Everyone was in bed and being the spontaneous running opportunist that I am I decided to get a quick 20 clicks in the bag. it was 20:30 and there was still a slight shade of daylight refracting over the the Jura Mountains. Off I went, convinced that I would run 20 when all the while reminding myself that I could cut it short whenever I wanted to. After running past the soccer field full of evening action the usual route took me to more solitary places. The forest was dark and deep and at some point all I could see were the bats flying along with me. Around the 10km mark I experimented with eating Pollenta to see how my body reacts, having forgot that I put Gruyere in it a few days ago my taste buds were giving mixed signals, somewhere between "this is disgusting" and " Ya its Gruyere, you put it in there don't you remember, you love Gruyere" I love Gruyere, so three seperate times I splashed my face with the gook and cleaned up with a standard sholder swipe.
Not far after my Gruyere experience I saw a beautiful near full moon rising over the Alps accompanying me for the rest of the run. By the last km's I was starting to observe my shadow and remarking the loss of stars in the night sky since the moon came out and stole the show. The heart was doing so well that I decided to pick it up a bit for the last 5km's and did them with an average 4:45/km, the 19 km took 1hour 45. I came in and lied down on the sofa thinking the flood of endorphins would keep me up another 2 hours, but before I had another thought I was out.
dimanche 29 août 2010
Mezière avec un bierre
Wednesday 25th August in Meziere.
Our prerace bantor of Google Earth profiling and race pace prognostics filled my shoes with primed pistons ready for blastoff. The gun blast went off and my throttle hit the floor trying to get infront of everyone before we hit the forest area. I had terrible visions of the same thing reoccuring as in St Prex where everone had to walk to cross the bridge and we all lost 1 minute. This wasn't going to happen again and so ignoring Garmins warnings I blasted past as many slow pokes as I could. Please excuse the entirely relative expression but in my definition anyone I can pass is a slowpoke, and those passing me are overstrung poor managers of their pacing which I will inevitably gallop past very shortly as soon as we hit the hills. Its a sort of personal ego trip I entertain everytime to cope with the adversities, lots of fun even if its more fictional then anything. After 2 km I get my second garmin reading, 1st km 4:37, second 5:58, right on Stefans target. The rather challenging structures of this course included narrow rocky paths, slippery muddy sections where I called out at one point "ça glisse, ça glisse" and felt like I had made my philanthropic gesture to mankind for the rest of the race. Some quite steep climbs including the finishing 500 meters and steep downhill sections where my feet were trying to run away from me. Hey there! get back here! At some point I heard a starter gun go off and I hypothesized that this must be a Meziere tradition that once the first person crosses the finish line, they let everyone know it by firing off the gun. This was confirmed when shortly after I heard another gunblast go off, and I emmediately knew that this must be when the first "Lady" crossed the finish line. I glanced down at my watch and thought to myself "wow Tenke sure is fast"
Then as I continued I became more and more perplexed when the gun shots continued, but racing has a way of putting me in a nonsensical dreamy state where life contradictions don't spark any inquisition and I happily continued my race. Not soon thereafter the entire woods began to resonate with the beautiful harmony of Alphorns, this was truly a lovely site to pass the Alphorn band serenading us as we pounded down their soil.
My finish was another fun sprint to catch the guy who had passed me on the last 500 meter incline and with great satisfaction I dashed infront of this unsuspecting prey to steal one last position for the roster. I had a bit of extra time one evening to play with the results excel file and discover the Vlookup function. Now I can see in green all the people who were ahead of me in StPrex and Genolier that I managed to beat in Mezieres, and it only took me two hours! The Stats don't lie and going by the projected curve of position 373 to 307 to 258 I hope to be somewhere among the 210 in Chavornay.
There is something to be said about participating in such events with others and I must say I enjoyed just as much the car ride in/out and the postrace meal with Rich, Niall, Stefan and Tenke as I did the race itself. Thanks everyone for the good memories. Oh and Richard I hope you managed to get the mud off your nice new pink runners. ;o)
Our prerace bantor of Google Earth profiling and race pace prognostics filled my shoes with primed pistons ready for blastoff. The gun blast went off and my throttle hit the floor trying to get infront of everyone before we hit the forest area. I had terrible visions of the same thing reoccuring as in St Prex where everone had to walk to cross the bridge and we all lost 1 minute. This wasn't going to happen again and so ignoring Garmins warnings I blasted past as many slow pokes as I could. Please excuse the entirely relative expression but in my definition anyone I can pass is a slowpoke, and those passing me are overstrung poor managers of their pacing which I will inevitably gallop past very shortly as soon as we hit the hills. Its a sort of personal ego trip I entertain everytime to cope with the adversities, lots of fun even if its more fictional then anything. After 2 km I get my second garmin reading, 1st km 4:37, second 5:58, right on Stefans target. The rather challenging structures of this course included narrow rocky paths, slippery muddy sections where I called out at one point "ça glisse, ça glisse" and felt like I had made my philanthropic gesture to mankind for the rest of the race. Some quite steep climbs including the finishing 500 meters and steep downhill sections where my feet were trying to run away from me. Hey there! get back here! At some point I heard a starter gun go off and I hypothesized that this must be a Meziere tradition that once the first person crosses the finish line, they let everyone know it by firing off the gun. This was confirmed when shortly after I heard another gunblast go off, and I emmediately knew that this must be when the first "Lady" crossed the finish line. I glanced down at my watch and thought to myself "wow Tenke sure is fast"
Then as I continued I became more and more perplexed when the gun shots continued, but racing has a way of putting me in a nonsensical dreamy state where life contradictions don't spark any inquisition and I happily continued my race. Not soon thereafter the entire woods began to resonate with the beautiful harmony of Alphorns, this was truly a lovely site to pass the Alphorn band serenading us as we pounded down their soil.
My finish was another fun sprint to catch the guy who had passed me on the last 500 meter incline and with great satisfaction I dashed infront of this unsuspecting prey to steal one last position for the roster. I had a bit of extra time one evening to play with the results excel file and discover the Vlookup function. Now I can see in green all the people who were ahead of me in StPrex and Genolier that I managed to beat in Mezieres, and it only took me two hours! The Stats don't lie and going by the projected curve of position 373 to 307 to 258 I hope to be somewhere among the 210 in Chavornay.
There is something to be said about participating in such events with others and I must say I enjoyed just as much the car ride in/out and the postrace meal with Rich, Niall, Stefan and Tenke as I did the race itself. Thanks everyone for the good memories. Oh and Richard I hope you managed to get the mud off your nice new pink runners. ;o)
samedi 21 août 2010
20km early bird special
Was woken up at 4:30 this morning by a little tummy that needed some milk, then was left in my thoughts pondering how great it would be to sneak out early and come home 2 hours later without anyone even realizing. There was no moon, and it seemed dark. The night before the same thing happened and as I stood in my kitchen window contemplating the challenge a little hedgehog zigzagged across our lawn. I decided then that if I could barely see a hedgehog I would certainly stumble over one if I went out. As a consequence I went back to bed and woke up at 8:20 late for work. So today I wasn't going to let that happen. I filled up my water bottles did some stretching, thought of KJP who was grounded for another little while and thought I would do some miles for the both of us, so off I went KJP style at 5:15am. A "start slow, end fast" convert for life, I had absolutely no shame to get my first kilometer in at 6min53, and a second at 6:21, I was even proud of my personal self control. The fact that I couldn't see anything also contributed to my pace and having woken up seeing a hedgehog the night before I couldn't help but go out with a certain paranoia, every dark patch along the path transformed into a hedgehog, I've never seen so many hedgehogs in my life!
It was around the 3rd km when the persistant pinecone struck again. I can't beleive how many times this thing has bonked me in the head as I am running. Everytime I can't help but burst out in laughter. Its one of those low lieing camoflaged green and very hard closed pinecones. It sits there inconspicuously just dangling off a branch directly overhead the running path. And as pine needles are for the most part like little brushes, I always fall into the trap of makeing the gesture of ducking but not really caring because its just a few little bristles. Then out of the blue SHABLONK! It strikes again! This morning was the third time it outwitted me. The first time I couldn't beleive I had just been hit in the head by a pinecone, The second time I just couldn't beleive that the same stupid pinecone hit me again, and this morning I started to wonder how many more times I would fall victim! perhaps I should run with a helmet.
The rest of the run was lovely. The landscape started to reflect its colours, the passenger trains started their morning routines, my pace progressivley got faster to finish the last 5kms at 5min pace and feeling like a workhorse, to end the 20km run in 1hour57. After cooling down I came inside and just as I stepped into the shower Edana got up and greeted me good morning. My stealth morning run had just passed under the child radar and I ate breakfast with them with a nice feeling of accomplishment behind me to start the day.
It was around the 3rd km when the persistant pinecone struck again. I can't beleive how many times this thing has bonked me in the head as I am running. Everytime I can't help but burst out in laughter. Its one of those low lieing camoflaged green and very hard closed pinecones. It sits there inconspicuously just dangling off a branch directly overhead the running path. And as pine needles are for the most part like little brushes, I always fall into the trap of makeing the gesture of ducking but not really caring because its just a few little bristles. Then out of the blue SHABLONK! It strikes again! This morning was the third time it outwitted me. The first time I couldn't beleive I had just been hit in the head by a pinecone, The second time I just couldn't beleive that the same stupid pinecone hit me again, and this morning I started to wonder how many more times I would fall victim! perhaps I should run with a helmet.
The rest of the run was lovely. The landscape started to reflect its colours, the passenger trains started their morning routines, my pace progressivley got faster to finish the last 5kms at 5min pace and feeling like a workhorse, to end the 20km run in 1hour57. After cooling down I came inside and just as I stepped into the shower Edana got up and greeted me good morning. My stealth morning run had just passed under the child radar and I ate breakfast with them with a nice feeling of accomplishment behind me to start the day.
jeudi 19 août 2010
Deceived by my Garmin !
Blablink - - - Garmin turns on and a message appears « detected footpod, run indoors ? » This was a critical moment and somehow I wasn’t concentrating and hit enter, which meant for the next 8 km it would be calculating my distance based on an accelerometer and not on a GPS signal. It was wonderful, it was stupefying it was phantasmagoric, I was clocking 4:45 kms and even hit a 4:38 km. I felt bliss, reminding myself as I ran through the woods to breath, smell, enjoy, appreciate the beauty around me. And running fast added an extra exhilaration to the experience I couldn’t help it I had the bounce in my legs, every person I overtook I felt like I was a child again receiving an ice cream.
I kept to my plan of starting slow (not quite sure anymore how to define slow when the gun blast goes off and everyone leaps off like gazelles in the Serengeti, let’s just say I exercised a certain degree of restraint relative to what my urge was beckoning) and progressively accelerated, timing things to give me enough punch to sprint through the finish line and feel like a million bucks. I certainly did feel amazing straight after crossing the finish line Niall came up to me all excited about witnessing my sprint, and Stefan already had a cup of water waiting, now that’s what I call service!
It was around this moment when I had a bit of a “Twilight Zone” experience, Stefan told me that he averaged 4:54 and I glanced down at my Garmin which revealed stunningly that I averaged 4:47! But wait a minute . . . STEFAN WAS IN FRONT OF ME!!! It took me another 30 minutes to be ejected from the Twilight Zone and realise that my foot pod calculated 8.49km in just under 41min and not 8km so naturally I thought I was going faster. I supposedly covered more distance in the same time. When I interrogated my Garmin if this was so, it only responded “Blablink”
I think it’s in denial.
My true average was 5:03 which was more realistic to my bow legs and though a bit disappointed to not be under 5, I loved the race all the same, after all, can you believe for once I actually beat Tenke.
Ummmmm . . . . . just because Tenke didn’t run the race is no excuse, I still beat her ;0)
I kept to my plan of starting slow (not quite sure anymore how to define slow when the gun blast goes off and everyone leaps off like gazelles in the Serengeti, let’s just say I exercised a certain degree of restraint relative to what my urge was beckoning) and progressively accelerated, timing things to give me enough punch to sprint through the finish line and feel like a million bucks. I certainly did feel amazing straight after crossing the finish line Niall came up to me all excited about witnessing my sprint, and Stefan already had a cup of water waiting, now that’s what I call service!
It was around this moment when I had a bit of a “Twilight Zone” experience, Stefan told me that he averaged 4:54 and I glanced down at my Garmin which revealed stunningly that I averaged 4:47! But wait a minute . . . STEFAN WAS IN FRONT OF ME!!! It took me another 30 minutes to be ejected from the Twilight Zone and realise that my foot pod calculated 8.49km in just under 41min and not 8km so naturally I thought I was going faster. I supposedly covered more distance in the same time. When I interrogated my Garmin if this was so, it only responded “Blablink”
I think it’s in denial.
My true average was 5:03 which was more realistic to my bow legs and though a bit disappointed to not be under 5, I loved the race all the same, after all, can you believe for once I actually beat Tenke.
Ummmmm . . . . . just because Tenke didn’t run the race is no excuse, I still beat her ;0)
lundi 16 août 2010
Racing Rumagings
One Blogging entry for 2 runs, is that allowed? Am I breaking my blogging contract?
Well, my first run on the "Tour du Pays de Vaud" a 9.1 km stretch through ST Prex came up with a 48min47sec time. In the complex world of physical performance one days proud accomplishement of my personal best is the next days dissappointement for not matching what I know I am capable of. And so I went into this race convinced that I could keep to a 5min pace, even going so far as to telling Stephan that "once we hit the 6km mark, Im going to give it all I got" well, it turns out that once I hit the 6km mark I had already given it all I had and just crossing the finish line became my new revised declaration to . . . wait for me Stephan, well he was long gone, and I was left to swallow the dust from the runners passing me. I have notice a strange phenomenon everytime I go to an "official" race. The anticipation grips me and the adrenalin kicks in, all my circuits go bizerk and nothing is anymore how Im used to it from training. So inspite of telling myself not to go too fast to start I went too fast.
Yesterday I decided to verify if my "start slow, end fast" theory really holds up. because the St Prex race confirmed "start fast, end slow" but for the morale its the difference between banging my head against a brick wall, and freefalling through duck feather duvets. Lo and behold, when I start at a 5:15 to 5:30 pace for the first 3 clicks, the next 6 are sub 5 to 4:40! for a 9km total of 45min 53 sec.
I think when I push my body straight away to zone 4/5 its chemistry consumption switches gear, and then even when I slow down, the heart insists on staying in zone 4/5. But when I give myself a proper 2 km slow warmup, and progressively speed up, then my body doesn't realize what Im doing and I can sneekily go faster before it inquisitively requests " hey! what gives?!" and starts compensating my heartbeat ever so slowly, but by then I have already run another click in under 5 and it again ponders upping the heart to compensate. It's a poor fellow under these circumstances, but I try not to deceive myself too often...I think. Ofcoarse if you've watched the film "Inception" perhaps the whole notion of what is real may be a bit grey. What a mental mind boggler for this blogger!
Anyways this Wednesdays Genolier goal is to warm up for 15 minutes and then kick in the afterburner, for a 44:xx run. Stay tuned for Thursday's ramblings about why it wasn't so!
Thanks for the nice pre-race photo Niall, where I still look like a champion ;o)
Well, my first run on the "Tour du Pays de Vaud" a 9.1 km stretch through ST Prex came up with a 48min47sec time. In the complex world of physical performance one days proud accomplishement of my personal best is the next days dissappointement for not matching what I know I am capable of. And so I went into this race convinced that I could keep to a 5min pace, even going so far as to telling Stephan that "once we hit the 6km mark, Im going to give it all I got" well, it turns out that once I hit the 6km mark I had already given it all I had and just crossing the finish line became my new revised declaration to . . . wait for me Stephan, well he was long gone, and I was left to swallow the dust from the runners passing me. I have notice a strange phenomenon everytime I go to an "official" race. The anticipation grips me and the adrenalin kicks in, all my circuits go bizerk and nothing is anymore how Im used to it from training. So inspite of telling myself not to go too fast to start I went too fast.
Yesterday I decided to verify if my "start slow, end fast" theory really holds up. because the St Prex race confirmed "start fast, end slow" but for the morale its the difference between banging my head against a brick wall, and freefalling through duck feather duvets. Lo and behold, when I start at a 5:15 to 5:30 pace for the first 3 clicks, the next 6 are sub 5 to 4:40! for a 9km total of 45min 53 sec.
I think when I push my body straight away to zone 4/5 its chemistry consumption switches gear, and then even when I slow down, the heart insists on staying in zone 4/5. But when I give myself a proper 2 km slow warmup, and progressively speed up, then my body doesn't realize what Im doing and I can sneekily go faster before it inquisitively requests " hey! what gives?!" and starts compensating my heartbeat ever so slowly, but by then I have already run another click in under 5 and it again ponders upping the heart to compensate. It's a poor fellow under these circumstances, but I try not to deceive myself too often...I think. Ofcoarse if you've watched the film "Inception" perhaps the whole notion of what is real may be a bit grey. What a mental mind boggler for this blogger!
Anyways this Wednesdays Genolier goal is to warm up for 15 minutes and then kick in the afterburner, for a 44:xx run. Stay tuned for Thursday's ramblings about why it wasn't so!
Thanks for the nice pre-race photo Niall, where I still look like a champion ;o)
jeudi 5 août 2010
up up up and down down down
Today I was reflecting on the incredible advantages there are in cross training, or in my case it was doing hills. I decided I needed another run up to Burtigny, I took the logging road which doesn't bother with pleasantries and wind around to diminish the incline, it just goes straight. . . straight up. 5 km up and 5 km down. Strangely enough my Garmin tells me that I ran up 130 meters and down 500 meters, but I promise you I didn't end up in the lake!
It took 34 min up and 21 min down. Its quite a workout but funny enough I preferred the incline, coming down is very hard on the entire body, everything was aching and heating up as I came blazing down the road and as I rested at home, my body was twitching, borderline shaking from the impacts it had received. Perhaps I should place a bike at the top and cycle down, or better yet a hand glider.
Along the way I think I saw an Aardvark, either that or then it was a slow moving rock. Seeing as I am not from Australia my guess is it was an Aardvark.
It took 34 min up and 21 min down. Its quite a workout but funny enough I preferred the incline, coming down is very hard on the entire body, everything was aching and heating up as I came blazing down the road and as I rested at home, my body was twitching, borderline shaking from the impacts it had received. Perhaps I should place a bike at the top and cycle down, or better yet a hand glider.
Along the way I think I saw an Aardvark, either that or then it was a slow moving rock. Seeing as I am not from Australia my guess is it was an Aardvark.
5 x 1km with 1 min rests
The beauty of running is that there is lots of time to be in ones thoughts. I've come to realize however that there is a certain threshold were the intensity is too high and my heart is probably palpitating faster then a gazelle fleeing its predator. The only thoughts that are left bouncing around in my head are "un hun, ok, ya that's good, 5 min per kilometer un hun ok, ya that's good, that's an 8 minute mile, road, road, keep the eyes on the road, can I go faster, hows my heart beat, woaw that's high, its too high, can I hold it? can I hold it ? come on Jay you can do it . . ." not much Shakespearean inspiration in there I must admit. But sometimes that's about all of my life I feel like reflecting on.
This run was all about stop and goes. 5 km stop after 1 km and give 1 min break, then go again. results were satisfying: anything in the threes makes me smile, fours feels great and as long as I can hold it under 5 I'm happy. Just made it:
3:44
3:58
4:53
4:28
4:59
So the run was pretty much about doing math in my head, no personal paradigm shifts today.
This run was all about stop and goes. 5 km stop after 1 km and give 1 min break, then go again. results were satisfying: anything in the threes makes me smile, fours feels great and as long as I can hold it under 5 I'm happy. Just made it:
3:44
3:58
4:53
4:28
4:59
So the run was pretty much about doing math in my head, no personal paradigm shifts today.
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