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.

Cora, Cora, Cora

I managed to persuade Nick and Andy to go out this morning. Neither seemed particularly keen since we're racing tomorrow with a 4 man version of an ekiden. Still they agreed as long as they didn't have to run the whole loop.

I was happy to have the company and we ran together for 5.5km before they headed back left off the Cora track and towards home. I carried on along the normal loop, around Cora and ran steadily for the remainder of the circuit at about 4:20 pace. There are far fewer runners out now since the weather has become slightly colder. I find this hard to understand as the forest is really beautiful at the moment and the cooler temperatures make running really pleasant.

I stopped at the bakery on the way back and brought home croissants and pains aux chocolat for everybody. Washed down with a few cups of tea - what a fantastic start to the weekend.

15.3 k in 1:10 or 4:35 per km. This brings my total mileage to 66 km for the week which is a little shorter than I've been doing recently due to the lack of a fourth 10k run mid-week. Still, I'm running well and consistently at the moment so this shouldn't be a major problem.

Looking forward to the race tomorrow which should be fun. It'll be nice to watch the others run and to cheer them on and then take part in the final leg. To see the final result tomorrow, watch this space. Laurence is running a 10k race in Velizy tomorrow and is as worried about how she's going to get there in the car as running the race itself. More news tomorrow.

Rise and shine

Another early run (6:00am) on Friday to put in as many kilometres as I could manage this week. I wanted to go on Thursday morning too, but I was banned by the missus. In retrospect, this was probably a good thing, as I am feeling the tiredness at the end of the week.

So how did this run change from the other two morning runs that I've done this week ? It was cold but dry and I set out with the intention of running at a natural pace rather than trying to do a fast session.

I'd put on a new Kalenji top over a running shirt and went out. The top was not as good as I thought it would be. It went farily rigid in the cold and so didn't function well as an insulator. This probably encouraged me to run a little faster in order to keep warm. I felt easy all of the way around. There was nobody around either: still too early in the morning for most people.

10.1k all up in 43:22 so only 30 seconds slower than the run on Wednesday when I ran fast specifically. Average speed of 4:15 per km.

Early start

Another early morning run for me at 6:00 am. It's hard to find the motivation when the alarm goes and I get out of bed. I look at Laurence lying there under the covers and she barely realises that I've left an empty space beside her on the mattress, before turning over and falling asleep once more.

I wanted to push it harder today so that I could claim that it was a speed session. I left the house having put my running kit on, including an extra top as it's not so warm in the morning now. I'm barely awake as I start the Garmin and take the first few paces along the road towards Maisons Laffitte. My body reacts slowly from its slumber and my mouth is really dry as it's too early to produce saliva yet ! I slowly emerge from this state after a kilometre or so, having negotiated the worst of the path in the dark. I'm scared out of my skin as I cross a cat that arches its back and hisses at me as I pass, probably as startled as I am to cross a mad jogger well before dawn.

I don't look at the Garmin for the whole run, but I know that I'm running well. My heartrate is higher than usual and I'm slightly short of breath. The initial hurt of the run wears off and I get used to the stride and actually lengthen this as my body begins to relax. I'm into the run now and enjoying the feeling in my legs and the cold air around my face. It's still pitch black and nobody is around apart from the odd car, off on the early morning commute to work. I push the pace up the slope into the park and stride out again. I know the position of the kilometre markers almost off by heart and I listen carefully for the Garmin to beep as I pass each one.

6 km down now and 4 to go. I leave the park and head towards the early morning commuter traffic coming through the town. I tell myself that it's not long now to the end of the run and that I should stretch out again. Down the hill from the church at Le Mesnil and a fast last kilometre.
Stop the watch outside the house and it's back in for a quick shower before heading off to work. Laurence has only just got up and the boys are in bed.

It felt good anyway. 10.1 km in 42:53 or 14.2 km/h (4:13 pace). Last 5 k in 20:41.

Rise and shine

An early start as the alarm rang at 6:00 am this morning. My change of job has obliged me to modify all of my routines. I used to be able to run at lunchtime, in the early evening , or exceptionally before going to work. The new job takes up so much of my time that evening runs are out of the question, lunchtime runs might be possible but I haven't found any changing facilities as yet and morning runs have to be made bloody early in order to be able to avoid the traffic and still arrive at work at a reasonable hour.

This was a bloody early morning run. Alarm at 6:00, out the door by 6:05, 10k run and back before 7:00 before a quick shower and then off to work for 7:15 am.

This was the plan in any case. I enjoyed my run. I mean really enjoyed my run. The fact that I haven't been able to plan a time to get out meant that I appreciated it all the more when I was running this morning. It was very early, very quiet and very dark. The birds were just beginning to wake when I went out and I listened to the dawn chorus while I was out. Even car drivers were less impatient and more courteous at this time in the morning: at least the police car was when it stopped to let me cross the road.

I ran easily at first not pushing the pace but just enjoying being out. I wore the Garmin but didn't look at my lap times. I was on my sixth kilometre when the urge took me to up the speed, to stretch out and to let fly. I looked afterwards and my pace increased at this point from 4:45 pace to 4:15 / 4:20 pace until back to the house.

A quick shower and then over an hour of traffic as I left a little late and got caught in the rush hour. Everything is not idyllic but things are looking up.

10.1k in 45:39 or an average of 4:30 per km.

20km de Paris

Well, this race has been high on my priority list for a few months now. This was my first big test over (almost) a half-marathon distance and I wanted to see what I was able to achieve. I had managed to obtain a preferential bib for the race, so I had no excuses as to being held up by the other 25 000 runners that participate in this race every year.

Laurence and I had arranged to meet up with Nico, Hélène, Brigitte and Didier at the station so that we could all head to the start of the race together. We weren't alone on the platform, as like in the previous big races, there was already quite a crowd of runners from Maisons Laffitte ready to take part. A motley collection of bin-liners, old T-shirts and old jumpers were lined up waiting for the train. Half an hour later and we got off the metro at Bir Hakeim, a short walk away from the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

The crowds of runners had already gathered for the start of the race and I left Laurence and the others with the crowds as I walked down the side of the Iena Bridge to access the pens at the front of the field. I met F-X here and we were joined by Nico who had dropped off his bag in the meantime. It was pure luxury to be in the first pen, just behind the elite. We had loads of space and could even have warmed up by jogging around the pen. In comparison, the runners in the main pen behind were not organised by expected time and it was like lambs to the slaughter, huddled together in a large pack of 23 000. I looked around for an old rival, Frédéric Poirier, but I couldn't spot him, despite the fact that I'd seen his name on the website of participants. I wasn't going ot worry about this and just concentrated on my own efforts.

We started at 10:00 am and headed up towards Trocadero, the hardest part of the course. I was slightly hampered by other runners but it wasn't as bad as I'd expected and I was able to run the first kilometre in 4:01. At the roundabout beside Trocadero, we headed back downhill to Avenue Foch and I let myself get carried away at this point, following the flow of runners around me. The second kilometre marker arrived very quickly, too quickly in fact, as I looked at my watch to see the lap time of 3:32 appear. I told myself to slow down as I knew that I wouldn't be able to maintain this pace for long, the runners around me were doing likewise and I was steadily overtaking them.

It was out to the Bois de Boulogne now, and some memories from the marathon earlier this year passed through my mind. This was completely different though as the roads sloped gently downhill for the first few kilometres through the park, before some small undulations in the middle section. I saw that the Garmin was registering 3:51 - 3:53 per km at this point and I wasn't worried by the pace as I was slightly above the 3:55 that I'd set in the virtual partner. I felt comfortable and full of energy and as I passed others I noted that they were breathing far more heavily than I was.

The feeding stations were well organised and situated every 5 km along the course. I made sure that I took on water at each one and was really pleased to note that I appear to have mastered the art of drinking from a bottle while running and avoiding choking. I must note this on my CV for future reference ! I poured a little of the water over my head too: it was only 16°C, but I wasn't taking any chances. We left the Bois de Boulogne after 10 km and I overtook a female runner with a Belgium national vest on (after some Google search: Véronique Coene a Belgian cyclist in the 2004 Athens Olympics). A kilometre later and my right shoelace came undone, despite my double knot, and I had to stop to retie it. I set off again only to note that my Belgian friend had come past me in the process, so I concentrated on reeling her in again. This accomplished, I set about finding my rhythm again.

My virtual partner on the Garmin was 1 minute behind me now and I tried to concentrate on maintaining this advantage. As we ran alongside the banks of the Seine, the encouragement from the crowds was fantastic and I felt a real boost from the cheering. I was beginning to tire now and the energy that I had at the start was waning rapidly. I passed Dominique and his son Christophe who cheered me on at the 15 km mark , while I just put all of my effort into keeping my speed up. I knew that I would beat my objective now, but I wanted to do the better. The urge to slow down and take it easier was strong and I fixed the runners around me to encourage me over the last few kilometres. We crossed back over the Seine at the 17km mark, beside the Louvre and this was the hardest part of the race as we headed back into a slight breeze.

I counted down the minutes in my head until the finish: 2.5 km - 10 minutes of pain to bear ! 2 runners came past me at this point, but at a speed of at least 10 seconds per km faster than me. I tried to latch on for a while but I was soon dropped. I just hung in there now and ran as fast as I could. The Eiffel Tower appeared again and I knew that I was close. A last effort over the final kilometre and I arrived in 1:17:33. I'd beaten my objectives and was under 1:18 - fantastic. I was over the moon. Splits were as follows: 5 km - 19:04; 10 km - 38:19; 15 km - 57:44; 20 km - 1:17:33.

Nico arrived shortly afterwards and I saw him in the finishing tunnel. He was pleased with his time having run 1:23:42 and very steadily all the way. He looked very fresh and far better than I felt. I didn't see Didier, but he ran 1:31:15. From what I can see of his splits, it looks like he was hampered at the start due to the crowds and he can probably run at least a minute faster to go under 1:30. F-X finished in 1:29:40 and he said that he wanted to go under 1:30 in his current form so he should be fine with this.

Laurence, Hélène and Brigitte all finished together, having managed to stay together the whole way. Finishing time of 1:48:56 so they could probably run faster but the number of runners on the course doesn't help. They were pleased too with their results.

I loved this race, due to my performance admittedly. Looking at McMillan, this time over 20k is better comparatively than my last record over 10k so I should be able to shave off another 10 seconds on this. Predicted marathon time is 2:52 and a whisker - I won't aim for this but play it safer by running around 4:11 per km. Time will tell.

To cap it all, I looked up Frédéric Poirier's time and he finished a minute behind me !! I'm over the moon - first time I've ever beaten him in a race. I'll have to leave a message on Facebook!

Catch up

I woke at 7:45 this morning, ready for my 8:00 am run with Andy and Nick. I'd been really looking forward to this run, not having been able to get out since Tuesday due to the new job and work constraints. As it was early, I wasn't focused on getting ready quickly and I sauntered downstairs before having an orange juice and then heading to the toilet before putting on my trainers.

Oh dear, it was now 7:59 and we were supposed to start at 8:00. Worse was since I've also swapped phones, I hadn't been able to confirm to Nick and Andy that I'd be running with them today. Still, it wasn't too late, surely they'll wait just a few minutes for me in case I show up.

I ran to Nick's house and there was no sign of him. I went up to the house and opened the front door, but it was dark inside and there was no sign of movement. He's left already, and I ran out of the house, closing the door quietly behind me, and ran up to Andy's lane. No sign of anyone here so I picked up the pace and ran along the usual route, hoping to catch up with them.

I was feeling full of energy, having rested for a few days and I was running easily but determined. As I ran down through the forest, I could see the silhouettes of 2 runners about 500m in front of me. I put on another burst of pace and considered shouting out to them but they were still a long way in front and I didn't want to disturb the calm of the forest at such an early time. I chased them down through the forest and over the railway line. We crossed the main road and they were still ahead by about 200m now. I ran harder still and finally caught them after 4 km from home or 3 km after leaving Andy's house. Splits were: 4:33, 4:12, 4:03 and 4:00. So much for an easy run before the race tomorrow !

Having caught them now, I was able to relax and chat as we ran together. The rest of the course was run at a steady pace of around 4:45 per km and we were able to chat about all that had been going on over the week and our plans for the marathon relay next weekend. Andy reckons that we should finish in 2:57 - I'm ready to bet a round of beers that we finish in under 2:55. Are you on for the bet Andy - over 2:55 and the round's on me, under and you're paying.

Finished the course of 15km in 1:11 so not a bad time at an average pace of 4:46. Banking on Andy running faster than this if we're to break the 2:55 barrier !!

Looking forward to tomorrow's race - want to do well in this one. We'll see.

Doubling up

No, the title does not refer to some new form of swinging or anything else as exotic, but another form of the mid-life crisis whereby I have resorted to going running twice a day to keep the mileage up.

Actually, it wasn't really planned this way as since I've started my new job, I've been finding it harder to manage my time and to fit in a daily run. Since I thought that I wouldn't be able to get to the club session tonight, I decided to go for an early morning run through the park at Maisons Laffitte.

It was literally chucking it down when I woke up this morning and I very nearly gave up the whole idea as a bad lot, but hell, I wasn't goning to let a little water get in the way of my marathon training, so I kitted up and left the house. It was dark outside and very wet. I managed to make it to the end of the drive before getting soaked through. The next problem was starting the Garmin ,which doesn't like the wet much, and the start button refused to function for a good 30 seconds. These 30 seconds ensured that I was even wetter than before and my shoes squelched as I set off down the road.

It was an uneventful run after this as I ran alongside the Seine, up through the park and towards the Chateau and back before heading home. Surprisingly, I was the only runner out today. In fact, I was the only person out today, bar a few horses and riders out for a morning walk near the park. I kept up a steady pace all the way round and felt good.

13.4 km in 59:30 so an average of 4:26 per km.

I then managed to get back from work in time for the club session and Laurence encouraged me to go out even though she was resting today. I left at the last moment with the intention of taking it easy.

I caught the group at the entrance to the forest, so I left the car on the road and ran after them for the warm-up. I chatted to Christèle and Madeleine about La Rochelle marathon and the state of their preparation (nil and limited due to injury - so not promising). I saw Nick ahead, so I ran to join him and to run the session with him. If I'd known before what he was planning to do, I probably shouldn't have bothered.

Half of the group headed for the track, and so I joined them there. The plan was to run 10x 400m - no sorry, that was the plan for most of the fast group. Nick and Patrick had decided that they needed to run 10x 600m and that I could run with them. Worse still, Nick said that the plan was to run them all in 2:10.

The first couple were hard and I felt tired from this morning, and mentally I wondered seriously why I was letting myself in for this punishment. After this, I settled down and ran the remainder with the brain switched off - this helps to forget about the pain and the time passes quicker.

The intervals went as follows: 2:12, 2:10, 2:10, 2:09, 2:08, 2:11, 2:09, 2:10, 2:10, 2:11. Iktrailed a little on th last5 intervals finsihing about 2 to 3 seconds behind me, but we were very regular and I was pleased that I'd done it at the end.

13.0km all up in 1:08. Over 26km today. Not bad and if I could keep this up, I'd beat the 100km in the week.

Odyssea 10km Paris

A race with a difference today as I wasn't going out to beat my PB but to help Laurence beat hers.

The race was organised to support funding for cancer research and was a 10km race starting from Vincennes on the east side of Paris. Laurence had entered with a number of friends including Anne, Hélène and Brigitte, and Didier (from our St Germain triathlon - bronze medal in the team event BTW) and Philippe (from Sunday run) were also taking part. It was another early start and we hopped on the RER just before 8:00 am.

The race was supposed to be a big event with over 14 000 participants expected for the 10 km and 5 km race which followed. I was rather surprised by the relatively few entrants we saw when we arrived as I was expecting many more. The weather may have made an impact as a rather mild morning in Maisons Laffitte had turned into a cold, blustery morning in Vincennes. It wasn't pleasant to hang about and around 15 minutes before the start we made our way to the start of the race and huddled together for a little warmth. We were soon joined by a few thousand others and the temperature rose rapidly. The race instructions were clear for Laurence and I : she was to follow me and I would assure the pace to beat the PB. Simple plan, but would it work ?

No - the start was given, the crowd moved forward and Laurence was off like a bullet from a gun. Bloody hell ! I tried shouting at her, but to no avail, as to compound the effect of the crowds all around us, Laurence had chosen to shove her i-pod in her ears and was running off to a lively beat from Survivor with Eye of the Tiger. I watched her from behind in desperation as I could see her sprinting away: there was no chance that she would be able to keep this up and sure enough, as I dodged 50 or so other runners in an attempt to catch her, she soon came back towards me.

Communication was difficult as Survivor had switched to the Offspring and 120 decibels in each ear made talking unworkable. I used the sign language picked up from 30 years of war films to tell her that she should keep her eyes on me and stick with me as I set the pace. She immediately stared at the ground and eased off the pace, losing 10 yards on me - I could see that this would be one of the toughest 10k races in a while. We slowly lost speed : 4:40, 4:45, 4:51, 5:01. This 4th kilometre was a hard blow as I thought that Laurence had lost all interest in the race and in achieving her goal. Anne and Catherine (another remote friend) were in front now and this seemed to spur Laurence on. My attempts were in vain but when her female pride was under pressure, she was still capable of pulling out a few stops.

The race improved from here on. We caught Anne and Catherine and managed to stay with them for a few kilometres, until just after the 6km marker. They gradually pulled away, but Laurence was running faster at around 4:45 pace. Unfortunately, her energy was spent now and she had no reserves to pull back the distance on Anne, who went on to finish almost 30 seconds ahead of her. Laurence and I crossed the line in 46:41, a new PB for Laurence but over 9.7 km as the course was shorter than the 10k announced. This was still a good performance (4:48 per km), but both Laurence and I agreed that she is capable of better still. Anne ran a great race to finish in 46:12 and Nick will have his work cut out to try and get her to impove this in Montigny over 10k next weekend. Hélène and Brigitte finished just over a minute behind.

Paul B. came past just after the 8km marker and encouraged us to go faster. He was looking good and we spoke afterwards about the marathon relay in a couple of weeks time which we're both looking forward to. This should be a fun event.

In order to keep up the distance for my Sunday run, I got out of the RER at La Défense on the way back and ran home. I ran through Puteaux, Nanterre, Rueil (which had organised a car boot sale this Sunday - what a mess to run through), before crossing the bridge at Chatou and running alongside the Seine for 10k through some lovely scenery. I was famished by the time I corssed the biridge at St germain and the sun had finally decided to show its face too. I was decidedly tired when I got home having run 18.6k in 1:23 or 4:30 per km.

Total distance for the day at 30k. Pleased with the last section as I was running easily at 4:15 pace for a good while along the flat. Good preparation for the marathon - really confident that the objective is achievable.
Laurence in action at Vincennes (note the ipod!)

Just in: Full results here !!

Back to reality

It was refreshing to be able to head out into the real world this morning after 3 sessions in a closed, dark room; even if it did mean getting up at 7:45 when a lie-in would have been appreciated.

I met up with Nick and Andy and we headed out along the usual paths to Cora. I had plenty of energy after a reasonable night's rest, far longer than anything I had managed during the rest of the week. As a result, I was happy to lope along at 4:30 pace to begin with, chatting to the guys and seeing how their week's had gone.

By the time that we got to Cora, I could see that the sustained pace had got to Andy as he was dropping off the back slightly. Nick and I slowed up here to let him catch up and then we would talk together and Andy would gradually drop behind again. I don't think that this was any reflection on Andy's form, rather the great shape that both Nick and I are in at the moment.

Andy's suffering continued in this manner for the remainder of the run, while I enjoyed the trees, the breeze and the hills as I ran rather than the treadmill.

All up in 1:13 for 15.2 km today. I've run 75 km this week, so slightly down on previous week's mileage due to the Paris-Versailles race being shorter than the normal Sunday run. I have signed up for a 10 km race tomorrow in Vincennes which I'll be running with Laurence, accompanying her to a new PB I hope. She's been running well recently and a good race will do her the world of good mentally in preparation for the marathon.

I'm looking to jog back from the race so I need to find a pleasant route back home. A quick search of Google maps should do the trick.

Hola Madrid !

Back to Madrid and to the same hotel as last time (Tryp Alamera if you're interested).

To cut a long story short, I spent every morning first thing on the running machine pounding out 10 kilometres before breakfast. The lights would go out, I'd run in the dark and get terribly hot and sweaty due to the small room and the lack of air-conditioning.

Wednesday morning 6:45 am 10 km - 46 minutes
Thursday morning 6:45 am 10.5 km - 47 minutes
Friday morning 7:15 am 10.7 km - 47 minutes

Nice hotel, reasonably priced, but they need to improve the functionality of the fitness room.

Looking forward to a run tomorrow in the real world and to admire the trees.