heavily onto the poles and they can snap or buckle easily, while others seem to get away with the same poles for years.

Might be worth trying out a set to see what suits. That was our thoughts with the Lidl ones.

The telescopic poles are much handier for carrying, or putting into a 10 litre backpack and for packing to get through the airport.