Cora calling

I've put on some weight since last year and I'm beginning to get obsessed about it. Rather than sit around moping, or trying to cut back on my calory intake (which despite all my good intentions, never works), I decided that the best plan of action was to go out and get some long runs in. This also coincides with my belief that if I'm to improve my marathon performance, I need to increase my weekly mileage and be running 80k per week on a regular basis.

So, having decided all of that, the plan was to run to Cora lake and back and add on a little loop to try and run around 26k this morning.

I set out a little later than usual as I was going by myself, Nick having upped and left on a weekend away with the family (far more enjoyable than a long run with me admittedly). The sun was out so I took a few precautions and wore a cap and took some gels along. The start was fairly slow but since I was going for a long run, this didn't bother me and the first kilometre was in 4:55. I headed out through the forest afterwards and my pace began to build up until I was cantering along at 4:25 pace.

There were plenty of other runners out this morning: the weekend runners, with a little (or even lots) of excess weight who have begun to appear now that Spring is in the air and the sun has begun to shine again. It was motivating to aim for these fair weather runners and chase them down over the shortest distance possible and then startle them with a cheery "Bonjour!" as I passed. After going around Cora, I headed off into the less well frequented part of the forest and settled into a steady rhythm, slowed only by having to fish a gel from my pocket every 10km or so.

I got back to the "bumps" by the railway line at Maisons Laffitte and decided to head back to the park in the opposite direction to my usual early morning route. As soon as I got back onto a tarmac surface, my speed increased to 4:10 pace and this was maintained until the end of the route, back home. It's amazing the difference the surface makes, a good 15 seconds quicker on the tarmac, something that I had never really realised before.

Tired running at the end, having taken no water with me. I looked in the mirror when I got back and recognised the same look as the photo taken of me at 25k on the marathon: red around the eyes and the rest of the face pale.

Good run despite the tiredness from yesterday. Pleased with my efforts running 23 km in 1:42:43 or an average of 4:27 per km.

Will go running with the club tomorrow for a change and to run with some company.