My year in sport 2021
The year 2021 is coming to the end and like last year, my many small injuries did not allow me to be consistent throughout the year.
Story
I start my sporting year on January 2nd by running on icy trails. It's -2 °C outside with a feeling of -6 °C. In other words, it's freezing, but it's always nice to see the changing landscapes.
On my first road bike ride of the year, knee pain resurfaced.
A week later, it's snowing in the Aude. With a small group, we try to mount with mountain bikes to the top of Alaric, the local mountain, but I have to turn back 3 km from the top. The trails are icy and unlike the other members of the group who have electric mountain bikes, I slip and have no grip. The path is in the shadow and the freezing wind paralyzes me. It is -10 °C, I am very happy to come back down to warm up.
Quelques jours plus tard, nous prenons les VTT pour aller déjeuner chez ma grand-mère. Nous longeons le canal du midi et à cette période de l’année nous sommes tout seuls.
Février
I meet Charly alias Jean-Michel Triathlon on Instagram. He makes me discover the paths around his land: Paraza.
A few days later, direction the Netherlands for 1 week. While staying in the center of The Hague, I set myself my first challenge of 2021: run to the North Sea and run on the beach. The challenge is successful but it will have serious consequences thereafter.
My Dutch step parents are joining us in the Netherlands bringing the mountain bikes. Even though I am very cold I take this opportunity to explore the Dutch trails for 4 consecutive days of cycling.
Unfortunately it was a bit too much for my body. Back in France, two days later, I am out running but my achilles tendons and my right calf are very sore. I try 15 days of rest.
I take this opportunity to clean my road bike. For the first time, I take my cassette apart, remove the chain, and rub each part until it shines. The result is impressive! It’s like new.
Mars
The situation being always complicated to move to Canada, we decide to change plans and buy a motorhome to travel. I drive 175 km over 3 days to connect the Lot-et-Garonne to the Atlantic crossing the Dordogne, Charente and Charente-Maritime, before waiting for Meschers, near Royan north of the Gironde estuary.
When I had decided to take a big break from running, I let myself be tempted by one last outing along the fishermen's huts on stilts and their squares which had left me with wonderful memories a few years ago.
Then the bad news comes: a new confinement is planned in France. We have only been on the road for 1 week with our camping car, it would be very difficult to stand still for a month. We had planned to tour the Netherlands during the summer. We decide to bring this trip forward and take the opportunity to cross Luxembourg as well.
Avril
It is freezing cold in Luxembourg and the temperatures are negative. I pedal in the snow but have to cut an outing short because a snowstorm is paralyzing me. I wait quietly for the broom wagon in a bus shelter.
Welcomed by the rain in the Netherlands, I ride along the Belgian border to the German border. I have proof that it is not flat everywhere in the Netherlands. The province of Limburg, around Maastricht, is hilly and the landscapes are magnificent. I end the outing soaked but with a smile.
Two days later, as I walked up the German border, I caught a hailstorm on my head which forced me to stop under the shelter of a low wall. The downpour only lasts a few minutes, but it was enough to cover the floor with a white carpet.
West of Amsterdam, I cross the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, which is mainly made up of dunes and arid vegetation. This bike path is amazing. Only the Dutch are able to build such infrastructure for cyclists. I am amazed by the view of the North Sea and these lunar landscapes.
I then follow IJsselmeer, the largest lake in the Netherlands, which is 9.5 meters below sea level.
I end this beautiful adventure in the Netherlands by skirting the North Sea and passing in front of this lighthouse which reminds me of the red and white rocket of Tintin.
Tired of having sore buttocks on my bike, I made an appointment with a specialist in the Netherlands. It turns out he was a technician for the Dutch women's cycling team for 10 years. He lends me an SMP Dynamic saddle, changes the stem, and makes the necessary adjustments to make me feel better on the bike. SMP saddles are hollowed out in the center to reduce pressure on the sit bones and are hollowed out to keep a more stable posture
Mai
Back in France, I take another week of rest before tackling the new objective: the crossing of the Pyrenees by bike from the Basque Country to the Mediterranean Sea via the mountain pass route. This is one of my dreams that I hadn't dared to imagine until the opportunity presented itself.
My knees hurt, I repeatedly touch the specialist's settings and mount the saddle until I find the height where the pain is forgotten.
I reach the Mediterranean Sea after 12 days of cycling. The story of this great adventure can be found here. The next day, as I rest, I feel a totally new pain in my tibia. 3 days later I go mountain biking. The pain bothers me a little and goes up to the top of the tibia. I think it's periostitis. I'm giving myself a month off.
Juillet
We set off again on the roads with the camper. We go in Italy.
I ride between the olive groves around Lake Trasimeno.
I go around the Monte Argentario peninsula.
We also do beautiful hikes with breathtaking landscapes.
I ride along the Adriatic Sea.
I ride on the roads of the Italian Giro, in Campo Imperatore, in the Apennine mountains in the late afternoon until sunset. I am amazed by these grandiose large spaces. I want to keep stopping to take pictures and let the drone take off.
Août
By forcing open a huge glass jar an old thumb injury from 2017 wakes up: scaphoid fissure.
I climb the Stelvio Pass, the highest road pass in the Italian Alps, reaching an altitude of 2,758 meters. My injured thumb bothers me a lot but I managed a few acrobatic tricks to grab the gourd without the thumb and drink with my other four fingers, but it is not very comfortable.
We enjoy in the Italian Dolomites.
We discover the wonderful lakes of the Aosta Valley.
I climb the Col de l'Iseran, the highest road pass in the Alps and in Europe, which rises to 2,770 meters.
I climb the Col du Galibier via the Col du Télégraphe.
I climb the legendary Alpe d'Huez, and take the opportunity to continue to the magnificent Lac du Verney.
I end this beautiful series of alpine passes with the Iron Cross pass, which turns out to be a nice surprise. I didn’t see anyone the whole way up and discovered a beautiful landscape on the other side of the mountain.
It’s too much for my thumb. His condition worsened. I try 2 weeks of rest without much improvement. In fact, resting a hand with a 1 year old baby to care for is no easy task. To give myself a better chance of recovery, I decide to use the splint that I used in 2017 when I broke my elbow and scaphoid after a mountain bike fall. It allows me to immobilize my thumb to unload it.
Septembre
I stop riding my bike in September.
Tired of no longer being able to do sports, I try to run agin. My physical condition is catastrophic. I stop every 500 meters to get my breath back. Calf and tibia pain are moderate, but the achilles tendons are very painful the following days.
I just allow myself a short 3-kilometer jog around the Pointe du Raz, the second most westerly point in France, with my camera gear on my back to capture the sunset. The feelings of nightfall bring back fond memories of running half marathons at 5am before going to work few years ago.
Octobre
At the end of October, I motivate myself and resume mobility and calf strengthening exercises.
I am testing a new short-distance running recovery, stopping every 500 meters to walk and do some muscle building. The method seems to work. I run 3 times 5 kilometers in 4 days. A first for a long time. I feel like I'm learning to run again. Funny anecdote, my daughter is learning to walk at the same time. As she progresses, she will soon be running faster than her father ...
I increase the distance and run few 10 km by stopping regularly to walk in order to relieve the tendons but also to strengthen.
I try to strengthen the ankle to be more stable while running. I adopt the flamingo pose throughout the day. I can see that I am really not stable on the foot. My foot seems hollow and I'm not sure where to put my support, more in front, outside or inside.
Novembre
I feel like building muscle is paying off. I feel lighter at the end of the runs.
Mid November I decided to get on my road bike again after 3 months of rest. I feel that it’s still too early for mountain biking, the gear changes being done with the right thumb which is still painful, we will have to wait a little longer.
At the end of November, tired of the bad feelings that I have when running with my Hoka, I use my old Nike Pegasus 35 which have already covered more than 1500 km. What a joy to put on your slippers. My unstable, pronator right foot in most shoes sits much more comfortably in the Pegasus. Although the mesh is still in great condition and holds my foot well, the cushioning is tired and the sole is starting to feel very smooth. The beginning of winter is not helping, the roads are starting to get wet and my feet are elusive. It’s not the moment to re-injure myself. I decide to buy a new pair of shoes. This time I am going to favor reason over aesthetics. I choose a pair of Nike Pegasus Trail 3 which is a variation of the Pegasus which promises better grip on rocks as well as better grip on the trails.
While waiting to receive them, it is snowing in the Dordogne and I jump at the opportunity to make one last outing with my Pegasus 35. Even if the sole is smooth, my support is not fleeting. I run 150 kilometers in November. A number that confirms that the recovery is on track. Even though calf and shin pain reminds me when I overdo it, it's not really limiting anymore.
It's when I get my new pair of Pegasus that I see how tired the cushioning is on the old pair. I have now exceeded 1600 kilometers with it. A record! Thank you for your good and loyal service Pegasus 35. You are not going in the trash because I love your design and the slipper feel you give me but you deserved a great retirement from running.
Décembre
I start the month of December with three outings on foot races and two on the road bike the first week. Maybe too much.
It's nice to find sensations on the road bike. I challenge myself and find intensity again on the climbs.
It has been raining for several days and all the trails are full of water. I decide to run on the road.
Two days later I feel good and I test myself on a long segment. 1.2km at 4% average but which begins with a nice climb with passages at 20%. The cardio is soaring but I am holding on and improving my 30 second record from September 2020.
Form is returning but the two previous runs have left their mark. Calves and achilles tendons are more tense than usual with these fast paces. I don't want to make the situation worse and decide to take a break until 2022.
Numbers
Running
| Year | Distance (kilometers) | Elevation (meters) | Duration (hours) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 583 | 12.470 | 54 | 55 |
| 2020 | 1385 | 25.850 | 124 | 105 |
| Δ | - 802 | - 13.386 | - 70 | - 50 |
My various injuries forced me to stop running for almost 9 months. It’s my longest break since 2016. The worst part is that it wasn’t enough to heal the injuries.
I completed my lowest kilometer count since 2018, not even reaching 600 kilometers.
Even though the pain has decreased, it is still present. I have to be careful to be very progressive so as not to fall back into 2022. The goal is not to re-injure myself.
Bike
| Year | Distance (kilometers) | Elevation (meters) | Duration (hours) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.345 | 49.860 | 164 | 73 |
| 2020 | 4.745 | 63.770 | 231 | 130 |
| Δ | - 1.400 | - 13.900 | - 67 | - 57 |
Ahead on the first half of the year, the tide turned in July with the trip before coming to a screeching halt in late August when I re-injured my thumb.
Too painful to hold the handlebars, change gears or hold the bottle to drink, a long break was necessary until November when I did a few trips out of the road.
I still have to wait a bit to do mountain biking again, the gear changes being done in my case exclusively with the fragile thumb.
Swimming
| Year | Distance (kilometers) | Duration (hours) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0.7 | 0.25 | 1 |
| 2020 | 37 | 15 | 26 |
| Δ | - 36 | - 15 | - 25 |
Unlike last year, the swimming record is not very good this year. I have only swam once in open water.
We have to admit that being on the road and not having a routine didn't help.
Summary
Even if the numbers are not very good compared to previous years, I am proud to see the incredible challenges I have accomplished on my bike and all the mythical climbs I did:
- Pyrénées
- Col d'Oxtondo
- Col d'Ispeguy
- Col de Burdincurutcheta
- Col de Bagargui
- Col de Marie-Blanque
- Col d'Aubisque
- Col du Tourmalet
- Col d'Aspin
- Col de Val Louron-Azet
- Col de Peyresourde
- Col du Portillon
- Col de Menté
- Col de Portet d'Aspet
- Col de la Core
- Col de Latrape
- Col d'Agnès
- Col de Marmarre
- Col de Pailhères
- Col de la Quillane
- Alpes
- Col du Galibier
- Col du Télégraphe
- Col de l’Iseran
- Col de la Croix de Fer
- L’Alpe d’Huez
- Italie
- Passo dello Stelvio
The injuries are not totally behind me but I hope I got over it now so that I can be more consistent in 2022 after this roller coaster year