CCC Mountain Benchmark

Workout - CCC Mountain Benchmark

• 15min @ 10'45''/mi
• 1.0km @ 7'30''/km
• 1.0km @ 5'30''/km
• 15min @ 11'30''/mi

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A summary of “BENCHMARK run up the CHALLENGING Chamonix VK route | Operation CCC at UTMB | Ep 1” by Run4Adventure. Here’s the workout so you can try it; watch the full video for context.

Key points:

• A benchmark run on the Chamonix vertical-kilometre (VK) route to gauge fitness and progress toward the 100 km CCC race.
• Acclimate to altitude (Chamonix sits around 1,000 m) before tackling steep, technical sections.
• Steady, continuous effort (mostly hiking) on the 2,100 m climb. Rhythmic breathing, conservative HR.
• Train fasted for metabolic adaptation. Take small sips of gel (around 90 g carbs) every 15-20 minutes to keep the stomach settled.
• Run the technical sections without poles to build quad strength and foot placement. Save poles for longer, gentler stretches.
• Cap the session with a runnable descent for downhill technique.

Workout:

• Distance: just under 8 mi (around 13 km).
• Elevation gain: 1,045 m (1 km).
• Time: around 2 h 15 min.
• Structure:
  1. 5-minute easy warm-up on level ground.
  2. Up the VK route with sustained effort. Mix hiking and running. Don’t stop.
  3. Leave poles behind for the steep ladder/chain sections to load the quads.
  4. Every 15-20 minutes, take a small amount of 90 g carb gel.
  5. At the top, rest briefly, then run the around 1 km descent fluidly.
  6. Easy walk or jog back to start to drop HR.

Practical tips:

• Arrive a day early to acclimate.
• Steady breathing, conservative HR on the climb.
• Skip poles on steep, technical terrain.
• Sip gels rather than knocking back whole packets.
• Log time and elevation in the Pacing app to track progress.

Try the workout, adjust pace to your level, and use it as a CCC benchmark.

References

• BENCHMARK run up the CHALLENGING Chamonix VK route | Operation CCC at UTMB | Ep 1 | Run4Adventure - YouTube (YouTube Video)