The Weekend Menu

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For this weekend, for Saturday’s course I have two relaxed, rides from Geneva, one or two moderate rides, and one peak and maybe one or two other rides to choose from. On the Nyon menu I have an 8am potential run, followed by a 10am group ride that throws in a healthy 1600m climb over 70 kilometres. If I’m ready to range further afield I have the opportunity to walk along a Bisse above Sion but that includes at least 50 CHF for transport and five hours on trains.

It’s the typical Summer opportunity. If you want to run, or cycle, or hike you have a multitude of choices. I forgot that one choice is a two park hike near Versoix. The challenge, at this time of year is to select which activity you find the most appealing.

It’s quite easy to eliminate Sion, not because of getting there in the morning, but for getting back in the evening, with the traffic on roads, and the crowds on trains.

With Geneva, it’s a question of whether I want a one hour ride, to get to Geneva, before the official ride starts, and this week I’m tempted to say no. I already rode that way yesterday afternoon.

The most tempting is the Nyon run, because, logistically, it is the simplest. No need to get the bike ready, no need to drive far, no need to wake too early. It is also not mutually exclusive with the bike ride, although the bike ride is far more demanding.

It’s worth highlighting that I use Garmin, Suunto, Apple, Intervals and Runalyse to help me keep an eye on my energy expenditure, to ensure that I don’t push myself into a state of exhaustion. My legs are fatigued from three or four runs, since Sunday, and a bike ride yesterday afternoon that saw me beat several PRs.

I know that after a run my legs are pumped, but I am not too tired. With the bike ride I know that I will knackered by the end, and struggling to hold on to the group.

With the hike, ironically, I have the opposite issue. Due to the enormous volume I have been doing daily for years I can walk at 6km/h, and climb fast up to 3000m, and then I become slow. This means that group hikes are usually too slow for me to really enjoy.

When I walk or I hike, I like to walk non-stop except to take pictures or look at the landscape. The lunch break, that some people love, knackers me. I’d feel differently if we stopped at a restaurant for fondue or similar.

It’s also because Sunday I practiced hill running in the Luins vineyards, Monday I practiced Fartlek near Eysins with the Signy group, and Wednesday I went for a progressive 4.5km run, before then going for a moderate Wednesday evening bike ride. Tomorrow, Friday, I get up at 04:30 to run with the Morges group at 6am.

According to the apps I mentioned earlier I’m fresh enough to do the 19km hike, and the 70km ride with 1600m of climbing, but according to my legs adapting to running, I need to give them time to continue their adaptation.

It is a luxury to have so much choice and so many opportunities to do sports with people. It is even more luxurious to have a vibrant community within three kilometres of home. I go to Geneva, Morges and other places, by choice. It is no longer an obligation like it was in Glocals days when I had to go via Geneva or Lausanne metro stations before heading to the mountains.