Cross training - more hard work

Lot of people turned up today for the cross country training session at Marly park. I gave Anne a lift to the meeting point where we were met by José, Thierry, Jean-Marc, Miguel, Jérémie, Laurent (x2) and then at the last moment Nico. There were almost as many women as blokes today, with Mireille, Pascale, Anne, Delphine, Aude, Murielle and Catherine.

Miguel announced that we were reverting to the old, standard cross-country training sessions. No more of the 3 ' intervals but back to the old course, pushing it hard up the 2 hills and then the acceleration down the path and around the lake to finish the lap. 3 laps were programmed.

We set off easily on the warm-up and had a banter as to how Thierry was feeling after Thursday's session and whether he would be able to keep up with me snapping at his heels. I was feeling lousy and the front of my thighs were still sore from the intervals 2 days earlier. I've definitely been feeling the increase in the intensity of the training. I'm just hoping that it's going to pay off sometime.

Anyway, it was too late to think about anything now. I dropped my jacket in the car and started the session with the others. I attacked the first hill forcefully, but not too fast. Thierry was just alongside and Nico wasted all his energy providing running commentary. "Be careful James, Thierry is 20cm behind you and moving fast" etc, etc, ad nauseum. I felt easy for at least 200m up the hill and then the thighs began to tighten. What had previosuly felt easy became a slog, legs were hard to lift, and feet dragged. Nico, Thierry, Jérémie and Jean-Marc left me here and I struggled to the top of the hill as the wind started blowing directly into my face. A huge relief to get to the top and to press the lap button - 2:02.

Recovery down the hill before attacking the next hill: a short sprint to the top of this one before coming back down again. José comes past me here and this is the last that we see of him as he reduces his recoveries and pushes on. Thierry, Jean-Marc, Jérémie and Nico are just in front and Mireille is just behind me and it stays like this for the rest of the session. It's only on the downhill section and then the flat around the lake that Mireille pushes me, threatening to overtake. I manage to hold her off, especially on the far side of the lake where the grass is longer and wetter and the going tougher.

We do 3 loops and my leg muscles ache, my stomach muscles are tightening and I'm tired. We all feel the same and nobody has eased off. We warm-down chatting to Mireille and telling her how easy it must be for her: 30kg of weight less to carry around and a cross country race that is half as far in perspective. Piece of cake ...

15.5 km all up in 1:26. Tough going. Should be easier tomorrow, but I'll run over to the club to keep the distance up.