Semi-Marathon: Boulogne-Billancourt 2018

bet I feel like my running year has been book-ended by this race and the Paris marathon back in April. This morning I ran in the Boulogne-Billancourt Half-Marathon, my first official Half-Marathon. It was great to race in Boulogne, as I had lived there for 3 years before moving to Montigny in 2013. I wanted to finish the year on a positive note. In 2016 and 2017 I did the Corrida de Noel in in Issy-les-Moulineaux, but this year I wanted to stretch my legs a little, particularly after the disappointment of the marathon. I was relatively well prepared, with a number of 7k and 14k training runs, and a couple of full halves under my belt. I prepared my usual kit the night before.

The race itself was pretty classic, a loop along the quays of Boulogne and a few km in the Bois. It was freezing in first thing in the morning, though. Jogging across from Issy to Boulogne from the RER station was an experience, but one with some impressive views.

The organisation was efficient and smooth, a world away from Paris-Versailles.

As we had to double back on the course, the lanes were very tight, which led to a steady pace overall. I finished in 01:43:29, despite going for the 01:50:00 SAS. It's a race I'll definitely do again.

The biggest challenge was the warm-down jog up the hills of St Cloud to catch the train home afterwards, though the views did somewhat make up for things (maybe some of the best views from an urban train station in Europe).

For now, it's a few weeks of regular training before the excesses of Christmas, followed by preparation for a New Year of running.

A meander around La Minière

I signed up for my first half-marathon last night, the Semi-Marathon de Boulogne-Billancourt on November 18th. I used to live there so I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with the area, and racing in the infamous Bois! To start getting ready for it, I went our for a relatively long run this morning, a 15k steady jog in and around Les étangs de la Minière. It's one of my favourite spots for running, and it was a glorious autumnal morning for it.

The lakes themselves were used to feed the system of bassins and fountains in Versailles, and the scenery is gorgeous at this time of year.

It was good to get out and stretch my legs and I'm looking forward to the BB half-marathon!

Parcourir Montigny Urban Trail 2018

Last Sunday I ran in my fourth Urban Trail in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, the town where I live. It's a race which has evolved over the years, from a 2x5k loop back in 2014 to a 13k 'urban trail' this year. It's a challenge as the race includes both urban areas and wooded trails, with steps and slopes thrown in as often as possible.

I have to say I increasingly enjoy the local race with the number of participants in the hundreds, as opposed to the thousands taking part in the big Paris races. I felt ready and was keen to put a decent time on the board.

The weather was pretty grim, windy and overcast with little let-up forecast. I arrived early and actually had the pleasure of an empty departure line!

The race itself was pretty uneventful. I was aiming for in and around 01:05:00 and I finished in 01:04:44, 59/216 overall and 22nd in my category. There's still the niggling feeling that with more application, time and effort I could do much better and actually knock a lot of minutes of my finishing times. This was my 26th race in France and nothing else is planned for the moment. I'm looking at different options between now and the end of the year and I'm aiming at putting in the kms with some longer runs over the next few weekends. I'll be sure to update.

Happy running.

Paris - Versailles 2018

Another Royal Run (what could be more Royal than a race which finishes on the avenue leading to the Chateau de Versailles?), but overall a bit of a damp squib I'm afraid.

This was my third Grand Classique (16.2km from the foot of the Tour Eiffel to Versailles, a course winding its way from the banks of the Seine up through the close western suburbs and through the Meudon forest to the royal demesne) and it might just be my last.

First things first, the race itself. The course itself never varies, and the main challenge is the steep climb from Issy to Meudon, just outside Paris.

This was particularly challenging this Sunday due to extremely windy conditions, which resulted in a 3k slog uphill battling strong head-on gusts. The actual organisation didn't quite help either, with no preferential starting pens, and 1.5 hours of waiting in a crowd with little or no movement.

As is par for the course in this race, the first 6k before the hill climb went smoothly, with a nice jog along the Seine.

Things got tricky however once I hit the wind uphill and my time dropped considerably. I also began to notice a less than chivalrous attitude from other runners (''putain" sprinkled liberally), which is somewhat surprising as this is not a race designed for setting PBs by any means.

The management of waste and discarded items left a lot to be desired, too. Please, please stop using single-use plastic water bottles for these events!

In any case, I made it to the finish line on the Avenue de Paris in 01:25:53, 4 minutes more than last year, mostly due to the struggles on the uphill section.

(with a strong wind still blowing!)

I'm in two minds now. It's a particular experience, and a race which finished not far from where I live. However, there need to be some improvements made to the overall organisation or it could be become an entirely unpleasant event in which to take part.

I can say that the medal provided was inspired:

Nelson Mandela:  "I never lose. I either win or I learn." Wise words. And words I will definitely take to heart.

Next race: Parcourir Montigny

Montigny - Guyancourt - Buc - Guyancourt - Montigny

Reading back over the past few posts I realise that things seem very despondent.

I hadn't been able to shake off the lingering feeling of failure following the marathon in April. 

However, today I had a beautiful Sunday afternoon in September afternoon stretching out in front of me and I decided to make the most of it but going on a Long Run to Buc, run through, well, up, the actual town itself (with Paris-Versailles and the Cote des Gardes in mind) and then back towards Montigny and home.

 And, apart from a soft blister on my left foot, it went perfectly. I'm getting back into the groove and I can't wait until the 23rd!
 
Highlight:

• The beauty of Les Etangs de la Minière

It's been over two months since I last posted an update.

Every year the feeling is that the summer months will see an increase in the amount of km's I put in, but once again July and August have been pretty sparse. This has been down to holidays but I think it's more the lingering effect of the marathon. I had hoped to get out much more during two weeks in and around the Périgord, but losing one of my runners soon put paid to that. A measly 6k around our gite was my only holiday run.

 I have begun to begun to put the miles in again, however, with lot of short evening runs, and my first 'long' run this afternoon (well, 16km). It was a beautiful day to run in and around the park surrounding the Chateau de Versailles, with both small airplanes and hawks buzzing overhead.

I chose 16, because it's the distance of my next race, La Grande Classique Paris-Versailles, a real Royal Run. It's a race I've already run twice, with my most recent participation being last year.
 

The race starts at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and finishes on the Avenue de Paris in Versailles, just before the Chateau. It's wonderful but a real challenge, including a 3km steep incline after 6k, which is a real test (The Cote des Gardes, which even has its own Twitter account!).

I'm looking forward to it and I hope to continue putting in the hours and kms beforehand.

First race since Le Marathon

The name of the blog is Royal Runs, partly inspired by this race in particular, a 15km jaunt through the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles, La Course Royale, no less. Full transparency divulged, I haven't really hit my stride since the marathon. Nor have I have been anywhere within walking distance of my stride. It's been a tough few weeks, professionally and personally, and running has taken somewhat of a proverbial backseat. I did know, however, that this race would be the follow-up to the marathon, and I've always enjoyed the course and the atmosphere. It would be my fourth Course Royale in total. Preparations were sound:

and I felt relatively confident, despite having very little preparation. I went for the 1h00-1h15 SAS, something I hadn't done in previous races. The atmosphere was fantastic:

There was even a mention of Father's Day!

The race itself was pretty much standard. A lot of grass and cobblestones during the first 5k, which eased into flat paving and some magnificent views of the Chateau. I finished in 01:10:08, 20 seconds down on last year's time, but enough to motivate me to book my place for Paris Versailles this year, and to continue Royal Runs. A la prochaine, Dec.

Montigny - Bois D'Arcy - Fontenay - Bailly - Fontenay - St Cyr - Montigny

This morning was my first long run since the marathon and it was pretty heavy going. I managed to keep the pace under 5 mins per km for most of the run, but I struggled at points, particularly with the uphill sections. It was great to get out again and really attack a long run. Sunday mornings on the Route de Bailly are calm with the road blocked off for normal traffic.

It's a beautiful run, with the only distractions being other runners out early and kestrels hovering overhead. I made my way towards the Ferme de Gally, an educational farm and shop just outside the eastern boundaries of the Chateau de Versailles near St Cyr.

It's a real pity that the gates to the gardens are closed as a result of the ongoing Vigipirate measures in France. It would make for a fantastic run if you could continue into the grounds of the chateau itself.

I made do with a run into St Cyr itself, and then back home to Montigny.

It's been a while, and it hasn't been interesting. It's just over a month since the Paris marathon and I've contented myself with a few local sorties, nothing too challenging and nothing at all enthralling. I do feel a certain increase in speed, but this is probably due to an eagerness to stretch my legs and see what I can actually do. I've yet to go beyond 15k since the marathon, but the May bank holidays will provide the opportunity. I'd also like to answer the question, "why do yo you run?", and to begin opening up the blog. In the meantime this is just a standard evening run: I'm also going to discover the Foret de Versailles in more detail, find some interesting trails! Until then, good running!

Beating the blues

It's the third weekend since the marathon and I still haven't really managed to get back into a normal running routine. The weather has been amazing but evening runs hold less appeal, perhaps the lack of the carrot of a marathon dangling in front of me has drained my motivation. This evening I had to battle with myself to pull on my shorts, lace my shoes, and step out at 10pm for a steady 6k around the 'burbs. I'm nowhere near my pre-marathon best but at least I'm building up the km again. My goal for now is a PB for the 15k in Versailles in mid-June, and to continue this blog, hopefully with some insights about running in general and what it means to me. For now I'm just happy to be back out there pounding les pavés and vaguely dreaming of the Viking Marathon back in Waterford next year.

Back in the saddle.

I spent the last week going over the marathon in my mind, backtracking on every tactic, kicking myself on how I utterly unprepared I was for the the final 10k of the race.

Having analysed everything in relative detail, I think that my biggest issues were:

• insufficient mileage in general
• more longer runs needed
• fueling and hydration strategy sorely lacking

I don't necessarily want the marathon as an event to become my sole objective, but I would like to tackle it again, and acquit myself better.

After a week of rest, and wound licking, I slipped on an old pair of shoes and headed for the tried and tested today. 15k around the Ile de loisirs in St Quentin en Yvelines, right next door. This is my go-to running spot, and it's a perfect blend of forest trail and stretches of flat tarmac. 

Typically it takes around 10k for a standard run, but I eked out the km to see how I would react after the marathon. Everything went surprisingly well. My hamstrings and calves did feel feel a little leaden towards the end, but it was a gentle, steady run overall and it felt fantastic to get back out again. I recognise I'm falling into the trap of making this a boring review of every time I lace up a pair of runners and run a few km. I hope to make it more interesting, and much more profound, than that.

I'd like to investigate why I run, and by doing so, why running in general has become such a passion for so many people.

One reason, maybe:

"Running, like literature, like arts, helps you to remember and re-experience some of the impossible strangeness of what it means to be who and what we are, of what it is to be human."

Vybarr Cregan-Reid - Footnotes: How Running makes us Human

Not bad, eh?

Well, that was chastening. I ran my first marathon this morning and I now fully understand why it this event is such a test of human endurance.

I thought I was prepared, I thought I would acquit myself well, but this all fell by the wayside around the 35km mark as any strategy, pacing, or just general awareness of my surroundings fell away in favour of simply keeping one foot in front of the other and making it in the general direction of the finishing line on Avenue Foch.

 But, let's back up somewhat. Saturday evening was spent preparing equipment, nutrition, and ensuring my checklist was fully ticked.

This was followed by a good night's sleep with an early start so that I could be in Paris an hour before my starting time of 09:20. The organisation was impeccable, the atmosphere was electric, and I really felt prepared, something I always struggle with before races.

I started well, keeping a steady pace of of 00:04:50 per km all the way to the Bois de Vincennes, all the while enjoying the roadside music and dancers, and the fantastic spectators.

Things went haywire, however, as we left the city and entered the Bois de Boulogne for the last 10k or so. I didn't just hit the wall, I fully embraced it. I had to will my legs to keep going and slowed down considerably, to the point where any thoughts of maintaining a decent time were soon forgotten. Perhaps this is par for the course for a first marathon, but I seriously struggled.

I did manage to finish on a high and had a sprint finish on Avenue Foch, but it was difficult to find any pleasure in the whole experience, apart from the general atmosphere and involvement of everyone concerned.

It was a long journey home, with cramps and light-headedness, but the welcome more than made up for the gruelling experience.

I think I'll try to pen some more thoughts on the overall marathon experience in the cold light of day but for now, all I can say is cheers/santé and here's to the next race (a real Royal Run, and a lot shorter than a marathon...)!

Here it goes. Finished my last training run this evening. Just a gentle 6k in the local neighbourhood, but what a feeling. It's been 3 months, 537km, 47 runs, one 15k race, and a lot of late night pondering while treading the pavements of Montigny, Guyancourt and Voisins. Now, it's a question of relaxing, hydrating, and making sure everything is ready for Sunday morning. I picked up my bib on Thursday at the Salon du Running and had a wander around the huge venue, mostly open-mouthed at the sheer volume of running-related gear, nutrition and events on offer. I didn't buy anything but I was somewhat tempted by these:

A dimanche, Paris!

Look back - Course du printemps 2018

No run today. I was in two minds earlier, it being a quiet Easter Monday and all, but the need to rest up and take it easy before the marathon won over. I thought I'd revisit a few old races and note my experiences. I'm not going to do them all, since starting running properly I've run taken part in 22 official races either locally around Versailles or in Paris. Some leave lasting memories, others I was only too keen to forget. My very first race was the Course du Printemps in the neighbouring town of Voisins-le-Bretonneux back in 2013. It's a 15k mixture of flat road surfaces and forest trails. My most recent race was the 2018 version, the same distance but a much different route.

It's a lovely event with a friendly atmosphere and around 500 runners. I also got a shout out at the beginning as the sole Irish runner, especially as it was the day after St. Patrick's Day! Things were quite steady for the first 7k or so but then deteriorated rapidly as we descended into the Vallée de Chevreuse and the Abbaye de Port Royale.

What goes down must go back up, in most races anyway, and between the ascent and the muddy trails from 7k to 11k was a bit of a nightmare. I made it the the line in 01:11:11 with a sprint finish, conscious that the marathon was looming.

No medal, as is often the case with the smaller local races, but I do have a handy torch as a souvenir.

Will definitely be back again next spring.