• This topic has 23 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by Sue_W.
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  • La Marmotte, time to train
  • lunge
    Full Member

    Anyone else signed up?

    It appears I have 6 months to lose 15kg (currently a slightly heavier than I should be 95kg at 6’4″) and gain a load of fitness. I won’t lie, I’m a little scared.

    Any good training programmes online that are worth a look. I fear my default of “ride more, eat better” will not quite suffice for this!

    aP
    Free Member

    Worked for me. Its the getting used to riding uphill for an hour or more that was the biggest step-change. Remember not to sit on the front on the drag up the valley to the foot of the Telegraph.

    atlaz
    Free Member

    Ride LOTS more… eat better

    That should do it 😛

    There’s loads of training plans out there to buy. I have a mate who helps me with mine unfortunately so I can’t help as to which are good. Depending where you live, if you can ride the distance of the event and twice the climbing in the last training week before, you should survive the event at least providing you don’t go off at a million miles an hour.

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    wilburt
    Free Member

    Monday-Rest
    Tuesday-Cross/Strength
    Wednesday- Ride/Turbo/Specifics ftp/Intervals
    Thursday-Rest
    Friday-Cross/Run/Swim
    Saturday-Ride Steady
    Sunday- Ride Fast

    No booze, no meat..thats my plan anyway!

    ransos
    Free Member

    Any good training programmes online that are worth a look. I fear my default of “ride more, eat better” will not quite suffice for this!

    I paid for a fitness test at my LBS, which was money very well spent: it turned out that I have good aerobic capacity but poor fat burning, so my training was tailored around that. I bought a HRM so I knew what zones I was training in. A follow-up session 6 weeks later showed the beneficial effect of the training.

    I also lost about 5kg which was very noticeable on the climbs.

    Worked for me. Its the getting used to riding uphill for an hour or more that was the biggest step-change.

    Agreed – I think the challenge is as much mental as physical. If I did it again, I’d go time trialling – a 25 miler would be an all-out effort for an hour or so – probably the closest to replicating a climb up a big Col.

    atlaz
    Free Member

    I intend to take a couple of day trips to the mountains in late spring to set me up for climbing as the longest climb around here is about 20 mins at most

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    I’d start the climbing training now.
    Get some intervals going now and ….

    Can you organise a few weekends to South Wales or the Lakes for some long hard climbs, maybe the Pennines out of Barnard Castle way North.. ?? I think you’ll need to do some decent weekends (2 days) of reps on these climbs at least twice a month.

    IMO.

    aP
    Free Member

    What you need to work out is at what level of effort you can sustain for 1-1.5 hours, repeated 4 times over a day’s riding. Then that is what you climb at.
    Working out your pacing strategy is useful too.
    I rode the long Dragon Ride (amongst other events) beforehand its a good indication of fitness as its the same kind of effort (not consistent climbing though).

    ransos
    Free Member

    Can you organise a few weekends to South Wales or the Lakes for some long hard climbs,

    I did that, but I don’t think it’s particularly good training: lots of (relatively) short sharp climbs are very different from the long drags in the Alps. I did the Le Terrier sportive which is c 3,800m ascent, as much as many Etape du Tour and good training you would think but it felt a world away from La Marmotte.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Best option I could think of TBH, I know our climbs are no where near the length the OP will encounter.

    Better than nothing if you do reps of them though, eh?

    aP
    Free Member

    Reps of short hills don’t really work – you’d be better off doing 50 mile time trials at a specific sustainable effort.

    ransos
    Free Member

    Best option I could think of TBH, I know our climbs are no where near the length the OP will encounter.

    There are a couple in the UK that are relatively long – Bealach na Ba and Great Dun Fell (which is Cat 1 if you start from the valley floor). But if you live in the south of England, it’s probably easier to get a cheap flight to Majorca.

    leffeboy
    Full Member

    Anyone else signed up?

    was it difficult to sign up for? E.g. Oversubscribed or you had to be there immediately subscriptions opened? Fancy it one year but not this year

    Sue_W
    Free Member

    Lunge – see you in the start pens (I’ll be the small, blonde lass from Wales looking rather nervous 🙂 )

    My weekly training plan:

    – Jan / Feb: turbo training, strength training, pilates, at least one 50-60 mile hilly ride (I live in Snowdonia, so all rides are hilly!)

    – early March: hard training week in Gran Canaria (long climbs / hot)

    – March / April: continue turbo sessions, 60-80 mile ride, replace pilates with an additional short hilly ride. Weekend in Lakes doing the Fred Whitton route

    – Mid-April: training week in Majorca (focus on 80-90 mile rides with lots of climbing)

    – May / June: focus on a weekly mix of (1) 100+ mile very hilly ride, (2) short hill rep session (3) local TT (for high intensity training).

    Already started on an improved diet (no alcohol, low fat healthy diet), but I only weigh 46kgs so need to focus more on building power than reducing weight!

    I’ve done the Maratona in the Dolomites for the past 2 years, so have some idea of what the Marmotte will be like. But want to as fit as possible for it (plus I’ve entered the Etape which is only 8 days later!).

    Glad I love hill climbing and big mountain rides 🙂

    peteimpreza
    Full Member

    Go Sue_W !!

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    Its the getting used to riding uphill for an hour or more that was the biggest step-change.

    You don’t necessarily need to ride uphill for 60 minutes or more, if there’s a strong wind go and ride 90 minutes into that. It’s a real killer and replicates climbing for a long period. It’s a real slog but prepares you for long periods with no rest.

    forzafkawi
    Free Member

    Reps of short hills don’t really work – you’d be better off doing 50 mile time trials at a specific sustainable effort.

    Personally I have always found the opposite to be true and I’ve done a lot of Alpine climbing including two Marmottes. What you need is muscular endurance and aerobic fitness rather than CV capacity.

    The best way of achieving that is long steady rides and multiple hill reps rides for resistance, obviously the longer the hill the better.

    wilburt
    Free Member

    ..and a compact chainset and 30t cassette. 🙂

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    see you in the start pens

    ….then I won’t see you again 😀

    I only weigh 46kgs

    Good luck Lunge – dropping some weight will certainly make it less torturous.

    I’m not sure how you’d be best off building fitness, long intervals and whatnot are fine, but if you find them mentally taxing, then you probably won’t do them.

    As for hill reps; that’s what I’d do. Easier to push yourself up hill aswell.

    Get yourself to ambleside; Kirkstone pass would be a goodun for training on since there’s steep and shallow (three in total) ascents of it…

    TBF I haven’t ridden up a big hill all winter, although the lakes passes are my local hills. Most have to be ridden out the saddle all the way. I think efficient out of the saddle tekkers are vital for alpine climbs, great way to get your breath back and stretch your legs.

    reggiegasket
    Free Member

    my 10p tip for losing weight..?

    Eat healthily and don’t eat anything after 7pm. That’s it.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    You could always buy an e-bike 😆

    aP
    Free Member

    There were a surprising number of e-bikes at the Maratona last year.

    taxi25
    Free Member

    With S.Wales in mind, before a trip to the Alps I did a Nantymoel-Afan valley- Treorchy-Hirwaun and back to Nantymoel ride. Its as close to the Alps as you’ll get in the Uk. Not sure what you’ll need to get up Alp Duez at the end though. I’ve only done it with fresh legs and found it Vvv tough !!

    Sue_W
    Free Member

    Good luck to all, and keep posting your training updates (if only to keep us all motivated!)

    My only “tips” (not that I’m an expert, I just ride big mountain routes a lot, so have seen a lot of problems that folks can get in to …)

    – “power to weight” ratio: on long alpine climbs it’s good to be as light as you can be (your legs have got to carry every kilo up that mountain!) Tiny people like me obviously have a bit of an advantage, but everyone will benefit from reducing body weight whilst retaining their power.

    – take it steady on the climbs, especially in the heat (the main thing I’ve seen is guys going off too fast and blowing). I find big alpine climbs to be as much about your mental attitude as physical ability.

    – Train to find your hill climbing “sweet spot” – the pace and cadence up hill that you can maintain for a long time.

    If you see me skipping past you on the climbs, just remember you’ll get your turn when you fly past me on the descents 🙂

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