Training Begins

I won’t be writing every day about this, probably about once/week to avoid the boredom of the reader(s).

i arrived in Lucern on July 17 to begin 5 weeks of training as preparation for the Tour du Month Blanc. My biggest concern is making those days of 4000 feet increases and 5000 feet decreases in elevation, especially as I’m not as fit as I was 3 years ago. To make matters worse, I am quite ill with a bronchile-type infection, probably caught off Chris.

At first glance my little efficiency was really sub standard - no oven, no air conditioning, far from town. The brown towers are where my apartment is located.

Now after a week, I think it is really perfect. There is a gym and food market right next door. The bus to the center of town stops right in front. Because I managed to force the

“Host” to get me 3 Lucern visitors cards the buses are free - which is good because everything here is SO expensive. There isn’t air con, but there is an oscillating fan which is good enough. Best is that I’m only a mile to hiking that reaches the altitudes required and has very good paths.

The only unfortunate thing is that we are experiencing a heat way - most days in the high 80s, so I have to leave on hiking days at about 6am to get back before it gets too hot.

My schedule starts on Monday with a hike-altitude and length depends on my mood, but at least 5 miles and at least 1000 feet. Wednesday workout is similar. Tuesdays and Fridays are weight workouts, Exodus recommended workout and an hour on the stair master at the gym. Saturday is my long/high hike where I work to 12 miles and over 4000 elevation gain. Now that I was able to borrow a yoga mat from the club I’ll be able to continue daily yoga and meditation sessions.

Here are some photos and videos from my first “shake down” hike

The cows wear bells and here’s a short video so you can hear them. Sorry for the deep breathing….remember, I have a chest infection.

I forgot to say I get 2 days off a week - Thursdays and Sundays - and I use these for site seeing. Lucern is a pretty city and here are some shots that include my lunch on Saturday of home made sangria and tap water in a funny bottle. I had cheese fondue for 1 which would have fed an army. I didn’t get a picture of the fondue because I was busy protecting it from bee and flies

The weather, on some counts, has been quite spectacular and we’ve had 2 thunderstorms. I thought the first one would uproot this tree! There was even some pea size hail.

My hike today was 11.5 miles and 3100 feet elevation gain. I thought I would die, but it was a beautiful hike that started with hot air balloons and at the top was a restaurant - one very nice things about European hiking, especially near a ski lift, there is a restaurant at the top to buy a drink, watch others, and rest for the trip down. Not much in the way of wildlife, but there was this rather impressive snail:). More next week.