Thursday, 31 March 2011

5.5m Eaux-vives

Easy in the rain with Tenke today. Grey and drizzly.

Nice in the park as sheltered from the rain, but on the down side I nearly went oven on the left ankle. I thought that only happened on the trails with Richard!

Good thing about an easy run with Tenke is that it is an oxymoron. Ave pace was under 8 min miles.

Garmin

6m Rhone trail with field loop

The ups and downs on this trail are tough and the path is tricky, so speed is never going to be the keynote of this route.

Last time I had no stats and just enjoyed the run, blogged here.

Between then and today the loop under the top arch of the far side of the road bridge is gone. Like landside into the river gone. So I had to drop to river level (about 200m down) to go under and back up both on the way out and back. Grrrrr.

Well that explains the nine minute miles.

Garmin

Friday, 25 March 2011

8m steady airport hill long variation

On my own today, but felt the need to take advantage of the sun - it was nearly 20 today.

I nearly swallowed a bee on the way around the top field. I felt this hairy thing in my mouth and spat it out quickly and it bounce around the path. I was very lucky not to get a sting.

Overtook a few people on the hill and plenty of elite looking people out today. I figured out how to greet them and get a response. Just lift a finger of the right hand and nod slightly. That way they can reciprocate without breaking the rhythm or talking, even a "Salut" or "Bonjour" would divert too much energy away from the training.

Saw two people twice, weird to overtake the same person more than once, but I guess my loop is longer and my pace is faster.

Comparing today's run with the same one done recently compared to a month ago I'm 10 bpm to the good and 2 seconds per mile faster!

But still today's pace of 7:49 would have only returned a 1:40 half, but still ok. Skiing this weekend, so not much running until next week.

Garmin

Thursday, 24 March 2011

5m easy in Geneva

Easy run, about 5 miles through the park eux-vives and then out to the yatch club and back.

Not much more to say, other than lost power on the Garmin and when I got back I had a text from Tenke complaining she had seen me out running from the bus and why had I not told her I was going....

Ops forgive me?

About 46 minutes, which means the pace was seriously slow.

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

5.0m Rolle Perroy

My standard 5 mile loop.

Felt hard on the way out - I was only a few seconds per km faster that last week, but the perception difference was enormous.

I nearly came a cropper when I was overtaken by a training on the little road above the railway outside Perroy, the train noise meant I did not see the pick up on the road behind me and when it overtook it nearly took my elbow off it was so close. Nutter.

Could not get fast out and down from Perroy, the speed was held back by fatigue. I was tired and my muscles were tired. They missed not getting into the pool yesterday, it was shut to clean up after an event at the weekend, so I did not get in.

So I accepted what little pace there was and held onto that all the way home. 2 seconds faster than last week and not even close to THP. Oh dear.

Garmin

Saturday, 19 March 2011

13.7m mountain trails

Mr Leakey was on time today and we were running in the rain by 6:35am.

By 5km we had accelerated to the giddy heights of 8:30 minute miles and I was thinking great, but then it was too fast too soon for someone and so to nip the whinging in the bug I just slowed down.

It had been chucking it down all night and was on and off for us. I had no intention of running on trails next to rivers today, so the only way was up and up we went. Very slowly to the castle of Aubonne, which is very nice indeed especially the steep last big though the gates and up to the top. Inside is a school with a stunning stone quadrangle.

Down the other side and Richard had to be reigned in from taking off on the Arboretum trail. We heading to Signal following the yellow signs, but no need as this was the Aubonne mini tri-athlon route and so Richard was on teritory he knews well.

Then the hill. Well mountain. Now Richard got us lost on a run in France once and I should have remembered that. Especially has he told me a story about ending up doing a massive walk up a steep snow wall that was unintended yesterday. But no. I let him talk me into not following those useful little yellow signs that tell you where to go and we took the forst track straight up, that must be signal up there. Oh yea?

I saw a fox in the stream, massive and he gave us a hard stare before vanishing.

Round the fallen tree and more up.

At the top a field. We cross it, now pretty much walking. Over the electric fence - Richard very carefully protected his vital organs!

Next we found a forest trail and then a road. Finally we were under the high wires of the tree top activity place which is the edge of signal. Phew. Nice one Richard.

Out the far end of Signal it was mist and fog. Normally there are stunning views from up here, but today could not see far in front of me.

Down the hill was a joy and Richard held it together to the bitter end, although the thought of breakfast at IKEA for 1 chf put a spring in my steps for the last few km.

New presonal worst for the half marathon, as 13.75 in 2h 18m is seriously slow, even with the walking up the hills. 2,316 feet climnbed, which must be some kind of record!

Garmin

Friday, 18 March 2011

8m with Zosia and Tenke

3.5 of us today, Tenke, myself and a special appearance by Zosia and her bump, due in April showing would be the understatement of the year. Zosia and bump decided to come along for the first section with us, which I kind of assumed would be easy....

I noticed we were closing in on the bloke up ahead. I joked that Zosia should sprint past him sticking out her bump and shouting come on guys keep up with us, but just overtaking the poor fellow with such a bump was probably enough to destroy his self estime!

Zosia declined the airport hill and disappeared into the lower field and Tenke and I make the climb up Airport Hill, taking in the upper field. I'm not so sure I like this habbit, but it does break the hill up, although the large down section in the middle of the up means more total up if you see what I mean. Two blokes submitted to the envitable and stepped aside near the summit to let us get past.

We didn't need to stop for a drink at the church and they've decided winter is over as the ice protector has gone from the fountain. Plently of people out running today, all looking pretty good and a high proportion of lady runners.

We did the big loop going right to the far woods over the top hill and then back round to the school. A couple, some nervous looking teenagers, stepped aside to let us get past. Tenke wondered what exactly they were going to be doing in the woods and if it was their first time, that cracked me up.

On the gentle climb back over the field to the church the funniest thing happened in a long time. A rather pretty, if well endowed lady was running towards us and there was a lot of bounce. I tried hard not to look, but as she drew level with us she look down at the bouncing bits, looked a Tenke and gave me a big grin and shrugged her shoulders. Tenke was sure she was just being impressed by our speed, but I think I know what was going on. Laugh a minute!

On the way down the hill we picked up a bit of speed, but not enough. As we came into Geneva the sun was up and the jet d'eau was practically straight up with no wind tail, footfalls closed. As if by magic our converstation stopped. After about a minute Tenke simply whispered "closing". I knew it already, but that meant we had to speed up. Ratchet one, still closing. Ratchet two, no change. Ratchet three, still there. I called it stay high to avoid the steps lakeside, but we had to take the next set to get under the road. We caught a glimpse of the scraggly old guy in a woolly hat behind us - "Was that it!" blurted out Tenke. Pressure off we cruised under the bridge and as we came up the steps we bump into our new friend - his woolly hat has a sweedish flag on it and all three of us burst out laughing. Classic.

Ave was just under 8min miles, but after a very slow start the last 4-5 km were done at faster than TRP.

Garmin