Day 4: Rest & Recovery

 

First rest and recovery is here! After 3 days of relative high effort, one day to take it easy, recharge and loosen up the muscles. I say the first days were relative high effort because they still don’t compare to what is to come, real long and steep mountains to really challenge our endurance. 

I woke up today after a very good sleep. I felt refreshed but my legs were really stiff and the muscles moving like stones. So, after a very big breakfast I decided to go for a very easy ride. I looked for a route as flat as possible that I could do in around 2 hours. I did it in a very easy way, keeping my heart rate no higher than 120 bpms. And mostly around 100 bpm to get the lactic acid out of the muscles. And it worked perfectly. I feel I’m ready for tomorrow.

And if this isn’t clear yet, I am enjoying a lot this experience.  It is challenging and it will get harder. But the sense of accomplishment, that the training of the last 9 months is paying off and the group vibe is making it fantastic. The preparation to be ready on time, the ritual of washing the kit, the food decisions and everything around the stories of the day from the guys is great. Every day I go to bed happy and wake up eager to go.

DAY 5 - 3 long mountains, 2.500 vertical meters of climbing and 120 kms in distance. This is the first day that resembles a queen stage of the Tour de France. We will go thru the Col de Peguere, Col de la Core and Col de Portet d’Aspet.   Consecutively 13 kms, 14 kms and finally 18 kms before descending to our hotel in Aspet. The climbs are not extremely steep, only going around 9% of inclination for 3 or 4 kms, staying mostly around 6 and 7%. But they are long and I will need to pace carefully. The bad news is that the forecast is for rain and with those mountains being above 1000 meters, it is going to be cold. jackets and big gloves are mandatory.

Tomorrow profile will have no flats

The first climb of the day with cold legs and constant inclination.

Second mountain is the one Im scared..

UPDATE - due to bad weather we have an option to avoid the Col de La Core and go for a punchier Col de Portet from the city of Alos. That is 3 kms with gradients around 12 and 14 %. This will be harder to climb but less dangerous and being lower, making it hopefully warmer. 

The famous Col de Portet d’Aspet will be a long drag with tired legs. And the last 4 kms are going to hurt. 

FOIX - our rest day is in Foix, on the foot steps of the actual Pyrenees. A medium size city with medieval history, a big castle and a lot of stores and restaurants. After my ride I did a stroll in the city and it was full of people, even with temperatures around 30 C. Mostly I think the tourists were French and all good and civilized. I like it. Good pizza with coffee and back to hotel to put my legs to rest.