Race day

Success!  I did it 47 kilometres, 2750m up and 4000m down.  The Echappe Belle trail in the Belledonne range North of Grenoble.  It has been a long year of preparation with some ups and downs.  Things started well, and I manged to build up to 20 kilometre runs.  Then I had knee and leg problems.  After a runnning break, consulting General Doctors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and finally a Podiatrist, I resolved these issues.  I got back into training but never managed to run over 20 kilometres.  Then before I realised it the race was on me.
I was surprisingly calm the day of the race.  There were 361 runners lined up at the start line and we started fast, perhaps too fast for some (25 runners dropped out at the first feeding station).
The first section was hot, steep and hard work, but luckily my recon of a few weeks before had prepared me for this, so I took my time.  Despite pacing myself, I arrived at the first feeding station, completely drained.  I think I got my nutrition wrong.  I had made sure I had a good breakfast two hours before the race and ate a banana just before the start.  But during the 4 hours it took me to reach the feeding station, I only ate one muesli bar and a handful of trail mix.  In addition I sweated a lot and only had plain water to rehydrate.  So I think I was lacking salt and electrolytes.  I arrived to the cheers of family and friends, which in my tired state almost had me in tears.
At this first feeding station, I took a good break of one hour and my strength slowly returned.  I didn't feel like eating but forced food into myself.   It was amazing how I returned from being almost a monosyllabic zombing to a human after a few orange segments and salt biscuits.  I set off feeling much better.  The second section was less demanding and I arrived at the second feeding station feeling fairly good.  Again I had a good break and forced myself to eat.  There was only 12 kilometres left and I was determined that I was going to finish.
Unfortunately as I set off on the last leg the sky had clouded over and thunder began rumbling.  I had not done a recon of this section and I ended up doing it in the dark and rain.  A thunderstorm broke over our heads and turned the track to mud.  The last climb was 600 metres before a long descent into the finish.  My favourite moment of the course was running under an electricity pylon as lightening struck the hillside nearby.  The rain and muddy paths made running slippery and very tricky.  I ended up walking most of the last section.
Finally the last stretch into Aiguebelle came into view and I managed to break into a trot for the last kilometre.  I arrived at 10:30pm in the dark to the cheers of my family and the few spectators who had braved the rain.  My shoes and legs were caked in mud, but my legs felt fine.  I could hardly believe I had done it. 

What happened to the time?

Well things accelareted a bit over the summer.  As my big race got closer, I seemed to be losing the will to blog and I didn't post for a while.  My training however was going well.  I went over the first stage of the run; 18 kilometres for 1500 metres of altitude.  It was hot, hard work.  In addition the course hadn't been marked yet, so in a couple of places I got a little lost.  The first 5km was okay, a steep climb followed by a long descent into the head of a valley.   Unfortunately the ground was very damp and my feet were quickly soaked.  The next part was a very steep climb with sections traversing steep slopes of scree.  I lost my path, and I have to admit my cool.  I finally scrambled over the last pass and saw the last 5km of the path unravelling before me.  I felt that I hadn't run much, and the three-hour objective had turned into 4 hours.  I was able to jog over the last kilometres, and consoled myself that my longer than planned time was due to doubts about the track.  The next day I felt pretty pleased, as I was not aching too much, and I feel pretty confident that as I knew what to expect I would be faster on the day.   In between I did some short runs, plenty of exercises and stretches.  Of course there was also a long mountain walk in between.  
Then I ran over the second stage of the big race, easier, but still 18 kilometres for 894 metres of altitude.  The weather wasn't great, cloudy and cool.  I was able to make use of the fleece that the race rules require that runners carry.  Once again my feet were quickly soaked and I made a mental note to pack a change of socks.  The other problem was the lack of indications on the path to follow, particularly towards the end, but I expected this to be better on the day.
Ten days holiday by the sea, with some short runs and one long mountain walk, and suddenly the big day had arrived.

Week 44: Finding my method.

Things are going much better.  Ten to fifteen minutes of core strength work and stretching every day seems to be paying off.  I am coupling this with two short runs of 4-5 kilometres per week followed by a longer run in the mountains.  The original plan has gone out the window and I am going on what feels good to me.  I hope it will be enough to pull me through the 47 kilometres.
I am also still doing a lot of long walks to prepare for my guide exam.  This week I took the kids to the Grand Colombier.  Quite an easy walk as you drive most of the way up and then walk along the ridge.  Last week the Tour de France went through, and one of my ex- students, Romain Bardet, won the stage.  As we drove up the steep winding road, I marvelled again at the prowess of these cyclists.  The three-hour walk was very pleasant, mixing pasture and beech wood, with great views across the Rhone valley.  We were lucky with the weather, no clouds and little wind; apparently this ridge can be very windy at times.  The only thing that spoilt the walk was the huge electricity pylon at the top.
The next day I attacked a very long, ten and half hour walk to the Croix de Belledonne at 2900m.  I started from Chamrousse Recoin at 1650m, so a long climb.  The weather was perfect and the views magnificent.  There weren't too many other walkers, as it was a weekday.  The last hour to the summit was a hard slog, with some patches of snow to wade through and the summit hidden from view until the last fifteen minutes or so.  At the top there were great views of Alps d'Huez, the Vercors and the Chartreuse.  Unfortunately the splendour was spoilt by the strong odour of urine, it seems that some, probably male climbers feel the need to mark their achievement.  After a short, smelly lunch break I descended for the long walk home.  The path rose and fell steeply and I was unable to admire the view because I was worried about getting home before dark. I finally staggered into the car park at 7pm.  My legs felt very stiff and I was sure I would be hurting in the morning, but I did plenty of stretching before going to bed and felt pretty good the next day.  Maybe I have found the best preparation for me.

Week 43: Walking on Volcanos

A bit of a gap since my last post, things have been a bit busy on the work and home fronts.  On the work front I was testing students English level for entry to the local business school.  On the home front school broke up, so I found myself looking after kids.  I did manage to gets some runs in though.  Just short 5 or 10 kilometres, while I break in my new insoles.
My first 5 kilometre run with the went fairly well.  Unfortunately the longer 10 kilometre run left me with pain in my tibia.  After some research on the internet, I discovered that this is quite normal, even logical.  My tibia is being turned in a different direction to that which it has been used to for the last 44 years.  The doctor had said results in one month so I will soldier on. 
Also during this period my family headed to the Auvergne region for three days of walking on volcanos, as part of my preparation for the mountain guide qualification.  The first walk was on the Puy de Sancy, in very overcast conditions with a cold North wind.  The footpath was badly eroded and the last leg was on 800 wooden steps formed from railway sleepers.  There was no view from the 1800 metre summit and we retreated to the cable car restaurant as the hail blew in.  It was amazing to watch the ill equipped tourists arriving in the cable car to tackle such a dangerous terrain.  Once the hail clouds had blown over we followed the ski piste back down.  Both my knee and tibia were giving me problems as I hobbled into the town of Mont Dore.  Happily after some serious stretching the pain eased and almost disappeared.  The next day we had another long walk but with less altitude.  The weather was sunnier but still with a cold North wind.  We did a circuit that took in the Puy de Dôme and a number of other extinct volcanos.  The lower slopes were covered by beach and hazel forests which, with the numerous poorly signposted paths, made navigation a real challenge.  The Puy de Dôme was a bit of a disappointment with its hoards of tourists transported to the summit by train.  Once again I finished the walking hobbling with knee and tibia pain, which eased after stretching.  The final day was much better both weather and pain wise.  However it was more frustrating navigation wise as we were never totaly sure where we were.  We crossed a number of people who seemed to be in the same situation so maybe this is a feature of walks in this region.

Week 42: An alpine interlude.

This week started with my first experience of Alpinism.  My wife and I had decided to hire a guide to take us on a trip to 4000m.  The chosen mountain was the Dom des Ecrins.  The first day involved a tough 1000m climb.  The first section zig zagged up a steep slope to the foot of the glacier.  The path was well maintained and easily accessible.  Heavily equipped mountaineers mixed with elderly ramblers.  At the top of the slope the path levelled off as the foot of the glacier rose above us.  After crossing the stream, racing away from the glacier, the path rose again, past a first refuge and then on to the side of the glacier.  We geared up, helmet, climbing belts, crampons and rope before moving into the snow.  Then a hard slog with numerous crests before we sighted our goal the refuge des Ecrins.  Magnificent scenery as we moved along the edge of the glacier, past menacing crevasses.   At the head of the glacier we could see our goal the Dom des Ecrins, a blade of rock, ice and snow cutting into the sky.  The final approach to our refuge for the night was a steep switchback path that led up to the rocky outcrop of the refuge.  As I struggled back and forth, I began to wonder whether we had been too ambitious.  We finally arrived at the refuge, just in time for dinner.  As we would be starting at 4am the next morning, and because of a headache, I hit the sack early.  
The night was short and disturbed.  I finally woke at 3:30 and headed for the outside toilets.  I was surprised at how warm it was even at 2100m of altitude.  The sky was clear and a full moon hung over the mountains, making my torch unnecessary.  After a quick breakfast, we kitted up again and headed back onto the glacier.  Over dinner our guide had suggested we rethought or goal.  He suggested a lower and more accessible peak.  There had been a lot of snow recently and we would have to trace our own path up the Dom.   After listening to ice tumbling down the slopes we bowed to his advice and headed up another peak, called Roche Faurio at 3700m.  It was still a hard slog, but a large group had passed before us and made a path to follow.  After a brief stop to admire the 360° view of the mountains, we headed down for the long slog back to the car.  The sky was blue and the sun beat down on us.  It was somewhat unreal to descend back to civilization after a night and a day on a glacier.  I was quite pleased the next day to find that my legs were not too sore.

Later in the week I paid a trip to a podologist on the recommendation of a friend and I was pleased that I did.  After various tests he showed me that I was walking, and therefore running, on the outer edge of my foot not using my big toe at all.  This causes my tibia to rotate putting undue pressure on my knee joint.  A week later I returned to collect my custom made insoles.  According to the doctor I should see the results in a month or so.  I hope I have finally found the solution to my knee pain.

The week ended with a 12km run where I experimented running for 20 minutes and walking for 10 minutes.  I seemed able to continue for longer but I did find starting to run again tough after the third bout of walking.  

Week 41: Zen and stretching

Well my training plan has gone out the window, as has any monitoring of my performance.  My attitude has become much more relaxed and so far the runs I do, although short, are much more pleasurable and feel easier.  Perhaps this is the approach that suits my charcacter, I just hope that it pays off and I am able to finish the race in August.  There is so much advice out there it is difficult to find one's own path.
One thing I am taking seriously however is my twice daily exercises and stretches.  I start with a series of exercises to work on upper body, core and leg strengths.  Then I finish with a series of stretches to try and keep my muscles flexible.  I tend to ache every morning but I assume this is a result of a lifetime of muscle building without any stretching.  I am by nature, slim and muscular.  I tend to do a lot of physical activity but I have never worried about stretching.  Unfortunately this combined with my tense nature means I am very inflexible and running has really drawn this out.  Hopefully by becoming more flexible I will suffer less.

Week 40: Gradual restart

My knees finally felt better at the beginning of the week, so I decided to go swimming to train without causing any trauma.  A visit to the Osteopath was reassuring as he agreed with my diagnosis of overtraining.  He explained that my leg muscles may have developed too quickly and that I had not stretched enough.  He explained that this meant that at night my muscles remained tight and this put strain on my joints.  This seemed logical to me as I have had trouble sleeping recently due to pain in my knees.  I have also found that stretching relieved the pain.  The Osteopath recommended that I stuck to runs of not more than an hour and a half to avoid additional trauma.  In the meantime he recommended long cycling sessions to build endurance.  I am happy to do this now that the weather is better.

I was also reassured this week after a launch event for the Echappe Belle (my race objective).  One of the organisers explained to me that the 47km race, that I have chosen, is well within the capacities of someone who does a lot of hiking.  There is no cut off time on this section, racers have 27 hours in which to finish.  This means it could be done as a fast hike.  I, of course, will try and run as much as possible.  The race starts at 10am and the first runners arrive around 4pm.  My objective is to arrive in the evening, before 10pm, which gives a pace of 4km an hour.  This is my fast walking pace so I hope to do better.

I managed to get out for a short 30 minute run midweek, despite feeling tired and unmotivated.  I felt much better after the run even if my knees gave me one or two twinges.  I also decided to buy a knee brace and I am going to trail some walking poles the next time I run in the mountains.
At the end of the week I managed six kilometres round the local resevoir, feeling comfortable and recording a very good time.  It seems that the three weeks of rest was just what my body needed.  My muslces were even feeling twitchy needing to exercise.

Week 39: A ten day break

As I was away; helping out on my local schools field trip for ten days, my training program took a hit. However this may not have been a bad thing as my knees were still painful.  I managed to get out for one short, six kilometre run, but suffered for it.  This was partly because I had to run some of the distance on tarmac, and a section on sand.  Running on sand is hard work for the hamstrings.   I made sure that I stretched every morning and evening which seems to help, and a friend lent me an essential oil rub.  My left knee is painful at the back which someone suggested could be tendinitis, while my left knee has a point of pain on the inner side, I hope it is not my meniscus.  There seems to be varying prognosis.  Some doomsayers are predicting that I will be unable to run my race in August, while others say that a recovery break may not be a bad thing.
I will see the osteopath again next week and my GP to try and get a medical professionals opinion. Information I have read about runner's knee on the internet suggest RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) are the best treatment.  What worries me is the length of time it could last, some suggest days, weeks or even months.  The big race is only 3 months away and I am worried I am losing time.  Even walking a short distance brings on pain and hobbling, so I am not feeling very confident as things stand at the moment.

Week 38: Injury worries

My knee is still giving me cause for concern.  My leg muscles, hamstring and quadriceps, feel tensed and sore, and I get stabbing pains on the inside of my knee.  As I have said before, my doctor sent me for an operation on a torn meniscus two years ago.  It took me a few days to recover from the general anaesthetic, and my knee was weak for a long time afterwards.  So I hope to avoid the same problem. A few years ago I consulted an osteopath about a shoulder pain with good results, so I decided to do the same here.  The osteopath asked a lot of questions, reviewed my stance and then manipulated me in all directions.  By chance I had chosen an osteopath who had worked a lot with sportspeople, in particular rowers.  He advised me to drink a lot and pay attention to my diet.  He seemed to think that my skeletal problems were related to tension in my stomach muscles.  After an hour of manipulation I came away feeling drained.  He advised a few days rest and then a slow restart to running.  Then another visit in a couple of weeks.
It is rather disheartening to review my Starva data and not see any runs for a week.  I am taking a rest from running, as per advice from other runners and the osteopath.  But I am worried that this gap in my training will have a negative effect on my race in August.  In the meantime I am still going to the gym to cycle and weight train. My leg muscles are still stiff and painful and my knee gives periodically stabbing pains.  Next week I will be on a school field trip for ten days so no gym sessions.  However I am taking my running gear in the hope that I can slowly start running again.

Week 37: The 20 run : 5 walk ratio

Still trying to find a solution for my negative thoughts and worries about level of training.  I feel I should be running more, for longer and faster.  I am pleased to have found some advice on the internet that comforts me a little.  It seems some trail runners train to run 20 minutes and walk for 5 minutes.  This certainly seems to fit more with my training style.  Today I always walk uphill.  I find myself quickly out of breath and my heart rate soars if I try and run uphill.  So I use uphill sections to recover by walking at as rapid a pace as possible.
Only managed one run of 10km this week.  The weather was against me so I spent more time cross training in the gym.  At the weekend I was accompanying my kid's rugby team to a tournament.  My left knee started playing up again, with tight hamstring and thigh muscles.  I am really worried now as the symptoms are very similar to by meniscus tear, two years ago.  I really do not want to go through the whole scan and operation circus again.  It would also put me out of action for a few months, meaning I would miss my trail run.

Week 36: Battling negative thoughts

Negative thoughts again on my first run of the week.  Everything seemed to be wrong; my watch couldn't get a satellite signal, my legs felt tired, my new shoes felt wrong, my wife unwittingly pressured me, asking when I would be back, everything was to blame.  I wasn't even sure where I was running too or for how long/ far.  I tried to push out the negative thoughts and concentrate on something else.  No good.  Okay, maybe if I concentrated on my breathing, no that didn't work either.
Refused to run around the reservoir like some dumb hamster, so went uphill.  At least this gave me an excuse to walk.  Stopped for an angry breather, paused my watch. Started again, then after a few minutes, realised I hadn't restarted the watch, angry again.   Still trying to push away the negative thoughts, but no luck despite the cheery "Hellos" of other runners.  Running downhill again was a little better but finished the run with an angry, frustrated walk.  Perhaps it was because this was one of my rare evening runs.
Midweek I went out for a longer run on a new route to try and boost my motivation.  The first hour involved a steep 700 metre climb over 7 kilometres.  Then a run along the ridge for 2km before descending steeply back down to the village.  The weather was perfect sunny with a light breeze.  I felt reasonably comfortable although my new shoes are still breaking in.  The next day I followed the route again with my family.  My legs were pretty sore so walked the majority.  My wife and kids ran sections, and my wife, a road runner, enjoyed the experience.
I finished the week feeling a little more positive, with a short four kilometre run.  I am averaging around 20 kilometres a week but mostly on shortish runs, 10- 12 kilometres maximum.  However these are all trail runs with a fair amount of height gain and loss.  My worry is that my objective is a 42 kilometre run and I have only ever run a maximum of 20 kilometres.  I am afraid that this will not be enough preparation.

Week 35: Sport in my underpants

A silly start to the week.  I wanted to go to the gym, but on arrival found I had taken two T-shirts and no shorts.  I had a brief moment of madness when I considered doing my exercises in my underpants.  However painful memories of school gym in underpants, after having forgotten my gym kit, stopped me.  There was also the very colourful underpants, that I had pulled on in my half asleep state, which brought me to my senses.  I consoled myself with the idea that I could at least have a hammam.  Wrong again.  After having slipped on my swimsuit, I wrapped a towel around myself and strolled nochalantly down the corridor, only to discover that it was closed for cleaning.  So I headed home frustrated and did a series of exercises in the living room.
The weather has turned cold, again, it even snowed on Monday morning.  Despite this I forced myself out and up for my first run of the week.  This time it was my calf muscles that decided to cause problems.  As soon as I started climbing, they began hurting and became rigid.  I pushed on, with frequent pauses.  I reached 1100m before running back down to the village at 500m.  My performance was disappointedly slow but at least I got out.
My stiff and painful knees are still worrying me.  It occurred to me that when I first started running a year ago I used an old pair of Reebok trainers and suffered knee pain.  As soon as I invested in an expensive pair of running shoes the pain disappeared.  These expensive shoes are now more than a year old and, though outwardly looking good, have covered some 900 kilometres.  Once again I hit the web for advice about when to change shoes, everything I read seemed to suggest a new pair of shoes was in order.  I had been planning to get a new pair before my run in August so now is as good a time as any.  Hopefully the added benefit will be less knee pain.
The weather turned bad again at the end of the week, so I went to the gym with my new running shoes.  I gave them a good 9km test on the hated running machine.  So far so good they seem comfortable but I need to test them on the trails to be really sure.

Week 34: Quadriceps and race plans

The first run of the week was a family run around the local reservoir.  The kids ran well and didn't complain, so there is hope that they can come with us more often.  After one circuit of 3.5 km I climbed into the hills and then back down to return home.  The next day I went for a 6 hour walk in the mountains with 1000m of altitude.  My knees suffered a lot especially on the descent.  This is a bit worrying as my run in August has a cumulative descent of 4000m.
I researched some quadricep exercises on the internet in the hope that the root cause of my knee problems is weak quadriceps.  It seems that squats and lunges are the best exercises, so I will try and do some every morning and evening in the hope that things get better before the big race.
On my next run I strapped my left knee (the weaker of the two) to see if this would help.  I did a relatively short run, 10km but pushed myself to run a little faster.   The strapping seemed to help.
At the weekend, I watched and listened to commentary of the London Marathon.  One 88 year old lady advised comfortable shoes and clothes, with a slow as possible start and building up from there.  I am sure that this is true as sometimes I start fast and suffer later, then other times I start slowly and manage to finish faster and with less pain.  There was also an interview with a sport psychologist, she explained that runners need a race plan.  So I started looking at the profile of my race in August, trying to estimate where I will be at certain moments, based on distance and altitude.  The race starts at 10 am and the race book suggests 6 hours to finish the 47km.  I think I will aim for 7- 8 hours based on my performances so far and the terrain.  However I plan to recon sections of the race this summer so should have a better idea later.

Week 33: Just keep slogging away.

It is the school holidays so the kids are under my feet.  My daughter had an aerobic training session at the beginning of the week, so I took the opportunity to go for a 10km run in the mountains.  My knees and legs felt sore but as I warmed up things got easier.  I ran comfortably and was able to run quite fast and managed 10 kilometres.  I still prefer running through the trees away from any tarmac and traffic noise.
"Run" does seem to me to be a big word for what is actually a combination of fast uphill walking and then jogging along ridges and downhill.  Despite reading, and being told it is normal to walk on uphill sections, I still feel guilty and a failure when I slow to a walk on slopes.
After an intensive gym session midweek, I forced myself out for a run.  I wasn't motivated at all despite the good weather.  I pounded around the local reservoir and decided that, as I was only going to do one circuit, I would run as fast as I could.  I finished feeling quite pleased with myself as I managed an average pace of 5:35 min/km, and a best pace of 4:32min/km.
My last run of the week was a 15 km circuit through the mountains.  The first part climbs steeply 400m before dropping down into a small valley and then climbing again up the other side of the valley before dropping back to the valley floor.  Again it felt very tough but I was presently surprised to find that my performance was not too bad.
I think my principle problem today could be my mental state.  I find it very hard to motivate myself to go out for a run, despite the pleasure I feel when a run is finished.  During the run I tend to have negative thoughts about how slow I am and how much it is hurting.  Although I do occasionally manage to think about other things, and this is when I usually run better.  Finally at the end I worry about how short the run was, even if my times and performance seem to be getting better.  I suppose it is all a case of confidence and patience, a good life lesson for me.

Week 32: Hydration

Very stiff, sore knees and aching muscles at the back of my leg again.  I am a bit perplexed as I warm up and stretch after my exercise sessions, but I'm experiencing pain the next day.  So I hit the Internet and asked Google if poor hydration could be a cause.  My research revealed that this is indeed the case. Apart from the washing out of built up toxins, which I already knew about, it seems water helps to lubricate joints.  The experts seem to disagree on the quantity necessary but 2 litres per day seems about right, more if doing strenuous exercise.  So this week I have been drinking two glasses of water with my morning coffee and fruit juice.  Drinking coffee is bad for hydration but can help with muscle pain, so if you are drinking coffee you need more water.  Then I try to drink a litre of water during the morning, a bottle on my desk helps, sipping through the day.  At lunch two glasses of water, and then a pot of herbal tea in the afternoon.  My favourite at the moment is Maté, used by the Incas in the Andes.  Finally I drink two or more glasses of water during dinner.  This is a normal day.  When I exercise I take regular sips of water in addition.  It seems to be working the aches and pains are better, although I do seem to be going to the toilet more often.  Apparently an indicator of good hydration is clear urine.  There is only one danger and that is over hydration.  It is possible to drink too much but at 2-3 litres a day I don't think I am there yet.

A bit of a lazy, rest week with only one gym session and as the weather wasn't great a session on the running machine.  I still don't love it but I managed an hour this time, varying speed and incline.  At the end of the week I went for another long walk in the mountains.

Week 31: Just enjoying the trial

Thank god that weekend is over.  Between setting up the village fete, helping at my son's rugby tournament, and discovering someone had stolen one of my beehives, I had little time to myself.  I finally managed to get to the gym on Monday and work out my frustrations.  Tuesday I went for a very unsatisfactory and short run.  Maybe it was better than nothing.  Luckily the next day the weather was great and I went for another run that was much better.  I didn't worry about length, pace or time and just ran.  I wasn't entirely satisfied as I had to walk a fair amount, but when I got back and analysed the run I was no worse than usual.  Maybe that is the key to my problems at the moment.  I need to relax and just go with the flow.  If I worry too much I am going to lose the pleasure of just running.
At the end of the week I went off for a long run and decided to ignore my watch.  I chose to do one of the routes at the local trail station.  I chose the "Sentier de Fer", which follows a historical path that was formerly used to carry iron ore from mines in the mountains to smelters in the valley.  I did the course in reverse.  The first section rose gradually to the village of Pinsot, where there is a hydroelectric installation.  I ran and walked at a fast pace.  After Pinsot the path rises steeply in zigzags and I found it hard work.  I got lost in the vestiges of the iron mines for 10 minutes or so.  The path is a little complicated as there are a multitude of panels directing tourists in loops around the historical site.  The path culminates at 1000m and levels off on forestry roads for about a kilometre or so.  As I dropped down the other side of the ridge I was surprised by the drop in temperature and the clouds pushing up from the valley floor.  Nevertheless I was running well.  I veered off the set course towards St Pierre (my village).  By the time I arrived at the bottom, I had finished 16 kilometres and gone up and down 920 metres.  I decided to walk the final 2 kilometres home to stretch my legs and warm down.
My run times were in line with past performances so not thinking too much is obviously the right solution.  On Sunday I did a long walk to prepare for my mountain guide qualification.  There was still a lot of snow so I was in snowshoes.  The walk followed part of the trail race route that I will run in August so it was a good reconnaissance for that, as well as counting toward my physical preparation.   It was an interesting walk along an old moraine up to a pass at 2000m, and in the menacing shadow of the north face of a mountain.  I managed the walk in 4 hours instead of the 6.5 hours noted in the guidebook.

Week 30: 6 months of running

Well I have been running for over 6 months now and clocked up some 800 kilometres.  Its hard to remember how the thought of running three and half kilometres around the local reservoir daunted me.  I have learnt a lot about training, stretching, warm up, running gear, injuries and much more.  I have experienced the pleasure and satisfaction of getting out into the fresh air and running.  I have seen how my mental state improves after a run.  But I have also experienced demotivation, pain and frustration.  The journey is by no means over.  Today I find myself on a plateau, with little progress in terms of speed or distance.  I know I have got to keep my head down, slog away and have faith that all this gradual work will pay off.
I decided to take a rest day on Monday that, with ice packs, seemed to pay off.  I then decided on a gym session concentrating on core strength to give my knee more time to get better.  However on arriving at an empty gym I decided to jump on the running machine.  I started with a fast walk then gradually increased the speed.  As nobody else came in to the gym, I continued on the machine for forty five minutes.  Alternating fast walks with gradual speed build ups.  My knees did not feel to bad afterwards so fingers crossed I have sorted out this problem.  I did some hill sets towards the end of the week, and then as I have a busy weekend I did my long run on Friday.
My last run of the week was really positive.  I hadn't decided what I was going to do.  I parked up at the local reservoir and warmed up.  Then headed directly up through the pine woods.  I passed a friend, who also trail runs, he chastised me for not carrying any water.  However he reassured me that it was normal to walk the steep sections.   At the first junction I faced a choice, head back down or continue upwards.  Of course I carried on uphill, and at the next junction I did the same.  I finally climbed 700m before deciding that I wasn't dressed correctly for the cold and snow, I encountered at 1000m, and I really should have taken some water.  I was really enjoying the little birds, the woodpeckers, the Jay's and even a Chamois that jumped across the path in front of me.  Nevertheless I decided it was prudent to begin my descent.  I felt great and for the first time I really let myself go.
I great end to the week that set me up for my son's rugby tournament that was threatening to occupy my Easter weekend.

Week 29: Impatience, knee pain, strapping, and hairy legs.

The week started with a rest, although I did some cardio exercises and stretching.  Then I went to the running track for 30 minutes of speed training, alternating short fast sprints and slower recovery jogs.  I must admit to feeling a little demotivated at the moment.  I am finding it hard to be patient and build slowly.  I am wondering if I will manage 47km in August.  I punished myself with a hard gym session midweek, before a session of hill training on Friday.
Unfortunately my knee seems to have flared up again, maybe because of my impatience, and maybe because I am not taking it one step at a time.  The pain seems to be in the ligaments behind the knee.  I managed to find some information on the internet about Knee injuries.  RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) seems to be the advise whatever the injury.  Despite the pain I went for a long run at the end of the week, as per my program.  I decided to run on trails and the path went up and down a lot, so I walked a fair amount.  However it was very pleasant running through the trees in the spring sunshine. 
During the run my knee didn't hurt too much but in the evening it was very stiff.  I iced it and looked up information on strapping.  I found this video quite useful.   I dug out some sticky elasticated bandage and bound my knee, only to experience the pain of a leg waxing when I tried to remove it later.  I may have to shave my legs, something I have resisted during my road cycling.  Although I had heard some nonsense about shaving legs reducing wind resistance the real reason, I have been reliably informed, is that when cyclists graze their legs falling off their bikes the wounds are easier to clean.  However as I am a very cautious cyclist, rarely fully releasing the brakes on downhill stretches, I have never had a serious fall so do not see the need to indulge in this rather sissy leg shaving.  Now however, having experienced the pain of ripping sticky bandage of a hairy leg I think I may well just do it.  
I am going to rest and ice my leg for a couple of days in the hope the pain goes away.  Then for next run I'll strap and hope that helps.

Week 28: A career change?

Exciting news for me, I took a decision which I have hesitated over for a number of years.  I am going to take the exam to become a mountain guide, not the high level guide.  I love the mountains and really feel alive while I am in them.  I have looked at the guide qualification a number of times but always listened to the doom-mongers who say how difficult the entry test is.  Anyway this time I am feeling positive and motivated, maybe because of the running.  I have spoken to a neighbour who is actually a guide and he encouraged me to go for it.  I now need to reinforce my navigational skills with the compass, as this is part of the test.  I also have to complete a certain number of hikes to take the entry exam, so I will be working on those as well as running.  There is not doubt the two-day entrance exam is hard but with a positive attitude and a bit of preparation I think I can pass it.  Then maybe I will be able to move out of teaching business English and into something I feel more passionate about.

As part of my exam preparation and to take a rest from running I went for a 2-hour snowshoe work at the beginning of the week.  We had a good late snowfall over the weekend, and as the sun was shining the conditions were ideal.  I also took my compass and map to practice.  I hiked quickly up from the cross-country skiing base at the Col du Barioz onto the plateau and the Crêt du Poulet.  An easy 265 metres of ascent.  As it was a weekday I was completely alone.  The snowshoe tracks are well defined which takes away from any idea of challenge or adventure.  Once on the plateau I practiced with my compass, not as easy in cold, windy conditions as at home in the warm.

Unfortunately midweek I found myself struck down by flu.  Not really surprising as I have been looking after my flu struck kids for the past week.  I have read that taking a weeks rest every four weeks is a good idea when training hard so maybe I should do this.  I have also been having a lot of muscle pain recently and found this article about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness that reassured me, and would suggest that I ease things off a bit.  I also found this 24-week marathon preparation program that I quite like for its gradual preparation approach.

For my last run of the week I followed a new trail path.  Sylvie dropped me off 15 kilometres from home and I ran, and walked, back through the mountains. It was quite a hilly path, total elevation gain 450 metres, so I had to walk some parts.  I also had a fair amount of problems with dogs running out and barking at me.  I stopped and walked at these points while hurling abuse at the dogs.  I am sure the owners heard me but did not want to pay attention.  I might invest in a can of mace for these little darlings.  I have two admit to being a little annoyed at being threatened by these slobbering beasts on a public path.  Most advice on-line seems to be to stop running and talk calmly to the dog without being menacing.  If necessary turn around and change your run.  Personally I do not see why I should change my run on a public path so I think pepper or mace spray is the way to go.  

My legs were very sore after this run with pain on the side of my shins and a new pain behind my knee.  I wonder if these are a result of training too hard or over stretching.  I put some Chinese Chinese Red Flower oil on my knees and ankles that seemed to help, although I woke up with a burning sensation in the night.