Suffering the heat

stats of the week: run 5 km, cycled 104 km

It was a lazy week, mainly because of the exceptional heatwave that brought record temperatures to Germany. Back home, the heat is even less bearable than it was in Provence. There are younger runners who still go out when the temperature rises above 30°C, but at 73 I no longer feel able to cope with those conditions. Unfortunately, our gym membership has been temporarily suspended until the end of June, so that was not an option either.

At least I managed to get out for two easy rides on flat roads this week, which did more for my spirits than for my fitness. I was delighted to meet Günter on the route, a running legend from the neighbouring town of Bochum. He has been running for more than 50 years and, at his peak, completed marathons comfortably under three hours. Now, at 78, he is still out there on the roads. A true role model.

Ventoux #19

stats of the week: run 14 km, cycled 153 km, gym 3 h

Summer has arrived in France with increasing temperatures, rising up to 37°c in our area. Before leaving for Germany it was time to tackle Mont Ventoux. And this time from Bédoin, regarded as the toughest of the 3 routes. No question, this is also the route of the Tour de France Femmes on 6th of August. And also of the l'etape on 5th of  August that I have entered.

We chose Thursday to tackle it. Coincidently it was also the day of a big Dutch charity event, the Tour du ALS. At this event you can either walk, run or cycle up to the summit of Mt Ventoux. For the cyclists there are even three options: to climb Ventoux once, twice or three times! It is a big party with thousands of participants, all starting at Malaucène.

Luckily we met the masses only at the summit where they finished on the Malaucène route from the north. Our Bédoin route turned out to be quite calm with very few traffic. I was not sure if I was able to do it. It was tough, especially in the heat, we took two short breaks and a third one at Chalet Reynard. Finally we arrived in good shape, me only 8 minutes slower than 3 years before, C with just 35% power used of her race ebike. It was my 19th climb by bike and the 6th on the Bédoin Route.

Photos: On the final stretch

in good mood

Done

To make it a round trip, we passed the Gorges de la Nesque on the way back

Increasing Performance

stats of the week: run 19 km, cycled 157 km, gym 3 h

The good news is that I am now capable to climb 1,000 meters of ascent on the bike without too much exhaustion. The weather is going to be hot meanwhile, cycling in the late afternoon is no longer possible with degrees well over 30°c. We still have one week in Mollans, with a prospect of nearly 40°c, luckily when we will be leaving for less hot Germany. Plans for our last week are now to try the ascent of Mont Ventoux from Bédoin which is the classic and toughest route and will be the route for the Tour de France Femmes in August.

Photos: The view downhill from Col d'Ey in direction of Buis les Baronnies

Mirabel-aux-Baronnies is a nice little village with all kind of shops

The 500-year-old bridge of Les Pilles was destroyed before end of World War II

The view from Col de Propiac is always a reward.

Cycling against the doubts

stats of the week: run 7 km, cycled 201 km (2,900 m ascent)

The focus is still on cycling, and I would consider this week a respectable one for a 73 year old. However, so far I have gained the impression that I am not yet capable of completing a bike tour involving 3,000 metres of climbing.

This week, I rode around Mont Ventoux, covering 105 kilometres and accumulating 1,300 metres of ascent. By the end, I was completely exhausted. There was no chance of attempting the climb up Ventoux, particularly from Bédoin, after such a warm up.

On the running side, I am pleased to be able to complete my 7 km loop without having to take a walking break. On the other hand, it is not particularly encouraging that the damaged nerve appears to tolerate running better than cycling, given that cycling remains my primary focus.

Photos: Cols de la Chaine and Suzette will be part of the Tour de France Femmes. With great views of the Dentelles de Montmirail.

Collecting climbs

stats of the week: run 7 km, cycled 180 km, gym 4.5 h

My focus is on hilly cycling at the moment, as I am still hoping to get fit enough for the L'Étape du Tour Femmes on 6 August. I am not sure whether I will be able to cope with 3,000 metres of climbing, but training comes first and then I will have a better idea.

I am very keen to get started. If necessary, I can always stop at Bédoin. By that point, I will already have had a wonderful experience.

I managed 2,400 metres of climbing this week and felt some improvement, although the nerve is still a nuisance. The good news is that I feel best when I am active, whether that is running or cycling.

photo: a must every year, les Gorges de la Nesque

The view from Col de Fontaube to Ventoux

Evening view from our piquenique place

Three Thirds to ride

stats of the week: run 12 km, cycled 123 km, gym 3 h

When I discovered this year’s L’Étape du Tour Femmes, I could not resist entering the event. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the final route that had been designed. I had assumed we would start in Vaison and head straight towards Beaumes-de-Venise before climbing up to Suzette.

I have since realised that there is an initial loop taking riders over the Col de Propiac. With 3,000 metres of climbing, it is far more demanding than I had expected. On the other hand, this makes it even more appealing to me, as the route passes through our home village of Mollans and follows one of the most beautiful roads in the region.

To familiarise myself with the course, I divided the route into three sections, each of which I can ride directly from home. I completed the first third, the easiest section with 60 km and 700 metres of climbing, on Thursday. This was followed by the second third on Sunday: 62 km with 780 metres of ascent, including the steep climb to Suzette.

The final third, of course, will be Mont Ventoux. I shall certainly need to put in more training if I am to be properly prepared for this challenge.

Sightseeing week

stats of the week: run 7 km, cycled 57 km, walked 35 km, gym 1.5 h

We felt tired and exhausted every evening from the daily sightseeing. But it was great to see parts of Vaison, Avignon and Aix that we didn't know before. We saw the Pope's Palace, the Quartier de Teinturiers, the Museum Calvet at Avignon, the Roman Remains at Vaison and Museum Granet at Aix.

Too much walking to add proper training. I still hope to come back to a continous half marathon without walking breaks. This will probably have to wait until autumn when we plan to complete our Superhalfs Series with races at Copenhagen, Cardiff and Valencia.

Photos:

Roman Arena at Nîmes

The Pope's Palace at Avignon

Museum Calvet at Avignon

Quartier de Teinturiers at Avignon

Roman bridge at Vaison-la-Romaine

The fabulous Pont du Gard

Busy weeks

stats of the week: run 29 km, cycled 50 km, gym 4.5 h
stats of the previous week: cycled 68 km
stats of the week before: run 53 km, gym 1.5 h 

result London Marathon: 5:22:38

The past few weeks have been rather busy, with the London Marathon, including working as a tour guide for Interair, travelling to France, and hosting my son Daniel and his friend Mersud. I showed them around and we visited Nîmes, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence.

First of all, my 27th London Marathon went very much as expected. Given the limited training distances I had managed beforehand, I was able to run the first 30 kilometres, but from then on I had to walk most of the remaining distance. So it was much the same as last year, but this time I was mentally prepared and simply happy to finish and receive my medal.

My shirt read, “Finally Goodbye London”, although I still hope it was not my last marathon there. I would miss it enormously, especially the London weekend with my colleagues from Interair and our large group of German runners.

While recovering in France, I was delighted to take part in a half marathon near Mont Ventoux, following the beautiful road through the Gorges de la Nesque. The course included a climb of around 450 metres before descending steeply into the valley to finish beside a lake.

There was only one other runner in my age group, and he was considerably faster than I was. Nevertheless, I was pleased with my performance, finishing in 2:23:19, with around a quarter of the 350 participants coming in behind me.

Late final long run done

stats of the week: run 36 km, gym 3 h

Luckily, the pain in my ankle subsided within a few days, and I was able to add a 25 km run, which went reasonably well. I stuck to my marathon plan, which involves walking 500 metres after every 4.5 km. However, after 20 km I found myself needing to walk more frequently, and after that experience I expect I’ll be walking from at least the 30 km mark next Sunday.

I compared my mileage with last year’s notes and had to admit that I’d covered more distance back then. Not exactly the most encouraging outlook for Sunday. Last year, I said I wouldn’t do it again unless I was better prepared. This time, I’m not.

At least my performance is still improving, albeit slowly. Today, I couldn’t resist taking part in the local charity run and finished the 5 km in 28:07, which gives an average pace of 5:36, my fastest since the incident.

Photo: Happy finisher after the 5K

 

Obstacles to overcome

stats of the week: run 15 km, Cross Trainer and Indoor Bike 3.5 h, walked 20 km, gym 1.5 h

I had to cancel my planned long run due to some unexplained ankle pain. It appears that the half marathon will remain the longest run I managed in preparation for London. I tried to make up for this with a two-and-a-half-hour session alternating between the cross trainer and the exercise bike, switching every thirty minutes. At least my foot coped well with that level of exertion.

I turned 73 this week. Once again, I consulted the Ever Presents website to give myself a bit of motivation. Five of the six remaining runners are older than I am and are still taking part, finishing in over seven hours. For 45 years, they have overcome every obstacle and crossed the finish line each year. They’ve run with broken bones and even norovirus. I really shouldn’t be held back by a strained ankle and a few missed long runs!

3 weeks to go

stats of the week: run 18 km, walked 16 km, gym 3 h

Three weeks to go until London. The plan is to complete a fairly long 28 km run next Sunday, hopefully followed by another 15–20 km the weekend after. I’ve developed a particular routine at the gym consisting of 30 minutes on the cross trainer, 30 minutes on the bike, and a 5 km treadmill run, which allows me to build endurance without placing too much strain on my joints.

Meanwhile, The Guardian has revealed plans to expand the London Marathon from next year onwards: 50,000 runners on Saturday and another 50,000 on Sunday. I find it hard to imagine how such a two-day event could be organised. Just think of the number of volunteers required. And what about the Mini Marathon, which already sees around 15,000 young runners take part on the Saturday?

Nevertheless, the Mayor of London is reported to be in favour of the idea.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/25/revealed-secret-plans-for-two-day-london-marathon-with-100000-runners

Unexpected Comeback

stats of the week: run 26 km, walked 35 km, gym 1.5 h
Prague Half result: 2:10:43 h

My performance at the Prague Superhalf Marathon was a lot better than I expected. I started the race cautiously but still reasonably fast. To my astonishment I was able to keep the pace of around 6 min/km for 16 km, with the last 2 being the fastest. Then I had to take some short walking breaks - Garmin documented walking for a bit more than 2 minutes during the final 5K. However I was happy to clock an average pace of 6:12 min/km what makes sort of a comeback, half a year after the spinal disc incident.

With 4 weeks to London I now hope to build up more endurance that will let me run significantly more than half the marathon distance. I set my goal to finish below 5 hours.

More longish distances done

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

Now it's time to taper for Prague after a proper week with a record mileage since the incident. I was able to complete a continuous 15K with three very fit fellows (photo) and was happy with an average pace of 6:20 min/km. 3 days later I managed a 5 K at 5:55 speed and finally I escorted C on a 18 K walk-jog with a pace of 7:10 what by far would be fast enough to beat Prague's time limit of 3 hours for the half marathon. Anyway, I consulted last year's results and found 700 runners who took more than 3 hours to finish. The organisers don't  seem to be really strict. 

A glimpse of hope

stats of the week: run 28 km, gym 3 h

This week I managed a 5K in under 29 minutes, which marks a significant improvement on my previously rather modest performance. I also increased my longest run to 12 km, accompanying C and taking it cautiously with including several walking breaks. Nevertheless, it felt easy and comfortable for the first time since the incident.

I have also started another series of ten physiotherapy sessions. I am not entirely convinced they will make a decisive difference, but I am determined not to neglect anything that might help.

The plan now is to complete two slow 15 km runs before tapering for the half marathon in Prague. Two weeks to go.

Counted down to 50 days

stats of the week: run 21 km, hiked 20 km, gym 1.5 h

No news so far. Every time I feel some improvement, the next setback follows. For the first time, I experienced nerve pain while running and had to stop moving. Fortunately, after a short rest, I was able to complete another two kilometres.

While my performance level is slowly improving, doubts remain about whether I will be able to increase my mileage enough to be fit for the half and full marathon. To motivate myself, I designed and ordered a special shirt to wear while running in London.

Our plans for the spring in France are currently uncertain, as C’s best friend has become seriously ill and needs constant support. It may be that we spend April at home for the first time since Covid. I don’t mind, as being at home will probably give me a better chance to maintain a structured training routine.

Hiking instead of running

stats of the week: run 13 km, hiked 48 km, gym 1.5h

While still on La Palma, our main focus remained hiking, and any additional running would simply have been too much for our legs. We thoroughly enjoyed the island’s walks, although we had to refrain from tackling the more demanding routes as C was still taking antibiotics to treat her infection.

We can certainly imagine returning to La Palma one day, hopefully to complete the trails we had to forgo on this occasion. Unfortunately, we also missed the opportunity to admire the island’s famously clear night skies, as the final days of our stay were rather cloudy.

3 weeks now to Prague and urgent time to increase the distance to more than 10 km.

Photo: The new volcano who destroyed 10% of the island in 2021

A misty day on the volcano, but soon it cleared up

The pines were killed by Magma at their roots

Busy Santa Cruz harbour

Efforts on an island

stats of the week: run 18 km, walked 21 km, gym 2 h

We are spending a fortnight on the Canarian island of La Palma, a perfect destination for hiking. It is a volcanic and very hilly island; therefore, it is not easy to find a flat route on which to build up my running mileage. The promenade in Santa Cruz de La Palma is rather short, but running out and back makes up a reasonable distance.

My efforts so far, however, have been disappointing. Every step feels like torture. I am unable to maintain a pace of six minutes per kilometre and have to take walking breaks to recover, hardly the best prospect for completing a half marathon, let alone the full distance.

Photos: The new volcano Tajagoite has changed the islands landscape and destroyed many homes

At the southernmost point of La Palma salt is extracted from the ocean.

Everything normal

stats of the week: run 3 km, zwift cycled 44 km, gym 4.5 h

I consulted the neurologist again, and he examined cranial nerve IV once more. Compared to last time, he said that the healing was evident. Unfortunately, I do not feel any improvement.

“That’s normal,” he explained, adding that it is also not unusual that, although the incident occurred almost six months ago, the nerve is still damaged.

As if that were not enough, I was also faced with problems in my groin and hip. As a result, I had to cancel my running schedule, which brought me close to considering whether I should step away from my London Marathon ambitions.

However, I then took a look at the Ever Present Website and at the performances of the six remaining runners, most of whom are older than I am. They have not given up — so why should I? 

Photo: I spent a significant amount of money to buy these massage boots. I have to admit it wasn't worth it.

47 days to Prague

stats of the week: run 21 km, zwift cycled 18 km, gym 3 h

I attempted my first 10 km run since the incident, 22 weeks now. However, I could only manage it with several walking breaks, and I developed some pain in my right groin. With seven weeks to go until the Prague Half Marathon, there is still time to build up, but my doubts are growing.

I successfully made it through Dry January and have to admit that I felt better without my daily glass of red wine. Mornings, in particular, felt easier, with less dizziness on getting up. I am now determined to limit my alcohol intake to weekends only.

Looking forward to July already

stats of the week: run 28 km, zwift cycled 28 km, gym 3 h

My favourite holiday destination is Scotland. The landscape is fascinating, the light is glorious, and the people are the friendliest I have encountered anywhere. I am excited to plan our two-week journey to the west coast in July. The only drawback is that two weeks are far too short to fully appreciate the beauty of the islands.

This will be the third time I have tried to get to Bass Rock, which is home to the world’s largest gannet colony. I am very pleased that I have managed to book the boat trip this time; however, it will still depend on the weather on the day. I also plan to visit the Isle of May, the Isle of Arran, Mull, Canna and Skye. It is a challenging itinerary for a fortnight of travelling.

I missed my target of running a full 10K by the end of January. At least I managed to reach a distance of 8.5 km this week, and I am quite confident that I will complete a 10K soon. However, I am still very slow and a long way off last year’s performance.

Photo Wikipedia: Gannets allover - the white colour on Bass Rock

Modest Mileage Record

stats of the week: run 26 km, zwift cycled 18 km, walked 11 km, gym 3 h

Thanks to the daily wake-up treadmill jogs I can notice a record weekly mileage since the incident. Also I extended the outdoor distance to 7 km. 

The skin still feels numb at the lower leg but this doesn't interfere to do my routine of easy running, indoor biking and strength training at the gym. So I still hope to get fit for more mileage in spring.

Photo: My regular treadmill wake-up counts 2.5 km with a speed of 8 - 10 km/h starting with a walk of 500 meters.

Walking Paris

stats of the week: run 13 km, zwift cycled 20 km, walked 48 km
stats of the previous week: run 16 km, walked 14 km, gym 3 h

As we still had a free train journey left over from a previous holiday, we finally used it and travelled to Paris for four days. As expected, the trip involved a lot of walking. The days were tiring, but well worth it, with wonderful sightseeing and visits to several museums.

I’ve increased my treadmill run at breakfast time to 2.5 km, while my outdoor distance remains at 5 km. I’m still aiming to reach 10 km by the end of the month.

Photos: To see Notre Dame was amazing

Stunning architecture: The Fondation Luis Vuitton

Classic view: Le Pont Neuf

Very traditional varieté: Moulin Rouge

One up, one down

stats of the week: run 17 km, zwift cycled 45 km, gym 3 h

The situation is still marked by ups and downs. The highlight of the week was my participation in a local New Year’s Eve run. As I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to manage the full 5 km, I started cautiously, but soon found my rhythm and finished in 30 min and 16 sec. I was pleased with this result until the next setback, when my L4 nerve once again caused an increased feeling of tension. However, in the meantime I have been able to return to my routine of running 2 km on the treadmill every morning before breakfast.

As a yearly habit, I am once again taking part in the popular Dry January. This time, my target is to remain alcohol-free until my running distance has increased to 10 km.

By the way, this blog celebrated a jubilee last week: it has now been in existence for 20 years. The very first post dates back to 24 December 2005.

Photo: In the past, I enjoyed running in wintry conditions. Nowadays, I prefer the treadmill because of the risk of falling.