Back home in Germany

stats of the week: run 25 km, cycled 70 km

We are back home in Witten/Germany and immediately I felt like I had never been away. Light running feels better meanwhile but I still keep to short distances of 8 km being the longest so far. I aim to complete one or two half marathons in autumn. So I should stay able to run distances of 10 km and a bit more. Next week I hope to build up my mileage when we spend a week's family holiday in Belgium. Luckily the high temperatures are gone and the rainy weather makes a perfect setting for running around.

Slow recovering and more celebrations

stats of  the week: run 5 km, cycled 162 km, gym 1.5 h
stats of the previous week: run 11 km, cycled 179 km, gym 3 h

Recovering from the Ventoux Half Marathon has taken some time, and I’m still not back to my previous training level. Even easy short runs and bike rides leave me feeling drained. Perhaps the heat is also playing a role in slowing me down. In any case, there are no upcoming events I need to be ready for.

The next goal is the final leg of our “Deutsche Grenzerfahrung” in August, when we aim to complete our journey along the German border. We still have around 1,500 km and 9,000 meters of elevation to go. I’d estimate our chances of covering that within two weeks at about 30%.

On Col le Debat: Something here is curious

Meanwhile the fêtes estivales are going on in Mollans. The fête nationale was bigger than ever. Tables were placed even on the bridge and there was a buffet provided by the local firemen and women.

To stand the heat it is best to stay in the river.

To praise the national day we placed some banners on the front of our house.

The scene at fête nationale

Another Thursday with Roberto's Moules frites

  

Ventoux by foot: Made it!

stats of the week: run 40 km, gym 3h, walked 9 km

Yes, I made it to the finish line at the top of Mont Ventoux! With my time of 3h14min, I placed 7th out of 8 runners in my age group. I was happy with my time, but not so much with how the run unfolded. I had hoped to be able to run a larger part of the distance, but according to my Garmin, I only ran for about 40 minutes and the rest was walking. From the famous bend at St. Estève (km 6) onwards, I was mostly walking. I still managed to keep my pace under 10 min/km, but you can hardly call that running. It was more like a brisk walk for me, while the winner finished in just 1h30min!

Still, I’m proud to have completed it. It was an amazing experience and a day I will never forget.

Photo: Approaching the summit

Photo: Happy runner presenting his medal

On the Mollans side, the high season is now in full swing. Pizza Roberto, who is there with his truck every Monday all year round, now also offers moules frites on Thursdays, all you can eat for just 15 euros. Places are selling out fast and next Thursday is already fully booked.

On Saturday evenings, there’s now a marché provençal along the main road, which means the main village crossing is regularly closed to traffic. More reasons coming up: The Fête Nationale is just around the corner, soon to be followed by the Fête du Village and Les Peintres dans les Rues. Also the Theatre Verdure offers concerts, dramas, comedy and more. Every Sunday morning at 10am there is a guided tour through the old village.

Photo: the scene at the main crossing when Moules frites are served