La Marmotte 8th July 2018

marathon50

Hi
If you are in Bourg on the Thursday morning before the Marmotte
do the Prix de Rousse. Starts from car park at foot of the Alp d Huez.
Sign in on line. Give your legs a wake up call 45km 2300mtr of climbing.
Straight up the Alp and down the back road to join up with the road up the Glandon at the start of the Glandon climb you take a right up to Vaugany
Great climb about 10km similar to Alp de Huez grade. Well run race.
After finish cycle back to Bourg at your leisure. You will be cycle down the dam that you will be going up on Sunday. Nice little restaurant on lhs after dam for a coffee stop.
We stayed up the Vaugany last year fab base.

terrydel

Will anyone do much training this week?
I'm dojng the etape but its on the same day (July 8th).
With the heat yesterday it was tough going and I'm weary now of overdoing it.
Was thinking of doing a couple of spins home from work (35km-50km) and a long spin Saturday (100km) but now thinking of doing maybe 25km-30km once during the week and 75km Saturday. Feel in good shape now and dont feel I'm gonna get any better with more training, but also at the same time not overly tired training wise and feel keeping the consistency going would be a good thing.
Whats the general consensus? Keep up the regular spins and just go a bit easier in the heat?

Chumpski

Lower the volume, keep intensity the same should keep you sharp and freshen you up. At this point fitness wont increase much between now and the 8th without you piling on a lot of tiredness too.

Im in the middle of a build phase on trainerroad as i dont really mind not performing super in Marmotte, id prefer to be going well again in August/September for racing so ill be going heavy this week and next. Looking forward to that rest week after Marmotte!

marathon50

www.bike-oisans.com/evenement/prix-des-rousses/

terrydel

Chumpski wrote: »

Lower the volume, keep intensity the same should keep you sharp and freshen you up. At this point fitness wont increase much between now and the 8th without you piling on a lot of tiredness too.

Im in the middle of a build phase on trainerroad as i dont really mind not performing super in Marmotte, id prefer to be going well again in August/September for racing so ill be going heavy this week and next. Looking forward to that rest week after Marmotte!

What constitutes heavy? This year Im doing around 200 a week on average, less than last year. Some weeks like the W200 I can get more in but its rare.

Forgive my ignorance, but the trainer road thing you mention, is that all indoors on a trainer? I'm not sure how it works!

Chumpski

Pretty much, lower your time on the bike. For example, if you do 8 hours usually, then do 6.5 this week and 5 next week. Or if you do 50k when you go out, do 35k this week and 20k per session next week. If you usually do intense intervals, continue them but do less of them at the same intensity.

Yeah trainerroad is best done on a trainer (not necessarily indoors). Its really helpful to improve performance by helping you train effectively at the right intensities for the event(s) you want to perform well in. There is a thread here about it, we are probably derailing the discussion here on Marmotte!

Some people love it, some people hate it and prefer to do such training outdoors. Both are perfectly fine to think.

mirrormatrix

Whatever you do, don't overdo it! It's natural that when you lower the volume you are going to feel like you're not doing enough. Resist the temptation to go a bit longer/harder to test the legs out. If you have tapered right, it will all come good on the day.

Much better doing sweet fa (apart from a few short intense intervals to wake the legs up) on the week of the event than to overdo it.

I went too hard in the lead up to a european sportive last year and really regretted it.

The Noble Nudge

Defo lower the intensity...you have the work done at this stage.
I would incorporate a few sea swims this week and next...Poor mans icebath...
Maybe get a sports massage..

terrydel

mirrormatrix wrote: »

Whatever you do, don't overdo it! It's natural that when you lower the volume you are going to feel like you're not doing enough. Resist the temptation to go a bit longer/harder to test the legs out. If you have tapered right, it will all come good on the day.

Much better doing sweet fa (apart from a few short intense intervals to wake the legs up) on the week of the event than to overdo it.

I went too hard in the lead up to a european sportive last year and really regretted it.

Sound advice I think. The feeling that you arent doing enough is a tough one to push to one side for sure.
Which sportive was it?
I doubt I'll get anything done after the weekend til I actually get to france, so perhaps tipping over this week is good.
Im not scientific in anyway about training so I dont even have a tapering plan! Other than 'doing a bit less'.

The Noble Nudge

Prepare for phantom pains as well.......

moonshadow

BTW the descent after huez is atrocious/dangerous atm , pothiolds tarred and gritted probably achieved 10/15 kmph on the descent although I believe it will be swept , but just in case be aware.

The Noble Nudge

Just to ask I've been hit with a last minute transport issue!
Has anyone on the Aer Lingus flight returning 9th July Monday two spots in a car going back to Lyon airport from Alp D'huez?
We wont have bikes just ourselves and a bag...
I've a few options still to investigate but just to ask on here...
Thanks

Chumpski

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Just to ask I've been hit with a last minute transport issue!
Has anyone on the Aer Lingus flight returning 9th July Monday two spots in a car going back to Lyon airport from Alp D'huez?
We wont have bikes just ourselves and a bag...
I've a few options still to investigate but just to ask on here...
Thanks

Sorry, heading back much later in the week.

Farloo

marathon50 wrote: »

Hi
If you are in Bourg on the Thursday morning before the Marmotte
do the Prix de Rousse. Starts from car park at foot of the Alp d Huez.
Sign in on line. Give your legs a wake up call 45km 2300mtr of climbing.
Straight up the Alp and down the back road to join up with the road up the Glandon at the start of the Glandon climb you take a right up to Vaugany
Great climb about 10km similar to Alp de Huez grade. Well run race.
After finish cycle back to Bourg at your leisure. You will be cycle down the dam that you will be going up on Sunday. Nice little restaurant on lhs after dam for a coffee stop.
We stayed up the Vaugany last year fab base.

Do you have to pay to enter this? Do you know what time it starts at?!

Charlie69

Farloo wrote: »

Do you have to pay to enter this? Do you know what time it starts at?!

See link in marathon50's post above

The Noble Nudge

Bike gone, gear gone......Just hope I am reunited with it!

Just to ask and its a how long is a piece of string question....
From reading through I'm guessing a conservative shunt up Alpe D'huez all going well beforehand would take an hour and a half?
Trying to guesstimate arrival time to bottom of the Alpe scenarios in saying that possibly just burning unnecessary brain cells as I'm not training as much this week.

07Lapierre

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Bike gone, gear gone......Just hope I am reunited with it!

Just to ask and its a how long is a piece of string question....
From reading through I'm guessing a conservative shunt up Alpe D'huez all going well beforehand would take an hour and a half?
Trying to guesstimate arrival time to bottom of the Alpe scenarios in saying that possibly just burning unnecessary brain cells as I'm not training as much this week.

If your fresh when you arrive at the base of the Alpe, yes. If your not fresh, if the heat is oppressive, if you haven't eaten enough, if you have to keep stopping to relieve cramp, if you have to stop for water....it could take a lot longer. In 2012 i was dead on my feet and it took me over 3 hours!

The Noble Nudge

07Lapierre wrote: »

If your fresh when you arrive at the base of the Alpe, yes. If your not fresh, if the heat is oppressive, if you haven't eaten enough, if you have to keep stopping to relieve cramp, if you have to stop for water....it could take a lot longer. In 2012 i was dead on my feet and it took me over 3 hours!

reality just kicked in Lapierre...

Do you know of any pharmacies along the way that stock Salbutamol....but then again they might be sold out this time of year!

07Lapierre

Sure if it was easy everyone would do it!

07Lapierre

Something to read to get you in the mood......


https://www.orwellwheelers.org/leisure/news/521-la-grande-marmotte-2013

Boscoirl

07Lapierre wrote: »

Something to read to get you in the mood......


https://www.orwellwheelers.org/leisure/news/521-la-grande-marmotte-2013

Fantastic read, I feel like I just cycled it from reading it

07Lapierre

Boscoirl wrote: »

Fantastic read, I feel like I just cycled it from reading it

I still love watching this:
(Hopefully i'll have a few videos from the Etape to add to my collection next week)


https://youtu.be/HOsEcLmuYJQ

Doc07

https://www.orwellwheelers.org/leisure/news/1108-marmotte-2017-the-agony-the-ecstasy-and-the-collective

Only if you’re really bored...
Anyone heading over, have a great day.

barleyman

Also watch out for swelling feet, don’t overtighten shoes, caught me out last year and ruined my etape. My feet were on fire and by the time I realized what the problem was my day was done.

Rhetoricman

Good luck all you Marmotte Boarders! Hope we make it to the end and thanks for tips over the past few months. Hold onto the reins until at least Valloire...!

The Noble Nudge

Best of luck and safe round everyone...
Not everythings going to go right....its how you deal with it...

“When things go wrong” by anonymous..

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.......

Is Feidhir Linn Chaps/Chapettes

Chumpski

Hardest day on a bike ever, finished with official time of 9 hours and 12 minutes.

I nearly killed myself for that time, I did enjoy the day and took it all in but I suffered on the Alpe, I think everyone did to be fair.

Had an annoying mechanical where for the first time ever my chain came off when going to big ring and it got stuck between frame and chainring, a Dutch spectator helped me out, never was I so grateful, I lost only a few minutes to it.

The Noble Nudge

NOW thats a cycle!
Scenery was unbelievable.
Not too sure where to start the highs or lows review...climb to Galibier.....f@&k me!

terrydel

Did the Etape this Sunday, all I can say is that was one tough, tough day, the hardest day I've had on a bike without question. The heat on the climbs was just incredible at times, and the 2 middle climbs, Glieres and Romme where savagely steep.
Delighted to get thru it and even a little emotional coming down the final descent!

07Lapierre

Well done Terrydel it was some day out alright! The Col De Romme nearly killed me!