The killing fields

Remember the film set in Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge take power and commit atrocities in the deep mud - well that was today's session. We had mud, guts and glory this morning.

I ran over to the club as promised this morning after a late night last night and a few whiskies too many. I left Laurence in bed as she tried to make the best possible use of her time under the duvet! As soon as I left the front door and began to run, I knew that I was in trouble. My thighs had not recovered from yesterday's training and even at a slow pace I was still hurting.

I ignored the pain and hoped that as I warmed up that this would ease. I gradually sped up as I ran through the forest going from 5:10 pace to 4:45 pace by the time I got to the club. OK - it wasn't exactly fast but it was a distinct improvement. A big turnout at the club with all the blokes from cross-country training present plus a few more: Gérald, Bruno, Anis and Robin. Fewer women today as all the ladies from yesterday had gone missing. I even wondered if Laurence hadn't fallen back asleep but she wandered in after the official start time, looking slightly worse for wear.

The session today was 3x10' at threshold pace off 3' recovery. I told Nico that I wouldn't be pushing it today and would keep to the programme : threshold pace and not 10k pace. He told me that he was suffering slightly and had been in the wars. Apparently, he'd taken a hit to the crotch (although he claimed he was unaware of the cause ...) and was in need of medical assistance. Miguel told him to ask a member to sort him out (fnarr, fnarr) but he refused when he was told that he couldn't choose which one.

After this period of comic relief, at least for Gérald, Miguel and myself as Nico wasn't in any mood to laugh, we got down to business and started the first interval. We set off easily enough but then Jean-Marc ran to the front and started to show us that threshold for a serious runner such as himself is a good 2 km/h faster than my own perception. Gérald, not wanting to let the side down, sprinted off to catch him up and that set the others off too... José, Nico and Thierry. I had to respond and followed at a reasonable distance of 10 metres. Having set off initially at around 13km/h, by the end of the interval we were at almost at 16 km/h - so much for threshold. We corssed over into the Poissy side of the forest and started again.

This interval was worse as we started immediately at 3:40 pace and Gérald chased Jean-Marc from the start. Nico, Thierry and José followed close behind and built a small gap on me immediately. We left the forest and the muddy paths to hit a road section, heading slightly uphill. I flagged immediately and was caught by Anis (who was only jogging !!) and Miguel. I stuck to Miguel as he came past and we then ran together, chasing the group ahead and staying very steady at 3:50 pace.

Last interval and Thierry had tired of running at the front and ran with Miguel and I while the usual suspects stayed in front. Both Miguel and Thierry upped the pace at the end and made a few metres on me while I ran steadily at 3:50 pace to finish. Another hard work-out on muddy paths, with little grip in the forest. My biggest problem is the uphill where even the slightest of inclines causes me to flanch and to slow. I need to work on this mentally.

An easy run back to the club where we crossed one of the usual female forest workers and Nico almost stopped to request some professional assistance for his war wound. We were able to encourage him on and made it back to the club and then I carried on to run the last 5km home back through the forest.

26.1 km all up in 2:13 making the tally 80km for the week. Good quality sessions all week which has left me tired but in a satisfied manner. The real battle will be in the mud next weekend with Thierry.