Snow

Snow had been forecast for this morning. I went out, all wrapped up for the cold, and was slightly disappointed to see that only a light sprinkling of powder lay across the ground. I set off anyway and made a good start down to the Seine in the dark.

The thin layer of snow and the clear sky, had the advantage of making the terrain a lot more visible than usual and I was able to negotiate my path down to the river and avoid the potholes in the process. I had put gloves on this morning and my hands were warm inside, far better than on Tuesday. The speed was good and I felt strong in my legs, turning over at a fast pace, not waiting to get cold in the freezing air.

I kept the pace up until around 4 kilomteres and then I began to slow down naturally. I could feel myself easing off and wondered whether it was worth pushing on, before deciding that I was enjoying myself and that by pushing hard now I wasn't really going to achieve anything extra. I must have been daydreaming at this point as I don't recollect anything particularly significant about this section of the run. There were more people out and about compared to Tuesday, despite it being the same time and similar weather.

As I ran down to the townhall, the snow began to fall more heavily in large snowflakes. I was almost back home now and I made a last little effort up the final slope and stretched along the straight to get back to the house in 47:08, precisely one second slower than on Tuesday. Talk about being consistent. An average pace of 4:15 per km as I set the Garmin off higher up the drive than 2 days ago !

The comparison with Tuesday stops here. The snow continued to fall and by the time I got in the car to drive to work, there was a good 5 cm of snow everywhere. This was sufficient to cause chaos in the capital and it took me 2hours and 45 minutes to drive the 30km into work. I'd have been faster running in. What happened to the gritters ?

Cold

The temperature has dropped and winter has finally arrived and properly.

I woke up at 6:00 am with the alarm and pulled on my running kit. I'd prepared the ear warmers in the form of the headband, and 2 tops to be able to take the colder weather outside. I got dressed quickly and went outside as fast as possible before I changed my mind about the whole proceedings. It had been cold at the weekend at Issy and I presumed it would be the same this morning. I was wrong. It was far worse.

I didn't realise it to begin with. I felt the cold air instantly, obviously, with my first steps outside. I started running immediately and a few seconds later the extent of the cold began to take effect. My breath hurt as the cold air entered my lungs with every inhalation. I ran faster so that my body would get warmer through the exertion. This didn't appear to work so I picked up the pace again. What was initially supposed to be an easy early morning run was quickly turning into a speed session. The cold made itself felt on my hands as the fingers grew first of all numb and then painful as the cold bit harder and harder. I regretted not having put on gloves and carried on in the hope that the blood would begin to circulate and warm through eventually.

It was a lovely clear night and there was no wind. Everything seemed quieter than usual, as if the cold had kept everybody indoors, under the cover of the bedclothes. I thought of Laurence still in bed and wondered why I'd bothered leaving the warmth of the bed to go running anyway. I kept the pace up and felt good. My legs felt strong and I was running well. The time seemed to go quickly, probably due to the fact that I was still half-asleep, and I only woke up when the cold crept through my running tights freezing my testicles and my buttocks.

I was over half way by now and I was looking forward to getting back to the warmth of the house for breakfast. I left Maisons Laffitte and the park to run infornt of the church at Le Mesnil and then down to the town-hall. A quick sprint back along the main road and I was back home in 47:07 for 11.1 km or an average of 4:16 (marathon pace) per kilometre.

Back inside the house and Laaurence had only just got up. She admitted that she wondered why I didn't move when the alarm went, not realising that I'd already got up and left the house for my run. Some people have all the luck ! By the way, the thermometer showed that it was -6°C outside. Definitely cold.

Photos from Issy

Just a few photos that Nick sent me from yesterday's race.


Andy and I looking fresh just before the start. End of the first lap and I'm alongside the first woman as I try to pull away from this little group.

End of the race and 500m to go. Notice the guy in black has gone past me now and I'm looking tired before the finish. Spent ages coughing my guts up after the race, so I was definitely trying !

Corrida d'Issy - podium

This event is the main race for the start of the Christmas festival. It is a corrida, or a race through the town, and the event in Issy has grown in popularity year after year to attract almost 10 000 participants in the 7 races that are organised on the day.

The first races are for the children with a short 1km to 3 km loop organised depending on the age group involved. And and I were signed up for the 4th race; a 6km race around two laps of the town. Nick had come along to support us and to take some photos that I'll post as soon as I receive them.

It was a cold day and some snowflakes were falling as we drove to the race. Issy is just to the South of Paris, and the temperature had risen by a couple of degrees by the time we arrived and the snow had stopped. There was a bit of a breeze blowing and as Andy and I warmed up (silly expression really, as leaving the relative warmth of the sports hall to go for a short run just meant that we would actually catch a death of cold!), I noticed that thewere was a stiff breeze that felt as if it was blowing straight in from the Siberian plains as you headed up the main road from the start.

With the "cool down" out of the way, we lined up for the start. I tried to get into the middle of the field near the front in order to find some human warmth but in order to push in I was a left a little exposed on the side of the race. The gun went and I took off. I think that I ran fast in order to get warm as quickly as possible, but whatever the reason that first kilometre felt very long. Normally, the first whips by and then you're into the race. I must have pushed the heartrate very high from the outset and I kep waiting for what felt like an eternity before we crossed the red line across the road as the first marker.

I settled down into a pace and concentrated on focusing on the runners around me. There was a small group of 4 runners ahead: 2 relatively young, one slightly older and a woman. I wasn't actually sure that it was a woman at first as she was a fairly strong build and running like the wind. I tried to catch up with this group and stay with them. As I caught them, the woman encourage the younger 2 to speed up as the pace had dropped slightly, she latched on to me and one of the younger runners as we finished the first loop and set off on the second. Nick shouted encouragement at this point but I was that intent on the race that I hardly had time to acknowledge him.

The female runner pulled away from me now with the other runner as we headed into the breeze. I was determined not to let them pull away though and as we rounded the bend passing the 4th kilometre she faltered slightly, came back to me and I went past. The course heads slightly downhill at this point and I was feeling better. I made the most of this to push home my advantage and stretch out. The younger runner was still with me but we were catching some others now as they tired towards the end of the race. The difficulty was also in overtaking many runners who were still on their first lap. I hadn't noticed this last year but there felt like a good hundred on the course who I went by towards the end today.

We caught another small group with 500m to go and they pushed on as they heard us coming. I wasn't able to put in any more effort at this point and let them go so they went on to finish 20 yards ahead of me. I sopped my watch and it showed 22:22. This was a full 40 seconds faster than last year and I was thrilled with this. I stood there panting at the finsih, my lungs burning waiting for Andy who came past the line a few minutes later in 26:36.

Nick told me then that I'd finished in the first 25 or so and that he hadn't seen many older guys in front of me. We hung around, waiting for the results, and my official time was 22:27 (really don't know how they added 5 seconds to my time!) but I was third vet with the second vet the runner just ahead of me. I was really delighted now: my first ever podium in a large race. Shame that there were no prizes by category for the 6km race, but still chuffed to bits.

Garmin says that the course distance is 6.2km and average speed for 22:22 is 3:35 per km. Splits were as follows: 3:29, 3:33, 3:35, 3:44, 3:35, 3:38, then 45 seconds to the line. 4th km was slower as into the wind and very slightly uphill. Very excited by this result and feel that I can bring down my 10k time in the New Year. Good end to the year.

Cora alone

I ran to Cora by myself on Saturday. Nick is injured with tendonitis in the foot post-marathon. Andy was resting prior to the race and I felt the need to put some kilometres in just to be serious.

I ran the usual route to Cora by myself. I missed the banter and the joking with Andy and Nick and spent most of the time talking to myself. I told myself to take it easy as it's the relaxing Saturday run. I said that Andy and Nick would be running slower than this so I should slow down. I told myself that I was racing the following day and wanted to do well, so I should just take it easy. I ignored myself superbly.

I set out easily enough, running the first kilometre in 4:48 but then I ran faster and faster going through the next in 4:30, then 4:24; 4:18; 4:14. I slowed up then and made it steady for the rest of the run. I could feel a stitch from having eaten breakfast before going running which I almost never do. I don't eat breakfast before running as I get a stitch. I must remember this.

15km in 1:06:33 or 4:27 per km. Great run on a cold, still day. I felt good all the way around (bar the stitch).

Routine

Back into the early morning routine: 6:00 am start - 10k run; shower; quick breakfast; then into the car to work.

It's good to be back in training and not to feel the pressure of a marathon approaching. I can concentrate on shorter races and not feel that I'm going to compromise my performance in my quest to achieve an objective. This training session on Thursday was great for that.

I set off slowly because I wanted to - no pressure. I sped up because I felt good. As simple as that. It was a quiet morning. With winter finally arriving, everything seems calmer around town. There are less people around early in the morning, less traffic. This didn't stop one of the few cars around to almost mow me down at the Maisons Laffitte roundabout though. I think that the driver was in a half-awake daydreaming state and he just didn't see me coming. I noticed him and was prepared to pull back but he braked heavily at the last moment and came to a stop on the zebra crossing. I didn't acknowledge him or give him one of the usual smiles I reserve for kind motorists. That'll teach him.

Apart from this incident the rest of the run was standard. I searched for Andy again coming out of the park but no sign. I thought that he was slacking. I mean there's a race on Sunday and he's not training - seriously !!

11.1 km all up in 47:24 so marathon pace over the distance. Not bad going and I was in a sweat when I arrived, despite the 2°C outside. Felt good to be back.

Early start

I want to get back into a routine (and that includes writing up my blog regularly!) with my weekday runs and decided that today was the day. The alarm rang at 6:00am and I almost changed my mind about going out. Laurence tried to convince me to stay in bed but I knew that this was the devil talking so I got up, got dressed and left.

It was very dark outside, with a clear sky and little wind. It wasn't that cold either so I was happy since I'd left my headband to keep my ears warm inside anyway. I set off at ran at what I felt was a very comfortable pace. After Sunday's experience, I didn't want to be pushing myself again as there's only so much pain that a body can take.

As I ran I felt very good and the time went by quickly. I was probably half-asleep all the way around the course as I ran through the park at Maisons Laffitte and back to the church in Le Mesnil. I looked out for Andy as it was Tuesday morning but there was no sign of him. I'm a little concerned about his training programme before this Sunday's race in Issy les Moulineaux.

So a great run all of the way around the streets of Maisons Laffitte and really pleased when I got back to the house as I felt so much better than the last training session. The legs felt slightly lethargic but no aches and pains so this is already a vast improvement.

10.2km in 45:17 or an average pace of 4:27. Not a bad pace either for an easy run.

Sunday club run

I was getting fed up after a week of inactivity. It wasn't that I was eager to get out as I had plenty of work on my plate and other things to think about, but I began to feel guilty. I felt bad about not going out and getting some mileage in.

Monday and Tuesday were spent coping with the aches and pains in my legs. The recovery was easier than the last 3 marathons and I wondered whether this was due to the massage at the end of the race or the higher level of training and preparation. By Wednesday I wondered if I couldn't fit an early morning run in. I actually told Laurence that I'd be going for a run Thurday morning but she talked me out of it. A week of late nights didn't make me push the subject any further. Saturday and I was back to doing DIY and a meeting with the bank put pay to any thoughts of going for an easy run. So a sunday run with the club was the ideal opportunity to get out again and meet the others.

I initially thought about running to the club, but a late night Saturday night convinced me that this was unnecessary (together with a few whiskies and some light rain on Sunday and I was more than convinced). I turned up at the club to see a large turnout and plenty of congratulations from everybody on beating my objective.

The plan for the session was hills. 11 x hills to be precise and Miguel took us out to the Princess Road to do them. I know this section very well from my long Sunday runs so there were no surprises. We had a 300m section of uphill to run and then jog back down for the recovery. Thierry, José, Eric, Bruno and Bertrand were all there and they led the attacks on the hill. I was between the group of 3 at the front and just in front of Bruno and Bertrand behind.

So much for an easy receovery run to get over the marathon. I could feel my hamstrings tightening to begin with and a pain in my right calf. In fact, I could feel small aches and pains all over my legs and I knew that you can't under-estimate the damage that a marathon does. My legs hadn't recovered still and I was glad when the hills were over and we could just jog back easily. Still it was good to be out and I was pleased that I managed to stay in front of Bruno until the last 2 hills.

16.3 km all up in 1:37. The hills were run at above 15 km/h at just under a minute for each rep. Tough but good to be back.

Photos

Some photos of the event showing lovely La Rochelle and the local weather.

Photos of me going through the half-marathon marker with the clock behind and sprinting in the last kilometre towards the finish.

Laurence heading for home

La Rochelle Marathon - Serge Vigot

La Rochelle marathon used to be organised by Serge Vigot, a marathon runner himself, before his untimely death in 2005 at the end of the Marakech marathon. La Rochelle was the second biggest marathon in France after Paris, but has now been surpassed by the Nice-Cannes race. Over 7500 runners had signed up for the race this year, slightly down on the 8800 runners registered last year. The quantity is there but the quality of the runners is also very high. Last year 452 runners went under 3:00 for the race or 6.3% of the finishers compared to 1009 in Paris or 4% of the finishers.

So, I wasn't going to be alone in my quest to break the 3 hour barrier. As the commentator in this year's race says quite clearly: "In a marathon, there are those who can finish in under 3 hours and they'll never forget their race, and there are those who finish just outside and they'll never forget either but for the wrong reasons". We arrived in the TGV with Nick and Laurence from Paris on the Saturday morning into La Rochelle station. The weather was lousy: a real gale blowing, decidedly cool and humidity in the air. The weather forecast wasn't showing any sign of improvement for the Sunday either. Before we checked into our hotels, we went into town to get something to eat.

La Rochelle is a lovely town, centred on the old port on the Atlantic Ocean. We figured that there must be plenty of bars and restaurants around the port and we headed off in that direction. There were plenty of bars and restaurants but they were all ful of runners who'd just arrived in town. The first restaurant told us that we'd have to wait half an hour ot be served so we left for the next. A plate of pasta later and we split up to go to our hotels to check in and then meet up later at the marathon village.

Laurence and I checked into the Mercure hotel in La Rochelle which is ideally situated for the women's start, approximately 2metres50 from the front door. We left our luggage and met up with the others at the marathon village just a few hundred yards from the hotel. We found this to be the most practical aspect of the race: everything was just so close to the course, the town centre and it was all so practical. 9 of us from the club were entered in the marathon and we all met up at the village: Nick, Laurence and I, Patrick, Patrick V, Marie-Laure, Christèle, Damaso and Marjo. Christèle had come down with some supporters: Madeleine and Norbert, her husband. We arranged with them to eat in the restaurant that evening while the others organised a pasta party between themselves.

Sunday morning started at 6:00 am for breakfast. I'd slept really badly, worrying about the race and thinking about work. Laurence and I met Christèle for breakfast in the hotel and ate as much as we were able to hold down at that time in the morning. I promptly went back to the room in order to get some more sleep while Laurence had a paracetemol for her sore throat and then had a shower. The wind was still as fierce as ever aznd our motivation was at its nadir. I really couldn't picture myself running in these conditions: dark, damp and utterly windy. The sort of day where you can quite happily stay in bed until midday with no regrets.

I lined up on the start line by myself in the cold. Laurence and the women had a different start point in front of the hotel, whereas I was lined up with the men, just behind the elite runners. I waited patiently for the gun, eager to be off and running. We waited for what seemed like an eternity, being blown about a little but admittedly less affected as part of the crowd. The gun finally went and I set off at what seemed like a moderate pace. I knew that there was a long distance to be run and I didn't want to blow it all in a mad start. I felt good and the climb out of the town centre wasn't too bad. I set off at 4:03 pace for the first kilometre and then 4:11. In fact, 4:11 was the pace that I'd set on the Garmin as my virtual partner so this wouldn't have been too bad but for the fact that this second kilometre was uphill out of the town centre.

I let other runners past me here and I was slightly depressed by this but since I was already well ahead of my average time I let them go. We joined up with the women's start after 3.5 km and I saw some veteran's (V2 and older) flying past at the junction ahead. The race was into the wind at this point so the aim of the game was to find a group of runners to huddle behind to find some shelter from the blast. This wasn't always possible though and it was tiring struggling against it. I was overtaken by a couple of women runners just before the 5 kilometre marker and I wondered just how good they were. Mireille, from the club, is one of the best club runners in France over a marathon and I couldn't help thinking that these 2 were probably overdoing it. We pased under 5 km in 20:31 or 2:53 pace for the marathon and I reassured myself that McMillan predicted a 2:52 time for me on recent performance so I wasn't overdoing it.

McMillan is excellent for me over 5, 10 even 20 km. I still hadn't managed to beat 3 hours so how reliable was this over the marathon distance ? I kept running at 4:07 pace until 15k and then slowed slightly to 4:13 pace to the half-marathon stage as we ran around the southern and most exposed part of the course, around the docks to the south of the port. The half-marathon was achieved in 1:27:27 (a new PB for me in the process) and I set out on the second loop of the course. Once again there was a climb out of the town centre and it felt a lot harder this time around. I caught up with the 2 female runners at this point Agnès Deleume (who later pulled out after 35k) and Annick Petinon. I felt happy to be catching runners when I knew I was beginning to tire and satisfied too in my judgement that they'd gone off too fast.

I was starting to tire too now and every kilometre felt as though it was taking longer, which it was, but in terms of perception it felt a good 50% longer. I had some glucose and kept drinking well at every feeding station. The hills seemed harder, the kilometres longer, and the end as far away as ever. The worst arrived after 30 kms, now the tiredness in my legs was noticeable. It was mental before, now it was physical. I'd been running for 2 hours and still had an hour to go.

My pace had slowed between 25 and 30 km to 4:18 per km and it was all downhill from now on. At 35 km, I turned the virtual partner off on the Garmin and switched to the real time in order that I could calculate just how slowly I could still run and still make the 3 hour objective. At least my mind was working sufficiently well in order to do wome mental arithmetic and I worked out that I could run around 4:30 per km and still make it. This felt like a reasonable objective but it was so hard to keep going. I really did think about throwing the towel in several times but knew that these impressions are misleading and that despite the tiredness, I would regret making a rash decision afterwards, so I bore the pain and continued.

The final straw was just around the 40 km marker when the 3 hour flag bearer passed me with a group of runners. As he passed he tripped and fell to the ground, leaving his little group leaderless. They picked up the pace again, not waiting for him and I did my best to keep with them. I was just aiming for that last feeding station at 40.5km and some more water and a little walk before heading to the finish. I didn't mind as they pulled away as I had no energy left to try and stay with them. The flag bearer caught them up and led them away as I calculate dthat I had 6 minutes for the last 1.5 kilometres.

When I saw the barrier with the one kilometre to go sign, I knew that it was now or nothing. The loudspeakers around town were filled with the commentator pushing the crowds to encourage the last runners to go under 3 hours. I lengthened my stride with new determination, not wanting to have come all of this way to finsih outside the target again. It was all or nothing. The Gamrin recorded this last kilometre at around 15.8 km/h so under 4 minutes. I was desperate to see the finish line and thought that it would be between the twin towers to the port. As I reached these, still no sign and it was another 50 metres around the corner. I could see the clock 2:59:50 as I sprinted for the line and as I crossed the clock was around 2:59:59 or 3:00:00 - I just couldn't tell.

The end result my official time was 3:00:01 but my real time (allowing for the time to cross the start line) was 2:59:56. I achieved my objective and beat 3 hours. The satisfaction was big but not quite as big as I'd expected. I will be really satisfied when I can achieve this time without the last minute panic and run a more consistent race. But brilliant news nonetheless.

I had a massage afterwards which was most relaxing and helped get some of the stiffness out of my calves and thighs and then met Nick in the tent, sheltering from the rain that had begun to fall. He'd run 3:11:31 which was brilliant and better than he'd been hoping for (3:15 objective). I was thirlled for him since he'd been running so well recently that this was a deserved result.

I started walking back to the hotel alongside the course route in order to spot Laurence at the end. She'd was to run with Philippe who'd offered to help her to achieve her target of under 4 hours. I was thrilled when I saw her at 3:53 with less than a kilometre to go as I knew that she'd done it then. Philippe was running with her and many thanks to him for his support to Laurence during the race. She finally crossed the line in 3:57:44 - a new PB for her too.

So to sum up: great race; great organisation; hotels and showers afterwards were brilliant. Laurence would like to run this again (which she didn't say about Paris). I prefered the Paris course and didn't appreciate having to run 2 loops, but the rest was fantastic. All objectives were met and new targets will be set for next year as our marathon running experiences aren't over yet. Thanks to everyone who sent in messages of support before and after the race.

Too late now

These are the thoughts that are going through my head at the moment: will I be able to keep the speed up; how much energy will the wind drain from me; will I be able to achieve the objective I've set for myself ?

All of this is too late to wonder about now as the effort's been made and I can't do anything about any of this. I've been tapering this week in preparation for the race. I've only been out twice: first run was on Tuesday morning. 10.2 km in 45 minutes easily running around the park in Maisons Laffitte around my usual route. I felt really good and since I didn't have to get up quite as early as normal to run before work, it was even more appreciable.

On Wednesday morning, I was back in Sweden and I decided to go for another easy run around Stockholm. I made the most of the weather that was more clement than the last visit and I set out with the intention of running to the lake that the town is situated on and then running back in a convoluted loop. The run was so good that I changed my plans and ran through the park by the lake and continued on around the whole lake. There were several other runners about also making the most of the clear, crisp morning and it was really pleasant. I ended up running 10 km in 47 minutes at an easy speed.

And that's it. We're in La Rochelle now, Saturday night, and the weather is lousy. It's blowing a gale and the chances of going under 3 hours seem vastly reduced now that I've seen the full force of the elements around the town. Laurence is wondering the same.

We'll just have to wait and see tomorrow ...

Tapering

No time to write my blog anymore, let alone go for runs. Anyway, since I've started tapering, I have less to write about anyway.

Last week:

Stockholm, Sweden - Tuesday morning saw me pounding the treadmill of the hotel I was staying in. I'm thinking about writing a book on running treadmills around the world. Could be onto a bestseller here. 10km in 47 minutes. Felt pretty awful. Don't know if this was due to the 1% slope I put on the machine or an excess of beers and schnapps from the previous night. Either way, it was uphill all the way.

Stockhom, Sweden - Wednesday morning. Another workout on the treadmill. Only 7km this morning but in 30 minutes as I set the machine to 14.2 km/h. Highlight this morning was some company in the fitness room (a young lady on the nordic ski machine) and the fact that the TV was working. View was a darn sight better than staring at the diving photo stuck on the wall in front of me for 40 minutes. Still hard work and still uphill - it just lasted shorter though.

Friday morning. Back home at last and able to run in the real world again. How pleasant to feel the air in your face and to see the road beneath your feet. Real running. Set off slowly and then got carried away by how good I was feeling (fewer beers and less uphill). By the end I was running at 3:44 pace. 10.15 km in 43:29 or 4:18 per km.

Saturday morning - back to Cora with the lads. Nick and Andy can't compete with a Swedish lady in her workout gear but they were far better company. Nice to see Andy again who actually admitted being in bed last weekend when we called by. His shame knows no boundaries. Nick and I both decided to punish him severely and dropped him after Cora up the hill. He arrived back home looking far easier than he has in a while and at a good pace too. Perhaps a Saturday in bed did him so good. Anyway, this weekend he'll be training alone while we're in La Rochelle. 75 km this week in total so a 25% reduction on the previous week. Good tapering.

6 days to go before the race. All the worries are there. Am I fit enough ? Can I stay the distance ? Am I too ambitious ? What should I wear ? Will it be windy ? Do I take gels or not ? Etc., etc. Too late now.

Long Sunday Run - LSR

This was to be the last long Sunday run before the taper for the marathon in 2 weeks time. I was really looking forward to it, a nice long run before 2 weeks rest. The normal route was planned over 33 km, and this too meant that I'd be running over 100k in 7 consecutive days.

We woke late since we been out at F-X's last night. We had a great evening where we talked about running and eaten and drunk well. Especially drunk: the Bollinger, the Puligny Montrachet, and the Moulis all went down very easily. The Aloxe Corton was frankly unnecesary, but we drank it all the same ! As a result, it was almost 9:00am when we woke and the thought of going for a long run was slightly less appealing than it had been yesterday. We headed out nonetheless.

I set out with Laurence beside me on the bike. It was very regular for the first 8 km when I was within 2 seconds of 4:30 per km for each kilometre. I slowed down going up Princess Road and it was there that we ran into (almost literally) the club doing some hill training. Most of the runners were there: Jean-Marc leading José, Nico and Régis. Bruno trailing a little behind. Miguel was training the group and he greeted us as we went past. I pushed harder to finish the hill and then it was a right turn towards St Gemme and the prettiest part of the route through the forest.

The forest is magnificent at the moment with the trees taking on their autumn colours. It was nice to run through this part of the forest when the sun was out, the temperature mild and the wind not to blustery. I sped up a little here completing the kilometres in around 4:20. It was only after St Gemme that we were more exposed to the wind and the going got tougher. Laurence was struggling too at this point. She had a bad stomach and being bent over on the bike wasn't helping. In fact, after St Nom on the road to St Germain, I actually wondered if she hadn't had an accident or had to do a "Paula". I was feeling relatively fresh here and my pace improved again as a consequence. I was running at 4:10 pace and then to 3:50 down the hill into St Germain. These sensations continued as far as the forest towards Le Mesnil and it was only at the 30 km mark that I began to lose energy.

This morning when we left, we had run out of isotonic solution, so I watered down some orange juice and put this in the Camelbak. I now know for sure that orange juice is not half as efficient as Decathlon's powder for maintaining energy while exercising. The last 3 km was an effort and I could feel my reserves depleting with every step I took.

A relief to finally arrive home and look forward to the taper over the next couple of weeks. 33.5km in 2:27:25 or an average pace of 4:24 per km. I'm better prepared than I've ever been for the marathon, and if I don't achieve my objectives this time around, I'll frankly be very disappointed.

Blustery Cora run

It was raining this morning when I woke to go for the usual Saturday run with Nick and Andy. Not only was it raining but it was very blustery too. It's still mild for the time of year, and it was about 11°C when I set out towards Nick's house to pick him up.

Nick was dressed up ready for his long run when I called round. He was going to continue on to run 30km this morning and he had water bottles around his waist to stay hydrated over the distance. We called in at Andy's next, but he was pretending to be absent, probably hiding under the bedlinen until we had disappeared again, either that or another late night with Tom Clancy, which meant that he just didn't hear us.

Nick and I set off together and ran to Cora chatting. The change in volunteers at the running club was the main subject of discussion with some of the proposed modifications having caused a few upsets amongst some members. This is what happens when you belong to a club comprised mostly of older runners: they get riled easily when changes are made to the routines. It's all a bit of a storm in a tea-cup and will blow over soon enough.

We ran at about 4:40 pace to Cora and around before heading back up to Pavillon de la Muette. I left Nick just after the railway line as he was heading right towards Croix de Noailles and I was running back home. I ran the route back to Le Mesnil at about 4:30 pace which is where I feel comfortable at the moment. In fact, I felt so good that I decided that since I wasn't able to enjoy a nice cup of tea at Nick's house, as usual, I would continue on to the town hall and finish along the main road.

16.5 km all up in 1:18 or an average of 4:42 per km. 96.5km this week in training which is my record for the week. I was wondering whether to push it to 100km for the week but I'll save this for next year now !!

Friday run

I can't say that I was highly motivated to go out running on Friday morning, but since I set the alarm for 6:00 am again, there lust have been something there. A little voice in my head was telling me to stay in bed and enjoy a little more sleep. In fact, that was Laurence.

It was warm again outside this morning at 13°C, and I was overdressed again. There was a little breeze behind me when I set off and this encouraged me to run relatively fast from the outset. I was barely awake, with my mouth still very dry from sleep, and I was looking forward to that moment when I begin to wake up and feel good in my legs and head. It never came.

It was very quiet out on the roads and through the park. Nobody seemed to be about. I ran very steadily all the way at around 4:20 - 4:25 pace. I hesitated as to whether to extend the run towards the end and carry on down past the town hall at Le Mesnil by I decided that time was tight and to cut back just after the church and head home.

10.2 km all up in 44:21 or 4:22 per km on average.

Steady

I was struggling to stay awake this morning as I drove into work. My eyelids were extremely heavy, and I had trouble to keep my eyes from closing. I ended up winding down the driver's side window and letting the fresh air blasting in keep me awake.

So whay was this ? I think that the early starts are finally taking their toll. It's getting a little hard to keep up: going to bed at 11:00pm at the earliest and gettting up at 6:00 am at the latest. I awoke before the alarm again this morning - just 3 minutes before it rang. I don't know how I managed it really as my body needed a lot more sleep. I rolled out of bed and went for a run.

I decided that as Winter is approaching that I need to wrap up warmly before I go out now. This was a mistake this morning. I was dressed all in black with long running tights and 2 layers on top: a technical T-shirt and then a thick long sleeved running top. It was 10°C outside and I was definitely over-dressed. Sweat was dripping from me as I ran through the 2km marker and I wondered why I'd worried about the cold. I ran steadily all the way, like a metronome - every kilometre between 4:25 and 4:30. It was only at the end as I neared home that I sped up and then used the downhill to finish strongly.

10.2km all up in 44:58 or 4:25 per km. Easy run, very steady on a nice dry and warm morning.

Armistice

Public holiday today in France in remembrance of Armistice. As on all public holidays, the club has a training session in the morning at 9:00am.

I decided to make the most of my day off and to get in as many kilometres as possible. I woke up before the alarm again (it's becoming a nasty habit unfortunately) and drank my multivitamin drink before heading out through the forest to run to the clubhouse. Laurence was driving around and I though that I could run an extra 5km followed by the 17km loop planned for the day.

The day was lovely: milder than of late, and a blue sky was filling the sky. I ran through the forest at a comfortable speed, conscious that I didn't have much time to spare if I was to arrive for 9:00am. I was towards the edge of the forest when I saw a beautiful female deer standing in the middle of the forest path, watching me arrive. I was about 50m away when it finally decided that that was close enough and it bounded away into the forest.

I met Laurence at the club and was surprised not to see many more people on a public holiday. We then discovered that the start was at 9:15 to allow club representatives to attend the war memorial service, and thus guarantee our position in the current clubhouse !

It was a lovely run afterwards. There weren't many people out: Nick, Thierry, Jean-Marc, Philippe amongst others for the men. Laurence, Christèle and Jocelyne amongst the women.

We ran down towards Poissy, along "Les Crêtes" and then towards Achères before turning back and running through the forest on the other side back to the clubhouse. Most memorable was Jean-Michel running with a plastic bag in his hand, collecting as many wild mushrooms as he could, spotting them on the run. We ran 14 km all up with the club and since I wanted to run over 20 km today, I ran back through the forest at speed to add a further 5 km.

24.3 km all up in 2:07 so an average of 5:15 per km. The most remakable was the 5km at the end which I ran through the forest in 4:21, 4:12, 3:59, 4:05 then 3:52 to finish. I was feeling great and ready to stretch out again at the end of the run.

Some photos from Cross Toto. Thanks to Gilles Molinier for taking them.

Monday morning

Monday morning and a new week in perspective. The alarm would have rung at 6:00am but I was already awake and had turned it off so as not to disturb Laurence still sleeping beside me. I quickly put my running gear on and went outside to start.

Before I can start my runs, I have to wait for the Garmin to pick up the satellites for the GPS. It's only now that I realise just how cold it is outside. My 2 layers on top are rather thin and I can feel the cold air sweeping inside down from the collar. The Garmin takes what feels like an eternity to pick up the signal, and then I'm off.

I run quickly from the start in order to keep warm rather than any effort to break records today. The road down to the Seine is lit at the top and completely dark at the bottom where the track is rutted and treacherous. I pick my way carefully through the potholes in the dark, worrying about twisting an ankle so close to the marathon. On to the tarmac again down by the river and I'm off. The first kilometre goes past in 4:29 and then every kilometre afterwards is slightly faster: 4:29, 4:27, 4:24, 4:19.

I'm running through the park of Maisons Laffitte now, through the back roads of the park next to the stables. The only other people I see at this time of the morning are lads walking the horses for their early morning exercise. I notice a couple of dodgy looking characters entering a house with large bags and wonder what on earth they're up to. I decide against getting involved as they might be innocent and if not, they might be dangerous.

4:26, 4:26, 4:17 - I speed up as I head through the park and out towards the swimming pool. I am on my home stretch now and I know that it won't be long before I'm back at home for a nice cup of tea. 4:27, 4:26, 3:59. Last kilometre down the hill and onto the main road in front of the house.

10.2 km all up in 44:23 or an average of 4:22 per km. Back home I put the kettle on and wake Laurence while I take my shower. A quick breakfast and then off to work for the start of the week.

Cross Toto Vermet

The annual club event that is organised in memory of the founder of the Fouléées de St Germain is the "Cross Toto Vermet". This event involves running 2 3km loops in the St Germain Forest, not too far from the clubhouse. Last year I finished 4th vet in 23:34. Would I do better this year ?

Since I'm still concentrating on putting in as much distance as possible, I decided to run to the clubhouse to begin with and then run the warm-up around the course for a lap with the others. Nick had decided to forego the race this year and just run a long run instead, so I ran by myself to get there.

There was a fantastic turnout this year from the club. Over 80 runners turned up which for a club with 160 members is pretty good going. Some fairly stiff competition too: Jean-Marc, Miguel, Bruno W, Bruno P, Thierry, Nick B and Gerald without mentioning Mireille. Francisco was also back running after his injury at the beginnning of the year in the cross-country season. So I lined up with others with 10 kilometres in my legs already and just a thought that I might be able to hold onto the better runners this year.

We set off and took the first part of the race fairly steadily. Jean-Marc built a bit of a lead and then a small group comprised of Thierry, Miguel, Bruno W and me followed. Mireille and Bruno P were behind us and I could hear Mireille just on my heels as she was wearing spikes that chatted over the stony surface. I felt the pace was fast but manageable and when Thierry made a burst to shorten the gap on Jean-Marc, the group let him go. The break didn't last long and on the home leg of the first lap, another set of footsteps approached from behind and overtook me. It was Francisco. Thierry came back to us at this point and I pushed a little, coming alongside the group up the hill, feeling strong.

We finished the first lap and set off on the second. Jean-Marc was ahead and then a group of the 4 of us: Miguel, Bruno W, Francisco and myself. Thierry and Mireille were just behind. It went quiet behind me at this point and the other 3 runners in the group pulled away from me. In retrospect, I should have gone with them at this point, but feeling that they were better than me, I let them go. I was on my own from here on in. I managed to glance behind at one point, but there was no-one in sight. I slowed over this second lap, having lost contention with the others. I ran the race in 23:06 for the 6.05 km which is an average of 3:49 per km. This feels about right but since I wasn't timing the event precisely (I was more interested in the total distance), I 'll have to wait for the official results. If this is correct, then I'll have run a minute faster than last year.

I picked up the first vet prize, actually by mistake as Franciso should have been awarded it. This may have been due to Laurence recording the results at the end with Christèle - thanks love: I owe you one! I ran back to the house afterwards through the forest to complete 25 km in 2:01.

Easy Cora

Why was Cora so easy today ? Well despite the fact that I was running another 86km week this week, the Saturday run with Nick and Andy was not too taxing today. Andy was having an off day. He explained half-way through the run that he was a little tired since he'd only gone to sleep at 5:00 am Saturday morning. Since we set off at 8:00 am, this was 3 hours sleep at the most. So what exactly had he been doing to go to bed so late: partying until the early hours at friends, night-clubbing at the Pacha club ? Nothing quite so exotic: he'd been reading Tom Clancy until the early hours. So here I am reading Running with Buffalos, dreaming about running 10km in under 30 minutes and suffering with the intensive training while Andy is dreaming about being a CIA agent infiltrating the IRA !!

We ran through the forest at around 4:40 pace to begin with, even speeding up to 4:32 at one point but by the time we arrived at Cora, tiredness had set in and Andy was falling off the back. We slowed down at this point and ran back up the slope towards Pavillon de la Muette at 5:10 pace. Form then on we hovered around 12km/h even on the flat back through the forest towards home. Andy looked tired when he got back and I think that the best course of action at this point was to return to bed ! So much for secret agent training ! Having said this, we actually ran the loop in 1:03:30 from Andy's house and back for 13km and the time was only a minute slower than last week. There's definitely a distinct improvement in the run and I'm sure that if everyone slept reasonably before this run, we could run the circuit in 60 minutes from Andy's house.

I ran back home with Nick and then bought some croissants for Laurence, ready to welcome her home from her 30km run. She was well pleased !

15.7 km all up in 1:16 or an average of 4:51 per km. 86km for the week.

Doubling up

I took my running kit to work on Thursday just in case I was able to get out early and get to the club session in the evening. My boss was in meetings outside almost all day and then he called me, just after 4:00 pm to let me know that he was on his way back into the office and could we see each other to arrange a business presentation. Damn, I was in two minds as to accept when I thought that I needed to get out and run to clear my head so I told him that I was planning on leaving early and could we meet on Friday. No problem.

Great. I packed up at 5:30pm and left to commute back to St Germain. Having negotiated the ring-road in the rush hour and then the motorway, I spent the next 25 minutes stuck in traffic in St Germain and only made it to the club for 6:45pm when the others were setting out on their warm-up. I got changed quickly and ran the opposite way around the warm-up loop to meet them.

The session for the evening was intervals: 500, 600, 800, 1000, 1000, 400 off 200m rest for the first 2 then 300m then 400m for the 1000m's. There was a big turnout and it was a pleasure to run with Jean-Marc, Miguel, Adrien, Thierry, Bruno, Mireille and Fabrice at the front. Nick was there too but had decided not to push it for this evening's session after a hard session on Tuesday night.

We set off hard and the pace didn't ease up one iota over the session. The intervals were run as follows:

1:40, 2:03, 2:45, 3:30, 3:28, 1:16. So a speed of between 17.5km/h for the 1000m and 19 km/h for the 400m at the end. A really satisfying hard workout with some speed in the session and I was up towards the front, despite the great run that I'ds put in first thing that morning. Feeling good: no aches, no strains and leg muscles don't appear to be too tired.

I must try and get out for an evening session at least once a week.

Thursday morning - more of the same

Run, work, eat, work, eat, sleep. This is my daily routine at the moment and the days seem to shoot by without much variation. Work takes up the largest part of the daily schedule and I look forward to the weekends to be able to relax and to catch up on the sleep deprivation that I generate during the week.

I set out for another early morning run at 6:00 am on Thursday around the 13km course through the park at Maisons Laffitte. Having run a slowish time on Tuesday, I decided that I need to push the pace this morning in order to get the heart beating a little faster. The biggest problem with not being able to attend the track sessions at the club is the lack of interval and speed training that I can manage. My motivation when I'm running by myself is not sufficient to push me to run intervals. As a result, I set out with the firm intention of pushing the pace from the start this morning.

I felt slightly better today than I had 2 days earlier. The enforced rest for the previous day (a work trip to Madrid) had done me some good and I managed the first kilometre in 4:17. I sped up slightly thereafter, basically because I could now see where I was running, and was extremely consistent for the rest of the course. I bumped into Andy again in the park so at least I know he's not slacking and is getting some regular training in !!

When I stopped the watch at the end, I was really pleased to see 56:15 for the 13.3km course. This is 45 seconds faster than I've ever run this and works out at an average speed of 4:12 per km. Very consistent running all of the way around.

Tuesday morning

Well Tuesday was not much better than Sunday. Despite my day of rest when I left the house early Tuesday morning to go for my run, I could feel the efforts from Sunday still in my legs. The intention wasn't to go fast this morning but just to run steadily and to complete the 13 km course.

It was a struggle all the way around and although I wasn't running flat out, I felt that I didn't have much in reserve. I stretched a little in the park, which is my favourite part of the course and I run down Avenue Albine towards Maisons Laffitte castle. I was running at marathon pace along here 4:14 - 4:19 per km. I crossed Andy's path as he entered the park and I was leaving. He was looking good, running smoothly and relaxed.

Having said all of the above, I actually managed to complete the course in 58:17 which is an average of 4:22 per km so it wasn't that slow. I just felt that I've been going quicker recently.

LSR - Long struggle of a run

Guilt - it is the only explanation. Guilt, my guilt, is perhaps not the main cause for my suffering this morning but it is definitely one of the causal factors.

The long run for the week is always on Sunday and for a few weeks now I've been running the same route from Le Mesnil out through the forest, past St Germain, up the Princess Road to Feucherolles, back down to St Nom la Breteche and then back through St Germain, through the forest and home. It's a pleasant route with a mixture of trails and road sections, uphills and downhills and some lovely scenery in places. Nick was starting the run with me again this morning, with the intention of runing 25k, while I was running the full circuit of 33k.

So what went wrong ? Well, things got off to a bad start due to my guilt. Laurence normally accompanies me on these long runs on her bike and she carries the isotonic solution in the rucksack. I seriously messed up yesterday and she wasn't coming with me this morning. So what was all the guilt about ? I ran to Cora yesterday with Andy and when I got back, Laurence wasn't in the house. She had gone on a long run with a friend with the intention of running 30k, so I wasn't to expect her back for 3 hours. I got back to the house and decided that I really fancied some croissants and pain au chocolats with some fresh bread. I jumped in the car and bought 3 of each for myself and the 2 boys. I didn't buy one for Laurence. How could I be so stupid ? I assumed that since she would be back from her run just before lunch that she wouldn't want a croissant and that lunch would suffice. Big mistake. Laurence loves croissants and she would have liked nothing more than to have been welcomed back with a nice cup of tea and a croissant. As it was, she had neither and I was in big trouble. Hence, my start this morning with the rucksack on my back and a litre of isotonic solution inside. Laurence stayed in bed.

It was tough from the start. I met Nick and Anne (on her bike - Nick doesn't make mistakes about croissants apparently!) and we ran together through the forest and up the Princess Road. We got to the top of the Princess Road (11k) in 55 minutes this morning, compared to 52 minutes last week. I felt that I'd been holding Nick up all the way along. He was running very well and appeared to have lots of energy. I didn't.

We carried on along the top towards Feucherolles and then Nick and Anne turned off left to get back to St Germain the short route whereas I continued on to Feucherolles. We were running at 4:30 pace now and I didn't improve on this pace for the rest of the run. What a difference to last week when I was running 4:10 pace over this section. The route continued and I continued to suffer along with it. I was sore in my shoulders from the sack, tired in my legs and the motivation was lacking. I couldn't figure out what had gone wrong since 7 days ago when I had energy abounding.

I managed to carry on all the way around the course without walking although the temptation was great in places. As soon as there was a rise in the road, I would suffer and the tempo would slow from 4:30 pace to 5:00 pace. It was a real relief to get past St Germain and back into the forest for the last 5 km. I could see the finish now, the end to my suffering.

I completed the 33.6 km in 2:38 or an average of 4:42 per km. I put all of this suffering down to the guilt, or at least having ot carry the rucksack all the way around. I'm sorry love. It won't happen again.

Cora with Andy

Nick was away today so I had organised with Andy to run to Cora for the usual Saturday run.

I wrapped up warmly and set out to Andy's house. We ran off easily into the forest at about 4:35 pace down the hill. We chatted about work and running and our training sessions this week. Andy has been running intervals with 30-30 sessions and kilometre intervals. I was trying to convince him that endurance running was better for performance, interspersed with some races for speed and the adrenaline rush. We decided that our next race together would be Issy in early December, but I'll have to see how quickly I can recover from the marathon 2 weeks earlier. I don't want to be pushing my body too quickly after the marathon, provoking an injury. This is what happened to Laurence earlier this year and it took her months to recover.

We got to Cora in a quick time having averaged between 4:35 and 4:45 pace all the way along. Andy was running a lot better than last week and is now fully fit after the Yvelines marathon relay. After about 8 km, we slowed coming back up the hill to Pavillon de la Muette but only to 12km/h or 5:00 per km. This was a lot better than last week and I explained that this was probably due to Nick not being there to slow us up ! (This should provoke at least one comment!) Andy looked good running all the way around and not as tired at the end as he has been.

15.1km all up in 1:13 or 4:42 per km. Nice, easy run to finish the week with 84 km managed in the course of the week.

Andy lent me "Running with the buffaloes" which I've been reading avidly throughout the day. Great book about the training schedules and lives of the University of Colorado cross country team in 1998 with their lead runner Adam Goucher and the coach Mark Wetmore. I fully recommend it to anyone interested in running seriously.

Pushing it - TGI Friday

I went out on Friday with the firm intention of running faster than Thursday. I know that I have to put in the mileage and that since I'm not able to get to the club sessions, I have to push the pace at some point during the week.

I'm not able to motivate myself sufficiently to run interval sessions by myself, especially since time is tight in the morning. I just pulled my kit on and set the Garmin and then set off in the dark at a moderate pace. I kept it this way and as I ran along the Seine and then beside the racecourse, I upped the rhythm slightly. I was feeling good again, perhaps not quite as energetic as Thursday but still fairly fresh nonetheless.

When I got into the park at Maisons Laffitte, I felt that I was over half-way now and that I didn't need to hold anything back. I stretched out along the gravel track beside the road and ran towards the castle. I reached the roundabout at the intersection between Albine Avenue and Egle Avenue and turned back. It feels harder running in this direction and I slowed slightly at this point. I pushed on and then out of the park and up through Maisons Laffitte into Le Mesnil. I felt slightly tired but not the point where I felt that I was over-exerting myself at any moment.

Down the hill past the townhall and back home. I stopped the watch, expecting to see a good time: 57:00 for 13.3 km. 38 seconds faster than Thursday. I looked up my time over this course when I was preparing for the Paris Marathon: 1:01 so 4 minutes faster. I'm definitely going well at the moment and able to run faster with less effort than the past. All bodes well.

Cold

I didn't go running on Wednesday as I caught a cold and felt miserable. By Thursday, the itch to get out again was too great and since work is still taking up all my time, the only solution was to head out from home early in the morning.

I wore my new Brooks nightlife top this morning which is great. The reflective material is reassuring when you're running so early in the morning and car drivers can't be considered to be at their most alert. This is always a concern of mine, especially since some of the roads don't benefit from the brightest street lighting. It's a long sleeved top with handy little pockets scattered about all over. Unfortunately, I chose size L, which is slightly too large as it must be measured for Americans (no offense Andy !).

The morning was calm if a little misty. It felt good to be out and I was relaxed and over the worst of the cold. I could feel that a day's rest had done me good and I started off at a decent pace. I could tell I was running relatively fast despite my relaxed attitude and before long I was back in the park at Maisons Laffitte and bumping into Andy again. He looked to be running well and moving quickly in the opposite direction. We waved and shouted hello while carrying on in our respective directions.

I ran back home and finished the 13.3km in 57:38 which is one of my best times over this course. I arrived back home just as dawn was breaking and the mist was lifting. It was a lovely sight to finish the run.

Technology

I love my Garmin 405 watch. It is just amazing how much technology can be stored into such a small device. It's able to calculate your position by GPS, by locating satellites that circle above us hundreds of miles up in the atmosphere. From a reading off these satellites every second, it can calculate the movement in your position, hence your speed and the distance that you have run. A small programme in the watch means that by inputting your weight, gender and age that it can then calculate the calories you have burned in running a distance at a certain speed. You can programme the Garmin 405 to set your interval session for you and determine whether you want to run a defined distance or a defined time and how many repeats you want to do off how much recovery time or distance. It is a condensed piece of technology that is able to do all of this in a piece of kit the size of a watch.

Basically, it is the stuff of dreams; the sort of equipment that would be used by James Bond when Sean Connery or Roger Moore were still playing the role.
"Well Moneypenny. Fancy a long, hard session with me tonight ?"
"Really James !!"
Q would have presented it to James in his underground cellar, and we would have been astounded that such a small device could be capable of so much.
For today's runner, it is almost indispensable. It's better than a personal coach, with a capacity to store data that far outreaches human capabilities.

I used mine on Tuesday to record my early morning run. 10.3 km in 45:38. I felt tired after Sunday's efforts and I deliberately held back so as to avoid over-stretching myself. I saw Andy in the park at 6:30 am but we were both too tired to have a long conversation. I was concentrating on getting back by then. I was actually surprised by how many runners were out at that time in the morning, as I saw about 6 or 7 already jogging around the park in Maisons Laffitte.

I got back home and showered ready for work. I left my Garmin, that jewel of technology, with Laurence as she's on holiday at the moment for half-term.

She lost all the data while transferring the run from the Garmin to the PC. Modern technology thwarted by the female touch. What would Q have said ?

LSR - Feucherolles

It was the first time in a few weeks that I have not had a race organised and was able to go for a long steady run on Sunday. I was really looking forward to it as I believe that so much of my recent improvement is due to this weekly run and the associated increase in mileage. I can't say that I was frustrated by the recent week's races but I did feel that I'd been missing out on a vital part of my training programme. My intentions to go out after the races and to run a few more miles all came to naught, as I was either too tired, or too hurt to get out.

Today was different: back to the long loop through St Germain to Feucherolles, back through St Nom la Breteche and St Germain to home. I had asked Nick if he wanted to come along for his long run too, but he only had enough time to fit in a 22km run today, so we agreed that we would run the first 11 km together before he turned back. Laurence was accompanying us with the isotonic drink solution on her bike.

As we set out, we appreciated the beautiful clear blue sky with not a cloud in sight. There was a slight breeze which turned into a definite wind a little later on but we were protected by the forest and didn't really notice this to begin with. The temperature was warmer than of late as it was almost 15°C, similar to the 18°C that we had last night at dusk. Nick and I ran slowly to begin with as we warmed up the first couple of kilometres were at 5:15 then 4:47 pace. We then settled into a pace around 4:40 per km which we kept up until the hill behind the lycée horticole, a 2 km slog uphill where we slowed to 5:11 then 4:56 for these 2k.

We said goodbye to Nick at this point, after 11km which we had covered in 52:48 or an average of 4:48 per km. He turned back down the hill and I carried on with Laurence along the flat in the direction of Feucherolles. I picked the pace up here, telling myself that I would run for 30 minutes, or 7 km at marathon pace, just for training purposes. I felt really good along here, as I still had plenty of energy, having started the run at a moderate pace. In fact, I averaged these next 8 km at 4:08 per km until I reached St Nom and the hill up out of the town. I slowed down a little here, before speeding back up once I got to the top of the hill. I had run these last 11km since leaving Nick in 46:30 or an average of 4:14 per km.

The run along the plateau above St Nom is beside the main road. The great advantage of this section is that there is a wide cycle path just beside the road so you get the benefits of a smooth main road, without the exhaust fumes of the traffic. On a Sunday morning, this road is also fairly quiet, so the traffic noise isn't an issue. I sped up again here running at 4:09 along the flat and then 3:59, 3:48 and 3:52 down the hill into St Germain. I was still feeling fresh and had energy left at this point. I was pleased by this as on my previous runs around this course, I was always shattered by this point. I crossed the main road into St Germain and then negotiated the steepest hill of the course, slowing to a fast walking pace as I struggled the 300m to the top. This takes a lot out of me and my pace dropped to 4:54 then 4:35 as I recovered after this section.

I left St Germain and ran through the forest back home, happy to be heading back and thinking of the nice cup of tea that would be made shortly. In fact, these last 11 km were also run in 46:30 or 4:14 per km. So I managed 22km at marathon pace. I should be able to manage my first marathon in 5 weeks time in under 3 hours barring a major disaster.

33.38 km in 2:27:33 or an average of 4:25 per km overall. Great run and pleased with my progress. All bodes well for La Rochelle on November 29.

Cora and back

Best run of the week as I get to run with some friends and can chat and relax as I run.

Nick and Andy were both running this morning and we set off and soon got chatting about work and running. The weather has taken a turn for the worse recently. Although it's not as cold as it has been, the rain has finally arrived and a slight drizzle had set in this morning. It was also dark. Despite the fact that we were setting off at 8:00 am, the sky had still not brightened and it was hard to see where we were putting our feet, running through the forest at the start.

We picked up speed gradually until we were at 4:35 pace. This was just before we got to the pond at Cora, and then just after one third of the way around, Andy began to drop off the pace and was clearly struggling to keep up. We slowed down a little to run with him and to encourage him around the course. From then on, it was a struggle for him all the way. I thought he looked pale and the initial speed had worn him out. Hopefully, it's nothing serious and he'll be back into form quickly.

All of this talk about bugs and illnesses is getting me paranoid at the moment. I'm trying to avoid any sources of infection before the marathon as I don't want to interrupt my training now. I've been in such good form lately that I'm really looking forward to this one and my next attempt on the 3 hour barrier. It's definitely within my grasp this time.

Anyway, an easy run today and I'll attack a long run tomorrow out towards Feucherolles and St Nom la Breteche.

15.3km in 1:15:30 today or 4:56 per km. Only 64 km this week due to the lack of a long run last Sunday.

Wednesday morning

It's been a couple of days and I haven't been able to find the time to write up my blog as I've been so busy with work. I've tried to maintain my runs during the week but it's difficult with having to travel in early to work in order to avoid the rush hour.

As soon as I started running on Wednesday morning, I knew that I couldn't push it. I could feel the interval training in my legs from the night before. A short night's sleep is not sufficient to recover from these types of sessions. I wasn't bothered though and just ran around the usual circuit easily.

I didn't even bother looking at the watch when it beeped as I was just focusing on running smoothly at a rhythm where my heartrate wasn't strained. I took it easy until the last kilometre with the downhill stretch to finish when I let go slightly. Even then it was fairly restrained. I almost ran another 2 kilometres when I carried straight on, instead of turning left to head home. I was daydreaming even as I ran !

10.2km all up in 45:30 or 4:27 per km.

Interval session

I managed to sneak away early from work when everybody had their backs turned. I arrived with plenty of time for the club session as a result and waited for Laurence who very kindly brought my kit from home with her.

We had a quick team talk with Miguel who congratulated the women's veteran team who won first prize in the ekiden on Sunday, breaking the French national record for the age category in the process. As a result, Our 2nd prize in the event on Sunday wen tlargely forgotten, except for Nick and I who talked about it as we warmed up.

Nick was planning to do an 8 x 800m session tonight in 3:06 off 90 seconds rest and I said that I'd run with him. About 5 of us were running this session with Philippe and Patrick running too. We set off for the first interval and I left the others behind on the first bend. I don't know what they were thinking as I went on to run this in 3:06, exactly what the doctor ordered. They had assumed it was going to be easy. Still, on the second one, we were a lot closer and I ran 3:05 and they were just behind me.

I can't see that it was a stroll to manage this pace, as it's 15.5km/h but I wasn't unduly tired and so I took my pace-making duties very seriously. I was disturbed on the third interval as we set off just behind a faster group doing 500m intervals and I got carried away finishing the 800m in 2:59. Soon back into stride though and the remainder were far more regular.

The intervals went: 3:06, 3:05, 2:59, 3:03, 3:03, 3:02, 3:01, 2:55

On the last interval, I let rip at about the 600m mark and had a good stretch to the finish line. The planned 3:06 time was fairly well respected and this was the training plan for a 3:15 marathon time. I looked up the 3:00 training plan times for 800m just out of interest and it showed 2:53 so I was well off this pace, but Ididn't want to tire myself out too much after Sunday's efforts either. This felt very comfortable.

Good session. 13.8k all up in 1:16 or an average of 5:32 per km.

Another early run

6:00 start for a 13.3 km run around the park.

Not enough time to write up properly. Steady pace in cold temperature at around 4:30 pace on average.

13.3 km all up in 59:17 or 4:26 per km. Enjoyable after yesterday and no aches and pains.

Marathon relais des Yvelines

This was a great event from start to finish and I really enjoyed my day.

It started early, too early for a Sunday morning, with Nick picking us all up in his car at 7:45. The temperature was just above freezing at 2.5°C in Le Mesnil but only 0°C when we got to La Queue lez Yvelines for the race. We picked up our numbers and got changed in the gym, watching all the other runners arrive and sussing out the competition. A slim, athletic type was changing into his running kit and we told Nick that he was the guy to wath and he should stck with him over the first leg. The athletic type then pinned on his number on his vest: n° 1. We were spot on in the race strategy !

Nick and I warmed up a little while around the track outside. Actually, that isn't strictly true. Nick and I froze our asses off, running 3 laps of the track is the precise truth. I went back inside, regretting not to have brought my ski cap and gloves along. Nick lined up at 9:30 with 500 other runners and we stood by the road and cheered me on as he set off.

The next stage of the race involved jumping in Nick's car and driving to the relay point 12km down the road. A large convoy of cars from the relay teams (55 teams in all) followed each other to the first handover. The first marathon runner came through in 40 minutes, and it was only just under 4 minutes later that the first runners started appearing. Nick came through in around 49 minutes, having run the hardest section of the whole route. He handed on to Andy who was clearly stressed from the pressure that we'd been putting on him to perform and from the excitement of the race. He set off in seventh position from the relay teams.

Back in the car and this time we drove on to the half way point. The first runner came through in 1:12 and we had to wait a good 6 minutes this time before we saw anyone else. Andy turned up in just under 1:28 and I was pleased as this meant that a 2:55 time was looking very possible. Andy had run a solid leg, clocking between 4:10 and 4:30 per km. He set off fast with the adrenaline pumping, but slowed down to a more reasonable pace. He had overtaken 3 relay teams, but been overtaken by 2 others so he handed the baton (sorry, it was actually a red elastic hairband) to Paul in 6th position in the relay race.

We drove back to the first handover point, where the last handover was to take place. I warmed up a little by myself, watching the race. we wondered where the lead runner had gone to as he seemed rather slow compared to his time so far. It was then we learnt that the lead motorcycle had taken him the wrong route and that he'd been overtaken by the first relay runner when the mistake had been realised. I couldn't imagine how he was feeling - to be taken the wrong way in a marathon must be miserable. He'd lost at least 6 minutes as he was now just trailing the first relay team.

I was taking it easy when Paul appeared out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting him already and he'd run a stormer, gaining 2 places and handing on to me in 4th position. I set off quickly, not really knowing how to run my leg and not really prepared for a race where the other competitors were all so strung out already. I pushed the pace early on from the adrenaline flowing and the sight of a marathon runner ahead. I was gaining on him steadily and I concentrated on pulling him in as fast as possible. First kilometre sounded from the Garmin and I glanced down: 3:34. I didn't think that I'd be able to hold this pace so I slowed up slightly and concentrated on the runners ahead. Having gone past the first marathon runner, I focused on the next groups in turn. They were well spread out, every 200m or so, so there was always somebody to aim for. The second km passed in 3:49, but I was feeling good and the road seemed to head slightly downhill so I stretched out and ran faster.

I passed a good 5 runners before I spotted a runner with his number on his back: a relay runner. If I pass him we'll be in third position and a medal. This thought spurred me on and I was determined that he shouldn't latch on to me as I passed. He was following a marathon runner but running well and steadily, and the thought that he could push the pace was a real possibility. I passed him after 4.5k and put on another spurt and I left them both behind. I was really blasting it now, feeling wonderful and enjoying the slight downhill. I thought about Nick as he had run this leg in the opposite direction and the effort necessary must have been far greater.

3:44, 3:43, 3:41, 3:42 - the kilometres went by quickly and then I came to a steeper downhill section. I let fly down here, catching several runners and then catching sight of another relay runner. This time I was catching him very fast and I knew that he wouldn't be able to catch me once I overtook him at this speed. 3:33 for the kilometre, followed by 3:29. I felt fantastic. I flew past him and concentrated on putting in some serious effort as there was a steep uphill section to manage now. I remebered this section from the marathon last year when I was knackered at this point. I knwe that there was less than 2 km to go before I met the others again and we could all run together over the last 1.5k. I managed the hill section in 3:57, so still over 15km/h.

I was glad to see the others as I ran over the top of the hill and I was hoping that they would be ready to go. I didn't want the team behind to catch us now and kept running at the same pace. Andy, Nick and Paul were thrilled with the position and the thought of a podium, as was I. We ran down the final straight, into the stadium and tried a sprint finish to go under 2:50. No good - 2:50:10. but an excellent result and 2nd team in the race. First veteran team, but unfortunately no category for that.

I managed a 10km stretch in the race in 36:54 from the Garmin which is my fastest time ever over this distance. I'm sure that I'll beat my PB in the next 10k race that I do. Great result, great team , great fun. We'll have to come back next year to defend our position.