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Ludovic Pommeret: "I'm still working at 60% alongside my ultra-trail practice!"
Back in France after a historic record-breaking victory on the legendary Hardrock 100 in the USA, the French ultra-trail runner answers our questions at the Hoka Trail Camp for athletes from the American brand's team. An opportunity to take stock of the 49-year-old's exceptional season, before he sets off on his UTMB in just under a month's time.
Discussion recorded on Monday, July 29, 2024 in Argentière, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.
"Following our interview in April, you told us about a little pain that was bothering you. You were finally able to take part in one of the UTMB® races in Argentina, where you finished second. How was your experience in South America?
At the time, yes, I was talking about pain because I'd been injured ski-mountaineering in February. A partial tear of a tendon. So I set off for Argentina with this little apprehension of re-injuring myself, but in the end the race went well and after that, the injury was over. It was a bit like a "travel race" during which I was very surprised. Firstly because of the cold, but also because of the very rolling profile of the course, which I wasn't necessarily expecting. The last part was much more technical and that's where I was able to make the difference and catch up with the local runners to take second place. It was a tough race, but I knew that the Hardrock 100 was still my goal.
Two weeks ago, you followed up with this "little race" in the United States, where you blew everything away. How did your Hardrock 100 2024 go?
It was my first participation as a runner. Last year, I was pacer for Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz. I'd been trying my luck in the lottery to get this number for five years! The anticipation this creates and the scarcity of race numbers means that you can have a race with only 145 runners at the start, and one that you really want to prepare for. You know you may only run it once! So I tried to do everything I could to run the best race possible, and even tried new things in training. In the end, I'd say it didn't go as badly as all that (laughs).
HOKA
TECTON X 2
What did you put in place in training to arrive in such fine form at Silverton?
Firstly, as I'm still working 60% of my time, I worked a little harder at the beginning of the year to be able to be free and really focus on my preparation when the time came. On June 14, I left for the race venue in Colorado to continue my altitude acclimatization a few weeks before the start, having already spent three weeks in a hypoxic tent at home to prepare my body. Once there, I had a month to do the full reconnaissance of the route, which I did in "Softrock" mode, i.e. in stages, walking, with a rucksack so I could sleep and eat. It's a very special experience to be alone like that in these mountains, with no one to talk to and no sign of life for hours on end, apart from the wild animals. From time to time, you reach villages all the same. I slept in one of them one evening, and took a break at a hot spring after eating a good hamburger! And then it was off again. So first I was a Softrocker, then a Hardrocker.
In the end, it was a preparation I was very happy with, with a lot of slower volume, but also closer to the deadline. Usually, I cut it short three weeks before the race. This time, I finished a week at 200 kilometers with less than 15 days to go. But it wasn't so bad in the end. On an ultra-trail, you're always learning, and there's no one-size-fits-all method that's right for everyone. There are few generalizations. It's up to each individual to experiment, and that's what I continue to do.
"As I'm still working at 60% alongside my ultra practice, I worked a bit harder at the beginning of the year so I could be free and really focus on preparation when the time came. I slept for three weeks in a hypoxic tent at home to prepare my body for high altitude."
Ludovic Pommeret
You broke the event record held by Spaniard Kilian Jornet. Was that a goal for you?
Not by a long shot. At least, not until the last fifteen kilometers of the race. I didn't think I'd be able to set such fast times. I'd set mine over 24 hours, not a record time! But as a little anecdote: a few minutes before the start, I phoned my coach (because it's the kind of race where, ten minutes before the gun goes off, not everyone's in place yet) and he simply reminded me to run my race, without looking at the others, and that I'd come back at the end. And that's how I ended up alone in the lead. I was feeling good, but I knew that there were serious rivals behind me, like François D'Haene for example, whose retirement I didn't find out about until I'd reached the finish line, because I wanted to stay focused on my effort. And it was the same with my pacer, who joined me later in the race, and with my team: I told them straight away that I didn't want any gaps, so I could stay focused on my sensations right to the end. In the end, it was my wife who broke down at the last refuelling point and told me I was ahead of the record. So, yes, we thought about it and pushed on for the last few kilometers!
The craziest thing was that I knew Kilian's times on the very last uphill section of the course, where he had been very fast during his duel with François D'Haene in 2022. Even in training, I couldn't run that fast on this section. In the end, it didn't go by much, but it went by!
In races like the Hardrock 100, records are anecdotal. That's not why you take part. Just because from one year to the next, weather conditions can change dramatically, and times may not be comparable. But it seems that the year Kilian set his new record, conditions were very similar to this year. So...
HOKA
ZINAL 2
How do you recover after such an effort, knowing that you'll be at the start of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in a month's time?
I'm taking a vacation! I'm taking advantage of this period to do some hiking with my wife and pick up the volume really gradually. I started doing long outings again last week, but it's still tourist trail running, which allows me to have a good time in the mountains. That's what preparation is for.
What's your goal for this year's UTMB?
I'm hoping to do better than when I took part for the very first time 20 years ago! In 2004, it was my first UTMB, so this year it makes sense to take the start for the ninth time. It's going to be a celebratory edition for me, but I'm still going to put in a big month of preparation beforehand to get the best possible sensations and really be able to enjoy it. I'm already very happy that the Hardrock 100 went so well, but if this UTMB can also be a great race, I wouldn't miss it. You can never be sure of a good surprise. In any case, I'm going without any pressure to perform.
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You've been working with HOKA for many years. What is your favorite training model today, and why?
I've been with HOKA since the brand was created. Even before it became official, in 2009. At the Hardrock 100, I ran with a prototype of the new Tecton x 3, which I love for competition and which the general public will soon be able to discover. But when it comes to training, I always give priority to comfort, especially when I'm preparing for an ultra trail. So I'd advise any aspiring ultra-trailer to do the same in preparation. And in my case, it's with the Speedgoat that I do the most kilometers."
HOKA
SPEEDGOAT 6
