Training Log Archive: AC

In Hong Kong for the week with Freya, visiting son #2 who is studying here for the semester. Late decision to go out for a late lunchtime run. Tough running here with the traffic, pedestrians and road/building works. Plotted a route up to Kowloon Park and wandered around the tracks in the park. It would make for great urban orienteering in the park - very complex track and step network and steep pinches. Jogged back to hotel through dense traffic. Okay run in the end. Might have a go on the treadmill in the hotel gym next time though.

Easy recovery run with a work colleague, Daniel. Chatted about marathons and nutrition - he is training for his 9th marathon, which will be in Annecy in April. Glorious sunny day but very cold. Nice run.

Having a pretty crappy day in the office so decided to deal with myriad frustrations via a hard workout. Steady warmup for 3km then did 5 x 500m with 1 min recovery (and 2 min recovery before the last one due to road crossing). Pace quite up and down but to be expected as this is teh first really hard interval session for quite a while (Tuesday's 1 min efforts weren't too bad) - pace was 4.27, 4.05 (downhill), 4.11, 4.29 (slightly uphill and into the wind), 4.03 (good finish). Tough workout but nice to be back into it.

First interval session for quite a while. 10 x 1min on / 1min off with Daniel from work. Kept up a reasonably solid pace for the first 6 or so, then hit a small hill and fell apart for a couple, then picked up for the last two. Tough session but am now reacquainted with intervals and will work it back into the weekly programme. Weather back to its dreary Paris February best!

Glorious morning - bright sunshine, not too cold, no wind. But didn’t take full advantage - slept in late, then lazed around. A sick daughter didn’t help matters as we had to call out the doctor. The medical service here is a true wonder. Dial up SOS Medecins and a doctor will arrive at your house within 30 minutes, at any time of day or night. Anyway, eventually got out for a solid run. Heaps of people out enjoying the sunshine, with lots of runners in the depths of training for the Paris half marathon (which will take place in two weeks) and the Paris marathon (first weekend of April). Another surprisingly good run. Tired afterwards and had a nice nap after lunch!

Lazy morning and took my time before heading out for a run in the Bois. Sun starting to come out towards the end of the run, presaging a lovely winter day ahead. It had been a busy week and no chance to get out for a run since last Sunday. Despite that, or because of it, I had a great run once I go going.

Joined Doug and Enrique for the first 10km of their planned 32km long run as part of their preparation for the Paris Marathon. We headed down along the Seine towards Issy-les-Molineaux, a track that I had never done before and so saw a few new bits of the Paris suburbs. The Seine flooding had subsided quite a way but had left a layer of very slick mud on the river side paths, so we had to stick to the streets. But even there we had trouble with icy patches that required walking pace. I peeled off after 10km and ran a km to the nearest metro, which was on the direct line back home. The guys went on for a lap of Parc de St Cloud and then did the last 8km of the Paris Marathon course through the Bois. Takes me back to the good old days of marathon training, which, thankfully, are behind me!

Thursday and Friday were very busy days and didn't get out for a slippery run on the ice (the snow is no longer fresh and had turned decidedly icy and dangerous, so was glad to have an excuse). However, a fresh fall yesterday topped up the city and the Bois with a few cm of nice snow so headed out. I had volunteered to helop out at the Parkrun, but it was cancelled so went for a short jog with Doug and an English family who had also turned up. Beautiful sunny morning and the forest looked superb under the mantle of snow.

Heavy snow overnight and got out very early for a magic run in 12cm of fresh snow, with snow still coming down. Was the first one out on most of the paths and felt great to be so adventurous right in the heart of Paris! Stopped to take quite a few photos (see Strava). The city just shuts down in these conditions so there were no cars, which made for an amazingly quiet run except for the crunch of my shoes on the snow.

Once I left a windowless meeting room and saw that it was snowing in full force (and settling!), I decided to forego other lunch plans and head out for a run. Legs a bit sore and stiff form two days of running over the weekend, but didn't really mind as I jogged around in the fresh snow. It started to celar up as I was arriving back home, so got the best of the day!

Headed down to the Seine on a very chilly and windy day - got out late due to helping Freya with a large volume of algebra homework (takes me back - I love algebra!). Checked out the flooding on the Seine. It has peaked and is now receding, but it is still pretty spectacular. Slow start but then picked up coming back from Pont d’Alma. Good run.

First run back after a bout of flu. Felt pretty crap, as is normal on such runs. Pretty chilly with a biting wind. Did a bit of a new course on old tracks in the Bois.