Published 20 / 10 / 2021 Reading time: 8 min
The Roanne-Thiers march, created in 1925, was the first town-to-town march. Roanne-Thiers is every year in December. There are no less than 57 kilometers, 1500 meters of vertical drop and all that at night… Do you want to try the experience?
Adeline Martin, trail world champion, gives you some advice to meet the challenge. See you on December 4th!
Adeline Martin (better known as Roche), 37, married and mother of a 13-month-old boy, is a high-level running athlete (in addition to her professional activity). She has been practicing athletics for 27 years. At the age of 10, she took her first license at the athletic club of Roannais and specialized in middle distance / long distance. She gradually lengthened the distances to run her first marathon at 25 (French champion in 2010). Today, she has to her credit 20 selections for the French team (11 for young people and 9 for elite). Since 2015, she has been practicing trail running - and became double trail short world champion in 2017 - and also mountain running where she was crowned vice world champion in 2019 (in all 6 medals at the trail running world championship and mountain running).
Adeline Martin, world trail champion, has never done the famous Roanne-Thiers night walk, but her career and her track record give you confidence. Today, she answers our questions in order to advise all the participants ready to face the 57 kilometers and the 1500 meters of vertical drop that separate the towns of Roanne and Thiers.
What training do you recommend 2 months before the event?
First of all, it is difficult for me to answer this question precisely without knowing the person because everyone is different. We do not all have:
- The same body,
- The same experiences,
- The same life,
- The same goal.
The training will be different depending on the profile of the walker and the objective of this meeting; that is to say depending on whether it is a regular walker with perhaps a chronometric objective or conversely a novice person whose objective will be to reach the end.
Anyway, you have to keep in mind that it is endurance so you will have to gradually lengthen the sessions to be able to walk for several hours, at a certain intensity, on December 4th.
Before carrying out a physical preparation, it is necessary to wonder about its objective, its current situation (physical condition, liabilities, strengths and weaknesses…). The ideal would be to walk a little bit each day (just for our health we have to walk 30 'a day), and on weekends, when free time is generally more important, plan one or two walks of several hours . It is also quite possible to plan two running outings of 40-50 'or more during the week, and / or one swimming session… The so-called cross training sessions are perfect. And don't forget the progressiveness! so the first week will be less (in terms of training duration) than the next ...
How to prepare for a night walk of 57 kilometers? Mentally and physically?
You have to be ready in your head and physically to walk for several hours. It is 57 km but it is preferable to speak in number of hours taking into account the difference in height (around 1500 m) and the weather (rather cool temperatures at this time). In addition, walking at night is different from the day, the body is less designed to perform nocturnal efforts and the landmarks are not the same. Thus, it is interesting for Roanne Thiers to:
- Plan night training,
- Train on the type of ground that you will find on the big day (here mainly on the road),
- Rather prefer several small outings than one big one, the regularity is more interesting; and not try to walk at a high intensity,
- Pay attention to your diet (the body is like a car: you have to use the best gasoline to have the best performance), and to your hydration (drink water regularly and even more if there is physical activity): this is important in order not to injure yourself unnecessarily,
- And finally, to be mentally ready, that is to say fresh and available, to want!
Which diet to favor before, during and after exercise?
The best is to eat in a balanced way: a bit of everything! It is important to have energy so do not perform training on an empty stomach and allow some digestion time so that blood flow is available for the muscle chain. During the effort, hydrate yourself with water in small quantities but regularly (be careful, especially on D-day, not to drink cold water which could create discomfort). And after the effort, it is important to eat and drink in the following half an hour so that it is the most profitable for the recovery.
How to equip, dress for Roanne Thiers?
In general, the temperatures are cool so provide suitable clothing but do not cover up too much because the body temperature increases during the effort and if we are too covered, this could cause sweating at the risk of not being well and d. 'catch a cold.
The most important thing is especially to be a little more covered at the start of the event (because the body is not yet well warmed up) and to provide something to cover for the stops (refueling).
If you are planning a new outfit (clothes / sneakers / socks…), it is important to use them before! Remember to take them during your workouts so as not to have any surprises on D-Day!
Any advice for future walkers / runners? What do you do just before a race, a trail?
Make juice! The departure being at 00:00, it will be judicious to rest the hours before, to plan a nap.
I would also say to prepare your feet as best as possible (with a suitable ointment and this weeks before) in order to limit the risk of blisters which could make walking very unpleasant ...
And finally I would advise especially not to leave too quickly because 57 km with 1500 m of vertical drop, in addition at night, it is long! therefore manage your effort well.
What do you recommend so that the body recovers quickly, exercises, treatments (ointments…), massages?
Obviously, who says long hike / intense sport says stiffness because the muscle fibers will have been traumatized (more or less depending on the preparation). The pain will be more severe two / three days later rather than the next day. You do not necessarily have to stretch because this could amplify the pain at the risk of injuring yourself. On the other hand, massages are possible: massaging your legs with recovery oil without trying to press deeply.
It is also important to always remember to hydrate.
In addition, it can be interesting the days following the walk to rotate the legs (that is to say without forcing) on a bike or go swimming (rather than walking or running) because there will be no muscle shock.
How is a night walk / run more complicated for the human body compared to a daytime walk?
The body and the head are not used to it since it is a schedule where we normally rest and physiologically it is different. Walking, drinking and eating at night is not necessarily easy.
In addition, when walking, the light will be limited because there will be mainly artificial light from the front. And on the second part of the walk, with the fatigue from the effort, there may be a greater desire to sleep and therefore the last kilometers could seem long.
The first city-to-city walk since 1925 will take place on December 4. Registrations are open in line and by mail. We invite you to also read the "event" page dedicated to Roanne Thiers for more information on organization and logistics.
