UTMB Nice Training: Mont Dore, as usual

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 want to do.

Mont Dore, Day 1

And for this first day, I’m setting out on two round trips to the summit.
The weeks of training are taking their toll and I’m already feeling tired. Despite everything, I settle into my usual pace – a leisurely one, really. And as always, I take the time to enjoy the scenery. That’s one of the joys of trail running, for me at least.

And bit by bit, I make my way to the summit.

I head back to my starting point, at the Plum Pass, and do the whole thing again for the second climb. If I wasn’t feeling sharp at the start, it doesn’t get any better as the metres tick by. But anyway, by adjusting my pace to suit how I’m feeling today, it goes quite well, actually.

Back at the starting point, I’ve reached my elevation gain target but not my time target… oh well, never mind – that’ll do for today; a nice nap awaits me 🙂

Mont Dore, Day 2

If I started off tired yesterday, I reckon it’s even worse today. I can feel… no, I know this session is going to be tough. But anyway, I’m not putting any pressure on myself; I’ll just do my usual loop and it doesn’t matter how long it takes.

The weather isn’t great; the Pic aux Chèvres is shrouded in clouds. I just hope I won’t be too cold at the top.

The climb feels longer than usual, but given my current fitness level, I reckon that’s to be expected, so I don’t make a big deal of it and just carry on.

By the time I reach the top of the Pic aux Chèvres, it’s clear: the whole ridge will be shrouded in clouds. Clouds I’ll leave behind as I head back down to Plum.

Once I reach the seaside, I follow the coast through Plum, then arrive at the Corniche; the weather deteriorates a bit further until I get caught in a proper downpour. At the start of the trail towards Mont Dore on the Corniche side, I take a moment to have a bite to eat, sheltering under a tree.

No sooner had I set off again than I got chatting to a bloke I regularly bump into on this route. As we talked, we realised we’d both been at the Tarawera Ultra Trail at the same time, though he’d done the 165 km race. He seems a nice bloke; I hope we’ll get the chance to train together. But for that to happen, I’ll need to improve a bit as we’re not at the same level.

Right, enough chatting – time to set off again, heading for Mont Dore: 3.5 km and about 600 metres of elevation gain. I turn off before reaching the radio masts.

And just like on the first part of the route, I set off without focusing on the summit but on each section instead. That makes the climb feel less long and difficult. I’m not aiming for any particular speed; I’m just trying not to lag behind. Little by little, I reach the turn-off, which means I’m heading back down. At that point, I let out a little smile of relief.

On this descent, I don’t run; I’m more in ‘active hiking’ mode. When I spot the large white building in the valley, I know I’m not far from the finish. And I notice that the Pic aux Chèvres still has its head in the clouds.

My finishing time for this week is in line with my current fitness level. But I’m still pleased with my run. Even if I didn’t set a record, I’ve worked on my mental strength during a dip in form. That’ll come in handy on the big day.