Bonus trip

One of the things I love to hear from clients is when they have achieved something from their training that wasn’t a goal nor something we had specifically trained for. Like managing to run for the tram without being out of breath, being able to move things easier than before, carrying out a DIY task that they hadn’t managed to do before. All these incidental wins are also big achievements worthy of celebrating.

Earlier in the year, I was invited on a cycle trip that took place a few weeks ago. It was to cycle Alpe D’Huez in the French Alps. If you don’t know it, it is a famous cycle climblasting 13.9 kilometers, with a total ascent of 1,118 meters and 21 hairpin bends. Some people may also know it as a ski resort.

I didn’t have the opportunity to train specifically for this, so, like my clients, this was something I couldn’t plan for, but I had to make the most of the training I had, like an incidental bonus. I did two half-distance triathlons this year, so hopefully that would be enough. (You can see my race reports on Instagram here and here.) I have done some climbs on my bike before but this was going to be the hardest so far.

The trip itself consisted of three days of cycling. We chose to do the Alpe D’Huez climb on the middle day, as we could do it at the start of the day and be home before it started raining. The climb itself started really tough and I wondered if I really had enough gears to get up the whole way. I had briefly forgotten that someone told me it would be tougher at the start. Once I remembered this, I knew I’d be ok to keep going. At each hairpin bend, it briefly gets a little flatter, so you get a fairly regular respite on the way up. According to the official Alpe D’Huez Strava segment, one hour and 18 minutes later I was at the top. And according to my training peaks account, it was my all time 60-minute highest power! There is nothing like being forced to keep going by a never ending incline.

It was a really special occasion to do this with my friends. And it is a great feeling to be able to do a physical challenge that you are fit enough to complete without extra training. Have you been able to complete something unexpected because you had been training regularly?