30/30 club session

I got out of work with plenty of time to get to the training session tonight. Jumped in the car, drove 200m down the road and ended up in one of the worst traffic jams I've seen in ages. Practically gridlock, so I turned around and found the most convoluted route to get to the club possible. All of this to say that I arrived with 2 minutes to spare and the last to change as usual!

My mood soon changed as I got my running kit on and went outside into the evening sunshine. The temperature has improved and the weather has been lovely recently. There was quite a large turnout tonight and it was most relaxing to jog into the forest to begin a 30/30 session.

The 30/30 session is the staple diet of the club runner. Whether you're training for the track, 10k races, semis or marathons, every runner should be doing these intervals. They involve running at top speed for 30 seconds and then jogging for a 30 second receovery before starting again. The first intervals are easy as the heart takes a little time to adjust and to get up to speed. After 2 or 3, time begins to warp and the 30 seconds of hard running feels a lot longer than that whereas the 30 seconds recovery just zips by.

We were half-way through the first series of 10 when the black clouds began to appear. The lightning started next and loud rumbles of thunder filled the forest. Large raindrops fell on the little duckpond as we sprinted by. We were recovering from the first series when the hail began to fall: light at first and then larger and larger hailstones. My lack of hair meant that they resounded through my skull, stinging my ears and cracking the pate of my head. The ground that had been dry and firm underfoot, turned into a mudbath and huge puddles appeared on the forest paths. The fast sections were made harder by slides in the bends and slippery surfaces everywhere.

I was at the front of the group with Thierry, Bruno, Adrien, José and Franck. I tried to keep up with Adrien but his 10 years age advantage meant that he could accelerate faster over the short distances as endurance isn't a major factor in these workouts. I gave everything however and my legs struggled to find the extra pace at the end. The Garmin showed that my max speed in the fast sections was 19.3km/h and this was pretty regular in the second series.

Nice session as the 30/30's aren't as hard on the body as longer intervals. 10.6km all up in 1:02.

Sun came back out as we warmed down afterwards. Perfect timing!

Sunday club run

Despite the dire weather forecasts we've been listening to over the last few days, the rain continued to hold off and the Sunday run was all the more enjoyable for that.

I went to the club this morning in order to run with some company although the turnout for today, with 2 main races taking place, wasn't as high as I'd expected. Still Mireille was there so we were able to chat about the marathon. She didn't realise at all that I was there at 35 km onwards as she was also in her "bubble" by then. She was thrilled with her time and to go under the 3 hour barrier and this will entitle her to an "elite" bib in next year's race. She was ecstatic about being able to start with the Kenyans, although perfectly realistic in that she won't be with them for long !

16 km was planned for today and no specific exercises over the course, just an easy jogging pace. We certainly set off easily enough with the crowd of about 25 runners jogging at 6:15 to 6:30 pace. I chatted to Franck who also ran at Paris and finished in 3:46, just 1 minute ahead of me. He told me how he was disappointed not to have spotted me so that we could finish together. This morning, after 30 minutes we stoped and met up with Thierry and the group split up into 2: one, with the slightly faster crowd, eager to cover slightly more distance at a faster pace; and the others intent on carrying out the initial plan.

The pace picked up from then on and we ran the remainder between 4:50 to 5:15. A nice steady pace to relax after my last 2 day's runs. I could feel the tiredness in my legs and the pulling in my left thigh. This was a nice reminder of the mileage I've put in recently and it didn't stop me chatting with the others as we ran along.

Talk was generally about marathons and the ideal race for the Autumn. The consensus was for La Rochelle as it's cooler and a flat course that is very well organised. Looks like our minds have been made up as Laurence arrived at the same conclusion.

18 km all up in 1:37 or an average of 5:28 per km. Very easy and steady. Just what the doctor ordered.

Cora calling

I've put on some weight since last year and I'm beginning to get obsessed about it. Rather than sit around moping, or trying to cut back on my calory intake (which despite all my good intentions, never works), I decided that the best plan of action was to go out and get some long runs in. This also coincides with my belief that if I'm to improve my marathon performance, I need to increase my weekly mileage and be running 80k per week on a regular basis.

So, having decided all of that, the plan was to run to Cora lake and back and add on a little loop to try and run around 26k this morning.

I set out a little later than usual as I was going by myself, Nick having upped and left on a weekend away with the family (far more enjoyable than a long run with me admittedly). The sun was out so I took a few precautions and wore a cap and took some gels along. The start was fairly slow but since I was going for a long run, this didn't bother me and the first kilometre was in 4:55. I headed out through the forest afterwards and my pace began to build up until I was cantering along at 4:25 pace.

There were plenty of other runners out this morning: the weekend runners, with a little (or even lots) of excess weight who have begun to appear now that Spring is in the air and the sun has begun to shine again. It was motivating to aim for these fair weather runners and chase them down over the shortest distance possible and then startle them with a cheery "Bonjour!" as I passed. After going around Cora, I headed off into the less well frequented part of the forest and settled into a steady rhythm, slowed only by having to fish a gel from my pocket every 10km or so.

I got back to the "bumps" by the railway line at Maisons Laffitte and decided to head back to the park in the opposite direction to my usual early morning route. As soon as I got back onto a tarmac surface, my speed increased to 4:10 pace and this was maintained until the end of the route, back home. It's amazing the difference the surface makes, a good 15 seconds quicker on the tarmac, something that I had never really realised before.

Tired running at the end, having taken no water with me. I looked in the mirror when I got back and recognised the same look as the photo taken of me at 25k on the marathon: red around the eyes and the rest of the face pale.

Good run despite the tiredness from yesterday. Pleased with my efforts running 23 km in 1:42:43 or an average of 4:27 per km.

Will go running with the club tomorrow for a change and to run with some company.

Early morning

Been hard pressed to get out for a run this week, missing both sessions with the club. It was a bit of relief finally to be able to go for a run and on a beautiful morning such as this morning, it was a real pleasure.

I set the alarm for 6:30 but whether it was due to the excitement of going for a run, I managed to wake up before the alarm went off and went outside. The sun was just beginning to rise and there wasn't a cloud in sight. The temperature was around 10°C and the weather was simply ideal.

I headed down to the Seine and ran my marathon training route through Maisons Laffitte which is about 13km long. I was aiming to run for an hour and this route fit the bill. The pace was steady to start with, going through the first kilometre in 4:29 and I planned to keep it that way over the session, not exerting myself too much. The problem with the autolap, though, is that you just can't help yourself from looking at it. After that first glance at 1km, I managed to resist the temptation until the 4th kilometre and then had another glance: 4:23. I was feeling really easy and enjoying the run.

Some days seem to go so well that running is hardly an effort, and perhaps it was due to the week's rest but today felt just like this. I got into a good stride and my pace just increased naturally as the distance increased. By the end I was running at 4:08 pace and feeling good. I thought about all the weight that I needed to lose following the skiing and this week's business lunches. This just encouraged me further.

13.3km all up in 57:14 or an average of 4:18 per km. Excellent run before work.

Sunday run

Back down to earth today, or at least a lot closer to sea level.

We met up at the church as usual, but we were far fewer than the usual crowd due to the holidays. Nick, Anne, Laurence and I set off on our standard Sunday run through the forest next to Le Mesnil on a damp Spring morning. The forest had changed completely since the last time we had been running: the leaves were fresh and green and the undergrowth seemed to have thickened considerably (much the same as the green stuff that covers our supposed 'lawn').

We took it easy for the first half of the course chatting about how much weight we'd put on over the last week (1.5 kg) despite our daily skiing. At the barrier, reached in around 23:30, we turned back and caught up with the girls before continuing the second half of the course at a faster pace.

We managed to pick up speed to 4:08 per kilometre before easing off slightly and finishing at around 4:30 pace.

Nice run in the drizzle to get back into the old routine. 13.8 km all up in 1:08.

Short and sweet

A quick run on Friday with Nick after skiing.

Last run in Serre Chevalier for this year and it had to be quick as we had some serious bar time to fit in on our last night (plus the kids show that as good parents we had to see).

15 minutes down the road into Briançon and then 15 minutes back. 6.6 km all up in 30:07. Running was hard with a week's skiing in our legs and the altitude didn't help either. Takes a long time to recover at this height too. Good to go out anyway.

Altitude Training

Skiing in Serre Chevalier this week with the family and Nick, Anne and their kids. I didn't intend to go running often but I took my running kit just in case and an excess of alcohol and food pushed me into it today.

The weather was overcast this afternoon and the wind had picked up considerably. We cut the skiing short for the day and headed back to the centre. I was ready for a run and invited Nick to come. He copped out, claiming that he'd already had his shower so off I set towards Briançon.

We're based in Saint Chaffrey near Chantemerle and the altitude is 1350m. I set off intending to run a 10km course towards Briançon and preferably as flat as possible. I started off slowly and could feel my recurring knee injury return. There is a clicking in the ligaments behind the right knee which doesn't cause any pain but is most disagreeable. This disappeared after around 3 km and I was able to get into a comfortable rhythm.

I managed to get around to the top of Briançon and the road out to Montgenèvre in Italy before I turned back. 23:24 to run the 10.2 km out and then back up the hill towards St Chaffrey in slightly faster to finish the 10.5km in 45:41. I was averaging 4:25 per km going out and 4:17 coming back. Not bad for some altitude training. Felt tired by the end. Will try and convince Nick to come out for a run on Friday over the same course.

Laurence in the meanwhile was having a relaxing massage and sauna treatment. It's alright for some !!