Training Log Archive: Ifor

Up over the Col de Montgenever down into Italy and up to Sestriere. Then alternative minor road decent before 15km of dirt track to avoid most of the main road climb back to the Montgenever. Just taking it steady but felt desidedly knackered doing the steep off road climb back. Better traction from the off after letting some air out straight away but still a bit tricky in places having to pick the line and be carefull not to spin the back wheel when standing up. fairly slow on the dirt track decent did not want to puncture having let the air out... fairly knackered when back at the van.

63.495 03:36:49 17.5 03:56:57 16 1838 -1817 5.7
01:58:22 01:39:47 00:01:00 00:00:00 00:00:00 142 109

From bike_logs

Down and up the Col du Lautaret which I decended at the end of the long ride but no strong headwind this time. The graph dose show a hole load of the dodgy high heart rate which I still don't understand. The values I belive are bine transmited from the strap as recorded although I need a different reciver to realy confirm it. Assuming this is the case either the strap is picking up interferance from the bike computer which is entirly possible or possibly I get a dodgy heart like dad but only when not working but decending down hills quickly. The main problem is it's too intermitent to easaly work out whats happening. Anyway a nice decent and an easy but long trip back up again during which time I stoped a few times to take some pictures. Only real effort was in the final tunnel after Le Grave which is not nice being decidedly narrower than the other tunnels and up a good slope.

69.521 03:01:11 23 03:17:31 21.1 1446 -1448 4.1
01:11:13 01:42:50 00:01:50 00:00:27 00:06:11 207 120

From bike_logs

Up and down the Col de Granon. The plan was to carry on around the loop taking in the off road decent on the far side. After the gentle start due the the sweltering heat the climb proved fairly tough but better higer up with more wind and lower temps. I then set off on the dirt track on the far side bouncing about considerably on my road slicks at 80psi... I past a couple of side roads that were considerably worse and had big no entry sighns but then after about 8km the track I was on headed up again and there was clearly a big milatary establishment it was heading to. There was a footpath (gr57 I think) with veachle tracks to start with so I tried this but soon it was no longer ridable and it looked like a big steep zig-zag path down to the valley. I decided to cut my losses and just reversed my route back to the col. It was considerably better going up especialy when I let some air out of the tyres...

More dodgy heart rate again on the decent. Non all trip the two lots of 5 minutes plus today....

39.342 02:44:22 14.3 02:58:43 13.2 1217 -1219 6.1
00:55:18 01:38:42 00:05:00 00:01:11 00:06:31 241 122

From bike_logs

Recovery pace down and up les 2 Alps. Just spinning the legs out slowly back up. Fely OK having to hold myslef back.

20.785 01:12:55 01:18:41 610 -609 5.8
01:05:21 00:08:24 0 0 0 129 105

From bike_logs

1_09_2010 8AM BF_159

The clasic long Alpine circute with a slight variation. Set my alarm a bit earlier for and early start and drove to park on the outskirts of Le Bourg-d'Osisans. Chilly setting off with cag and gloves on flat for a few km on the main road where I was glad of the lights flashing. Then into the first climb the 30km long Col de la Croix de Fer. Past a well wrapped up cycelist early on then after a toilet stop past him afain and had a bit of a garbled chat he was a 69 year old German I hope I can climb that well when I am 69... Towards the top I got sight of and chased a strung out group I had seen leaving town as I drove in to park up. They were a dutch group with support doing the same basic loop as me. Instead of just following the main road down I added on the small Col du Mollard which only adds about 400m climb but the alternative decent is very twisty. I counted 45 hairpins and the road is notr straight between them so slow going compared to the main road. Once down to the main valley I messed up a bit trying to stay off the main road and added some more climb as well as a bit of off road to eventualy get back on the main road. I got to the Col du Telegraph a bit later than I would of wanted to and pushed a bit up it eating on the move. I past the 69 year old german again towards the bottom and had to explain that I had done an extra climb. Over the top the Dutche were all regrouping as I carried straight down to Valloire were they past me again as I refilled my bottles and had a quick feed. So I set off up the Galibier chacing the dutch again. I past most of they fairly low on the climb but the leading pair took a lot of catching and I may not of got to the front one if he had not stoped at his support crew and let me get past 4km from the top. The last couple of KM were a bit of a strugle you know the air is thin at 2600m. The long run back down to Le Bourg-d'Osisans was slower going than it should of been there was a strong head wind blowing up the valley so instead of coasting the majority of the 48km I was having to pedle downhill into the wind to maintain a sincible speed. Once back at the van I just had a quick stop to fill the bottles and eat a can of strawburys in cyrup during which time the remains of the dutch past me again. So I was off chacing them again up the Alpe d'Huez but was soon past what was left of them. My legs were remarkably good up the final climb I could not go realy hard but kept a very good steady pace that had me passing people gradualy most of the way up. A decent sit down at the top but not too lang before heading back down before it got too chilly out of the sun. The Dutch were regrouping at the bottom end of the town presumably to ride the last bit together.

I ran out of batteries on the decent so the log and the gpx are both missing the final drop back down to the van. It's a good job I was not an hour slower and relying on the lights for the final decent....

Original
196.55 10:03:14 19.5 11:11:30 17.5 5300 -4416 4.9
03:00:45 04:44:37 02:20:17 00:00:47 00:00:00 155 125

Altered 10km + 20 mins at 1 for end of decent.
206.55 10:23:14 19.8 11:31:30 17.8 5300 -5300 5.1
03:20:45 04:44:37 02:20:17 00:00:47 00:00:00 155 124

From bike_logs

C • Nice looking trip... 1

C • Nice looking trip... 2

31_08_2010 19AM BF_158

A very steady loop taking it La Toussuire. Bright and suny but a bit chilly still especialy coming down. wiching I had put my cag on but out of the wind in the sun at the top it did not seam so cold.

42.726 02:30:15 17 02:55:23 14.6 1216 -1204 5.6
02:02:08 00:29:57 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00 135 100

From bike_logs

30_08_2010 11AM BF_156

Woke to rain then it looked like it was clearing then at about 10 it was snowing fairly heavily but not sticking. By 11 the road was drying and I was in bright sunshine so setoff down the Madelane. There were quite a few people coming up I counted from about a quarter way down and saw 24 byt the bottom. At the actual road junction in the village there were something like 20 people milling around on bikes and various supporting cars and vans. I set off up and after a few km got past by a pair with similar kit on abour 20-30m apart I upped the pace a bit and was about 30m off for a few km till the realy steep km where I got back to the one person and he hauled in his campanion after anouther km and we went past him. Turns out all the people were Dutch doing a charity week long event cyceling from Italy to Holland. There were about 500 all told so I was just in amongst the early starters / quicker ones like my pair. They had started today and done the col de la croix de fer already. Once my legs were going I was climbing well and eventualy the quicker of my pair said he was letting me go which was fair enouth as they had another pass on the way to a finish in Annecy. I kept on pushing keeping the hrm in the 150s to the top where made a donation to the course with onr of the helpers and headed back to the van.

39.69 02:05:22 18.9 02:13:30 17.8 1488 -1490 7.5
00:36:45 00:23:27 00:08:10 00:56:35 00:00:55 162 125

From bike_logs

30_08_2010 4pm BF_157

A rather late lunch made later by having to wait to 2.30 for the shop to open to get some bread. Was warm and sunny in the van so set off u the col du Glandon in short legins and short sleaves after the long stuff of the morning. A lot slower going and after a few km the sun had gone and it was decidedly chilly all the way up to the extent that I put my cag on with 2km to go. Top bit was steep and hard work. A quick edition of overtrousers and I set of straight down and froze for most of the decent only warming up a bit at the flat bit where I got my legs going.

41.933 02:26:12 17.2 02:29:45 16.8 1426 -1430 6.8
00:38:32 01:28:32 00:19:34 00:00:04 00:00:00 150 123

From bike_logs

29_08_2010 10AM BF_154

Quick loop around the Col du Granier which has a host of diufferent options up to it. I though the one I took down was going to be steeper than what I went up but I was wrong there is a distinc tough bit with bits at 14% in the route I was doing and quite a stretch at 9% befor that. It's only the upper bit on the more main road that is at a lesser gradent. An aufully lot of people out ob there bikes today lots of family groups down on the bit at the bottom. must of seen 30-40 people all told. Plus 7 rollerbladers.

27.353 01:29:41 18.2 01:39:23 16.5 823 -823 6
00:51:44 00:38:47 00:00:00 00:00:00 00:00:00 138 106

From bike_logs

29_08_2010 2pm BF_155

Up and down to le plevnet. A long gentle climb. pushed relativly hard. relativly cool day so windproof needed for decent pushed this a bit to keep the average over 40kmh coming down.

45.014 01:58:01 22.8 02:04:22 21.7 985 -978 4.3
00:43:24 01:13:25 00:01:32 00:00:00 00:00:00 142 120

From bike_logs