Training Log Archive: coach ld

Early uphill ride to Sur-le-Bois and a bit beyond past the weather station. Beautiful morning again, spectacular panoramic view from the village down to the valley. Slow up, fast down. Then Wee, E , Leanimal and I went to a very cool water park outside of town. It was an impressive compound of several pools including one with a lot of bubbles, a current pool that carried us along, and several slides of varying lengths, pitches some windy some straight. It was kid-heaven! And pretty good for adults too:)
And then... the family took me out for a "surprise" this evening. I was sent running off the edge of a cliff called Planfait , attached to a complete stranger with a parapente on his back. The wind caught the thin sheet of nylon attached by thin strings and lifted us up then we gently floated for while, while I hooted and said "wow!" over and over. I got to "steer" for a while and then my guide said we'd do some acrobatics and we spun wildly for a few seconds until I said I thought I might throw up. We caught a gust and flew a bit longer before slowly drifting downward to land in a field right where the car was. All just ahead of a thunderstorm that rumbled behind us. Amazing!

C • Pictures! 6

Up early and it was yet another spectacular summer morning - clear blue sky, sun rising behind Mt. Veyrier . The lake trail was quiet. I rode just past the sailing/kayak club to a conservation-type area, locked the bike and ran on a trail to the lake then along it in the woods for a few km. It was very nice and I came out at a pretty beach. So I jumped in and swam 1/2 km then ran another km and jumped in and swam about 800m. Got out and ran back on the trail to another spot where I jumped in again and swam another 1/2 km or so. in gorgeous clear blue-green water. Then ran back to the bike and rode home:). Just in time for a trip to the beach with GG, E, Wee and Leanimal. It was great day to be by and in the water. A perfect summer day at the beach, with kids, a nice breeze, and cool clear water. I swam another 1/2 km there.
Wee and I biked down to the lake again this evening for a dip too.

Lakeshore conservation area trail.

Swim-run. Fun.

I had agreed to drive to Geneva airport to pick up Phatty and Leanimal this afternoon - with help. Phatty had asked an American friend who had to pick up his family at the airport at about the same time if I could follow him. But I had to get to his house first. Given my recent efforts a trying to read road signs here I decided Id try biking, when there was very little traffic, to find the place so that I could stop and look for the not-very-obvious street names at the roundabouts. It's impossible in a car. I did pretty well on the bike and did find the place:). Then I biked on the lake trail. It was lovely as always. Pretty hard not to smile when the sun rises up over the peaks, illuminating the mist on the mountains, and warming the pretty garden plots, while hot air balloons drift lazily up, up, up and the lake shimmers turquoise blue below. Magical as Hermes would say.

C • Magical 1

Nice evening swim at the Petit Port as the sun was setting behind the mountains, after a welcome-home dinner for Leanimal and Phatty. Their kids were very happy to have them back.

C • The Heroes are Home! 2

Not a lot of pop in th legs this morning so I just walked on the lakeside trail. Another beautiful early morning in paradise:). Early in Annecy is anytime before about 10. Except the cheese store I passed which opened at 7:30. It was gorgeous in there. Dairy art. So I spent some money.

After playing at the beach with Wee and E I did a good swim while they basked on the warm rocks - with Grandma of course. It was lovely.

Thunderstorms were forecast for this afternoon so I headed futon the bike early to beat the rain. I wanted to get a picture of the castle in Bluffy so I rode that way and then when I saw a sign that said 10km to Col de la Forclaz I thought "I can ride 10 km more". The next 3 kms were hilly but doable an dit was a gorgeous morning. The sun was just rising behind the Veyrier and the turquoise lake below was shimmering. I turned up the road to Col de la Forclaz and that's when i saw a sign that said "6%/7km". There was a helpful and encouraging sign that said 6% grade every km after that, but it started feeling like 16% at the 3km-left mark. Then it felt like 60% for the last couple. I'm pretty sure I've never done as long and steep a climb as that. I had to stop 3 times in the final km and rest. But I did make it to the village at close to 1500m and the view was worth it:). Coming down was almost worse. My hands were cramping trying to brake and I may have worn out Leanimal's brakes. They were certainly starting to squeak loudly! I was about 1/2 hour faster coming back.
And Wee and E and GG were pretty stoked to wake up and discover Phatty and Leanimal had finished the Nordic Islands AR - in 9th!! Wow.

Another spectacular summer day! Rode south along the lake on the rail trail, and then on to Balmettes. A quiet town still in the valley, surrounded by farm fields ringed with mountains. Even saw a snow-capped one. Stopped for a cafe then turned around and rode back. So nice.

Quick km after a picnic lunch on the boardwalk at Petit Port:)

I headed up to the Talabar intending to go up further but ended up going further across, then down into Veyrier du Lac. It was an awesome afternoon with some pretty views of the turquoise lake, and a continuous parade of pretty parapents drifting and dropping down the valley. I ran back from Veyrier on the lake trail and then jumped in the lake for another swim before stopping at the boulangerie for a croissant amande:)
Then Wee, E, and GG had another adventure with me driving them to Bluffy for dinner at Jayne's. What a beautiful house on the side of the mountain. Lovely dinner, and finished off with a cheese plate that would've made Goose drool. So much rich creamy cheese. One even had truffles in it. Who needs dessert when you have a million calories worth of expensive cheese after dinner?