Chamonix Archives - Page 2 of 3 - My Healthy, Happier Life

ashleyd / June 17, 2014

Geneva Triathlon Training– Overdosing

I still haven’t figured out what to truly call this weekly training recap since I’m currently training for 3 events which all require a bit of a different focus.

Mt Blanc 10k trail race – June 28th – Chamonix, France
Geneva Sprint Triathlon – July 19th – Geneva, Switzerland
Berlin Marathon – September 28th – Berlin, Germany

Regardless what we title it, this week’s post definitely shows how much I overdosed on training last week. I let the amazing weather, great friends, positive peer pressure, and new bikes lure me outside one too many times in addition to my actual marathon training plan. Monday morning was the first time that training for these 3 events at the same time stressed me out. In fact up until now I’ve looked at training for all 3 as a positive. I feel like both the trail running and triathlon training have helped be build a stronger than normal marathon base both physically and mentally. But, when I woke up Monday morning I realized just how much I pushed my body last week.

It’s Tuesday and my body still feels wrecked from last week’s workouts which isn’t the best way to start a new training week. I’m using this as a learning experience and making sure that I scale things back a little bit. At the end of the day, I want to enjoy these three races though Berlin Marathon is my primary focus.

Monday: The 6 mile tempo run plan was 2 miles easy – 2 miles at 8:53 – 2 miles easy In the end I ended up running 2 warm-up miles at 9:45, 1 mile at 8:46, 1 mile at 8:56, and the final 2 miles at 9:40. Even in the late afternoon heat I felt strong and really enjoyed this tempo run.

Tuesday: 1600 meter swim in the morning followed by 90 minutes of hot power yoga in the evening

Wednesday: My Speed workout plan was 1.5 mile warm-up followed by 4 x 400 at 8:08 pace sprints followed by a 1.5 mile cool down. I headed down to the lake for the speed portion since it’s convenient, straight and the views made it a perfect spot. I was able to maintain 7:40, 7:20, 6:59, and 7:52 pace. Everything clicked for this workout perfectly and I ran the whole thing with a ridiculous smile on my face even during the painful minutes.

Thursday: 2000 meter swim

Friday: Rest day

Saturday: An incredibly beautiful 10k trail run through Chamonix valley plus another 10k of trail running and hiking through Les Praz.

Sunday: A 29 mile bike ride including 3 steep climbs which definitely helped prepare me for the bike leg of the Geneva triathlon!

YOUR TURN: In preparation for this week’s long run, I’m on the hunt for new tunes. What song are you LOVING right now?

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ashleyd / June 15, 2014

Trail Running in Chamonix

Where do I even begin with this weekend’s activities? We certainly took advantage of the nice weather, that’s for sure! Both days deserve a dedicated post so today is all about Chamonix while tomorrow I’ll share our bike ride from hell, or the time my husband confused a flat 10 mile ride with a 29 mile ride including 3 steep climbs.

Yesterday morning after a hearty bowl of oats, I headed to Chamonix with three of my friends for a morning of trail running in preparation for the Mt. Blanc 10k in two weeks.

Renaud’s original plan for our group was to complete a 10k trail run in the Chamonix valley which would mimic the path of our upcoming race as best as possible. While it wasn’t the exact course he ensured that we had some elevation change and terrain that would challenge and prepare my legs.

The trail included a few inclines, shaded dirt trails, streams, and an adorable pup who we met in a small park towards the end. The group worked out perfectly as Emily and I were able to keep each other company on the trail without holding back Renaud and Ranald who are considerably faster. The below pictures are from the valley part of our adventure yesterday, which totaled 6.5 miles.

At this point, our plan was to jump in the car and drive back to Geneva; our 10k complete. I thought it silly to head back to Geneva after only an hour in Chamonix. We hopped in the Flegere cable car and headed up 3,000 feet to begin part two of our adventure at 6,200 feet! I am so thankful the group was okay tacking on more miles because the views were absolutely beautiful! For an hour and a half we crossed the top of Les Praz while doing a mix of running, scrambling across a few rocky areas, and hiking the steep inclines. By the time we reached 12 miles my legs were exhausted.

The outfit I chose for yesterday’s run will probably be the same thing I wear for the Mont Blanc 10k as everything worked perfectly. I absolutely love and would highly recommend the Salomon XR Mission for anyone looking for a beginner trail running shoe. My CEP Compression socks kept my legs and calves happy during the run and definitely helped speed up recovery.

A day trip to Chamonix is always one of my recommendations when we have guests as the trails are easy to navigate, the views are spectacular and there is a perfect mix of trail exploration and delicious restaurants in town to refuel.

The sun doesn’t set in Geneva until almost 10pm during the summer so weather like yesterday’s just beckons us to spend the evening outside. We met up with a few of our friends for drinks along the lake at La Terrasse followed by dinner at The Hamburger Foundation, enjoyed al fresco.

What a perfect Saturday with good friends and plenty of sunshine & fresh air!

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ashleyd / June 14, 2014

Silent Saturday–Chamonix Trail Running

I am so thankful for crazy, wonderful friends here in Geneva who are willing to wake up at 7am on a Saturday and drive 45 minutes to Chamonix for 10 miles of trails, sunshine, running, gorgeous views, and après run beers! Feeling quite blessed and am in a far better physical and mental state than last time we were hiking in Chamonix!