Recovery run(s)

It's now a tradition on New Year's Day to begin the year with a gentle run around the forest of St Germain. The purpose of this is twofold: eliminate the excess of alcohol accumulated from the previous night; and secondly start the year on the right foot (so to speak).

Laurence, Alec and I begin the first loop to Chateau du Val with Sophie, my niece and what was intended as an easy run soon becomes a full blast run for Sophie. Laurence is impressed by her speed and manages to beat her own record around the course in the process in 36' or an average pace of 5:02/km.

We start again but with Jack this time. Laurence runs her own route to complete a 10km run for the morning while Alec, Jack and I set off for the same route as before. We get in the forest and I stretch my legs to see how Jack responds and we run together through the forest at a quick pace, leaving Alec behind in the process. Whether it was the fuzz of the alcohol or the simple pleasure of pushing Jack along, we abandon Alec and I check over my shoulder every bend to check that he doesn't get lost over the route. We finish the circuit in 31:37 or an average pace of 4:25/ km. Alec arrived a couple of minutes later and was not pleased to have been left behind when the initial intention was to all run together (which I understand completely and I don't know what overcame me).

So a good start to the year with 15km clocked up for the morning.

Photo of the gang:

Running with Paul

Went for an easy run Satruday morning with Paul and Laurence to chateau du Val and back.

Paul had decided that he was not going to enjoy it today and made a fuss about the whole affair. We ended up running the first kilometre at a reasonable pace (5:40) and then it went fast downhill from then on. Finished the circuit in 47:28 or an average speed of 6:37 per km.

It's terrible to see the impact of your mind on your capability to run. Once he'd decided that it was too much of an effort and that he wasn't motivated, he just gave up mentally and didn't want to make an effort.

Disappointing run for him. I was not bothered as I was running a race that evening and didn't want to push hard in any case.

Accompanying Paul

Went out with Paul this evening to accompany him on his weekly run to Chateau du Val and back.

He wasn't eager to go and tried to get out of it but I was having none of this. It started badly but by the end he was running more steadily and more relaxed than he has on either of the previous 2 occasions.

7.2km all up in 45:08 or 6:19 per km average.

Just under 80km running this week plus a triathlon so not bad despite my missing 2 runs mid-week.

Sunday recovery

My obligation once per week is to run with Paul to make up for the lack of sport he doesn't do at school.

Chateau du Val again today and I was pleased to do a run with him if only to run at a 6 - 6:30 pace to recover from yesterday's race.

He beat his record set last week, finishing the 7.2km run in 44:26. Pleased to get out and finish the week with an easy run. Missed running with the club though but I'll try and go with them next weekend.

95km all up this week. 5 weeks to go to the marathon.

Chateau du Val

I came back from the race this morning knowing that I still had another 7 km to run with my son Paul. Since he refuses to sign up for any sport at school, his commitment is to run once a week with his parents (either me or Laurence) over a 7.2km course.

Paul and I set off at a steady pace (6:20 per km) and the objective was to get him to the end without stopping and not completely disgusted by the whole idea of running. He was very consistent in his pace at around 6:30 / km and we finished the Chateau du Val loop in 45:02. Good warm-down for me bringing my total kilometres for the week to 95km. Great marathon training.

Friday tempo run

Was following a thread on a running forum yesterday about marathon training. To cut a very long thread short, the basic gist of what some of the runners were saying is that you can't just do the mileage for training, you have to do the lactate training. Apparently, your lactate threshold can be improved regularly, while your VO2 max can improve for a while before it hits a plateau. This made me think about my training and how I don't push my speed sessions hard enough by myself.

So having thought about all of this yesterday, I decided to have a couple of beers and try and put all thoughts of running fast out of my mind. No, I came back from work this evening and decided that I would run an old route to Chateau du Val just to see if I am as unfit as I think I am.

The Chateau du Val route encompasses a little of everything. First you start on the road and run uphill into the old Mesnil centre by the Church through the arch and into the forest (you'd better note all of this down Nico as you're gooing to have to try and run this to see how you fare!); you then have a forest section, a fast downhill before you run back on a paved path to Chateau du Val over the grass and then back up a short steep climb back into the forest and then eventually home back past the Church down a very steep road and then sprint along the road to home. It's just under 7.2k and my record is 28:59. In fact, having just found the link, I set this record on a Friday evening 2 years ago exactly.

I set off thinking that I would blast the course, just to see and to get some speed work in before the 10k next month. I set off fast, but not too quick as I know that the uphill can destroy you from the beginning if you push too hard. First km just under the arch in 4:11. Not too bad but I could feel my lungs aching already.I pushed on in the forest and the next kilometre was managed in 3:53 - this was more like it and now that I was running at over 15km/h, I determined to keep it that way.

Splits went: 4:11, 3:53, 3:54, 3:56, 3:54, 3:53, 3:45 and all up in 27:57 or an average of 3:55 per km. A new course record and I beat the time of 2 years ago by 1 minute. Cheered myself up no end and now think that Nico has a race on his hands next month.

Going on holiday in peace for a week now!

Monday off

To celebrate my day off this morning, I decided to make the most of Laurence being at school in order to go for a short run.

All my training recently has been based on increasing the mileage, and even the club sessions have been focused on general muscle building rather than any speedwork. It was time to rectify this and head back out on a short run to Chateau du Val. This route is just over 7 km in total and used to be one of my standard training routes before I started to train over longer distances.

I set off this morning under a very overcast sky. It had been raining during the night and the ground was soaked. I decided that I would try and run the course fast but not so fast as to bust a gut in the process. It wasn't to try and set a new PB but just to ran at a faster pace than the usual endurance pace of around 4:30 per km.

I ran up the hill towards the forest in 4:28 and I could feel the fatigue in my legs. This is the fourth day running non-stop now and I'm not used to the intensity. My thighs were sore and tired so all thoughts of blasting the whole course disappeared then. Having decided this, I settled into an easy but consistent rhythm, running at around 4:10 pace and every now and then accelerating a little. The following kilometres went by then in 4:14, 4:05, 4:10, 4:12, 4:06, 4:02. Sprint for home and all up in 29:38 - second best time ever. So despite the tiredness and not trying hard, I am still improving on my times set just under a year ago. This is really encouraging and a big boost to my morale.

To celebrate, I went mountain biking with Laurence this afternoon. Came off the bike 3 times in the mud and landed heavily on my thigh in the last accident. Laurence was well amused though. She then showed me up for my lack of bike training by leaving me on the flat on the way home. My legs couldn't take any more. Having second thoughts about the triathlon on Saturday but will do it anyway.

Snowstorm

Had a lie-in this morning and the promise I made to myself to go for an easy run this morning almost flew out the window when I saw the weather outside. It started hailing first thing and I lay in bed for a while listening to the hail hit the Velux window in the bathroom. It was only through a sheer sense of duty and commitment to my marathon training schedule that I managed to force myself to get up and look at the conditions more closely.

This, of course, didn't improve the situation in the slightest. Laurence was determined to go for her run and we tried to convince Henry to come with us. Henry was having none of it and Laurence wasn't in the mood for a fight with him so we left him and set out just the two of us.

We set off very easily, heading off around the Chateau du Val route. The snow was falling ever faster, leaving a thick white blanket that covered our tracks within 5 minutes of our passing. It was wonderfully silent in the forest with the snow muffling all of the sounds and the cold discouraging all but the most insane from leaving the warmth of their houses.

A lovely easy run that makes you appreciate the sport. 7.2 km in 40:45 or a leisurely 5:44 per km. This'll make up for tomorrow's efforts.

Tapering again

Well it was supposed to be a gentle run through the forest behind the house to Chateau du Val and back but I got carried away. I set off with Laurence and Henry on the usual 7k route through the forest and had decided that I would just take it easy as preparation for tomorrow's race. But it was just one of those days when everything felt great ... the mood was right, I'd been itching for a run, the weather was fine, the forest was peaceful.

I set off easily enough going through the first kilometre in 4:47. I entered the forest and managed the 2nd kilometre in 4:36 and it continued from then on, peaking at 4:21 on the road back from Chateau du Val on the downhill stretch. So much for taking it easy but I arrived back at the house feeling great and not too tired nevertheless. We'll see what impact this has on the race result tomorrow. Total time of 32:40 for the 7.2 km. This wouldn't have been possible a year ago and today it felt easy !

Henry came back next having left Laurence at the half-way point. He didn't want to go out first of all (as usual) but once he's out he's beginning to enjoy it. At least he is able to see the good that it's doing him as he was first in the sports lesson this week. He even spoke about the school cross-country race coming up. There's hope yet.

Laurence is saving herself for a long run (26k) tomorrow in preparation for the start of the Paris Marathon training which begins next week.

Easy Saturday

Since I was running in the area cross-country championships on Sunday, it was jsut an easy run around Chateau du Val for today.

I wanted to take it easy just to see how I was feeling, and not to wear myself out for the race the enxt day. As it was, I felt really good from the start and just coasted around in 4:40 per km pace. It felt very comfortable and I finished the loop in 33:24.

Just over a year ago, I would be going flat out to achieve this. It's amazing the improvement I've made with a bit of serious training. Lovely to be in the forest on a bright Winter day with the temperature a very moderate 8°C.

New Year's Day Run

Celebrated New Year's Day by going for a run with Nick, Jean-Pierre, Isabelle, Anne and Laurence.

We were just planning to do an easy run through the forest around 8-9 km. We started by running to Chateau du Val and then down the steps and up the hill on the St Germain terrasse (using the same hill as the triathlon course). A quick stop to check that Eloise and Alex were OK on their bikes and then along the terrasse to the first gate in the wall and down back towards Chateau du Val.

Final stretch home was along the route taken by the Sunday forest run, with the men going down by the wall to finish and the ladies taking the shortest route back. Most enjoyable run and meant that we were able to sweat off most of the alcohol from the previous night's party.

11.2 km in 1:04, so a very comfortable outing.

Matrimonial bliss

Took the day off work today to make the most of the Christmas break. To truly benefit from the day, I went running with Laurence to Chateau du Val through the forest.

We set off at a steady pace and I couldn't help but reminisce on those days when we first went out together and Laurence would sometimes come running with me. In those days, she would begin by putting on at least 5 layers of clothing so that she didn't feel the cold, slip on an old pair of grotty trainers and jog around, breathing only through the nose so as to avoid a stitch. I would always despair, tell her to speed up, to move her legs faster and finally we would inevitably fall out with Laurence telling me that she would never, ever go running with me again.

Those days are long gone and nowadays Laurence is fitter than ever and running faster than I was able to in those early days. Luckily I've improved too or I wouldn't be able to keep up and my male pride would be forever tarnished. We were running at a steady 12 km/h with every kilometre taking a fraction over 5 minutes. The morning was lovely: crisp and dry and the forest had a great wintery feel to it.

Laurence ran well and is a natural road-runner. The sections over the tracks and up through the woods were harder for her and she slowed a little on the pace over these sections. We arrived back at the house after 7.1 km in 36:36. I was then that she announced that her record for the course was 36:15 - if I'd have known beforehand then we could have broken that today without any problem.

Lovely run, very relaxing and a real pleasure to accompany my wife.

New record

Well actually it wasn't any of my personal bests that were beaten today but I ran with Henry and we managed a new record for him over the Chateau du Val course.

I'm tapering down for the marathon next Sunday and so the training has been reduced dramatically for this last week. I decided that I would run the 7.2 km course with Henry today and then do the usual Sunday run with the gang tomorrow before calling it a day (or a week even).

We set off in the late afternoon and the weather is perfect for an Autumn day: sunny, still and mostly warm. I set the pace for Henry and we did the first kilometre in 5:30. I was hoping that we could keep this up all the way around and go under 40 minutes but over the next 2 kilometres we slowed down a little. By half way we were around a minute behind my objective for us but Henry did a lot better over the second half of the course and even managed a sprint finish to end in 40:08 or 5:36 per km. Not bad at all and 2 minutes better than his previous record.

So what was the secret to motivate an almost 13 year old in producing such a good performance ? His mother's iPod, what else ? Thank you Steve Jobs !!

Short slog

Yesterday was my weekly run with Henry to encourage him in his sporting pursuits (currently nil for the remainder of the week). We repeated the Chateau du Val run of last week but tried to go slightly faster. Big mistake.

We ran the first kilometre in 5:40, so 15 seconds faster than last week. However, by the second kilometre, Henry was already complaining of a stitch so I told him to continue running but more slowly. We then had a series of histrionics which only really ended with the final sprint for home in 43:40. This was almost 2 minutes slower than last week for the 7.2 km.

The most important aspect is to keep patient and to not discourage him. I'm learning slowly but it's not easy.

Pacemaking

Race tomorrow in Conflans over 10km so I didn't want to do a hard workout today. However, I was extremely happy that Henry decided he would run the Chateau du Val course with me this morning.

We set out just after 9:00 am when Laurence and Paul had gone off to play tennis. I set the pace at around 10 kmh and we did the first 1 km up the road in 5:55. Henry found this comfortable, or at least I presume so since he wasn't complaining ! We maintained this through the forest until we reached the half-way point.

Just after half-way, there is a little slope uphill and I was worried that this would be enough to cause Henry to stop and walk but instead he took it in his stride. He was tiring a little at around 4km but carried on nonetheless. I could see that he was tired now but still determined to carry on. This determination only wavered as we left the forest and got back to Le Mesnil. He started to speed up to almost a sprint and I asked him why he was doing this. He told me that he was going to stop at the car-park. Luckily, I was able to persuade him to make the final effort to run the last kilometre home and we finished the 7.1km course in 42:07.

I was very proud of him and hope that he will now start doing this run on a regular basis.

Forest route

Since it's now light in the morning and the sun is already up well before I set out at 6:30am, I figured that I may as well make the most of it and run through the forest rather than around the roads through town.

Time is still limited though so I settled for the Chateau du Val route: up past the church, into the forest, hanger left and straight out along the tracks to Chateau du Val and back in a small loop. It's just under 7,2km (route can be seen here : http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1615332) and my aim has always been to run this in under 30 minutes. Current P.B. for the course is 30:04.

I set out this morning feeling pretty good. I could still feel a slight tightness in my legs from Sunday's race but this wore off fairly quickly as I stretched out up the hill at the start. I ran the first 1km in 4:22 which is fairly good and then I was into the forest. The temperature was a lot cooler amongst the trees and I felt really easy and relaxed. As usual on these early morning runs, I was barely awake and the time passed very quickly. I hit the half-way point in 15:27 and was pleased to see that it was too early for the homosexuals in the area to hang out. Another burst up the hill and I was running at about 15km/h heading home. I enjoyed the change from the usual town run with the silence of the forest and only a couple of squirrels for company. My legs were comfortable and although I was pushing the pace, I didn't feel too short of breath or that my heart was about to explode.

Back past the church and the final sprint back along the road to finish in 29:57. Another P.B. and the 30 minute barrier is finally broken. I was extremely pleased to break this barrier and to see that I'm still improving. I just hope that I can carry on in translating these improvements in my training runs to better performances in the races.

A few photos from last month in Le Puy for the family: