Lady's Rocks

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1320m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 817m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 23.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 45.5km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.1km–14.9km · Climb of 1320m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 14.9km–28.3km · Descent of 817m averaging 10%, climb of 1086m, high point 1838m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 28.3km–45.5km · Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 45.5km–47.8km · Descent of 462m averaging 20%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 3200m+. With 67m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 39% of the distance is uphill, 50% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 14.9km at an average 8.9% grade (1320m of vertical). The longest descent runs 16.0km at an average 9.2% grade (1473m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 46.5% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 30.6% over 0.7km. Flat-equivalent effort: 70.5 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 8.6km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 41 of 100), with 37% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 23.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 45.5km.
• #1 · 14.9–23.3 km · 817 m D−, -9.7% · 24.5 km ahead → control
• 28.2–44.3 km · 1473 m D−, -9.2% · 3.5 km ahead → your pace
• 45.5–47.8 km · 462 m D−, -19.6% · 0.0 km ahead → free