This summer we went to the Alps on holiday, we stayed in Abondance in the French alps near the border with Switzerland. When we planned the trip i did toy with taking my bike as this would be an opportunity to cycle the Alps however as my running was picking up i decided against it as thought it would be better, for me, to run. Part of this thinking was that bang-for-buck running gives more. You need to cycle a long time to get the same benefits/rewards from a fitness perspective and basically i am just more of a runner.
I managed four runs while we were in the Alps. The first i just ran on the road up the valley turned around and ran back. The hill was long and i could have continued for another 3-4 miles uphill easily before running out of hill. It was easier than i was expecting because while long the gradient was not too harsh. My mph/kph was slow but consisten and it felt good. The run ended up being 7.5miles at 8.20/mi pace.
The reward was the view across the valley as the sun came over the mountains. Dawn had broken but being in the valley the sun was not yet high enough to drench it in sunlight and warmth. I did pack my arm warmers at the last minute and was glad as i definitely needed them at the start of the run. It was stunning being on a quiet alpine road watching the sun creep across the valley floor.
My second run i decided to run to the top; the top of the road, top of the Alp and the France/Swiss border. This was a tough run; it took me just over an hour to run to the top. A long steady climb through La Chappelle and La Chatel. Past the many sports shops packed with Salomon goodies, past the bakeries and patisseries whose early morning aroma's wafted into the streets making it very difficult not to stop. Thankfully i was not carrying any Euro's otherwise i may have just stopped somewhere in a pastry haze.
As the top got closer there was a distinct absence of buildings and the switch backs started. This was excellent running, it was starting to feel difficult but the top was almost visible. Reaching the top, the view was, like so many we saw on this holiday, just breath-taking. The sun just peeking over the top of the mountains, rays of light cutting through the dewy morning in the valley. Bright blue skies overhead and so many pine trees standing to attention.
Turnaround at the top and then a run down. This was really difficult. My quads were feeling bad and i really struggled to get any sort of flow on the downhill. That much downhill on asphalt was not ideal.
I was marginally faster coming down but there was only about 5 minutes in it which for the effort involved in getting to the top was not what i was expecting. This got me thinking about the difference in running hills compared to flat. I listen to a lot of podcasts that talk about the elevation gain and loss on long runs in terms of thousands of feet. Back home the hills top out at just under 1,000ft which is nothing. I realised that on holiday. It also means that you need to factor that into your thinking. A mile on the flat in 6-7 minutes is great, make that mile cover 500-700ft and time is irrelevant. It's also evident that there is a definite skill to running downhill.
My third run was the most normal run. Pushed for time and wanting something a bit easier i ran the 2.5 miles down to the nearest village along a tow-path then turned around and ran back on the road. A flat course that was, actually, on completion a little disappointing, when i got back i felt like an opportunity had passed. I should have run up hill somewhere.
The final run was the best and actually proved beyond doubt the skill and technique involved in running hills and trails and how little time matters. I drove to La Chatel and then from behind the cable car station picked up a trail towards the top. My plan was to run to the top of the Alp on the trails and then come straight back down. We had done this the day before going up in the cable car and chair lift and then walking down.
The trails heading up were a mix of paths and single track. The early part was pretty technical crossing a dry river bed and the negotiating lots of tree roots on the single track. As i broke through onto the trail (which was a wide dirt path with gravel and stones) there was a chap just ahead of me. He slowed and we said hello and then ran together. He was a french man also on holiday and was only running part of the way up. We ran together having a pigeon conversation (his English was excellent whereas my French is merd). We parted and i continued. The first point of note being Super-Chatel where the cable car stops. From there it's a chair lift to the top or in my case some steep trails.
There were a number of trails in all directions including ont that took you into Switzerland and pointed out that you needed a passport to continue. Tempting as this was i wanted to get to the top. The path under the chair lift looked really steep but was the only way up. As i got closer i realised that it was initially steep but becoming a series of switch backs.
I arrived at the top. I was the only person there. The cable-car and chair lifts were not operating as yet and so there was no-one. Not even the employees who operate the lifts were around. Looking around the view (there it is again) was probably the best ever. Snow capped mountains in one direction, sun-drenched Alps in the other and, of course, the valley. I have had experiences like this before, notably when cycling in Majorca where i have felt that i could understand why people would believe in a god. When you are faced with something so serene and peaceful and you are there alone it really does feel quite spiritual.
What goes up must come down and so i started to make my descent, coming down the way i went up. I then spotted some different trails down and came down through a wooded section. I started to see runners and hikers making their way up. All carrying and using ski-poles which made me envious as i love kit and the Salomon pack that i was using for the first time (having bought it in La Chatel the day before) had holders for poles.
Arriving in La Chatel the plan was that i would stop at one of the bakeries and buy breakfast before heading back to the apartment. A selection of crossaints and pastries including a stunning vanilla custard tart were bought - probably the best breakfast on holiday!
There was time for one more run on holiday when we were in Paris on the return journey. Having been out for the day we went back to the hotel to have some down-time and relax before going out in the evening for dinner. I'm not very good at doing nothing so grabbed my kit and headed out for an hour.
We were staying in Montparnasse, a business district to the (i think) south of the city. I looked at a map and decided to get onto the river bank, run to the Eiffel Tower and then back. What i forgot was that i have a lousy sense of direction and while the road names on the map made sense once i was out they may as well have been in Greek. Not to worry i though - if i keep going in one direction i will eventually end up somewhere scenic. Not So!
I ran for just over 30 minutes in one direction and never saw a thing. Lots of bars, shops and people but nothing recognisable. It was, frankly, like running through Birmingham. I would have thought it was impossible to run for an hour in Paris and not see anything yet that is exactly what i managed to do.
