A long one to close this year

I wanted to close this godforsaken year out by trying a longer run, one with a bit of prestige. I've done Paris-Versailles before in the opposite direction , but only in races and "just" 16k each time. This time I wanted to do a full half and finish at the Eiffel Tower. Rather than going through Meudon, I took the direction of Parc de St Cloud and the Bois de Boulogne, finishing by running through the 16eme and then Trocadero/Champs de Mars. My time was a bit meh, the climbs leaving Versailles took a lot out of me, as did the stretches in the Bois. But I'm happy to have done something a little different to finish this year, and I really hope to get back into races in 2021.

A race!

My running has really taken off in the past few months despite, or because of, the various lockdown restrictions in place. I've tried to keep up a rhythm of over 100k a month, which has meant a lot of night running. Without races as an objective it has been tricky but the Irishman Running Abroad podcast and Strava group have been a huge help. My pace has been steadily increasing as I pound the same pavements over and over again within my 1k lockdown radius. There was even a race this week - Run in the Dark - my first every virtual one. It was an interesting experience. There wasn't, of course, the extra competition and motivation that a real race can bring, but it's definitely an interesting option. I was happy enough with my time, given I did have to navigate some red lights and junctions! The real frustrating aspect of the lockdown is not being able to go for real long runs. Once it's possible the next goal is to head into Paris and spend a morning running up and down the quays. I can't wait.

Running in a world gone mad

I think it's not even worth trying to summarise what has happened since I last posted. From a purely running perspective, the Covid-19 pandemic coupled with the ensuing lockdown put a hiatus on any real practice back in March. This couldn't have happened at a worse time as I'd just begun to regain some level of fitness and performance after my ankle sprain. With all the various restrictions and measures in place I decided that running shouldn't be a priority in the first few weeks of lockdown. This then shifted as I began to calculate how much I could realistically do within a 1km zone from home: As the restrictions eased, my passion was rekindled and the feeling of being relatively far from home was exhilarating! I began taking more photos, adding kms, and generally getting into a much better routine, one that I hadn't had since my marathon prep back in 2018. I feel very much back on track and long may it continue. I just need to extend my runs as I'm hovering regularly around the 10k mark. I'd also love to take part in another race, as long as the situation is safe enough for it.

Back on my feet

Life comes at you fast, much faster than when you're painstakingly trying to get some proper pace and stamina back following badly-torn ankle ligaments. I'm finally getting some decent kilometres on the board after a few months of inertia, mainly due to the injury, but also (on a more joyous note) because of a new addition to the family. Babies and long-distance running don't mix. A gorgeous morning today for a 13k run in and around the forests of Port Royal and the few villages dotted here and there among the fields. I even spotted some deer in the woods just off the track. Objectives for this year are: - get back fully fit and at a decent pace once again - sign up for some races, and try to do as many in the Saint Quentin area - if the stars align, aim for the Waterford Viking Marathon It's great to be back.

InjuredI

It had to happen. Running an innocuous light 10k a Friday evening a fortnight ago, distracted for a few seconds, footpath gives way to the road and ankle buckles under my foot. Bad sprain, torn ligaments and no running for a couple of months. C'est comme ça.

5,000k and counting

Time for another post. I was motivated to do so by seeing that I've hit 5,000km on Runkeeper. I started logging my runs back in May 2012 so it's taken me 7 years to hit this landmark. It's an average of 60km a month, which isn't great but I have managed to increase the distances in the past couple of years. Running has become extremely important to me. When I got back into it here in France it was just something to do when I didn't have enough time for mountain biking. Now, it's my main way of relaxing, exercising, exploring, and competing. Here's to 5,000 more! In a week I'll be running the Paris-St. Germain en Laye 20k race. Looking forward to it!!

Local races

Race season has started with a whimper, not a bang. I ran in two local races in the last few weeks; the old reliable Course du Printemps in Voisins-le-Bretonneux, one I try to run every year.

The race has become more of a trail over the years, and this year was particularly tough, and my lack of preparedness didn't really help! All in all it was a great experience, as always, but with the nagging feeling that next year will be the year I'll actually be ready for it. Today, I ran in another local race, a 10k (well, slightly more) trail around the beautiful setting of the Etangs de la Minière in Guyancourt.

I must learn that what goes down, must come up. I started strongly but the ascent around the 6k mark was very tough. The race itself was advertised as a 10k, but it actually went closer to 11k. It was a gorgeous morning for it, though, and I gave it all my all, including a sprint finish. I was also interviewed by the race announcer afterwards. Definitely one to run again!