Annecy: The Interlude
Golden Trail World Series 2021
The view of Lac d’Annecy from Col des Frêtes, above Talloires.
My week in Annecy after Dolomyths Run was like the interlude of the trip for me. Nothing crazy happened, my training focus had switched to recovery, and all felt calm and serene after the roller coaster of the previous five weeks.
After arriving at 1am and spending my first night in an inner-city hotel, I moved into a rather luxurious and spacious apartment in a suburb just north of the city centre called Novel. It was a proper AirBnB gem and offered a bike to use, so I spent the first couple of days cycling around the city, visiting the old town, the local market and finding some amazing gluten free/vegan food. I was very stiff and sore post-race so I kept the first 3 days short and flat, sticking to the lake path. I knew I needed to respect what my body had just done in Italy in order to recover in time for Sierre-Zinal, but this being my first time backing up race after race it was a bit of an experiment as to what I needed to keep me moving and what was too much.
Some of the delights of Annecy - swimming in the crystal clear water, a huge choice of plant-based/GF foods, evening gelato in the old town, and Palais de L’Isle.
By the Wednesday I was at least feeling slightly more human again, and thanks to some friends from back home I was connected with a lovely Australian family who took me out for an afternoon of adventure that became one of the highlights of my trip. We went to the Via Ferrata de Thônes, an intermediate via ferrata (a common European activity that is kind of halfway between rock climbing and scrambling) that has spectacular views and a lot of fun elements. Including the walk back down from the top we spent 3 hours climbing and enjoying the sunshine. This was topped off with a swim in Lake Annecy from their private jetty in Lac du Veyrier and a home cooked family dinner. This afternoon and evening was special in so many ways. Having people to share an experience with, and getting to sit at a dinner table chatting to some awesome people (with aussie accents!) was a breath of fresh air after so many dinners alone and not seeing another aussie for over a month. I was still across the other side of the world, but I felt so much closer to home for the evening and I really needed that.
My experience of Via Ferrata with Paul and Bianca - I highly recommend giving it a go!
In the last 4 days in Annecy I managed to fit in a hike up Mount Veyrier, a premature birthday present of Paragliding, many swims in the lake at various beaches, and a cycle the whole way around the lake. By Saturday I felt up to an attempt at a session again and had been given one by Greg called the VK/10k that I was keen to take a shot at. It meant a trip to Talloires, where I then did a VK at a steady effort, easy jog back down, then started running hard flat along the lake. With my legs still not at all used to the severity of VKs it was a pretty cool experience, but thanks to 34 degree heat and direct sunshine for the flat section I took a swim break after 5km and jogged it in for the second 5km. I went into the session knowing I shouldn’t go too hard yet, so did my best to listen to what I knew was smart, but I was glad I had the experience of trying while I could!
There wasn’t much else to my time in Annecy besides sleep, enjoying the sunshine and heat, and trying to keep myself busy enough to not feel too lonely. It felt a bit like I was in limbo, the athlete in me not wanting to exhaust myself but the adventurer in me really wanting to explore the surroundings. I left kind of annoyed that I couldn’t run and explore more, but this trip wasn’t about that and I was fine with forgoing a lot of the adventure and saving that to look forward to next time, when I am determined to spend more time in this beautiful place and training haven!
Paragliding above Lac d’Annecy
Annecy has a lot to see and do, with some incredible trails for hard training or beautiful exploration. Some of my favourite were:
Favourite Places:
Lac d’Annecy - The highlight of the city by far is the beautiful lake with it’s pristine waters. You can go swimming and come out feeling like you have had a long shower the water is that fresh and clean, and the list of water sports available is endless. My favourite places for a swim were from Veyrier-du-Lac or the boardwalk near Annecy Le Vieux.
Annecy Old Town - Walking the cobblestone streets of the old town is special at any time of day, but it becomes so lively with people and performers around dinner each evening. Sitting in the open air eating freshy cooked food or some gelato is a great way to spend an evening. The markets here each week are also well worth a visit for both the atmosphere and local produce.
Duingt - I randomly stopped here on my cycle around the lake and it was such a beautiful little town. A great place to stop for food by the water.
Favourite Trails:
Mount Veyrier/ Mount Baron - This climb is beautiful and ends with some incredible views of the lake along a ridgeline. You could easily continue along around the ridge, but just the trip to the top and back down is well worth it. I hiked this on tired legs and it was challenging but not too long or hard and an easy to follow trail. My hike Here.
Le Thiou Trail - This trail follows the river that runs through the old town of Annecy. It is beautiful in so many ways, and great for a flat and easy run. Links up to the bike trail around the lake for a longer run as well as the trail along the larger river, Le Fier. My run Here.
Talloires VK - I did a session starting from Talloires, climbing up the trail people would normally hike to La Tournette on. It is a perfect place for a VK session, climbing 1000m in almost exactly 5km. My run Here.
Next Post: Zinal - Mission Accomplished