Training and reading

stats of the week: run 23 km, cycled 203 km, gym 3 h

Looks like a proper training week — and indeed, it was. I’m starting to see a modest uptick in my running performance. In fact, I managed to clock the third-fastest time on the reverse Strava segment of our usual route - out of 115 runs over the past five years. Not bad for someone who still struggles to stretch properly.

Cycling, on the other hand, is stubbornly stuck in lower gear. Just one week before the main event of the bike season - the Gran Fondo Mont Ventoux - and I'm still not exactly Tour de France material. I’ve opted once again for the piccolo version, but with 80 kilometers and 2,100 meters of climbing, it promises to be a tough day... in the “why-did-I-sign-up-for-this-again?” kind of way.

Meanwhile, life in Mollans rolls on quietly, as the tourist season hasn’t fully kicked in yet. My weekly English conversation group took a field trip to an English library in nearby Beaumont. It’s run by Pat, a lovely English lady who’s been keeping this private book heaven going for 40 years. Now in her nineties, she’s decided to close the chapter - quite literally - and is giving away books to anyone who wants them. I left with half a dozen English titles. Will I read them all? Probably not. But they do make me look smarter when guests see my bookshelf.

Photo: Filling the water bottle at Sainte Jalle.

Second pass of the day: Col de Peyruergue, 820 m

Visiting the private library at Beaumont

Entrance to the book lovers' heaven

Into more cycling

stats of the week: run 8 km, cycled 283 km, gym 1.5 h

Due to our preparations for the next cycling event, running has once again taken a back seat. On Sunday, we participated in Les Boucles du Verdon. We were so impressed by the stunning scenery last year that we decided to return - and once again, I had to admit that this is a race for truly ambitious cyclists.

The long course covers 150 km with over 2,000 meters of elevation gain, and the winner averages an incredible speed of 38 km/h. I opted for the medium route: 105 km and 1,400 meters of climbing, which turned out to be a serious challenge for me. I managed an average speed of just 21.7 km/h and placed 15th out of 16 in my age group. Out of 437 total participants, 398 crossed the finish line ahead of me.

Still, even for those of us at the back of the pack, the volunteers kept the roads clear and the aid stations fully stocked. It made for another thoroughly enjoyable day.

The only downside was that Claudia lost the route on the shorter course. She ended up just cruising around to reach her personal goal of 80 km and 900 meters of elevation. To make up for this we think about coming again and repeating the route on our own.

Photo: Lac d'Esparron enchants the route

The view goes far to the Alps.

The field at the start in Greoux-les-Bains

Life in Mollans-sur-Ouvèze

stats of the week: run 18 km, cycled 65 km, gym 4.5 h

With the main challenge in London behind me, I can now fully enjoy our stay in Provence. That said, there are still more cycling events ahead. Next Sunday brings the easier Boucles du Verdon, followed by the Piccolo Fondo Mont Ventoux, which features over 2,100 meters of elevation gain - enough to qualify as a Gran Fondo in my book.

In the meantime, we've settled into the rhythm of village life. The Bar du Pont has again become our daily stop - sometimes for breakfast, other times for an aperitif before dinner. The local Saturday morning market consists of just one very long booth and offers a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The elderly farmer is always cheerful and eager to serve his customers. Opposite at the boulangerie, Laetitia is enjoying her first season as a shop assistant. Serge, the retired electrician, is still a regular at the Bar du Pont, always accompanied by his little dog which likes to jump on his lap. Every Monday evening, a pizza food truck sets up in front of the bar, though we still prefer our beloved pizzeria in Vaison. In less than four weeks, we’ve already been there four times always savouring the same kind of pizza. The server already knows our order in advance.

Photo: Ready for dinner in the Grande Rue.

Every evening a little bird arrives to spend the night sheltered under the sun roof of our balcony.

The London streak is alive!

stats of the week: run 6 km, cycled 140 km, gym 1.5 h
stats of the previous week: run 60 km, cycled 31 km, gym 1.5 h

The London streak continues! But that’s about the only positive thing. The quietly hoped-for miracle didn’t happen - things unfolded just as they had to. Alternating between running 3 km and walking 300 m worked until kilometer 28, and then nothing worked anymore. Or rather, only walking was possible. And that continued consistently all the way to the finish. The nutrition strategy didn’t work out either. My mouth was, as always, dried out, and eating became nearly impossible. Three sips of beer from spectators on the sidelines helped me get through. That made for a total time of 5 hours and 20 minutes. The streak is alive - this was number 26. But for next year, the question mark has grown even bigger.

Photo: Interair runners before they made their way to the start

Richmond is my favourite place to go on Saturday afternoon, esp. with fine weather.

There was one positive outcome after all. Following this quasi-training run, there was no sign of sore muscles, and nothing stood in the way of the first cycling event of the year the following Sunday. Only the weather was against us - but it couldn’t stop us. The Piccolo Fondo Provence Occitane greeted us right at the start with 30 minutes of heavy rain, but we still made it to the finish line happily - as the last of only 55 participants on the short 53 km route.

Ready for the rain at Cornillon, Provence Occitane: