8m threshold airport hill long variation

Great run today, felt strong and the sun was out and the views to the mountains were stunning. Took a gel before I started and another at the water fountain on the way back which was just the ticket.

I was working today, 78% of max and it felt hard but do-able. Tenke kept me honest, just drifting in front to hold the pace up if I dropped of slightly.

New course record set today of 1h zero minutes and 42 seconds, making the prospect of a sub one hour 8 miler a distinct possibility. I was 22 seconds faster than previous best, with a 4 bpm extra effort making the difference.

This shows I think that the combo of swiming, intervals, long and slow runs plus the thresholds work.

Ski-ing in Verbier this weekend so not much running activity likey this weekend.

Garmin

6.1m steady to hard, lake side

Disappointed not to get to TRP early (sub 7min miles) so changed the session after a couple of km and decided to push on and keep it steady but for a good 10km or so.

Was rewarded with a steady increase in pace, thinking form so more pace for same effort. Also very clear and still day, with stunning views of the jet d'eau, UN building and the old town all laid out before me on the return leg.

Stuggled to hold onto TRP when I did find it, felt very quick. Only 4 weeks until the race. Eek!

Garmin

9m Long Rhone Trails and fire hydrants

Last time I did this route was back on May the 14th, click here to read it.

Much cooler then, which perhaps explains why we took 2 mins more this time.

The Passerelle du Lignon was just as stunning to cross as I remembered it last time, highlight of the run shown above.

Tenke was circling and mocking my attempt to cut the corners of the zig zag climb, I was reduced to walking and suffering in the heat.

As we headed back towards Geneva the lack of fountains was noticable in the more modern built up areas. The old town is full of them. Every house seemed to have a pool, or bucket out for the dog, or a hose for watering the grass out, but no public fountain. The first one we came to was dry. Then I spotted a fire hydrant up ahead gushing water like a BP oil well spurts cude oil into the gulf of mexico. I ran though it and instantly regretted it. Shoes and socks were soaked and heavy. Then I noticed the road was dug up to repair the water pipes and so the next mile was more torture as dry fountain after dry fountain was passed.

Now it was the eagles that were circling above and it looked like they had identified me as a likely candidate for their lunch.

Made it finally to some water and just managed to stop Tenke in the nick of time from drinking the recycled water - the drinking water was from the other end of the basin. What a relief. But another mile cleared and I needed to stop again and drink. Nightmare.

Total time on feet 1h 19 mins, 9.16m cleared and ave pace 8:38 min miles. 9 min miles on the trails and just under 8 on the roads.

7m and the curious incident of the yappy dog

Tenke was back and very much up for today's early run, we normally go at lunchtime, but both had to be back by noon so we met at 10:30am to give us time for a decent run. The airport route fitted the bill and it was predicatbly ok on the first mile and a half.

Then the hill from hell. Striaght up 300 feet in just under a mile. I was struggling to talk half way up and Tenke suggested the park route, which was just as well as even at her easy pace I was deep in zone five and need some recovery.

At the plateau there was a wedding. We had to run around them out on the road, rather then through them and as it was very hot we took advantage of the church fountain. Holy water? Not sure about that, but the effect is miraculus. Tenke suggested truning back early and my refreshed retort is nah, well just come back fast. Opps.

I nearly manage to get us lost in the smallest woods in Switzerland by jumping a stream to see what was on the other side (answer nothing) and so slightly annoy switch-back had to be done here to get back to the route.

Now around here, something happens. I did not notice is at the time, but very slowly changed pace, from around 8min miles to 7:30min miles. Tenke does not want to be late. More water at the wedding and we zip down the hill. I make the mistake of telling Tenke the time of day. We're two miles out and she needs to get back, showered and changed and back over to this side of Geneva in 41 minutes. Only one thing was ever going to happen. Percieved effort rockets. I'm tired. Some of Tenke's lines were "I told you we should have truned back." Then to my "Why don't you push on for home" - "NO!" Last mile and a bit was spend in zone 5 trying to hold the pace. Eventually, Tenke relented and stopped accelerating. I stayed with the 7:13 pace back to the gym.

There is a little lake side path (about two people wide) which takes you along the lakeside to the place where the boats leave from. I like it as you get away from the road and it tends to be cooler next to the lake. The only problem can be if there are people on the path as you need them to move to get past. Coming towards us is an old couple with a tiny yappy dog. Mr moves to the side and Mrs sees us and starts trying to convince the dog to move to her side. Dog refuses. She's panicing and dogy thinks this is great. We are very close and I don't want to bump into Tenke, so as stopping is not allowed, I decide to jump the dog. The dog yellps and jumps up going for my heel. Tenke screams as she thinks I've just squished the little dog. I'm in stiches - as if I would squash a dog. Even an annoying yappy one. Tenke request that I bump into her rather than perform the dog jump next time.

9m Tenke style

9 miles with the Tenke program is like having a Garmin virtual partner that actually talks to you. This is a distinct advantage, as the machine is much more easily dismissed, but with Tenke I know for sure there will be no stopping. Ever.

Now, for those of you not in Switzerland we need to explain why Geneva was half shut day. It was a bank holiday on Thursday, so around half the people and all the schools decided to "faire le pont" and close on Friday too. The school decided not to bother about Wednesday morning either, so for the kids the weekend started on Tuesday night. Now that's a five day holiday from one bank holiday!

Anyway, we decided to go out on the river trail with a loop back into the city.

We found the fabled pedestrian river crossing. I've head about it, but never dared to come this far on the trails. And then she was there (male in French, but bridges are female in Scottish) and did not disappoint. Passerelle du Lignon is stunning. From woods straight into woods on the other side the bridge dramatically dips in the middle as she straddles the two banks. Quite something to see and run across. This was nearly the highlight of the run.




Before and after the bridge were some tough energy sapping vertical muddy climbs. Steps reduced us to walking in many places, destroying the average times.


On the way back to Geneva, Tenke asked if I minded if we stopped for a drink a fountain. Stop? Who is this running with me? Things like "ok love, if you really need to a drink we can stop then." or "do we have to?", but I know I could be destroyed at any second so I opt for the "Sure, I could do with a drink too." And it was true, the sun had come out and we'd been running for an hour so needed that drink.

Need to find a better route back to Geneva avoiding the big roads.

Some nice views of the old town and glimpses of the jet d’eau as we cruised in accelerating home on the downhill which all comes in the last mile.

Just over 9m cleared in 1h17m or 8:30pace, but with the deed stops for the vertical climbs taken out I think the pace was just under 8s and the last mile was 7:26. Zone 3 mainly with some zone 4 to get up the hills!

The Half Monty, A Long Lunchtime Run

I went out with Martin and Paul today. Three more evenly paced guys you are unlikely to ever find.

We did the half monty today, regents canal then around Victoria Park.

I talked myself round the first 5 miles then gave up as the pace took it's toll.

We were each taking a spell in the lead and rotating nicely all bunched up in our little group of three.

On the way out we saw a surprised looking Mr Scrutton furtively tanking it along the canal in the opposite direction, we gave him a cheer and a round of applause which made him smile.

As we came out of the park Ian Lockett was zooming along with two of his elite buddies again going the other way. We saw another couple of rockets and Paul commented on how this was our home turf. Nice feeling.

I shouted a Jean-Marc style "oi" at the tunnel to shift a walker and lucky I did as a bike stopped for us and then there was an almighty screeching of brakes from the tunnel as the biker met the walker.

Some guy just in front stopped running and was walking along as we went past on both sides. I noticed he had earphones in so I shouted a friendly "coming through!" Just as we drew level. The poor guy jumped out of his skin and screamed, the saw the funny side and shouted after us "Sorry boys, got a stitch!".

By this time we were on the last section of the canal and Paul wanted to know who decided we were going to speed up. Somehow that section of canal just inspires speed. Muscle memory, mind games, something like that. We instantly slowed down to something more maintainable and concentrated on not stopping at the end of the canal. Keep going was the mantra.

Then Martin wanted the time of day and announced he had a meeting at 1:30 and as it was 1:12 the conversation ended as the pace ramped and we motored back to the office.

Fantastic team effort, each one of us took time at the front and not a word was said it just happened. Speed home was great and as I forgot to press start until the canal all I know is that we got from the canal start and back to that point in exactly 45mins and we were out for about an hour. Hoping Paul has some stats from his foot pod thingy.

Top run with two top blokes. Nice one, thanks guys.

Westminster 3 bridges

Alan had promised a steady run although "light step" Simon Egon was with us today which pointed more towards something fast. I had roped in Paul with the hope he would keep me company when the fast boys went.

Set off ahead of time and Simon and Alan tucked in behind letting Paul and I set the pace. Nothing spectacular out to Westminster with the fast boys chatting away. We traded places over Westminster bridge and the fast boys set the pace, again bearable at 7min miles. We did the 3 bridges loop with Paul ominously chatting away the whole time - I tried to ask him tell me about questions while I responded with one word or a grunt.

There was a film crew and they were acting like they owned the place directing people around them on the footpath. I was last through and one of them refused to move so a well aimed shoulder ensured I came out of the crash the better off.

It all unravelled for me going back over Westminster bridge. Up the stairs I could cope with, but the injection of pace on the bridge was just too much for my legs. A gap appeared and there was nothing I could do about it. Paul's reps yesterday did not slow him down one bit. He went with the fast boys.

My hrt was 150 at this point. I decided not to let it drift up to race pace and leave them to it. I had thoughts of saving myself for mega race reps on Sunday so wanted to be on top form. Thought it odd that after two days of rest it was tired legs that slowed me down not the heart or lungs.

Garmin made it in spite of tunnels and bridges and trees and underpasses and overhangs reporting 7.25 miles cleared in 51 minutes, so a shade under 7 min pace. That does count for a long threshold with hrt solid in the low 150s all the way.

There was some parade that I managed to run through and got whistled at by the police, but that was worth it to get back to the start at roughly the same time as Paul who had taken a slightly different route up from the river.