Race name:
Translantau 140 by UTMB
Athlete:
Tom Joly
Race description:
130km (reduced distance after rain/landslides) with 6,900m elevation on Lantau Island Hong Kong.
28c, 80% humidity, 10pm start .
Distance:
130km
Result:
16:47 for 1'st place. A UTMB index score of 888.
(Hour 7 athlete Tom Joly with his 1st place trophy which gives him direct entry to UTMB 2024)
Elevation:
6,900m+.
Training volume in build-up:
5 week main block with 16-30hrs per week. More work on the bike early on to build back up after racing UTMB.
Training intensity distribution:
80:20 easy:quality
Key sessions:
50km long run with 2,500m+
3x5km uphill tempo with 5km recovery
3x600m+ vertical gain
3x5km tempo (flat)
Course recce’s
Race strategy:
A course recce was key to working out pacing for the first climb. Fast but not crazy start, dropping back from 1'st to 6'th by the end of the first climb. Used more gradual accelerations to close back up to the front. Again let them go on the 2'nd climb and repeated this strategy. The plan was to attack after 54km on the flat part of the course, however I didn’t have the legs after a fast first 54km and the two biggest stair climbs and descents. It was about survival from 54km to the finish.
Race nutrition:
Tried preloading carbs 1 hour before the start (110g carbs).
100g/hr during the race (mix of SIS gels, chews, drinks, and bananas from aid stations).
Race hydration:
1L every hour. Couldn’t drink enough to stay hydrated. Rain after 10hrs was saving grace.
Race shoes:
Asics FujiSpeed 2
Key items of kit:
Folding poles (descending better than with fixed poles).
Key lesson:
Still could have gone slower in the first 50km to be faster for the last 50km.
(Hour 7 athlete Tom Joly after his impressive victory at Translantau by UTMB)
