Third time’s the charm? Could the proverb be true, and was I sure to succeed at a task or event on the third try? After 2015 and 2016, I lined up at the Mont-Blanc Vertical KM in Chamonix again in 2017, intent on improving my ascent time for this race that goes up 1000m of…
Category: KMV
Race report: KM Vertical du Mont-Blanc
[osm_map_v3 map_center=”45.93,6.857″ zoom=”15″ width=”100%” height=”500″ file_list=”../../../../wp-content/uploads/2016/06/activity_1227001334.gpx” file_color_list=”blue”] If you’ve done something once and then set out to do it again, the expectation is that you’ll do better. Otherwise, why bother, right? For the second year in a row, I was in Chamonix, France for the “KM Vertical du Mont-Blanc”, a vertical kilometer race that ascends…
Race report: Mont-Blanc Vertical Kilometer in Chamonix
In a vertical kilometer race, or kilomètre vertical (KMV) as it’s sometimes referred to in France, the goal is to ascend 1000m of elevation by running (or walking) the shortest possible route on roads or trails. For the Mont-Blanc Vertical Kilometer, the route starts at the Place de l’église just outside the city center at…
Update on Vertical Training
I was going to call this “update on KMV training”, but in my scheduled and tentative races for this year only one out of a potential four events is a true “KMV”, meaning a climb of 1km vertical distance over as short of a distance as possible. But no matter the exact specifics, all my…
Pico de la Zarza, Fuerteventura (#3)
As a former competitive sprinter, I find that I still strive on challenges, and attempting to beat the clock. With my GPS watch troubles on my second ascent of Pico de la Zarza two days prior that prevented not just a comparison to my previous effort but also others; and the knowledge that so far…
Pico de la Zarza, Fuerteventura (#2)
Two days after my walk/run up Pico de la Zarza, the achilles tendon was slowly getting manageable again and I was pondering another run or hike. For a while, I was telling myself that I was too tired for a big effort; but then decided to just go for it anyway. While packing my running…
Pico de la Zarza, Fuerteventura
We’re currently vacationing on Fuerteventura. I set out once more to ascend the island highpoint, Pico de la Zarza (807m) – for the third time on our third stay on the island. I parked my rental car just off the roundabout on the FV-2 highway. This is the start of the main Strava segment, and…
Preparing for the Chamonix Vertical KM – a lengthy preliminary analysis
In late 2014, I signed up for the Chamonix Vertical KM. While my left achilles tendon has not been happy lately (this is a subject that would merit a blog post on its own), I need to start thinking about how I want to solidify my training approach for this challenge. As of today, there…