Back to Dardilly

Some days are just perfect and this was one of them. I'd enjoyed a day's rest from running yesterday and altough I was on business in Lyons, when I woke up I felt in great shape, if a little tired and was happy to go out for a run.

Back up the hill through Ecully from the Holiday Inn where I was staying and then past the main business school in Lyon: EM Lyon. I knew the route better by now and as usual, when you're no longer wondering about which direction in which to run and focusing just on the run itself, then you run a whole lot faster.

I was running 4:20 - 4:30 pace up the hills on the way out and at 6.5 km I lloked at the watch and decided that it was time to turn back. I was at the same place as last time: Dardilly.

I turned round and although I was far more tired than last time, I just let fly and stretched out the stride going downhill. 3:50, 3:48, 3:43, 3:47 punctuated by a 4:18 for an uphill section in between. In fat, I was back at the hotel before too long and it was all over.

12.7 km all up in 53:05 or 4:11 average pace for a hilly course. I was feeling on top of the world. Excellent training ground for Marvejol Mende race at end July.