Why choose the Embrunman for your first XXL triathlon?

Embrunman vs Alpsman: the match of extreme triathlons

Initially, I was going to sign up for the Alpsman Xtrem (3.8km swim, 180km bike ride with 4000mD+, marathon run); the next logical step after having done the Découverte (sprint format) and the Half (half of the Alpsman Xtrem) the previous two years.

The advantage of the Alpsman is that it’s at home (in Annecy), so it’s easy on logistics (no transport, no accommodation) and ideal for the support crew (my friends from Annecy could easily come and cheer me on). But theAlpsman takes place at the beginning of June, which means two things:

• start Iron(wo)man preparation during the winter season, so bye-bye ski touring!
• little time for open-water swimming in Lake Annecy, and potentially a swim on the big day in still-fresh water

The Alpsman run has a special twist. If you’re fast enough in swimming & cycling, after 24.6km of running (“Le Tournant”) at Lake Annecy, you can ring the famous bell before the 5.30pm time barrier and complete the 16km trail (with 1317m of D+ to climb to the summit of the Semnoz) to become a Top Finisher.

After a bit of research into accounts of the Alpsman, I realized that, as a woman, I’d have little chance of ringing the bell. That means I’ll still have 18 km to run along the lake to become a Lake Finisher. When I took part in the Half Alpsman in June 2022, I saw the Lake Finishers running without an audience in Saint Jorioz, an image that did little to motivate me to sign up for this challenge.

What’s more, because the run is divided into two courses, the density of running is fairly low, so there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself running alone.

In short, the Alpsman looks pretty cool, especially with its Norseman-style start (extreme triathlon in Norway), diving from a boat into the night from the middle of the lake, but not for a first Iro(wo)man.

So my heart swung between the Iron(wo)man de Nice at the end of June and the Embruman. After registering for the men’s and women’s Etape du Tour (double combo), the decision was easy to make, in agreement with my banker.

An Iron(wo)man race is very expensive (850 euros). Although the fireworks at the finish of an Iro(wo)man left me dreaming, I decided to sign up for the Embruman (“only” 450 euros).

Highlights and challenges of the legendary Embrun event

But if I’m only going to do one Iro(wo)man in my life, I might as well choose the most mythical one;).

Coaching and planning: the importance of being well surrounded

I work as a yoga teacher for two months, every other week, at Les Terrasses du Lac, a magical place in Lozère that offers sports holidays.

So, from mid-February, I start my Iro(wo)man pre-preparation: one week running, one week swimming, one week triathlon, one week cycling. This allows me to get my foot back in the door in each discipline, to build up a volume before launching into the real preparation.

So on April 15, I have a small training base to officially launch my Iro(wo)man preparation.

4 months before the fateful date of August 15, I give birth. I decide to be coached by Marion Legrand (triple Duathlon world champion and 2024 winner of the Aix-en-Provence Half Ironman), a friend and golden athlete.

I wish her luck with my training, not because I lack the willpower (on the contrary, team 1st in class), but rather because of my hectic schedule (between yoga holidays, dance classes and my passion for surfing).

But I know that she values quantity over quality, and that she will rise to the challenge of preparing me well for my challenge! (Spoiler: 354,261 vocal notes later, and I’ve made it!)

To do this, she has me fill in a file with the key dates of my races & diary constraints to try and organize training cycles. Ideally, 3 weeks of progressive training and a week off to recover physically & mentally. In reality, you adjust as you can!

Bike course reconnaissance: tackling the legendary Col de l’Izoard

Marion and I booked a weekend at Lac de Serre Ponçon to reconnoiter the Embrunman bike course, which consists of two loops: a short one around the lake, and a longer one towards the Izoard.

I’m already familiar with the short loop (40km, D+1000m), having done the Embrun triathlon in July 2022 (which I recommend ++). But the big loop, which represents 145km and 3000m D+, impresses me, especially the ascent of the Col de l’Izoard from Guillestre (over 31km and 1380m D+ ascent).

Over the Ascension weekend (I might as well make the most of it!), I met up with Marion and my cousin Gaëtan for a weekend of shock.

The week before, I validate a rather intense week of training. On Sunday evening, I make a vocal note to Marion, I need to take a break for two days, I’m physically and mentally tired from all this preparation. This mini break was necessary to arrive relatively “fresh” for this recognition.

We’re lucky (too lucky?!) with the weather for the course reconnaissance: a beautiful sunny day. Right from the start of the course, I understand the pain of the day: I’m riding behind a professional athlete & a former soldier. I’m going to have to accept that I’ll always be behind them, and not burn out by riding too fast to keep up.

The first difficulty that day was the Col de l’Izoard, where the sun was beating down, my first experience of a heatwave on a bike. Fortunately, we stop off at Arvieux, where a dip in the fountain and a stop at the bakery revive me. My cousin climbs the whole pass with me, keeping my mind occupied as the gradients start to get tough.

I then realize what a huge undertaking the EmbrunMan is, and I doubt I’ll be able to finish it.

A little sluggish after the descent to Briançon, a second bakery stop is necessary. On the big day, I won’t be able to take as much time to eat.

I was curious to see the time limits for the EmbrunMan. The time limits for swimming (2h30 for 3.8km) and running (6h for 42km) are quite generous. As for the bike, I find them very strict (around 10h for 185km with D+4000m).

We finish our bike ride eight hours later (7 hours in the saddle). The EmbrunMan short loop will take me just under two hours. Small loop 2h + Big loop 7h + Breaks 1h = 10 hours, the bike’s time barrier, we’re going to have to work hard!

Marion asks me at the end of the outing, ” would you feel like running a marathon now? “, the answer is simple ” clearly not! “.

I remain optimistic: on D-day, adrenalin gives us wings (or so I hope!).

Triathlon L de Divonne-les-Bains: a first podium as a trigger

7+1=8, my lucky number, Dossard 71 for the Divonne Les Bains L triathlon.

In all honesty, I didn ‘t really want to take on another bib in addition to the Embrun(wo)Man … But my coach told me it would still be a good idea to do another triathlon before August 15.

Fast forward, Saturday June 14th, 8am, Divonne les Bains, here I am in the transition park. We’re told that wetsuits are forbidden.

I’m not too happy about it, as the suit floats better and I was looking forward to testing my new acquisition in race conditions! Too bad, at least I’ll save time on the transition!

8:30am: the start is on the beach, a 1.9km swim in the lake, seaweed option included. There are only 96 participants at the start, so the mass start is pretty smooth!

I soon found myself at the same pace as a yellow bonnet, and we did the whole swim together. It was great fun to be so close to someone (we breathed face to face) without talking to each other. On the other hand, Mr. Yellow Cap had a few orientation problems at times, but the proximity was ++.

An Australian-style outing on the course, we take our best dive back into the water (thanks to the goggles, which haven’t moved a muscle!).

34 min later, I’m out of the water in 15th place overall and 3rd woman, so swimming in seaweed suits me just fine.

A semi-fast transition (2 min, a record for me!) and off I went with an energy bar in my mouth for 90 km of cycling with 1700m of D+. I’d done the recce of the bike course a month ago, so I knew what to expect.

A long climb to the Col de la Faucille, then a rolling route over the Jura plateau, before climbing back up to the pass and descending the same way.

The descent of the Col de la Faucille will be a non-time trial, at the request of the prefecture following the tragic accident on the Alpsman.

I was dreading the heat on the bike, but it turned out to be quite pleasant on the Jura plateau.

I was expecting to be quickly overtaken by another competitor, but nothing of the sort happened. I shed a tear when a volunteer encouraged me “bravo la 3eme féminine!”

After 3h38 of cycling, back to the transition park (T2: 2 min) for a change of shoes and a helmet for a cap.

The real battle begins: 19.5km of running in a mild heatwave.

The CAP is divided into three loops, and each loop takes you around the racecourse (1.5km in a clay cauldron). Fortunately, the volunteers are on hand to provide encouragement and plenty of refreshments!

Right from the start of the CAP, I swallow a Smecta … I can feel my belly dancing flamenco to a tango tune! At every ravito, I empty a bottle of water over my head! The engine is overheating!

I meet up with Marielle & Flo on the course, who give me the ranking & full encouragement. I’m going to fight for this 3rd place, despite a belly in camel bag mode!

2 gels and 3 heads in the fountain later, I cross the finish line after 5h51 of effort.

Mission accomplished: 3rd place for women, my first triathlon podium!

The boost I needed to prepare for the Embrun(wo)Man. And to think that in exactly two months’ time, I’ll have to double the distance!

Last (big) straight line before August 15th, in the meantime I’ll try to sort out this camel bag thing!

L’Étape du Tour: 4,500 m of ascent to test your legs

One last bib before Embrun(wo)Man, I signed up for L’Etape du Tour, a beautiful ride between Albertville and La Plagne:

• 130km, 4500m D+.
• 8h05 on the bike (7h40 of effort and 25min of ravito)
• 6478/17000 participants, 322/1275 women

Departure at 7.45 am (I almost missed the start because I had to find my SAS) in SAS 6, the sporting vacation camp begins with a privatization of the expressway to Ugine.

Good to be at the back of the pack to take advantage of the slipstream.

After warming up on the flat, we start with the côte d’Hery sur Ugine (11.3km at 5.1%), which goes quite well. I meet up with another Montbrisonnais, we talk about our passion city, and the kilometers fly by.

Marion, my coach & Garance, surprise me by joining me on this pass, and the chatter gets even louder.

I’m forgetting to manage my nutrition and hydration. I’m also happy to find Côme, my physio, to continue this blabla-ride to the Col des Saisies ( 12.6 km at 7.7%).

I’m pretty slow going downhill, because 17,000 cyclists on a road (albeit a closed one!) is a bit nerve-wracking on bends.

Unfortunately, I see many cyclists in the ditch who have exited the bend.

A good Tuc, Banane & Saint Yorre refreshment (the winning combo) in Beaufort (the thrill of the audience with a dozen children sending you off full of energy!), before starting the first real work: the Col du Pré (12.6 kms at 7.7%), beautiful twists and turns that we admire above us, a narrow road where it’s difficult to overtake, but the scenery is sumptuous.

Especially the finish on the Lac & Barrage de Roselend: voted a pref pass in my heart!

The section up to Cormet de Roselend (5.9 kms at 6.3%) is grandiose, although the climb is starting to take its toll on the legs!

A little refreshment at the summit and I don my windbreaker for the long descent (30km) to Bourg Saint Maurice.

Still so many people on the road, I’m usually a downhill rider, but I can’t wait to get there. My trapezius and hands are far too tense!

In Bourg Saint Maurice, I lie on the ground and do a few twists to release some of the tension in my back! A final feed for the road, before tackling the last stage: Côte de la Plagne (19.1 kms at 7.2%).

We start off with a gentle slope that’s a real treat, and a short descent that’s sure to put a smile on our faces, before we really begin the climb. At the foot of the pass, the atmosphere is unbelievable (I’m still shivering), I get carried away, push a little too hard on the pedals before realizing that the climb is going to be long.

I find my rhythm, turn after turn, my spirits are high and I’m still in good shape. I’m just dreaming of a bit of electro music in my ears … it’s a long climb! My feet are starting to hurt a hell of a lot from the friction of my bike shoes and I’m a little overheated.

I pass an underground fountain feed station, finally stopping to put my feet in the fountain: bliss.

Feet cool, head under the fountain, a Maurten gel and I’m off to finish the last few kilometers.

I continue to overtake quietly, being told that I still look “fresh”. I reply that in three weeks’ time I’m going to have to run a marathon, so I’ve got a lot on my plate!

The last few meters are incredible, as the crowd carries me along, accelerating me to cross the finish line.

Big tears of pride and relief, it’s over!

Happy to have swallowed those 4,500m of positive ascent with a smile!

So, are you ready? My last few weeks before the Embrunman

Originally, I also had a number for the Etape du Tour women’s race on August 2, but on the advice of my coach, I decided to sell it. With two weeks to go, the risk of a poor recovery was too great.

So I finish my preparation with a few sessions in the various disciplines, then go surfing for a few days to get my mind off things.

Everyone asks me “are you ready yet? I think it’s like the end of a pregnancy: you’re never really ready, but you can’t wait for the big day to have that long-awaited experience.

9 months later, the big day arrived. Read my Embrunman race report here!