ENGLISH
Another training step towards UTMB: the Gran Trail Valdigne.
This exciting and challenging ultra trail race is organized by Courmayeur Trailers, a sport association from Courmayeur, Valle d’Aosta, Italy. They also organize the North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc together with their French partner, the Arrancabirra, an autumn 19K race, and the Winter Eco Trail, a winter race. Check out their website to know more: www.grantrailvaldigne.it/index.php?Language=EN
The Gran Trail Valdigne is a 87K (54 miles) with an elevation gain of 5.100 meters (16.732 feet) starting in Courmayeur city centre and arriving in Courmayeur Dolonne. The race goes by 4 mountain passes above 2.350 meters (7.709 feet): Liconi Col at 2.670 meters (8.759 feet), Testa Fetita at 2.623 meters (8.605 feet), Croce Col at 2.381 meters (7.811 feet) and Arp Col at 2.571 meters (8.435 feet). It’s a kind of double ring-shaped trail: a first ring with 2 passes on the northern side of Val Digne and the second ring with 2 passes on the southern side of Val Digne.
The race started with a steep uphill to reach Liconi Col. In just 8K we gained 1.446 meters! Despite the weather forecast, in this first part of the race the sun was shining. This caused me some physical problems: heat, pain in my calves as usual and demoralization. I confess: I was already thinking about giving up! The first downhill fostered me. I started passing some people and my self confidence came back. During the second big uphill, at the check point, I asked my place: 85. Considering the number of entrants (425) it was not so bad. The second downhill was quite easy. We arrived in La Salle and then we had an easy 5K to reach Morgex (a pleasant dirty road). From Morgex to Pre Saint Didier there was a little uphill and a very short downhill to the city centre. In this part of the race we had the first big shower. It was raining a lot and I arrived at the check point in Pre Saint Didier completely wet. Then I started climbing the mountain to reach Arpy and Croce Col. In the first part of the uphill we had another big shower for about half an hour. I arrived at the Arpy check point and I changed both shorts and t-shirt. Obviously, after this change, it was not raining anymore! During the last part of the uphill to Croce Col I had another bad moment. My legs where hurting and my mental condition was fading. At the top of Croce Col I asked the organization volunteers about the last uphill. They showed me the last mountain to climb and I thought I will have finished the race: the last uphill was not the worst one. Then I runt down to La Thuile, a mountain village quite know for perfect sky grounds. After La Thuile check point, I put my head lamp on and started climbing the last col. It was 9 p.m. and I was feeling good. At about 12 p.m., the volunteers at the top of the Col were so kind to give me half a panino with salami to let me attack in force the very last downhill, 10K with 1.374 meters down. This one was probably the most technical and difficult downhill of my short trail running life. Mud, rocks everywhere, dark and 77K in my legs!
I finished the race in 51st place. I’m happy about my result, but probably it time to analyze a little bit my performance.
Entrants: 425 runners, at the starting line 387, arrived at the end 257. So some 130 runners give up along the race! A 33%! At the end I was in the 20%, a very good result for me, considering my poor mountain training. Analyzing the time differences (from a check point to the next one) between me and the winner (Massimo Tagliaferri) I can easily identify my worst and best race sections.
Another training step towards UTMB: the Gran Trail Valdigne.
This exciting and challenging ultra trail race is organized by Courmayeur Trailers, a sport association from Courmayeur, Valle d’Aosta, Italy. They also organize the North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc together with their French partner, the Arrancabirra, an autumn 19K race, and the Winter Eco Trail, a winter race. Check out their website to know more: www.grantrailvaldigne.it/index.php?Language=EN
The Gran Trail Valdigne is a 87K (54 miles) with an elevation gain of 5.100 meters (16.732 feet) starting in Courmayeur city centre and arriving in Courmayeur Dolonne. The race goes by 4 mountain passes above 2.350 meters (7.709 feet): Liconi Col at 2.670 meters (8.759 feet), Testa Fetita at 2.623 meters (8.605 feet), Croce Col at 2.381 meters (7.811 feet) and Arp Col at 2.571 meters (8.435 feet). It’s a kind of double ring-shaped trail: a first ring with 2 passes on the northern side of Val Digne and the second ring with 2 passes on the southern side of Val Digne.
The race started with a steep uphill to reach Liconi Col. In just 8K we gained 1.446 meters! Despite the weather forecast, in this first part of the race the sun was shining. This caused me some physical problems: heat, pain in my calves as usual and demoralization. I confess: I was already thinking about giving up! The first downhill fostered me. I started passing some people and my self confidence came back. During the second big uphill, at the check point, I asked my place: 85. Considering the number of entrants (425) it was not so bad. The second downhill was quite easy. We arrived in La Salle and then we had an easy 5K to reach Morgex (a pleasant dirty road). From Morgex to Pre Saint Didier there was a little uphill and a very short downhill to the city centre. In this part of the race we had the first big shower. It was raining a lot and I arrived at the check point in Pre Saint Didier completely wet. Then I started climbing the mountain to reach Arpy and Croce Col. In the first part of the uphill we had another big shower for about half an hour. I arrived at the Arpy check point and I changed both shorts and t-shirt. Obviously, after this change, it was not raining anymore! During the last part of the uphill to Croce Col I had another bad moment. My legs where hurting and my mental condition was fading. At the top of Croce Col I asked the organization volunteers about the last uphill. They showed me the last mountain to climb and I thought I will have finished the race: the last uphill was not the worst one. Then I runt down to La Thuile, a mountain village quite know for perfect sky grounds. After La Thuile check point, I put my head lamp on and started climbing the last col. It was 9 p.m. and I was feeling good. At about 12 p.m., the volunteers at the top of the Col were so kind to give me half a panino with salami to let me attack in force the very last downhill, 10K with 1.374 meters down. This one was probably the most technical and difficult downhill of my short trail running life. Mud, rocks everywhere, dark and 77K in my legs!
I finished the race in 51st place. I’m happy about my result, but probably it time to analyze a little bit my performance.
Entrants: 425 runners, at the starting line 387, arrived at the end 257. So some 130 runners give up along the race! A 33%! At the end I was in the 20%, a very good result for me, considering my poor mountain training. Analyzing the time differences (from a check point to the next one) between me and the winner (Massimo Tagliaferri) I can easily identify my worst and best race sections.
ITALIANO
Ecco concluso un altro “allenamento” in vista dell’UTMB: il Gran Trail Valdigne.
Questa difficile e bellissima gara ultra trail è organizzata dai Courmayeur Trailers, un’associazione di Courmayeur. Sono le stesse persone che organizzano la North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc insieme ai loro colleghi francesi, la Arrancabirra, una gara autunnale di 19 km e la Winter Eco Trail, in pieno inverno. Se volete avere notizie più approfondite andate su www.grantrailvaldigne.it/
Il Gran Trail Valdigne è una gara di 87 km con un dislivello positivo e negativo di 5.100 metri. La partenza avviene dal centro di Courmayeur, mentre l’arrivo è situato a Dolonne, a poche centinaia di metri dal paese. La gara passa attraverso 4 colli al di sopra di 2.350 metri: il colle Liconi a 2.670 metri, Testa Fetita a 2.623 metri, il colle Croce a 2.381 metri e il colle Arp a 2.571 metri. In sostanza si tratta di un percorso a otto: un primo anello nella parte nord della Val Digne, un secondo anello nella parte sud.
La gara inizia subito con un ripida salite per il colle Liconi. In soli 8 km si sale di 1.446 metri! Nonostante le infauste previsioni meteo, in questa prima parte della gara il sole si è fatto vedere a lungo. Questa sorpresa iniziale mi ha provocato alcuni problemi: caldo, dolore ai polpacci come sempre e demoralizzazione. Ebbene sì, lo confesso: già in questa fase stavo pensando al ritiro! Arrivata la prima discesa dopo il lago Liconi, ho riguadagnato la motivazione persa e anche alcune posizioni. Nel corso della seconda importante salita della gara, al check point, ho potuto scoprire la mia posizione parziale: 85mo. Considerato il numero degli iscritti (425) non era così male. La seconda discesa è stata abbastanza facile e scorrevole. Arrivato nel fondovalle, a La Salle, ho percorso alcuni chilometri (5 km) su una piacevolissima strada sterrata pedonale per raggiungere Morgex.. Da Morgex a Pre Saint Didier c’era una breve ma intensa salita e un paio di tornanti in discesa per raggiungere il centro del paese. Proprio in questo tratto c’è stato il primo temporale torrenziale. Al check point di Pre Saint Didier ero completamente bagnato. Da qui, ho iniziato l’impegnativa salita (quella verso il terzo colle delle gara) per raggiungere Arpy e poi il colle Croce. Nella prima parte della salita altro temporale: pioggia, pioggia, ancora pioggia e anche un po’ di freddo per almeno mezz’ora. Arrivato al check point coperto, al rifugio dell’Arpy, mi sono completamente cambiato, sia i pantaloncini che la t-shirt. Naturalmente, dopo tutto lo sbattimento, uscito dal rifugio mi sono accorto che ormai non pioveva più! Da Arpy al colle ho avuto un altro brutto momento di crisi. Le gambe non andavano più e la motivazione era rimasta al caldo del rifugio. In cima al colle Croce mi sono fatto indicare dai volontari l’ultima salita, dall’altro lato della valle. Mi hanno mostrato il percorso e mi sono accorto che sarei riuscito a finire la gara: l’ultima salita infatti non sembrava essere così massacrante come le precedenti. Ho corso giù verso La Thuile e dopo il check point ho messo la lampada frontale e iniziato l’ultima fatica. Erano le 9 di sera e stavo bene. A mezzanotte circa ho raggiunto il colle Arp dove i gentilissimi volontari mi hanno offerto un pezzo del loro squisito panino al salame che mi ha dato la forza per attaccare l’ultima discesa: 10 km con 1.374 metri di dislivello negativo. Quest’ultima è stato probabilmente la discesa più tecnica e difficile della mia breve vita di trail runner. Fango, rocce ovunque, buio e 77 km nelle mie gambe!
Ho finito la gara al 51mo posto. Molto contento del risultato, ma probabilmente è giunto il momento di capire dove posso migliorare e come.
Numero iscritti: 425, partiti in 387, arrivati al traguardo in 257. Quindi circa 130 partecipanti hanno abbandonato la gara! Il 33% dei partenti. Alla fine sono quindi rimasto nel 20% di tutti coloro che hanno terminato la gara, un ottimo risultato per me, soprattutto se si considera il mio allenamento quasi esclusivamente in pianura. Analizzando le differenze di tempo di percorrenza delle varie sezioni (da un check point all’altro) tra me e il vincitore (Massimo Tagliaferri) posso tranquillamente individuare dove sono andato meglio e dove potevo cedere meno.
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