running log #16

After a week under the side-effects of antibiotics, a lot of work and lack of sleep, deciding to go out running was really not on the top 5 of things I felt most like doing.

However, we know that once that barrier is won, we always feel bettet after a nice run. Knowing that just under an hour’s drive we can find very sweet landscapes to run in helps.

We headed out from the little village of le Pont, on the shores of Lac de Joux, following this hiking suggestion. When we started running, it seems like my legs and the whole of my lazy body started screaming “What are you dooooooing?!”. When we started climbing uphill, it just got worse. So we hiked as fast as we could be motivated to do. I took pictures. We chatted. Sometimes, we ran. Others, we hiked really fast to get the HR up.

After a little while, we arrived at Dent de Vaulion. From there, we could see the Gros de Vaud to the East and the Vallée de Joux with its beautiful lake to the South.

We headed down, running swiftly and with much more energy than in the beginning. We ran through the cool, green, leafy forest, tackling stones and tree roots all along the way. I like this kind of path because you are always focusing on what you are doing and can’t afford to be distracted with anything else.

After the forest, we ran back through the fields of grazing cows, with their bells dingling in harmony to the end of the afternoon sun.

• Pain: 4/10
• Number of times I thought “is this over yet?”: 10000 in the beginning
• Landscape: 9/10
• Gratefulness for kicking our bums out of the house: 10/10

running log #15

I lost my rhythm for a week. We had visitors, we went to a marriage im the weekend, there were world cup matches… bref, priorités. Not that much running. In the meanwhile, the running club had a summer camp, so that when Tuesday came, and everyone was recovering from one thing or other.

This session was a really gentle run through the forest. A little too soft (I did not have 50+km on my legs from the weekend). However, I’d been having bladder issues since the beginning of the week (which, later in the evening, landed me in the emergency room), so it wasn’t so bad that we took it easy.

So, that was it, basically. A sweet, soft run through the forest. There was chatting. There was time to appreciate the late afternoon sun shining through the leaves. At some point, we even had to run on our toes to dodge hundreds of baby frogs that were jumping around!

• Pain (bladder) 7/10
• Scenery: 9/10
• Training benefit: always better than 0!

running log #13

This weekends challenge was a trail planned by me. Switzerland has an emormous network of hiking trails, most of which are runnable, so I chose a sweet 13km trail not far away, with enough ascent (600+) for it to be slightly challenging for me and for my friend B’s first trail experience.

We headed from the village of Vallorbe, near the border with France. We climbed up through the road, and missed the turn into the parcours vita. This meant we had to hike up the road for a while. B was surprised with how little running we could do on the ascent. On the flatter parts that I tried to run, I felt my thighs seizing up, so I took it down a notched and focused on hiking.

Near the French border, we go back into mountain trails and it was much nicer. Mont d’Or, our aim, was actually just about 1km into France.

We got to the top, and enjoyed the view into the Swiss plateau. There was even a rainbow and lightning. The weather was hot. We were to busy enjoying the scenery to care.

On our way down, we let go into the descent, using our muscle strength to support the impact of the speed and weight on our joints. When the path levelled a little, we could feel our knees and thighs wobbly. This is when you run the risk of getting injured. As you are tired, you have less balance and can easily trip on a stone or a root and fall. And fall I did, twice.

It was a good session and this idea of running the easy hikes around the area pleases me a lot.

• Pain: 5/10
• Number of times I thought “is this over yet”: 0
• Fatigue: 6/10
• Scenery: 7/10
• Challenge: 6/10

(My watch doesn’t seem to have a great GPS. For this reason, on the way up, it started tracking the route halfway through and only recorded a quarter of the ascent!)

running log #11

Back to Tuesdays with the club. I’d missed the last two Tuesdays because of life stuff, and I was happy to see everyone again.

We started off slowly, chatting. I’d had a long day, as is often the case on Tuesdays and I was tired. I distracted myself by chatting with the people in my group. I noticed that though I was feeling tired, my heart rate was quite low, which is what happens when I am actually, truly, fatigued. It takes double the effort to get the heart rate to working mode.

So, off we went, through the forest. Raymond, the president of the running club, has been setting up a trail route in the forest and we tried it out. We crossed a river, then a steep climb in which we mostly walked, and a fast run down to starting point.

By now, I’m feeling energised, so the way back through the forest to the meeting point was much lighter.

• Pain: 2/10
• Fatigue: 6/10
• Number of times I thought “is this over yet?”: 1
• Scenery: 8/10

running log #10

Today was a milestone in my life as a runner. Oh yes it was. It was the day that, during a race, I had to go find a tree. And it was not because I needed to pee.

I’ve heard quite a few stories about runners who had stomach problems during races. At first, I was surprised. Then, I laughed at the hilarious situations that some runners found themselves in because of their intestines. Finally, I felt lucky that this didn’t seem to affect me. Until today.

It was a hot day, and the race was due to start in the afternoon in the sunny region of Valais. I caught the train at lunchtime and had my lunch on the train (pasta, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes – never again). Then I caught the funiculaire up to the little village of Venthône, where the race starts and heads up to the Bénou (the dialect for Bisse Neuf). Bisses are irrigation canals that take water from the mountain streams down to the prairies and the farms. There are many walking paths along the historical bisses of Valais and this race follows one of them.

I met up with “my” kids and ran the kids race, which was only 1 km. At this point, I felt a little cramp in my stomach, but thought it would pass once I started running the longer race. When this one started, it headed straight up into the forest, climbing steeply until 5 km.

Because the first km of the race are so steep, everyone was walking. Even so, it was really hot, it was strenuous, it was challenging. By this point, I felt a little nauseous and my stomach was cramping. I didn’t give it too much thought, because sometimes I have stomach cramps (though I haven’t had for a long time) and they usually pass after a few minutes. I thought it was the effort.

So, when I got to the highest point of the race, I drank some water, stopped for a few seconds, breathed and thought that, as it was all downhill from there, I should be fine soon.

But no.

10 seconds into the descent, I knew there was no escape. I had to find a tree. So I found a kind of rock-tree spot and, there, I wasted 10 precious minutes of my race. From my “throne”, I could see all the people running by. But I didn’t even care anymore.

When I finally got back into the race, I was alone. No one in front of me, no one behind me. To this moment, I don’t even know if I came last. With all the competitive spirit completely gone (also a little bit of my pride), and because I was still feeling queasy, I headed down slowly, trying to forget my stomach, and at least enjoying the view. I chatted with the volunteers at the ravitaillements, I took pictures of the waterfalls and the pretty path along the bisse.

When I ran back into the village, the kids were waiting for me and ran with me to the finish line, hooting with laughter when I told them about my adventure.

It was not my most glorious moment, but apparently it is something that affects a large number of runners. So, I am not taking my food intake before a race for granted EVER AGAIN.

In the end, to cap it all off, instead of a medal, the finishing prize for everyone was…

A cheese!

• Pain : 10/10
• Embarrassment: 10/10
• Ability to laugh at myself: 10/10
• Scenery: 10/10

running log #9

It was so hard to leave the house today! It was pouring outside, there was laundry to do, fruit and veg basket to sort out, a long day to wrap up… I stood for 5 minutes at the window, watching the rain fall and deciding if and where I was going.

I drove down to the lake and decided to run for 20 minutes and head back. There is a race on Saturday, so no point in overdoing it (convenient).

Those 20 minutes were long. There was nobody at the lake. I ran. Looked at the watch, negotiated with myself, looked at the watch again. Gave myself permission to take pictures when I hit 20 min. Realised I had a stomach cramp which I haven’t had for ages. Didn’t feel tired, just unmotivated.

At 20 min, I stopped.

There was a sun setting. And a rainbow.

And then I was good. My motivation came back, a little energy too. I had decided to do some accelerations, which are good for short runs before races, so I hit those. I pushed myself, because there is no point in doing these if I don’t get my HR to rise significantly. Time passed by quickly, and I was soon back at the car, glad I came out and satisfied with my “bipolar” run at the end of the day.

running log #8

Today’s run was special.

9 years ago, I lived for a few months in Kandersteg, a little village in the heart of the Swiss Alps where there is a world centre for scouts. At the time, mostly because of my scout life, I already loved nature, mountains and outdoor activities. But Summer’09 was a turning point. I spent the summer hiking all over the surrounding mountains, I met people from all over the world, and many of the projects that I took on in the following years were sparked by this experience.

I remember so well being gobsmacked by the Gasterntal valley, half an hour up from the Kandersteg valley, following the Kander river in direction of the Kanderfirn glacier, where it comes from. I hadn’t been there for a long time, so today, after a busy weekend with meetings and General Assembly at the Scout Centre, I headed up towards the valley.

Just out of the centre, I ran up some fields where cows were resting in the sun. I got two shocks while trying to close the electrical fence, but I only realised they were shocks when the second one hit me! The cows stared at me. I ran past them and they didn’t budge.

Then, I followed a path into the woods and started climbing. At this point, even very early on into the run, I had to walk because the path was so steep. I kept my heart rate up by hiking as vigorously as I could.

Following the Kander river, after 15 minutes of a steep climb, the terrain flattened out again and I ran through some nice shady woods, appreciating the milky colour of the river. I turned left and passed the restaurant at the beginning of the valley that doesn’t even have electricity (or at least, 9 years ago, when I ate there for my “Pinkie” graduation*, it didn’t).

And this is where you get hit in the face by this:

It’s the rocks, it’s the spring flowers having a festival on the grass, it’s the snow on the peaks, the clouds contrasting in the blue sky. It’s so perfect that it’s ridiculous.

Encouraged by the view, I kept running. I stopped for pictures when I felt like it. Ran again. Stopped again to watch two mother ducks swim away with their 6 or 7 little ducklings in a pond. Listened to the 4 or 5 waterfalls crashing down melted snow from mountains all around. Stopped to take pictures. Ran again.

After a few km on the flat path, I ran into a leafy forest and started a slight climb with sneak peeks to the Doldenhorn. When I realised that I was running a little late, I turned around and headed back. Until this moment, no fatigue, no pain, just pure enjoyment, running and taking in the views.

Heading out of the forest again, even though I kew what I was going to find, I couldn’t avoid the feeling of being hit by the scenery again. I even said something out loud. Afterwards, at dinner, someone told me that, invariably, when hiking out of the forest and facing this view, everyone falls silent. Even the kids.

I took 5000 more pictures before running back to where I came from. Usually, I don’t like to do linear runs where you have to run through the same path twice to get back to the starting point, but here the view is so stunning, that you cannot get enough different perspectives.

Then, I went back down the steep, rocky part, always along the Kander river, practising my downhill running in tricky steep terrain with loose rocks, branches and even steep steps lined with wood and stones.

Back into Kandersteg, I ran through the campsite of the scout centre and back to the centre, happy that I brought my running gear yet again and that, after a long, busy weekend, I could go out, have a run, and have all this beauty as a prize.

*the volunteers at the Scout Centre are called Pinkies because they work in pink t-shirts.

running log #7

Today’s run nearly didn’t happen.

As a very unnatural runner, I set myself up to avoid having the slightest excuse to skip a run.

So, I signed up for a running club, I prepare my running gear in advance, I ask for lifts the night before, I plan runs with the boy. Even these running logs keep me motivated – if I don’t run, I can’t write about it and I’ve been enjoying that.

Today, it was running club day. However, all my lifts were unavailable. There was a busy day to get through. Plenty of excuses for not running. Nonetheless, I stuffed my trainers in my rucksack and told myself I would figure it out.

After work, I got the boy to mind my bags at the music school he’d be playing in the evening and headed out through Lausanne city centre.

I ran down to the lake, making up my way as I went along, through streets I don’t normally pass. There were parks full of people enjoying the afternoon sun, terraces full of apéro-goers, Lausannoise going home from work. I ran by the lake, stopping to take pictures because it is always beautiful.

Then, I started climbing back from the lake, up to the starting point. Running uphill in Lausanne is a challenge, but I cheered myself on, watching my heart rate go up and knowing it would be over soon.

In the end, it was a lovely run, with a bit of everything. Not long, but enough for me to feel pleased with myself and to happily join friends for dinner before Z’s concert.

The good thing about running is this: you just need your gear and you’re set to go just about anywhere!

• Pleasure: 6/10
• Pain: 2/10
• Number of times I thought “is this over yet?”: 2
• Motivation: 6/10

running log #6

Recovery run in the forest. Went really slow and easy, huffing and puffing on the steep parts, but really enjoying the soft track and the leafy trees.

I read somewhere that the parcours vita in Switzerland will be 50 years old this year. This alliance between nature and sport is one of my favourite things about Switzerland and I feel lucky to benefit from it.

• Pleasure: 7/10
• Pain: 0
• Fatigue: 8/10
• Scenery: 8/10

Running log #5

Yesterday was the Grand Prix de Berne, a ten miler that weaves through the Swiss capital’s city centre. When we got there, it was really warm; the sun was shining and we started worrying about the heat during the race.

We met up with some friends, collected our goody bags and got changed. We hung around for a bit and then started to warm up. At this point, I felt my legs heavy and when my heartrate started going up, I just felt like leaning up against a tree and sleeping a nap. How on earth was I going to run 1km, let alone 16?

When we started running, there was a strong wind making the trees swish and sway and there were many tree particles flying around that got into our eyes and our throats. There were also many, many people. Because of all this, the race started off slowly, which was good for me, as it prevented me from jumping the gun and frying up long before the race was over.

We went through the historical city centre, and then there were a few km along the neighbourhoods on the riberbank. At this point, I started picking up speed. I felt good, and whenever I was feeling tired, I looked at my watch and found that I was actually going faster that usual and gave myself permission to slow down.

There were many supporters on the street, cheering, playing music on boom columns, brass bands, rock bands, capoeira musicians, you name it. This takes your mind off your thoughts, gives you rhythm and energy.

After a few miles, we started running up into the zoo forest, which was lovely and refreshing and took my mind off the climb. When coming out of the forest, I realised we were around 8.5km, my time was rolling well and it was downhill from there until 10km. So I started sprinting.

And then it started raining.

Actually, pouring. There was lightning, thunder, hailstone, and big, large drops of never ending rain. We started climbing back into the city and at this point I only worried about staying focused. I had random thoughts about Noah and the Ark. The only time I started getting discouraged (because my feet were wet and my trainers wheighed a ton), one of my friends took over and gave me a squeeze on the shoulder.

At this point, my timing was so good I knew I could aim for 1h30 if I didn’t die down on the climb in the last 2km. So I took an energy gel from a volunteer, ran as fast as I could down to the bridge, and got ready for the climb.

Because I knew I only had under 2km till the end, the climb was bearable, albeit long. I still had some fight left in me, so I managed to overtake quite a few people. The last km started downhill and then was flat, so I started speeding up again.

I turned a corner and saw a banner named “Ziel”. It took me fraction of a seconds to realise that actually meant finish line, and then I sprinted off until I was under it.

What a lovely race! The storm was a little too much and in the end of the race I was really cold so we had to run back to the hotel as fast as we could to hit the warm shower. However, the beauty of the race and the liveliness of the Bernese made up for all that, and it is now up in the top of my favourite races ever!

• Pleasure: 9
• Pain: 2
• Number of times I thought “is this over yet?”: 0
• Motivation: 7
• Ambiance: 10
• Scenery: 9