Friday morning – here we are. With a mate, Antoine, we catch the UTMB organisers’ bus to Auron, the race start. The journey gives us a chance to admire the scenery and, at the same time, I realise just how imposing the mountains are; it’s quite a change from the hills of New Caledonia. It’s…
For the final long run of my training programme, I’m sticking to the Ouen Toro route. The aim is to complete it in 3 hours 10 minutes with 900 metres of elevation gain. I’m feeling a bit tired, so I’m taking my time. As a result, I set off at midday… I start off on…
Having reached the peak of my training, I’m going back to two sessions at the weekend, with more reasonable durations. Even so, things aren’t going to go quite as planned. Day 1: the usual round trip to Mont-Dore 3 hours 50 minutes – 1,400 m elevation gain Set off with a friend. The weather is…
This weekend’s session is the longest single-day run of this training programme, clocking up 9 hours 10 minutes and 2,310 metres of elevation gain. For this session, I’m doing a round trip along the GR1, setting off from Dumbéa Park. I’m feeling the fatigue build up, but I’m starting the day feeling less tired than…
Here we go again for a long two-day session – 5 h 30 mins and 1,400 metres of elevation gain – 7 h 20 mins and 1,850 metres of elevation gain Once again, Mont Dore – this place is particularly well-suited to training. In one and the same spot, you can vary the types of session you…
This weekend, I’m doing the same loop as last Sunday: Pic aux Chèvres – Les Éoliennes – Plum – La Corniche – Mont Dore. The aim for today is to complete this loop in less time. Firstly, by avoiding the same route mistakes, and secondly, by picking up the pace. This time I’ve only got…
This weekend, an ‘Intensive Block’ session with even more distance. On the programme: – Day 1: 4 hours 35 minutes and 1,200 metres of elevation gain– Day 2: 6 hours 35 minutes and 1,600 metres of elevation gain Mont-Dore with a partner For this first session, I was joined by a friend. We’ve already done…
From this weekend onwards, the long sessions really start to live up to their name: the intensity is ramping up. On the programme: – Day 1: 1 hr 45 mins and 440 D+ – Day 2: 4 hr 50 mins and 1,200 D+ Ouen ToroAs usual, I did this session on Ouen Toro to string…
Whilst I’m feeling increasingly sharp, I’m also starting to feel the fatigue. Since June, this has been noticeable on both the DMBA trail and the Cagous trail. But I’m struggling to regain my form, even though I’ve cancelled a few basic endurance training sessions. During yesterday’s long run – with a target of 4 hours…
A two-day long run: balancing physical preparation and mental training This week, my long run is spread over two days – an approach that allows me to gradually prepare my body for prolonged exertion without putting too much strain on it. The advantage? An effective training load that’s less taxing on the body. In practical…
