Corra

After a few days off with the achilles tendon still sore from the trail, I felt it was time to try and get back into the usual training routine with Nico and head out to Corra. I can't remember who invited who, but I do remember that I made Nico promise to take it easy.

It was my first session back after a while and I didn't want to kill myself. We set out and I had energy abounding. After being cooped up in the house for a while, it was a relief to be out again and feeling good on a run. The niggle in the achilles was still there but it wasn't such a distraction that I felt the need to ease off or stop running.

Caro and Laurence were out with us too, but both on their bikes. It was drizzling lightly and we were all equipped for the cold but it looked as though it would be the wet and not the mild weather that needed to be dealt with. We set off esaily and after a couple of kilmetres Nico started to push the pace unconsciously. I followed and then moaned after a couple of kilometres that quite frankly 3:49 pace was not easy in anyone's books. He promised to ease off after Corra which is what we did and then we gradually increased the pace again on the route back.

We arrived back home with the girls completely soaked on the bikes. We'd completely the circuit in 1:01 whch was an excellent time by anybody's standards.We had to strip all our clothes off in the basement before traipsing through the house and sitting down to breakfast after a relaxing shower. The Christmas holidays could begin...

Sunday run

I woke up this morning feeling slightly the worse for wear. I'd missed the club session and had preferred to spend an extra hour in bed, encouraged by Laurence who got up to go running with Katia. The excess of alcohol from the previous night still hadn't worked its way out of my system and I decided that a good easy run should do the trick.

I headed down to Corra with the intention of coming back along the wall so as to run 18km and complete my week with over 100 km of running. I set off steadily at 5:00/km pace and after a couple of kilometres, I was into my stride at 4:30/km pace. It felt very easy and my breathing was effortless with the legs feeling slightly fatigued.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning with a clear blue sky and crisp temperature of about 2°C. It was great to clear my head, just what the doctor ordered, although when I bumped into Andy out on his mountain bike, I wasn't able to express myself clearly at first. Steady run back after that slowing to 4:40 pace as I went through a part of the forest I haven't run through before, only recognising my path when I was back alongside the road to the military camp next to Maisons Laffitte.

I was just starting to get very hungry when I reached home after 20k in 1:32 so an average pace of 4:35 for the run. 102.5 km this week in total.

Easy Friday

Nico has planned a serious weekend, making the most of the bank holiday yesterday and the day off today to put in some miles and intervals. Today though was the rest day before the hard work begins again tomorrow. We planned to go for the usual route to Corra but with Laurence and Katia to ensure that no excess incurred in pace and natural competitiveness. Jean-Marc also agreed to come along and unfortunately Sandra is injured and François unavailable, otherwise it would have been the best part of the Florentine marathon expedition on the easy run today.

It was not exactly marvellous weather when we woke up: grey skies and threatening to rain. I put on a waterproof jacket and a cap to keep the rain off me, but this would prove to be a waste of time and just cause a little over-heating. We set off at an easy pace and had a good chat all of the way around. The girls were chatting plenty to start with but when the pace went below 5:00/km, it started getting a lot quieter at the front. The gentlemen that we are, we let the girls dictate the pace and made sure to stay behind them so as not to be accused of having to have forced them to run at speeds that they were uncomfortable with. Overall this worked fairly well over the circuit.

We set off at around 5:40 pace and then they sped up to 5:20 and then 5:00 and below before they realised that this was supposed to be a recovery run and not a tempo run. I could see that the effort was beginning to show on both of their faces on the far side of Corra at about the 8km mark. This didn't deter them from pushing on and we finished the whole loop of 15km in 1:17 with a 5:08 average pace.

A good way to start the day and we discussed the upcoming races, having signed on for Les Clayes (10km) on the Friday evening and then Orgerus (15km) on the Sunday. Quite looking forward to both of these now and a little stretch before I start the trails at the end of June.

Back again

It's certainly frustrating to be forced to retire from running for a while. Mind you, there have been that many business trips and early starts recently that even if I had wanted, finding time to get a run in would have been difficult enough anyway. I had compensated by doing a couple of mountain bike rides, but this had only resulted in me straining the base of my back and walking around like Quasimodo for a few days. I told myself that I would take it easy over the weekend and then start again today with Laurence agreeing to accompany me on the bike.

Laurence had been worried about letting me go out for a run on my own, thinking that I wouldn't be reasonable and continue running even if my calf started hurting. She proposed an alternative: a bike and run whereby she'd accompany me on the bike and if at any time I felt that I needed to stop, rest or take it easy than the bike would be there to take me home while she ran. This sounded like a sensible proposal and I wasn't sure how my calf would hold out so I seetled for this.

It was a fairly nice day although the clouds were looming and the rain didn't seem to be far off. I put on a waterproof top (later discovered that this was a mistake) and set out with Laurence in the direction of Corra. I ran the first kilometre easily enough although the Garmin was playing up and beeped at least 100m beyond the usual spot, recording 5:30. As is often the case after an injury, you focus largely on the areas of the body where you've suffered and I spent the next 20 - 30 minutes analysing internally every little ache and pain coming from either leg. The calf was holding up though and despite a few pulls every now and then, there was nothing untoward and I was happy with how it was doing.

I felt good along the path towards Corra and I stretched out to see in what sort of shape I was after 2 weeks of forced rest. My breathing was actually not too bad but my legs were finding the going harder, especially in the thighs. I ran 3 kilometres at 3:55 pace before easing off towards Corra and dropping down to a more sedate 4:15 pace. I tried to maintain this pace up the hill to the Pavillon, running in 4:20 and then accelerating again to 4:13 then 4:08 back up to Le Mesnil.

We took a longer alternative route back home, running past the church in town before getting back in 1:04:45. I reckon that this equates to just under 1:03 over the usual route. 15.3 km all up or an average pace of 4:15 /km. Good to be back and although I didn't feel as fresh or as easy as I have been recently, I was pleased with this run as it shows I haven't lost too much pace.

Corra variant

After a long party to celebrate the Paris marathon results of our little team, I told Nico that we would take it easy this morning for our run out to Corra and back. We also agreed that in the interests of our respective waistlines that we could extend the run to burn off a few extra calories.

It was tough out there at 9:00am this morning. I hadn't had enough sleep after going to bed after 2:00 am and having tasted 5 different whiskies during the evening, not to mention the different wines on offer, I was a little sluggish to say the least. However, Nico looked as rough as I did so that was a relief. For once, we kept to our promises and set off easily and didn't push the pace too hard, too early.

It was a lovely sunny morning but not too warm and it wasn't too long before we arrived at Corra and having almost finished the loop we changed directions instead of running up to Pavillon de la Muette, we headed parallel to the path by which we arrived, running back in the direction of Maisons Laffitte. This path skirts the wall that defines the limits of the commune and heads towards the racecourse in Maisons Laffitte. The path is fairly direct to begin with before it narrows considerably and winds it way through the trees, turning left and right alternately every 6 or 7 metres or so. This is great fun but hard work on the knees and thighs as you have to push off and pick up speed again after every bend.

We were averaging between 4:10 and 4:20 pace now and arrived back alongside the road that runs perpendicular to the Maisons Laffitte - Achères road through the forest. Some more twists and turns before we hit the bumps beside the railway line and it was the last run uphill through the forest before getting back into Le Mesnil. This last section, we felt the call of home, knew that we had almost finished and so both pushed the pace running just under 15 km/h up the slope.

18.9 km all up in 1:21 or an average pace of 4:20 / km.

Easter Monday

I made the most of the Easter holiday to go for a long run again this morning. The idea was to put in some kilometres at an easy pace and to enjoy a later start to the day compared to usual.

I ran out of the house in the direction of Corra. My idea was to run the same route as a few weeks ago, heading out to Corra and then back through the forest along the wall towards Maisons Laffitte before finishing with lap in front of the castle and alongside the Seine back to the house. The run started well enough with no apparent signes of tiredness in my legs after yesterday and I enjoyed the route down to Corra.

I had put on my Gore over-jacket again this morning and regretted this by the time I reached Corra. I was too warm with the temperature hovering around the 12°C mark. I had increased my pace from 4:30 to start with to 4:10 - 4:15 pace now. There were plenty of other runners around as they were all enjoying their day off by putting in a bit of exercise. I slowed down back from Corra as I began to pay for my relatively fast start. I ran a few kilometres at around 4:20 - 4:25 pace before raching Maisons Laffitte park where I picked up the rhythm again.

I ran a loop of the park in front of the castle before heading down to the Seine and running alongside the river. I went through the half-marathon point in 1:32 and then struggled the last couple of kilometres into the wind and uphill to home.

23km all up in 1:40 so an average pace of 4:24/km. Good start to the week which will be a bit disturbed with business travel. Met Caro on the way back who told me that Nico was busy playing tennis on the playstation. When it comes to the crunch, he just can't take the pace...

Corra and back

Normal run with Nico to Corra and back today, but we had a guest for a change in the shape of Benj, Nico's brother.  Benj is preparing for the Paris marathon and like François is attempting to beat 3 hours for the event for the first time.

A later start than usual and I met with Nico and Benj outside the house and the first surprise was to see Benj with his leg strapped up. He was suffering from periostitis or shin splints and had his shin strapped up with bandages covering patches that were transfusing pain killers into the affected area. This is the sort of treatment that can get you a ban from competitive running if controlled next weekend.

We set off easily along the usual route and I was really happy with the relaxed pace but of course, this was just too good to last. Nico gradually increased the pace until we were running at 4:15 pace and then we began the 25 minute stretch for Benj that was supposed to be run at his marathon pace of 4:15 per km.

Despite several cries of protest from Benj, Nico forced the pace and I did my utmost to follow.

3:59, 3:54, 3:57, 4:04 (uphill!), 3:56, 3:49 and then 3:59 pace until the end of the interval.

So much for marathon pace and this was along dirt tracks in the middle of the forest. Benj hung on too and was just behind us when we called time. With a performance like this, with shin splints to boot, it looks as though that 3 hour barrier should fall easily. Fingers crossed on the day.

15km all up in 1:06 or an average pace of 4:26/km.

Saturday long run

I made the most of the fact that Nico was runing in Aubergenville the following day to concentrate on my mileage and to get another long run in before coaching Laurence and the girls over the half-marathon course tomorrow.

I decided not to make to many changes and headed off down the usual route to Corra. I'd had a couple of days off running and was feeling so much better than Wednesday night. It's amazing how much good a bit of sleep does to you and the 2 days rest did no harm either. I set off easily enough but after a couple of kilometres in the forest I was soon running at 4:10 pace and since I felt good, I just decided to see how long I could keep this up without feeling tired. In fact, there were only a couple of kilometres where the pace dropped and this was due to the narrowness of the track rather than fatigue on my part.

I ran around Corra and then back along the wall towards the far end of Maisons Laffitte, near to the racecourse. The track is very narrow here and particularly deserted so I only saw other runners when I got back to the park in Maisons Laffitte. I was still feelig good so I put in a couple of kilometres under 4:00 and ran through the half-marathon distance in 1:29. Not bad for a morning jog.

I ran back along the Seine towards home and then a lap around the house as I pushed to run over 24k to finish. 24.1km all up in 1:42 or an average pace of 4:17/km. Pretty much 3 hour marathon speed all the way around.

Corra

Nico wanted to run to Corra half an hour later than usual. I was relieved as I immediately thought of the half hour of sleep debt that I could recover. I accepted instantly.

We set off at 9:00am in front of the house and took it easy up to the edge of the forest. I had envisaged an easy run all of the way around and this pace suited me fine. We ran that first kilometre in 5:06 but it stopped there. Second kilometre in 4:19 and that set the tone for the rest of the route. We can't run easily together with Nico. Whenever I pull alongside him, I think he takes this as a sign that I'm finding it too easy so he pushes on a little. I try and keep up and accelerate and so it goes on. Before long, we're running at 3:57 pace alongside the Corra pond and I have to call a break.

What is good is that with both of us having improved so much since last year, we're now still able to hold a conversation while running at 4:10 pace. By 4:00 pace though my conversation has run dry and I'm nearing the red line. We ease off for a couple of kilometres but the pace gradually creeps up again. This time we were running up towards Pavillon de la Muette when Nico had obviously caught his second wind. I'm praying now that he's going to need his habitual toilet stop so that I can grab a breather, but nothing doing. 4:12 up the hill - he's on form and I'm just holding on. I catch up on the flatter section but he's soon off again.

In fact that 4:12 section up towards the house in the forest section is the slowest kilometre we run until we finish the circuit. Even the sandy uphill section is completed at breakneck speed and even a slip from Nico on the sandy path doesn't stop us running this kilometre in under 4 minutes.

14.9 km all up in 1:02 and one of the fastest runs we've done around Corra in a while. Average pace 4:11 and it's a relief to get back, have a cup of tea and to talk about the amourous adventures of our clubmates. Plenty of gossip shared with Laurence when she gets back from her run with the girls. A long run tomorrow and then I'll wind down before the half marathon in Rambouillet next Sunday.

Corra alone

Nico deserted me this morning, pretexting some prior arrangement elsewhere so I was left to run Corra by myself. No worries, I thought, this was the ideal opportunity to run at my comfortable speed and not be forced along by my younger running mate, obliging me to follow or be cursed by a litany of accusations from his blog later on in the day.

I set off easily running up through town with the Garmin recording the first kilometre in 4:42 (it had played up and recorded at least 50 metres short of the official distance) and then the second in 4:50. This did feel good and I relaxed into my run. I was so relaxed that I sped up to my natural pace and was soon enough running at 4:25 / km. Still Nico wasn't alongside me to pick the pace up further was he? I could just relax now and preserve myself for my official pacing duties tomorrow.

I had volunteered with pleasure for a 10km race in Etampes to accompany François in his attempt to better his record of 39:22 and try and achieve the official McMillan equivalent time for a 3 hour marathon: 38:21. SO to run this pace, I didn't want to arrive shattered after a recovery run around Corra. I looked at the Garmin for kilometre 6 - 4:08. Ok so it wasn't just Nico who drives the pace around Corra. The next 3 were the same: 4:11, 4:04 then 4:09. I was on a roll. It was only the uphill to Pavillon de la Muette which slowed me down. I picked the pace up again back in town to finish.

15 km all up in 1:04 or an average pace of 4:16. Come back Nico - all is forgiven!

Corra

Usual route with Nico to Corra and back on this Saturday morning. I've been finding it hard to keep to the marathon training schedule with the different races programmed for every weekend at the moment and also a heavy work schedule which stops me from keeping my blog updated.

Anyway, Nico was present for our usual Saturday jaunt and we set off at an easy pace for Corra with the final (at least for us) round of the cross country in Les Mureaux forecast for the next day.

We did set off easily and reasonably enough but by the time we crossed over the road into the forest towards Corra we had accelerated again as is our wont and we were soon running our 4:10 pace. We hit kilometre 7 in 3:58 before I called it a day and told Nico to ease off. I wasn't motivated nearly enough by the final round of the cross-country without arriving at the race exhausted. Nico stopped for his usual toilet stop (it's becoming a permanent feature of our weekend runs (no pun intended) and I jooged on easily waiting for Nico to catch up.

He caught me by Pavillon de la Muette and we finished together at around 4:20 pace before the final kilometre in 3:26.

15km all up in 1:07 depsite a ocuple of kilometres run very slowly in the middle at slower than 5:00 pace.

Corra easy

I persuaded Nico out of running with the others for their gentle jog on the Saturday, prior to the next round of the cross-country championships in Montesson on Sunday. My main worry was not to run with other members of the club, but to continue to put in the kilometres as I knew that the race on Sunday would limit my Sunday run to 14 - 15 km at most.

We set off easily and, as is our wont, we gradually accelerated until we finally reached 4:08 pace. I called stop at this point and told Nico that we had to slow down. If we maintained this pace then we would be severely compromising our chances of success in the cross-country championships tomorrow. We slowed to around 4:20 pace and managed to keep this pace fairly steady for the next few kilometres.

We were comfortable all of the way round and my legs felt fine despite the efforts from the previous 2 days. My breathing was easy and we were able to chat freely as we ran. Nico had to stop for a 'Paula' on the way back up to Pavillon de la Muette and although I jogged on at 5:00/km pace for the next 2 kilometres, we still finished the loop in 1:07 which was very respectable.

14.8km all up in 1:07 or an average of 4:34/km. Not bad for an easy warm-up before the race tomorrow.

Corra

Nico texted me to see if I was interested in a run to Corra and back. Of course I was interested, it was only the pace of the run that concerned me. I was entered for the 10km race in Paris XIV the following day and I didn't want to blow my chances of running a personal best by training to hard with Nico to Corra and back.

We ran easily and set off at below 12 km/h only to quicken our pace steadily kilometre after kilometre. By Corra we were running at 4:30 pace and this remained the case until we reached back into town and accelerated once again through the streets of Le Mesnil to 4:15 pace to end the run.

Nico refused the offer of a cup of tea at the end of the run, pretexting that he had lots of work to do in sorting out a bathroom in a flat of his. I found out later that he actually rushed off to play tennis and didn't do any DIY at all.

14.8 km in 1:07 at an average pace of 4:33 / km.

Corra

It was a tough start after a night on the tiles celebrating my birthday. In fact, it wasn't just my birthday we were celebrating but François's and Pascal's as well. Good meal followed by a few beers and the run to Corra suddenly seemed a lot more difficult than initially envisaged.

Nico had insisted on an 8:30 am start but after less than 6 hours sleep even the promise of an easy run to Corra and back was looking grim. Nico appeared looking fresher than I did and we set off slowly through town. It was a cold morning as winter has arrived and there was a thick frost on the ground and covering the vehicles.

After our slow start, we sped up once we got into the forest and soon we were cruising at about 4:15/ km pace towards Corra. The forest was lovely with the trees now devoid of leaves and a thick frost around their branches. Nico and I chatted about the upcoming races and how the female contingent of our running club are hard on their female colleagues and their behaviour at training. As men, we are openly competitive but far more respectful of our training mates.

We pushed on around Corra and then back through the forest to town. We kept the pace honest without overdoing it as we had to keep some reserves before the departmental x-country race on Sunday. Despite this, we still managed to run the 15km in 1:05 or an average pace of 4:23 over the distance.

Finished with a nice cup of tea and breakfast at Nico's. Good start to the weekend.

Easy Saturday

The last run of the year and what better way to see the year out but to run with Laurence and Brigitte in the forest towards Corra. I managed to persuade Nico to come along too and take it easy for once. I know Saturday is sacred and devoted to running to Corra and back at ever faster pace, but it was the 31 December and all traditions should be rested every now and then.

Brigitte will be running her first ever marathon in 2012 and she will officially be starting her training next month. Laurence has agreed to run with her in order for her to achieve her objective of 4 hours for the race. With this in mind, we set off easily into the forest and Nico and I chatted with the girls as we ran around being able to enjoy the surroundings for once without being completely knackered and focused on the trail ahead. There was a slight drizzle that was not disagreeable and the temperature was mild - perfect conditions for a marathon !

We ran the 14.2km in 1:18 or an average pace of 5:30/ km which would be sufficient for a sub-4 hour marathon. Nico came back to the house to taste the famous chocolates and we had to wrestle the box back from him before they all disappeared at a rate of knots. It was at this point that he explained his eating habits when his wife is away: frankly 1 kg of M&Ms in a night is not good for racing. At any rate, we've almost converted him to becoming a tea-drinker. It won't be long before he's singing 'God save the Queen' and saluting the Union Jack.

Anyway, turning into an Englishman is a far better prospect than his other antics recently reported on the web where he's taken to running in flowery pink shorts. I'm in the process of acquiring photgraphic evidence of these antics so that the world can realise the shame that he's bringing to himself, his club and his country.

Watch this space...!

Corra - with company

Nico was on for a run to Corra this Saturday which was good. He said that we had to run it easily and not force the pace with the marathon so close which was better. I managed to persuade François to come along and to run with us just to ensure that Nico did not get out of hand which was even better still.

We set off at 8:30am to a crisp morning and a beautiful blue sky. As we ran through the forest, the morning sun was just rising above the trees and burning off the low lying mist. Rays of sun would illuminate the mist creating a poetic impression to the forest scenery. It was so stunning that one runner we passed stopped and pulled her i-phone out of her pocket to take a photo. Unfortunately, we weren't so well prepared so all you have are these words to try and describe the scene briefly.

Everyone was true to their word and François, Nico and myself set off at 5' pace and gradually sped up to 4'30 pace over the course of the usual Corra circuit. It was a good run and we chatted easily about the forthcoming marathon, training and the political situation in St Germain. There were suite a few other runners out and about but the best surprise was bumping into Laurence, Brigitte and Hélène on their Saturday morning training station just after crossing the bridge by Pavillon de la Muette. Congratulations to Hélène on her first training run after the New York Marathon which has now inspired Brigitte to take part in Paris marathon with Laurence agreeing to accompany her.

15 km all up in 1h10 and the most reasonably paced Corra run that we've done in a while. Average pace of 4:41 / km.

Corra and back

Arranged to run with Nico this morning to Corra and back on the understanding that we'd be taking it easy. I'm running 5 km in the ekiden tomorrow with the vets team from St Germain and I didn't want to compromise my race too heavily by blasting today's session. Anyway, the marathon training plan for today was to run 1 hour at 75 / 80% of max HR which I figured equates to 4:25/km or nearabouts which was fine for me.

I waited for Nico for a couple of minutes in front of his house before he appeared. The weather was still warm for the time of year with the thermometer showing around 13°C even at 8:30 am. Nico announced that his plan was for 1h15 at 75/80% of max HR with the last 15 minutes at marathon pace. Still he announced that we'd take it easy. And we did, for the first kilometre at least, running this in just under 5 minutes. And then we ran into the forest and a slight downhill, and the easy flew out of the window at the same time.

I was just out of my comfort range as we came out of the forest and although my breathing was easy, I could feel the tiredness and a little strain in my legs, notably my thighs. The problem when we run together is that Nico and I tend to like running just a shoulder ahead of each other. I feel relaxed when I'm just in front and I get the feeling that he does too. The result is that the pace gradually, almost insidiously, builds up and before long we were at just under 4:10 pace running through the forest. I pointed this out to Nico and we agreed to slow down which we did for 1 km before starting the same process again. At least I understood why I was not quite comfortable, but the only solution to reduce the pace was to drop back from Nico and I just can't let myself give up that easily.

Respite came after 6km when he felt the call of nature and had to stop and I ran on slowly. A kilometre in 5:09 before he caught me up and we ran the next exactly a minute faster!  After running around Corra, I tried to keep up the same pace up the hill to Pavillon de la Muette and we succeeded fairly well at around 4:20 pace before Nico sped up again along the flat and the last uphill section back to Le Mesnil. I let him go this time and he gained 15 metres on me before I put in a little more effort and kept the gap constant. It was just after this that I asked him what his HR was: 83% of max with the uphill at 90%. So much for the 75 / 80% in the training plan.

We stretched out through town to finish at just above 16 km/h and to complete the course in 1:04 exactly for the 14.9 km. This time would have been a record at the start of the year for me but now it feels almost comfortable. It's over this circuit that I'm able to judge the extent of my improvement since I began the marathon training and I can confirm that I'm running better than I ever have before.

The big event is the ekiden in St Amand tomorrow and I'm running the 5km first leg for the veteran's team against Nico who's running for the senior team. The objective is to beat 18 minutes and another target from Nick's "free beers all evening" bet of a few months ago. I've got to fit this into the marathon training plan which calls for 1h30 tomorrow too.

Corra again

A week has gone by already and it's back to Corra again. The marathon training plan for today is 1h15 at 70-80% of max HR, which I interpret as an easy run around to the lake and back. I arrange with Nico to go at 8:15 so that we can get back in time for the rugby.

I meet nico as planned and his marathon training plan is the same except it is to be run at 80% of max HR. So we already have a slightly different perspective on the run in view. I follow Nico from the start and whereas I'm normally the one who shoots off and sets the pace, today it's definitely Nico who has taken the matter in hand.

We set off relatively suickly through town and then into the forest and then the pace starts to hurt slightly. It's not as though we're flat out but I'm definitely outside of my comfort zone and would be happier running more slowly. I look at the Garminas it beeps for the third kilometre now: 3:52. Alright, we're running downhill and the going is still not too hard but surely Nico can't mean to keep this pace up for the whole of the way around the course?

We both agreed that we were well over 80% max HR at this pace and we slowed down. This lasted until we hit the wide forest track on the other side of the road and we sped up again. So basically our efforts to reduce the pace lasted for some 600m or so. We accelerated again and we were at 3:57 pace again before we upped the pace further to 3:53 and then stayed there. The conversation between us at this point was very limited. There's not much you can say when you're trying to catch your breath with every stride and I was just concentrating on keeping the rhythm. Nico asked if I could keep this up until the end adn I just replied that I'd try and we'd see.

Despite the effort, I was also pleased with our progress as compared to the record-breaking run we did last with Jean-Marc and Nico, I felt infinitely better and I knew that these are the signs of my improvement recently. The slope up to Pavillon de la Muette went by well and although the pace slowed to 4:05 for the kilometre uphill, we hit 3:55 again for the kilometre straight after. The gap between Nico and myself was far smaller in terms of performance too. On this run in the past, I've felt that he'd slowed for me so as not to gap me whereas now, I was able to pull him in and when he left me on the second uphill section, there was only a few metres between us.

I could see that we would beat the course record now with only 3 kilometres to go and I held on with all the remaining strength that I could muster. We hit town and it was a relief to feel the tarmac under my feet again and we made a final acceleration to 3:36 pace to finish the loop in 59:26, a new PB. Average speed over the course 4:00 per km or 15km/h. Really stonked with this result as was Nico. It's just a shame that the England boys couldn't pull off the same level of result in the rugby match afterwards.