Day 8
AM: 8m (16x400m on the track at 10km Effort)PM: 5m easy
I was back on the track this morning and wanted to give my body more of a speed workout. I wanted to do some 10km pace stuff, so dropped down to 400s to allow for this. The 800s the week before at HM pace were hard and I wasn't going into this session fresh, so again didn't know how I would get on.
The track started off quieter, apart from some students learning the javelin on the infield, which I kept a close eye on! I managed to settle into the 10km pace for each lap, with approx 60-90sec off between each rep. I got to 10 and thought that it was enough. But 2 more reps would be 3 miles. I then thought I'd do 15 reps and then felt ok, so finished with 16 reps. I could have carried on, but didn't want to get greedy, I need to progress gradually. I seem to be able to manage an easy day followed by a hard day out here better than the UK. I think there is less stress on the muscles, because you aren't able to run as fast as at sea level. The demand is on the cardio system, which will tire before the muscles. This also means less impact and I seem to be able to recover faster.
That afternoon I ran through a pine forest that bought me out at Pyrenees 2000, another ski area with lifts up to the slopes.
Day 9
AM: 13m Downhill
PM: 5m
My plan today was to run somewhere new. But with the lack of a hire car, I had to rely upon the small amount of buses. I decided to run to Puigcerda, which is just over the border into Spain. It was also down in the valley, meaning that I could run all the way down to it, which made a change from all the hilly running. It gave my calves a rest, but the 1600ft decent did leave me with some sore quads. I ended up with great views of the valley during a 50min descent! I ran through some nice villages and along the valley and river to my destination. I covered 13m and was in Spain in time for a good brunch. My bus back wasn't until 1500, so I wandered around the small town. There were a lot more shops and people and tapas now that I was in Spain. I had a good lunch in the square before heading back.
I had to change buses on the way back and the timetable had me waiting over an hour for the next bus to arrive at 1800. I was only 5m from home and decided to do another easy run back for a good 18m run. This was meant to be a bit of a recovery day, but I ended up doing a bit more. So tomorrow will be easier before another session day.
Day 10
AM: Yoga and stretching
PM: 3.5m easy
A rest day today. I had a sleep in and watched some Netflix! Then I got up for a walk around the village and then done some yoga. In the afternoon I did some mobilisation drills along with a 3.5 mile run to Egat and some strides.
Over the last few days I had been struggling with sleep. This is a side-effect of the altitude training, along with dehydration, dry skin and shortness of breath. Even though I was tired from the training, I still wasn't getting to sleep until 1am. I was usually up between 7-8am. I was starting to feel that my body wasn't getting the proper recovery it needed to benefit from the training.
Day 11
Travel day with an easy 4m run. Today I decided that to drop back down to sea level. I got the bus and train to Girona. I explored the medieval city and slept extremely well.
Day 12
Easy 8mile run today and felt good to be running on the flat and without the altitude. I did a bit of run tourism and explored the many hidden lanes around the old historic part of the city. I went along the city walls and up and down the steps. I found some good running through the woods and river paths.
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