3 x 1500m + 1 x 600m

I managed to make it to the club session last night for the second time this week. It was a close run thing though - the motorway out of Paris was completely jammed so I had to carry on and use the alternative route, praying that no speed cameras were in my way. I rushed into the clubhouse when I arrived, only stopping to say hello to Gérald and a general hello in direction of the girls waiting by the radiator. I get changed and wait in the hall to listen to the instructions by coach Miguel and see Nico who I'd actually confused with the girls when I'd entered. Apparently, he's vexed by my accidental slight and announces that the fact that I've made it twice in the same week to a club session obviously indicates that I've been sacked!

A very good turnout for the evening with Nico, Gérald, Thierry, Mohammed, Jean-Marc, Bruno and all the women, including Laurence, Mireille, Pascales, Anne, Delphine, Christelle. We are given the plan for the evening: 3 x 1500m at 10km race speed and then 600m to finish at VO max all off 300m recovery.

We quickly run our warm-up as the rain is falling steadily now and the wind is most unpleasant and then head back to the track to begin the session. Thierry asks me if I'm feeling alright and if I'm ready to beat the chrono tonight. He knows that I've targeted him as the man to beat for the cross-country and this has boosted him to show that he's not ready to lie down just yet! I'm uncertain of how the intervals are going to go and who I'll try and stay with to run them regularly. I tell Nico that I'm aiming for 3:40 pace which equates to 5:30 per 1500m. He's aiming for 5:15 pace so I'm unlikely to be able to stay with him for long on each one. Momo is in a league of his own at around 3:10 pace and Jean-Marc and Gérald will be close to Nico. That leaves Thierry, Mireille and a new guy, Robin to place.

I set off on the first interval just behind a trailer, Laurent, and since no-one else looks eager to go to the front I push the pace a little and take the lead. This doesn't last more than 400m as Momo comes flying past and then Nico, Gérald, Jean-Marc and Thierry follow. I maintain a constant pace, not trying to follow them and explode and finish this first interval in 5:13. That was tough already, now we have to go again after 2:45 of rest. The second interval is a lot harder and I count down the distance left to be run. After the first 300 metres, I'm already aching and a lap later I feel like dropping out. The last lap is a killer with the lactic acid rising through my legs, tying up my thighs and making me feel as though I'm running in a swimming pool. Nico, Gérald and Thierry have been ahead from the start and Momo starts later so that he can chase us down. My only consolation is that Jean-Marc is closer on this interval and must be tiring slightly. I finish in 5:19. I'm shattered now and wonder how I'm going to manage another. Even the thought that it's the last 1500 is no consolation.

It takes 3 minutes to run 300m for the recovery now and we start again. The others leave me immediately and I try to find a rhythm that will let me get to the end of the distance without collapsing. Mireille and Miguel go past me after 200m and I try and hold on to them. They stay just ahead and we continue to run like this until 1000m when Miguel drops out leaving me with Mireille. Try as I can, I just can't stay with her and a small gap appears. I think about giving up and dropping out as my legs are numb. 400 metres to go and I'm just trying to contain the pain and coasting, incapable of increasing my effort. Hit the final straight at last and finish in 5:25. Thank god for that.

Everyone is tired now and there's still the 600m to be run at full pelt, VO max speed. Sod that I tell myself, I'm just trying to survive. We start and my male pride kicks in and I refuse to let Mireille get past me this time. Momo and Gérald have gone off like bullets and I can see them streaking away from me. Tough, and I hit 200m and tell myself that there's only a lap to do. All thoughts about a full blown sprint to the end remain just that : thoughts. My legs are shot, not so much with the lactic on this interval but the after-effects of the previous 3 intervals. Mireille is still on my shoulder and as I enter the last 200m, I up the ante and push the pace just to discourage her from coming past. This works and I can't hear her behind me any more. 100m to go and it's the sprint, suing my arms to power me down the home straight. Miguel encourages me on, from the sidelines and I finish in 2:00 dead.

A warm down and the session is over. 12.5k in 1:07. A very hard session, on top of the tough session on Tuesday. Legs are aching like hell today. Cross-country training tomorrow should be fun! Thierry finished ahead of me yesterday and was running well. I have improved tremendously since last year and am looking forwards to these next races where I think that I have a good chance in the mud against him.