16m Signal, Arboretum, Ikea, Perroy

I needed to do a long run and today fitted the bill. Cold, crisp and clear as a bell could see for miles and miles and the mountains were covered in snow. Superb.

I am never really sure when I set of to go up the hill if I will really have the energy or will power to go right up to signal. Mile 2 was 13 something minutes, which is a record. It is so steep I have previously taken 14 minutes. Getting up to signal is one thing, recovering and getting any speed back after that killer start is a big ask.

There was still snow up here and ice had formed on some trails as a thing layer over the water and mud underneath. Had to pick my way through the frozen horse ruts and realised that I needed to be careful as breaking an ankle or leg here would probably mean a long wait to be found.

Popped out of the forest and there was a guy next to a car on the road that who was wearing a dear stocker hat smoking a pipe. He echoed my cheery bonjour. Round the farm towards the forest that leads to the Arboretum. Here I made an error on the way into the forest. 3 trails and middle one is marked up keep out military area unexploded bombs and live firing. So I went left and got promptly lost in the forest. 2 dead ends with the bomb sign so no way was I risking the just "keeping going" option. Once I was actually was over the tree across the path before I stepped on a sign. I picked it up and scraped off the mud, you guessed it - it was the bomb sign. I knew where I was as I glimpsed the chalet at the top of the far lake in the Arboretum and could hear and sometimes see the Aubonne river. However, the small trees growing up in the middle of the path did imply nothing had been along here for a long time. 

Finally, I could see a line of snow in the forest which I figured must be a path, got to it and it was. 100m along it there was a junction and I was saved - back on known trails.

Down and tried to pick up the speed. Finally, it came and by mile 10 I was doing sub 8 min miles and held that back to Rolle. Through Perroy I decided to make it 16 by going past the castle and out to the port and back. I had to really concentrate to keep the effort steady and the pace below 8 min miles. But I did and was pleased enough with the day's adventures.

Garmn