UTMB Nice Training preparation

Target

March marks the end of the rest period following the Tarawera Ultra. Now it’s time to prepare for the Nice 100M.

The UTMB in Nice, in France, covers 165 km with 8,900 meters of elevation gain. The route starts in Auron in the Mercantour National Park and ends at the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

This time, there will be a lot more elevation gain, so I need to incorporate enough strength training. That means I’m upping my routine to eight sessions a week, hoping the training load isn’t too heavy. Of course, the first few sessions will be fairly light. The principle remains the same: training must be progressive and consistent.

As I’m more used to being at the back of the pack than at the front of the race, my goal for this Ultra is simply to finish it. First of all, this is a first for me and, just like with the Tarawera in New Zealand, I want to prepare for this trail as well as possible so that I can enjoy the race rather than just endure it.

Training plan

The weekly schedule is as follows

• 2 strength training sessions
• 3 basic endurance sessions
• 2 interval training sessions
• 1 long run

I adjust the intensity of the sessions based on how I feel that day and any potential injuries.