ES Coaching Triathlon Training Camp at Pyrenees Multisport

I'm still buzzing from last week's training camp.

We arrived at 'base camp' in Luscan on the Saturday afternoon and set to work rebuilding the bikes (which I'd spent ages lovingly packing the night before!).  We were staying at a lovely old French farmhouse which was decked out in Triathlon and Cycling paraphenalia. Brilliant.


Sunday - The week kicked off with a 7am open-water swim at the lovely clear water of Aventignan Lake. It felt so good to be swimming in a lake where you could see the bottom and get a sense of how fast you were swimming.  Back to the house for a hearty breakfast (the first of many very hearty breakfasts) then it was time to kit out for the long ride ahead.  Today turned out to be the biggest day mileage and hill size wise.  Our first Col was Col d'Aspin, a 1,489m high, 9km climb.  It was pretty gentle but with some steep-ish bits and, looking back, this was a pretty good introduction to looooooong hill climbing.  The views at the top were amazing and you could see a lot of the road we'd just snaked up.  A quick descent followed then it was time to tackle THE BIG ONE.  The Col du Tourmalet, a regular Tour de France fixture and a right-to-pass for anyone wanting to do the Pyrenees properly.  2,115m high and 18km with and average gradient of 7.4% (I learnt alot about gradients over the week!).  I was soon dropped by most of my 'comfortable' riding group and was left alone to tackle this beast.  Less than half way in, it started to rain, which kinda added to the experience.  I took it nice and easy and just concentrated on spinning the legs and counting down the km markers (thank you to whoever installed them).  Two-thirds of the way up, the road passed through a drab ski resort called La Mongie.  This was a particular dark moment where the gradient was around 10% and the rain particularly heavy.  I did, however, see a kitten running between two buildings which was a slightly surreal (considering the surroundings) if not uplifting sight.  All of a sudden I seemed to break through the cloud and it stopped raining and the sun came out.  Steam was rising from the road and I could see the end (and the lamas), but I would have to negotiate a series of hairpin bends first.  One bizarre thing I remember seeing was a car passing me very slowly and 4 perplexed faces starting at me from within.  "People, it's not THAT unusual to see cyclists struggling up here surely?!" Slowly, slowly the summit got closer.  One last hairpin to the left and there it was, a big shiny silver butt (please see below).  I let out a little yelp of joy.  I'd made it.  A quick stop at the cafe for chips and hot chocolate then a swift if not slightly white knuckle descent all the way to Argeles, where we were to spend the next two nights (n.b. on returning to the hotel I discovered my rucksack had gone missing in transit - the story deserves a seperate blog page).

Monday - I woke up on day two slightly apprehensive.  I felt good but the coach had checked with me the night before whether I'd be ok to do today's ride as it was going to be another Tourmalet style climb and a total distance of around 70+ miles.  I hadn't really considered I wouldn't be able to but this put a little seed of doubt in my mind.  I was worried I'd fall really far of the back and would need to be rescued by the minibus so I asked Dan to ride with me.  We all set off together and the speedy group (including Dan at this point!) sped off ahead whilst the comfortable group warmed up along a cycle path up to Lourdes.  We rode past the 'holy water' site where there was a long queue of wheelchair bound poor souls.  I did think about stopping to fill my bike bottle up.....Soon we were out on rolling roads and heading towards the Aubisque.  Dan had rejoined us now and after a bit of getting lost we got to the foot of the climb. The ascent of the Aubisque turned out to be the most fun climb of the week.  Dan and I sang, rapped and laughed our way up the 1,709m high, 16.6km, 7.2% average brute. Again, it rained and there wasn't much of a view so it really felt as if we were riding up a Welsh mountain.  At the top, there was a quick stop for a cup of tea and layering before the short descent to the bottom of the Col du Solour.  I almost stacked it on this descent whilst crossing a 'Canadian' grid on a bend, it was pretty hairy.  A 'quick dribble of a climb', as Julie put it, up the Solour and it was Cafe stop time followed by an arduous descent, mainly over gravel back to the hotel in Argeles.

Tuesday - I woke up feeling like a rag doll after the previous two days' triumphs.  Today we would be climbing back up the Tourmalet the other way, back up the Aspin and maybe fit it in the Col de Peyresourde.  Gazing out of the hotel room window at the pissing rain and mist did not fill me with joy and confidence.  After breakfast, with the rain still pouring, a decision was made that there'd be a group riding back to Luscan on a 'flat' route.  This pleased me and I made the decision to sack off the Tourmalet (I'd already done it! although now I kinda wish I'd gone for it) and head off on the flat route.  Starting out a ride in the rain is never fun and getting lost in Lourdes and negotiating roundabouts of death was frustrating but it turned out to be a nice 56 mile route home which had a couple of gentle climbs thrown in (well, flat was never going to mean that in the Pyrenees).  I finally managed a brick run (legs felt good) and looked forward to the next day, which would be 'rest day'.

Wednesday - Rest day.  Which involved; getting up for a 7am threshold run, an 8 mile ride to the lake, an open water swim, then the 8 mile bike ride back, via a creperie at the top of a fairly short steep hill.  It was weird how this day really did feel like a rest day, despite still putting in decent training.  The last 3 days of 5 hour plus rides made today feel like a walk in the park.  We had double crepes (savoury AND sweet) then headed home for an afternoon of lounging at the house.  And lounge we did.  I watched some of the guys getting their swim analysed in the endless pool then had a glorious nap whilst watching the Dauphiné Libéré cycling.  Dan and I went shopping for food in the drizzle and we even managed to watch The Apprentice before bed. 

Thursday - I was chomping at the bit today after a 'rest' so headed to the lake with a small hardcore crew for the 7am swim.  Today we would be climbing another big famous Col - the Port de Bales (where Andy Schlek dropped his chain) - so I stocked up with a substantial breakfast.  It was sunny (!) so everyone was in good spirits as we prepped the bikes and filled our bento boxes.  The 'comfortable' group of Mike, Nadia, Wendy and I were told to follow the speedy group as Nadia wasn't sure of directions.  We had a Garmin, what could go wrong?! Well we soon lost them, got lost and almost threw the Garmin in the river which was telling us to do a U turn from the off.  We carried on down a long, steep hill then realised we'd gone the wrong way and would have to go back up!  At the top of this hill I happened to spot a sign for Col de Ares, the first of today's hills.  However, we were going up it the wrong way, much to the bemusement of the speedy group who were by now descending it!  Back down (the correct way) and we were heading towards Port de Bales.  The views were amazing and it was a pleasure to ride in sunshine at last.  The Port de Bales, 1185m high, almost 19km with an average of 6.3%, was a great climb and I was chuffed that I managed to stick with Mike and Wendy all the way up.  The views were breathtaking but it soon misted up towards the top.  More tea at the top then it was time to layer up and decend.  Descending is a funny old business.  Whilst it's exhilarating, rewarding and damn fun, I frequently find it quite hard work and often really quite scary!  There were quite a few switchbacks to negotiate on the way down and I found myself hurting down a road just metres away from a sheer drop.  The thought that one false move and it's gonna hurt...a lot...is never too far away.  We descended around 20km down to the town of Luchon where both groups stopped to have (a late) lunch and where I ate a very tasty roll (for the record:  wholegrain walnut bread, french ham, blue cheese and tomato - yuuuuum, thanks Dan).  From here, we 'chainganged' it 20km downhill towards Luscan into a headwind.  This was a toughest part of the day and where I decided that a big bread roll and crisps wasn't the best nutrition for such exertion!  I rounded the day off with a 15 minute brick run with Mike followed by much stretching, foam rollering and, of course, eating.

Friday - The last day was soon upon us.  There were big plans for today (Col de Menthe, Col de Peyresourde and the Col des Ares TT) but alas, the rain had returned and enthusiasm to ride for 6 hard hours was almost non-existant.  The decision was made to ride a 45 mile loop which included the Col de Buret and Col de Ares, where we'd do a time trial.  By the time we'd set off, the rain had died but it was damp and dull.  We arrived at the foot of Col des Ares and everyone psyched themselves up for a stint of hard graft.  I went off first (being the slowest, meh) and was held in the proper TT start position and everything (which I wasn't keen on). 

Off I shot, up the Ares (so many jokes).  Pete soon passed me but it was amusing to see him in his Elvis glasses.  I kept spinning, weaving up the pleasant 3% average but making sure I was working.  250m from the finish line, I felt Wendy (who'd started a minute later!) coming up behind me so I pushed for the line.  Inevitably, she pipped me at the line but I really enjoyed it.  26 minutes 31 seconds and my name's now on the website - yay!  From the summit, we carried on to the village at the foot of the Port de Bales where we had lunch.  I didn't fancy just chips, so when the cafe owner announced that he had some 'verry goood locale saucisson' I was keen.  I wasn't so keen half an hour later when I was charged TEN EUROS (six of that just for the one sausage - preposterous). 

Bellies full of expensive sausage, we rolled down the few miles back to Luscan and finished the week off (sniff) with one final brick run.  We then had to sadly pack the bikes away before going out for dinner at a local restaurant where Will was declared the winner of the TT and was now lying second on the all time list.

It was quite possibly the best 'holiday' yet.  When I tell people where I've been and what I did, I mostly get looks suggesting 'hmm that doesn't sound fun' or 'are you mad?' but to me, it was the perfect week (bar the weather).  I feel the time spent climbing those monster cols has given me good ammo for dealing with the inevitable dark moments of Challenge Copenhagen. Above all, it was a great week doing what I love, with a great crew of people and quality time spent with my boy.