Race name:
UTMB
Athlete:
Tom Joly
Race description:
172km race around the Mont Blanc Massif (Largely follows the TMB route)
Distance:
172km
Result:
16th . 22:25:20
(Hour 7 athlete Tom Joly, coming in to finish at the 2023 UTMB main event).
Elevation:
10,000 meters.
Training volume in build-up:
208hrs of training in the 3 months prior to the race.
45% cycling
45% running
10% gym
Training intensity distribution:
95% Aerobic
5% Threshold
Key sessions:
Reconnaissance of the UTMB route (4 days) 3 days rest, and then the TDS route (3 days). All at easy to high aerobic effort.
Race strategy:
Targeted a 22hr time. Not go out too fast, but to get to Courmayeur in 9hrs 15mins. Push from Champex-Lac.
Race nutrition:
(Worked out at exactly 100grams of carbohydrate/hour)
8x SIS Beta fuel gels
8x Gu gels (40mg caffeine)
5x Maurten gels (100mg caffeine)
3x Veloforte chews
10x SIS Beta fuel Chews
10x SIS Beta fuel drinks
4x300ml cans of coke
2x Avocado and salami buns
1x Naak Bar
1x Banana
½ an Orange
(Tom and fellow Hour 7 athlete Damian Carr sharing a moment over a SIS gel at a pre UTMB training camp. Photo: Geoff Lowe)
Race hydration:
1L Race bladder
Started hydrated and drank an extra 500ml bottle in the starting pen.
Drank another 2L in the first 3 hours, however severely dehydrated at this point (headaches).
Used speed cup (150ml) at every stream on the way to Courmayeur to drink more.
Suffered again in the midday heat on the climb out of Trient.
(Tom hydrating after crossing the finish line. Photo: Gilly Photography)
Race shoes:
Asics Fujispeed 2
Key items of kit:
Speedcup
Key lessons:
1. Take it a bit easier until Les Contamines! losing 5 mins here will gain 20 mins on the way to Courmayeur.
2. To make the top 10, you need to be at Courmayeur in around 9 hours (Jim8:36- Ludo9:22)
3. Positions don't change much after Champex Lac.
4. "The race starts in" Trient.
5. Either carry an extra 500ml bottle for the hotter/day time parts of the course, or switch back to 2x500ml bottles for greater flexibility of refilling on the go.
