The Marmotte with lots of running and hardly any cycling??

fylo

Some advice please!!

I have agreed to to the Marmotte next year with some mates, but I have also (un)luckily, got a place in the London Marathon.

I've got a new baby girl, so training for the marathon will take up all my spare time (aiming for a sub 4 hour). I'll really have very little chance to get out on the bike until about one month before the Marmotte.

I've done a few sportives before - Nove Colli, Fleshe Wallonie - and am used to long rides, but am I aiming too high here? I have to do the marathon - should I drop the Marmotte now or will I be able to squeeze round with lots of running training and only a little cycling??

Whaddaya reckon??

ded

Well, if you're a marathon runner then you must like pain so maybe.... :shock:

I can't say I would recommend it. I did the Marmotte with just a few long rides (>2.5 hours) but I did do a lot of shorter harder rides (1 - 2.5 hours) and that's still cycling! I am sure you could do it but if your mates have been cycling much more than you or you want to get a specific time/medal then one or more of you are going to come home disappointed I reckon. The trouble with the Marmotte is you can't really pootle around - riding those cols is hard and I think running just won't give you the 'oomph' in your legs to do them at any speed at all. How low do your gears go!?!?!?!

bigpikle

I did a half marathon at the start of the year after training all winter and very little cycling. I found it helped me get the weight off, and I didnt struggle aerobically when cycling, but what was missing was 'power' eg the ability to push a decent gear and keep speed up on the hills. It was only several months of cycling that helped me achieve that...

I think its the 'specificity' element of training that comes into play. Running just doesnt build the physical attributes needed to push a big gear or ride up hills. It builds the aerobic system to enable you to sustain exercise for longer periods but thats only so much help.

I think you'll struggle personally unless you get on the bike earlier and get some quality workouts in for a few months beforehand.

inseine

Well unless you're a very gifted cyclist I think you're mad! You need to be tapering 10 days before so your month is looking pretty short!

richa

Why just the month? VLM to Marmotte is 11 weeks?

This should be plenty to build on your already strong base with some long rides. Sub4 in April would fit nicely with a decent ride in July.

Also cycling can be good training for running so why not do some riding as part of your run training.

LikeUStoleIt

It can be done, for sure.

Find yourself an ironman training plan, take the swimming bit of it out and just do the bike and run bit between now and the marathon, then swap to the bike exclusively after that.

As a multiple time ironman myself, I find that the bike/run combination in training works pretty well. Alternating run and bike days helps to aid post-run recovery, and you certainly build a very solid endurance base.

Just make sure that you focus on the bike after the marathon, because marmotte is definitely not to be taken lightly. Riding up Alpert d'huez with 160k on the clock is tough.

Good luck!

fylo

Thanks all. Much appreciated.

Will definitely look for a good Ironman schedule. If I can replace some running with cycling in my marathon training then all to the good.

There is more time between them than I thought, so reckon it's on!

RichA - read your Marmotte 2008 experience. Ouch! Glad you conquered it the following year. It's definitely a ride to treat with respect!

mrushton

Ah, but the Nove Colle and fleche Wallone do not have long climbs neither are they at altitude. Galibier tops out at over 8000ft and you are climbing out of the Maurienne valley for a long time.

schweiz

In 2009 I did the Zürich Marathon on the last weekend in April in 4:05:54 and La Marmotte in 9:43:18.

From January 2009 I'd only run 74km in preparation for the Marathon which was my first (although I had done a half marathon in 2003 which I did train religiously for so I had more than an idea about was I was up against) I was more than fit enough from my cycling to complete the marathon. It started to hurt from about 31-32km but that seems to be par for the course for a marathon. In fact my biggest problem was not fitness but the fact that I'd only run about 30km beforehand in a new pair of trainers so I got blisters.

In terms of training for La Marmotte I had about 3000km with 32,000m of climbing on the road in my legs since the start of the year and it started to really hurt on the section between the base of Galibier and the foot of L'Alpe d'Huez. The climb up the Alpe for me was not an enjoyable experience at the time!

So from my experience, if you've only got time to train for one thing or the other, get on your bike and get some km in!

fylo

Righto.

Plan now is to give it a go. I'll have some time for a bit of hill training
after the marathon, and am going to swop at least one run a week for a decent ride over the next few months.

But, so I don't go the way of RichA on his first go, I'm going to try to keep it as mellow as I can, and if I get hoovered up by the broom wagon, so be it. My focus will be on a nice holiday rather than a beasting in the Alps. Going to spend a week out there with the family, so the ride won't be the be all and end all.

I'll let you know how it works out!

richa

fylo wrote:

But, so I don't go the way of RichA on his first go, I'm going to try to keep it as mellow as I can, and if I get hoovered up by the broom wagon, so be it. My focus will be on a nice holiday rather than a beasting in the Alps. Going to spend a week out there with the family, so the ride won't be the be all and end all.

Fylo, I have done the Marmotte 3 timers, finished twice. However, my 2008 attempt - when I didn't make it - passing out 1.5km short of the line was totally avoidable. I pushed to hard over the last 3k (lesson to self, no sprint finish required in a 10hr race) to try to ensure that I made Silver. As it happens I would have had 5+mins spare...

If you treat your Marathon training seriously, get fit & lose any excess weight, get in a long ride a week until the marathon, and then switch focus from April you will have set yourself up nicely for a great ride.

The following year I trained appropriately (In 2008 my first decent training ride was in May!), and was just a couple of minutes shy of Gold. Next year I am aiming to comfortably get a gold time.

vs4b

tell you what, i'll help - let me have your FLM place, so you can train properly for the biking of course...
:-)