Training Log Archive: AC

Drove over to a spot a bit closer to Parc de St Cloud to save the long boring run to and from the park. Very warm morning and the first half of the run was basically uphill, with a long downhill last half. Felt pretty tired after yesterday's double training but kept plugging away. Right hip started to get quite sore in second half of the run - physic tomorrow morning. Last km across the bridge in the heat very challenging. Character building run!

Dropped Freya at basketball training and headed off from the Stade Francais HQ for a run around the Bois. Almost immediately started getting caught up with the pedestrians streaming in for the French Open at Roland Garros, which would have been frustrating if I was running with any kind of pace. But it was okay as I was still struggling to get my legs moving. Started feeling better around the Hippodrome Longchamp, where there were the usual massive Saturday morning peletons doing their Tour de France impressions.Quite warm and humid and stopped a few times for a drink at the nicely positioned fountains. Really got caught up with the French Open crowds on the way back, quite unadvertently as I had misjudged where I was leaving the Bois (how long have I been running in this area!?!). Good run overall.

Beautiful evening so headed over to Parc de St Cloud for an easy evening spin on the mtb. Cruised around but did wind up going up a few hills quite hard as was being chased by a couple of mtb guys and felt obliged to stay in front. Very pleasant evening ride.

Paris is going through quite a humid period of weather, with quite heavy and warm days being the prelude to striking thunderstorms in the evening. This has put paid to the evening cycle plans and makes for tough running in the morning. Got out for a set of intervals this morning - 8 x 2 mins on / 1 min off. Did okay and managed to get under 4.30/km for all but one of the intervals (4.26, 33, 23, 22, 25, 27, 26, 19). Hard running in the humidity but satisfied with the outcome.

The promised evening storm did not arrive so took advantage and headed out for a relatively late evening spin on the mtb. Up into Parc de St Cloud and did the standard ride. Tried to push it harder around the park and felt pretty good. Thighs were burning on a few of the ascents. Picked upa takeaway Thai green chicken curry on the way home. Delicious.

Had a more sedate route for this early morning run (trying to squeeze in a decent run in this beautiful valley of Grasmere before having an early breakfast and driving down to Manchester Airport for the trip back to Paris). Up the road towards Keswick for a km or so and then on country back roads to Grasmere village and around Grasmere lake. Hit a lovely trail about a third of the way around the lake that followed the shore through forest and open field. Stunning views along here as the sun came up. Headed up form the lake shore through White Moss forest - was sorely tempted to keep heading up to Alcock Tarn but that would have taken too long. Instead ran back along the main road past Dove Cottage where William Wordsworth used to live. Took a pic as we had not had the chance to go and visit the cottage and museum on this trip (next time!). Great run although legs feeling very tired after Sunday's run and 2 hours of high ropes course with Freya yesterday afternoon!.