Final Summer run in France

[Sandie1961]

Tomorrow we’re off back to the UK after 7 weeks of the good life in sunny (and hot 🥵) France. I have to confess that my scheduled HM training plan long run on Thursday fell foul of the heat (lowest overnight temp was 22c), but this morning was a 45 minute easy run with my French running group. We met up on the square in Eymet at 8.00 and set off in the shade along the river. Then came the climb up to the ridge, a significant part of which I decided to walk and, even then, it was seriously pulling on my hamstrings. Along the ridge in full sun, then a blissful long downhill back to the village square for a fond farewell until November over coffee and pain au chocolat 😋 7 weeks to my HM!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Safe journey back Sandie! You’ve had a wonderful time. Sounds like a lovely farewell run with your group. 🥰

Don’t be expecting it to be much cooler here this week though .. another scorcher on the cards. 🥵

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Thank you 😊 I must admit, one consolation is that we aren’t returning to typical British weather!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

You certainly aren’t! 🥵🥵🥵🥵

[Cmoi Marathon]

Sounds like a lovely Au revoir ! run Sandie1961 , well done, and sorry we' ve still got to meet up.

The heat is crazy isn't it? I'm at the point of considering 35° afternoon temperatures as not too bad really 🤔 iOvernight's horrendous and I can't sleep properly because, as you said, it just doesn't cool off.

Bonne route !

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

It will happen sometime Cmoi 🤞 I can’t remember a time when it has been so hot for so long. I’m starting to feel like a vampire, only emerging after dark 😂😂

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Looking forward to meeting a 🧛‍♀️!

We've been here 16 years and I don't recall it being this consistently hot and dry for months upon end. Plus the fact that it seems to be breaking with brief and often violent storms. Really concerning.

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

Since our 1st week when the June canicule broke, we have had unbroken sunshine and there is still no rain on the forecast. We’re very glad we had our little break in Arcachon before the fires started too! No doubt when we come back in November it will be somewhat different!

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Yup, that's pretty much how it's been here. We had maybe an hour's rain last Friday afternoon, which dropped temperatures from the 27°-44° range to about 15° overnight, but it started heating up again on Saturday morning. Back into the thirties in the afternoon, though at least it's been below 20° at night!

If I look back at Strava we've had very little rain since mid-April, and I've done almost all my running in temperatures between 20° and 31°. Bleuch.

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Cmoi]

I guess you have a degree of acclimatisation on your side, although still hard work. I’m expecting to need a fleece if it’s really only going to be 12c in the morning 🥶

[Cmoi Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Yes, I have started to get used to it to some extent. Don't enjoy it though, I'd much rather be running in single figure temps!

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Ahh, it must be so hard to leave each time. We should be able to provide a gentle return to more reasonable running temperatures. Nothing too harsh! Safe journey home 😊

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

The thought of running in less than 20c and on my flat routes is quite appealing, although it is a real wrench to leave. One of my running buddies said to me yesterday that she thought I was running much stronger on the hills than when we arrived, which really pleased me 😃

[TailChaser Marathon]

Hope you have a good journey Sandie. As cheeky says, the weather here is not much cooler next week but we’re off to our music festival the following week so you can guarantee some rain and colder conditions then 🤣

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Thank you 😊 We’ve got the grandchildren coming to stay next week, too, so no doubt that will definitely herald wind and rain!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

On the flip side you can guarantee scorching weather on the 28th as that’s when Jenny and I are running the Severn Bridge 10k 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

And Shakes and I are doing the Spitfire 10k 🛬

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

That’s sounds like a 6/7 idyllic run….we’ll just gloss over the hilly part. It must be a wrench leaving that environment behind; we were only in Scilly for three weeks and coming back from there was bad enough. Easier to fit in your long runs I guess …..😕

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

It was lovely and they are a great little bunch of runners. It feels as though we’re going home about a month too soon, as the last 2 years we’ve gone later and come home in mid September. Ah well, we’ll be back in just over 3 months 😊 In the meantime, a 105 minute long easy run in the plan for tomorrow. That’ll stretch the post 14 hour drive legs!

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

That will probably be 10 miles for you I should think. Speedy 🏃‍♀️

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

The plan calls for a 6.53 to 7.30 pace so probably nearer 9. I have to say that it’s got easier to go this pace rather than my usual 6.25/6.30 and I recover quicker too. Maybe I’m finally getting the hang of it 😂😂

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

I am running everything at 6:55/ 7:00 average at the moment. Just trying to keep injuries at bay.

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles]

Travel well and ooo 7 weeks to go, run happy and you will be great

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you 😊 I’m up to 14k in relative comfort so feeling quietly confident 😃

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles in reply to Sandie1961]

That’s brilliant

[Oldfloss Administrator]

On the way and on track.. welcome home xxx

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you xxx 😊

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Bon voyage Sandie, hoping training will be easier when you return, but to run at all in that heat is amazing.

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Just spent 4 hours at the Tunnel. It was heaving (on a Monday 🤷‍♀️) so our early start was a waste of time 🤬 At least the rest of my training runs will be flatter!