Day 1 Tue:
AM: 8m easy at sea level before travel to Font.
PM - 4.2 m easy off-road
After Spending a few days on the coast I headed up from Perpignan to Font-Romeu. I took the 2hr bus trip at the cost of 1 euro. My apartment is right in the centre of the village next to the tourist info and ski lift. I chose this for the location and the view. Each morning I can sit with my morning coffee and watch the sun come up while I plan my day and do a bit of reading or blogging. It was evening by the time I arrived and I went out for a 4 mile shake out run. The trails start right from the apartment and I was soon gasping for air on the sculpture/art trail through the woods (Musee sans Murs) that winds its way up the back of the village towards the Altitude centre and the ski slopes.Day 2 Wed:
AM: 10.3m easy on Four Solaire trail route
PM: 4 easy and drills to Egat and back
Being in a new environment makes it difficult to know where to run. I've studied maps and Strava to work out the best places. I also use my easy runs to scout out the routes. I know I can use the track for speed and intervals sessions, but I also wanted some longer road intervals. It has been hard to find a route that is flat enough, long enough and free from lots of traffic. The trials and hills however are excellent and there is lots of choice. There are 6 classic routes in the area and these are all very well marked. The guide for these trails show how quickly Killian Jornet runs them for his training. That evening I did a short run with drills and strides.Day 3 Thu:
AM: 8 mile hill run off-road. La Galleria Trail route.
PM: Gym at Crepes and 2.2m back home.
None of the ski lifts are operating this time of year and half the shops/cafes are closed until the ski season begins. There is a large supermarket, bakery and a few cafes to choose from. However, there isn't much else to do in the area and public transport is minimal. Most people hire a car while out here, but being by myself meant that this was a bit expensive. My trip out here was a bit last minute. I was waiting to see if my injury would clear up enough and if I got the BAE systems grant. I was successful with the grant and support from BAE so I booked the trip for Oct. Any later and there would be risk of snow. I also had to time the training in with a race when returning to the UK, otherwise the benefits from altitude training would not be cashed in. I would have preferred to have been in better shape before coming out here, as I believe you need a good foundation before doing the altitude. I see the altitude as the last 10% needed to run a faster time. I have timed the training in with Leeds Abbey Dash 10km when I return. This is 5 days after I return, I should recover from the travel, but I may not have fully adapted from the altitude training. My key race is 2 weeks later at Reading Half Marathon, where my body should be adapted and rested enough to capitalise on the training. I will have to wait and see though, as its the first time I have put my body through this type of training.
Today I ran up hill on the Galleria trail, which takes in the top of one of the ski runs. I ran back down on green runs and passed all the ski areas. That afternoon I jogged up to the Altitude training centre (Crepes). I had a look around and used the gym. The gym was pretty small and not what you would expect from a national training centre. They also have an altitude chamber, which I thought was a bit strange, already being a 1800m. I guess it can be good to go higher. Other than the track, I didn't see much of the centre as all the training rooms are behind closed doors and you need to key pass to access. The place isn't like a leisure centre. Instead its usually attended by teams who bring there own coaches, physios and athletes. For example the Norway Ski Team had the gym booked after me. Also there is no public swimming, as again a team would bring their own coaches and lifeguards for this. I planned to swim for recovery, as I believe a lot of athletes would, but this is not possible without your own lifeguards.Day 4 Fri:
AM: 9 Miles (8x800m + 3x200m at the track)
PM: Easy 4.5m
Today was my first proper session. I went on the track for some much desired flat running. I planned to do 800m reps, but had no idea of how many I could manage. Anywhere between 6 and 12 I was thinking. Along with an increase in mileage and altitude, I also hadn't been on the track in a while and had to be cautious of my Achilles and any other injuries. I still have over 10 days up here, so need to pace myself. I started the first rep around 10km pace and felt ok for the first lap, and then the breathing became harder and could feel the thinner air. The first rep is always harder as the body gets used to the effort. I managed 8 reps in total, at around half marathon pace, but it felt more like 5/10km effort. I have got into the habit of listening more to the effort rather than the pace. If it feels hard, the body will fatigue and adapt no matter what the speed. Its only important to run race pace occasionally and nearer to the race in my opinion. I finished the session with 3 x 200m. It felt good to do something faster after all the slower hill running. 
Day 5 Sat:
AM: 5m easy on Patrimoine trail route.
PM: Rest
Day 6 Sun:
AM: 12m (4x10min + 3x800m)
PM: Rest
The picture here shows my accommodation. It has allowed me to get into a simple training routine. I can wake and have my coffee and breakfast at the bench overlooking the hills. I can cook my meals, shower, wash clothes and recover. Its quiet so I can get lots of sleep and I'm free from distractions or other stresses. This all helps with the small improvements and allows for a good level of focus.
By now I was feeling better with the altitude and felt strong enough to do another session. I had found a good undulating road route of about 3 miles. My plan was to do 4 x 10min. Again the 1st rep felt very hard, even though it was more downhill - I was probably comparing my pace to a flat route back home that I ran all the time. If I carried on like this, I wouldn't be able to do the session. I stopped looking at my watch for pace and just went off feel for 10min. This worked and I gauged my effort for the hills and distance. I capped the session with 3x8min at the end for about 46min of work. I good HM session, with a 2m warm up and cool down either side. For recovery, I have been starting the next rep once my breathing is controlled. I don't time it, but its roughly 2min. As I get closer to the race, I will reduce the recovery, but for now I'm just looking to get the work done. Just the one longer run today to cap off an 83mile week, with 7200ft of climbing. This is good progression for me in terms of the work done in a week. I didn't want to get greedy, as I want to build on this with another strong week.I rested for the remainder of the day and managed to find a live stream of the Chicago Marathon.
Day 7 Mon:
AM: 10m Roc de Calm, 1500ft elevation.
PM: 4.5 east +drills/strides
This morning I woke to another clear day and was out the door around 8am when the sun came up over the mountains. I headed up behind my apartment along another well marked trail. My target was the highest point on the ski area, Roc De La Calme at 2213 meters. I wound my way through the forest and out onto open ground. I walked some of the really steep parts to preserve my calves, as essentially this was an easy day! Once I got to the top, I took in the surrounding views, along with further mountains at 3000m. I had gloves, a buff, and long sleeves and leggings on for this run. It was a bit windier and generally the temperatures in the mornings and evenings are pretty cold. The sun heats it up in the day to about 18-20 degrees, but as soon as the sun goes down the temperatures drop fairly quickly.
After working to the top in about 55min, I then coasted down a different trail and then road all the way back to Font, taking about 30min, while taking in all the views. I didn't see anyone else while on the trails, it was only on the roads up where there were cars. However, I was never too far from the ski centre, which is manned by people preparing the area for winter. In the evening around 5pm I headed out towards Egat for a easy 4 miles with some drills and stride to keep the legs turning over. Back in the UK, I usually struggle with the 2nd run, but out here it has been fine. I don't know if its because there is a lack of other things to do, or the fact that its been so sunny and there are new places to explore. This was the last run of 7 days up in Font and marked my halfway point. I am pleased with how the week has gone and how I have adapted to my new environment. One more week to go. I will look to add a bit more mileage and some slightly longer sessions. Part 2 of this blog will be out soon!
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