12 x 200m

An easy session on paper, especially if you respect the marathon plan which demands a 200m recovery between each interval. There are only twelve intervals which is probably a concession in a tough week of training otherwise. However, the combination of cross-country skiing, downhill and marathon training was taking its toll on my body.

I tried cross-country skating yesterday. This is where the skis are completely smooth underneath and the skiers glide from side to side with a graceful skating movement. I put the skis on and spent the next hour looking like a dork waddling with pathetic little steps trying my hardest not to fall over. I was passed by pensioners, by 3 year olds, by everybody in fact. I felt like a twerp. After an hour and 5.5km, I took the skis back and replaced them with classical cross-country skis. In the meantime, Laurence, who had been miles behind me on Monday, had finally got the hang of classical cross-country skiing and elatedly waited for me at the top of every slope as I struggled up valiantly but gracelessly. Going running and doing intervals this morning would be a rest in comparison.

I started the warm-up with Laurence and I knew I was in trouble. Despite the large breakfast, as I'm permanently famished at the moment, I had very little energy and even running 5:15 pace was hard work. The altitude was affecting me and I started the run accompanied by a slight nosebleed which happens occaisionally when I'm in the mountains. Even though it wasn't the hardest of sessions, I really couldn't envisage picking up the pace to start.

After half an hour of warming up, we found a quieter spot to run and I began. The intervals went:

37, 41, 39, 38, 36, 38, 36, 40, 40, 40, 37, 38

I ran the rest of the session with Laurence who was doing 6 x 1000 in 4:30 before heading back to the car. I was glad to have go this under my belt and felt better running with Laurence towards the end of the run than I had at the beginning and during the intervals. I'm just made to run 4:30 pace - full stop.

14.25 km all up in 1:12 or an average pace of 5:03 / km.