Peades d'Aigua

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1400m gain. Control your HR at altitude.
• 633m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 41% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1237m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 39.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 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–17.6km · Climb of 1402m, high point 2591m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 17.6km–26.4km · Descent of 633m averaging 12%. Plus 1 more climb. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Fade · 26.4km–46.4km · Descent of 1408m averaging 11%, climb of 1079m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 46.4km–52.8km · Descent of 1237m averaging 19%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 3300m+. With 60m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 17.6km at an average 8.0% grade (1402m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.3km at an average 10.5% grade (1408m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 43.4% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 41.3% over 0.4km. Surface: 75% trail, 15% smooth, and 9% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 84.9 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Tuc de Salana (2485m), 26.5km from the start.

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 8.2km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 41 of 100), with 23% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 39.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 17.6–23.1 km · 633 m D−, -11.5% · 29.7 km ahead → control
• #2 · 26.4–39.8 km · 1408 m D−, -10.5% · 13.0 km ahead → control
• 46.4–52.8 km · 1237 m D−, -19.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 17°C, with around 12°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 27%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 1% of days around this date.