Modest happiness

stats of the week: run 38 km, cycled 58 km, gym 4 h

Looks like a decent week of exercise. So it was. I took part in a local charity run where my intention was to test my projected half marathon speed of 5:10-5:15 min/K. No surprise I started faster than planned, sub 5 min, but managed to keep the 5:00 min/k pace right to the end of the 10.8 K race. That is a kind of performance I hope to develop. I am fairly happy that I obviously can still finish 10 K just under 50 min. However, that means that I lost nearly 3 min within 2 years.

 Don't worry this is my regular finish face:

Seconds later a smile is possible.

Planless

stats of the week: run 26 km, cycled 62 km, gym 3 h

I know I should be happy about my ability to run at the age of 65, alas I am not really happy with my performance. I think I have to get out the training book of Joe Friel again: Fast and fit at 50+.
It's somewhat crazy that I create training schedules for friends but do not train by a plan myself.

There are things that should be changed. My first try is to drink less alcohol. Red wine is reduced to weekends now.

Travel time

stats of the week: run 51 km
stats of the week before: run 50 km, hiked 20 h
stats of the week before: run 21 km, cycled 90 km

The Achensee Run was not bad, but also not convincingly good. For the 23 km with some tricky trail parts I clocked 2:16 h, what was exactly 15 min slower than 15 years ago. My ranking was a disappointing 6th place in my age group. I don't know how other guys manage to be that fast.

Well, a week of hiking in the Dolomites might not have been the best preparation possible. But I enjoyed the mountains. This area around the "3 Zinnen" is absolutely breathtaking.

Pragser Wildsee

Surrounding Seekofel

3 Zinnen

Finally I enjoyed the Medoc Marathon at Pauillac in France, a festival for all friends of red wine. Imagine, there are 22 stops en route to taste the products of the famous Bordeaux chateaux.

Nearly all 8,000 participants are costumed. Not alone 22 tasting stops, at the finish you receive another bottle of red wine. After 5:18:55 h we were placed at the front of the pack because most runners use the time limit of 6:30 to make the most of their day.