The Hills of Preuilly

There is one drawback to training for an alpine event when living in Preuilly sur Claise. We're not exactly blessed with alps. In fact, apart from a few exceptions we're ever so slightly lacking in hills of any kind.

I will list those exceptions (using the names we have given them):

Number1 on the list, and the hill I measure myself against is the Col de College. The first couple of weeks climbing this needed a stop about 3/4 of the way up to start breathing again. These days I can do it non-stop, and continue walking when I get to the top. It's a 10% average gradient, over 500 metres.

Number 2 is the track at Roux. This one starts off easily enough, but towards the end ramps up to about 25%. It's a good test, because it's an unmade road, the kind of surface we may encounter in Davos.

Number 3 comes in two parts: The first is a road that was used when the Grand Rue was having its roadworks, and the second part is a diversion half way along. The sealed surface part is a long slog*, with a 25% section in the middle

The second section is much more of a challenge - turn right where the road bends left, and you are greeted with a downhill section. Turn left where the tarmac runs out, and there is a "steep" rocky track. This one really burns, and could be the scene of some pretty intense action in spring next year.

There are other hills, but for the purpose of this exercise they need to be hills on quiet roads, where we are not in danger of: being mown down by someone driving and texting (you wouldn't believe how many people I have seen on the phone and driving); being shot at by hunters with bad eyesight; and where the hill is part of a circuit we can reasonably walk in a hour.

(*for this part of the world)

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Tuesday's Training Tales.

Although last week we both had a combination of sore throats and coughs and we worked two days - late in the season for us, but by no means the latest (that is next week) -we still managed 3 days of fast walking for just over 18km, and two visits tio the pool in Tours for 2,200 metres of swimming.