Hill training - Marly

I had forgotten to tell you that I'm entered for the Ecotrail from Versailles to Paris next Saturday. 50km of trail running in the Paris area with 1000m of ascent to be negotiated. It's not quite 6 foot track but it's not bad for around here. And it's 50km long. Whether I forgot or whether I've been trying to put it out of my mind is also another question that needs to be answered. I didn't enter the event. Laurence entered me when she decided that she wanted to run further than a marathon. I can hear you now : further than a marathon you must be going mad - probably.

Well the race is fast approaching and I'm nowhere near to being race ready. Laurence and I decided that we needed some hill training for our final preparations and so we headed off to Marly, for the cross-country training route to hone our hill-climbing skills. Laurence had never run here before so we ran together easily for the first lap and I showed her the 3 different phases for the circuit.

Phase 1: the long hill slog. This is a very steady gradient of around 8% which rises for 440m. My aim is to try and run up here as close to 2 minutes as possible before recovering on the downhill and the next phase.

Phase 2: the short steep hill (aka green carpet or 'tapis vert'). Whereas the first phase is a wide track heading uphill, this is a path, or rather 2 paths with grass growing in between both path, hence the name. When we're cross-country training, we run 2/3 of the distance up this hill at top speed. With Laurence, we run to the top but at a slower speed and then recover coming down the path on the opposite side.

Phase 3: the speed section. We run down a shallow gradient between the poplars and then around the lake to run back along the opposite side, ending up 2 short banks. Unfortunately, there is some conservation work going on at the lake so we have to continue up to the equivalent path on the far side running back up a shallow gradient between the trees.

This completes the circuit and I tell Laurence that having warmed up we're now going to run this 3.75km circuit 3 times at our own speeds.

I set off steadily up the first hill but, as always, the effort makes itself felt about 2/3 of the way up and the lactic and pain begins to set in. I make it to the top in 2:10 before the recovery. I struggle to the top of green carpet, wondering why on earth I didn't admit to Laurence that we only usually do 2/3 of this hill and then push the last section, imagining Mireille on my shoulder and Nico just ahead to keep me going.

One lap down and 2 to go. I watch Laurence as she runs down the shallow gradient on phase 3 and set off on the second loop. It's harder now and I run the hill in 2:12, the steep hill is slower but the last section is roughly the same speed. Laurence is just coming down green carpet this time.

Last lap and I comfort myself that I won't have to do this again. Hill in 2:14 this time, green carpet and my legs and thighs especially are crying for mercy and the fast section where I coast a little, happy to finish. I see Laurence coming down from the first hill and I run to catch her up back up green carpet. I could have waited at the bottom - I must be mad but convince myself that it's doing me good. We run the last section together and finish.

17.5km all up in 1:34 or an average of 5:24, not that this means much over such a hilly circuit. Garmin reckons that there was almost 500m of ascent in total.

Ankle held up nicely, but thighs sore from the exercise.