Early race season photos and results…..

Before I launch into what will be a much more in-depth discussion of the gem that is the Pierra Menta, I think that the beginning of this season merits a blog post of its own in order to get us up to speed:

I rang in 2016 with a big goal in mind:  do 100,000 meters of vertical climb. 

Aside from being a good, round number, 100,000 meters was a number chosen somewhat at random:  I’d never tracked my vertical climb before, but choosing something that averages to about 2,000 meters a week seemed ambitious enough to me, and for Christmas, my parents and my grandfather chipped in to get me a Suunto Ambit3 Sport watch, so I finally had a way to keep tabs.  (I will admit that, although I have a tendency to shun overly tech-ed out runners, especially at first, I had an unhealthy obsession with looking at my stats online… and even convinced Julian to get one too so that we could track each other’s ‘moves’ online).

Coach Flo of
Magicrème International 

Pretty quickly though, this lofty goal seemed a lot less likely when what had been a nagging weakness in my lower back turned into sciatica and I crashed my bike, breaking three ribs.  The 2,000 meters a week goal was reduced to zero meters a week and full rest and rehab for the month of February.  A ‘relapse’ during a trip to Calanques at Easter even further put the breaks on the training season, and my good friend Florian, who had agreed to help me out by making me training plans was somewhat reticent to send me off to do workouts that could make things worse. With a bit of nagging (and perhaps a few fibs), he conceded, set me up with some basic running workouts and  and let me start spending a lot more time on my bike.  

3rd place behind Corail Bugnard
and Mathilde Vacoret

Although injury forced me to miss the Regional Collegiate Trail Running Championship, somewhat miraculously, more activity seemed to help improve things, and I was able to start an accelerated training plan a couple weeks before Nationals.  The race was hardly my cup o’ tea: 21km of rolling hills around Nancy, and I was hardly prepared for it, but I managed to grit my teeth and come in a distant third.  I shouldn’t have been surprised that the race wasn’t all that fun, given the lack of training and the type of course, but it was a big wake up call as to how much work still needed to be done.

Brining home the bacon
Podium with Emilie Deronzier and Mathilde Broilliard

The next objective was a little more relaxed, but no less important: the annual ham race.  The Balcons Sud de Chartreuse is a race that I have gone back to time and time again both because of the wonderful atmosphere and the opportunity to race through the mountains in our backyard, but also because of the chance to win a ham.  Not just any ham, but a 6kg leg of prosciutto.  I think that it was really this ham that sold me on trail running--The Balcons Sud race was not only the first race I did in France, but also my second-ever trail race.  And that first year, back in 2012, I took home the ham, and have been going back to try to win it again ever since.  

This year, Flo's training program seems to have done the trick, and although I didn't feel great, I prevailed again, with a 23-minute lead on second place. 

Mid-race, just one step ahead of Elise Rouchy

Next up was the National Mountain Running Championship—another short and fast race (10km/650m D+).  I ran for my club “Coureurs du Monde en Isère”, and along a muddy and wet course that never climbed steep enough or long enough to really walk (power walking being my signature move), I was psyched with a 10^th place finish behind some of the best in the country.   I have to admit though, that this new race atmosphere was not one that I was prepared for… At the starting line, another runner (who later became a friend) advised that I put my arms up and elbows out at the beginning of the race.  I couldn’t imagine why, but quickly learned when the gun went off, that people were pushing and shoving from all sides trying to get ahead.  More of a track event than a trail race, people took off like rockets and were cutthroat to get and keep leads.  None of the encouragement among runners that I had become accustomed to: when I encouraged another runner with an “Allez!”, from the sidelines, a volunteer advised me to save my breath for the race.   A truly impressive feat of athleticism, but hardly the warm, fuzzy 'we're in this together' ambiance.  My spiffy new watch told me that I maintained a heart rate about 180 for nearly an hour, and at the end, I felt like I was going to die, and 15 minutes later, I felt like I hadn't really run that far.  I'm glad to have had the experience, and the intensity was exhilarating, but I'm not sure yet that I want to do it again.  

Let the fun begin:
1-minute wall sit
2-minutes steep climb
1-minute fast descent
Repeat 10x

In preparation for my next races, it was time to do some serious muscle building in my quads, and work on my ability to take off again when tired.  Keeping my extremely tight work-study schedule in mind, Florian made me some brutal and very time-effective work outs that allowed me to get to know the super-steep flanks of the Mont Rachais very, very well.  

Type-two fun became a specialty of mine as I did reps of hill intervals.  I  did manage to trick Brad into coming with me once, telling him that this kind of workout was exactly what he needed to be ready for the "terrain varié" in the guide exams...but alas the rouse was up pretty quickly and I resumed my training accompanied only by an old "Red Button" playlist made by Buke to keep us awake while driving cross country back in 2010.  

Lucky for me, the combination of Florian's masochistic training plans and agressive down-beats seemed to have worked well for preparing me for my last pre-Pierra Menta objective:  the Défi des Trois Villards in Bourg d'Oisans.  The 3-race format had interested me from the beginning because it combined steep uphill (which I love) with a multi-day format that would help me test out my body's ability to reboot again and again.  I was also very motivated and flattered because the Défi marked my very first race invitation, which I received from the organizers of the event in the fall after my first VK race at the Verticale du Grand Serre.  

The race concept was somewhat simple:  Over two days, we competed in three vertical kilometer races, each climbing from the valley floor up to one of three villages perched high in the mountains above:  Villard Reymond, Villard Notre Dame and Villard Reculas.   They were not as abrupt as a race like the VGS which climbs 1,000m in 1.8km, and travelled over 5-7km, so we could actually run large portions of the race.   Though it was in many ways a 'village' race, I was a impressed to see some big name runners there--Jean-François Phillipot (national VK champion), Arnaud Bonin (Team Scott), and Sophie Gagnon (French National team for World's this year).   Brad, who accompanied me for this race and brought warm clothes to every summit, assured me that I needn't be so star struck because he overheard people saying that "Hillary l'Américaine" was there. On Saturday morning in the first race, Sophie kept ahead of me for most of the course, and was wearing a bright pink shirt that I could always keep a target on through the trees.  I was impressed that she was always running, even when I had to walk, but my hut-girl uphill charging skills kicked in and I caught her about 10 minutes from the end.   After that, I worked to keep my lead for the challenge, enjoying a run through the rain up a technical and slippery trail to Villard Notre Dame, and suffering through a more rolling climb up Alpe d'Huez to take home the trophy after the third race on Sunday.

Overall, the Défi was a great experience not only for its unique format but also because running with the same people for three consecutive races makes for a great sense of camaraderie--a feeling distinctly lacking in a race the like national championships.  The organizers also put together post-race meals to bring everyone together and foster a convivial atmosphere.  If the calendar allows, I'll definitely be back next year. 

So, after a four-race warm up, I was nearly back on track for my 100,000 meters of vert, and oh-so-stoked for the Big Mama of the summer: