Today: Vossem

Sanna and I are running in Vossem today. Last year Sanna had a bit of an accident there, bumping into a boy who fell and was bleeding. So she is apprehensive about this one. But the prospect of a medal and or goodies bag will surely drag her over the line.

I'm doing 6.4 km. Would love to say I am aiming for 32 minutes, but the course is very hilly. And last night's dinner and drinks bash, with neighbours, grandma and Soo, will slow me down too. So what shall I say... Under 35 minutes then?

Here's a pic of me finishing last year's race in Vossem.

Super fast (but maybe not)

The bus that would drive the runners in the Zaventem 5k to the start broke down. The organisers improvised an alternative route, with start and finish in the same place.

It rained a bit, but there was little wind. I tried running in a slightly higher rhythm with a shorter stride.

Result: 00:22:25. If it really was 5k, then this would be the fastest run I've done. Ever.

But I think it may have been more like 4.5k, to be honest.

Sanna did the 300m again and finished 6th (in a field of 12). Last year she took 00:02:23, this year 00:01:33. Now THAT'S improvement!

Okay

With 00:31:38, I finished in the first half of the field during the Kortenberg 6k. So that was good.

I'm now in Nairobi, trying to run every morning in the super hilly botanic garden across the road from where I'm staying. But the high altitude (1700m) leaves me with little air to breathe. I'm not getting far. Today was slightly better than yesterday, but I seriously notice the estimated 10 per cent decrease in oxygen intake. Hopefully, I will benefit from my high-altitude training when I am back in the low lands of Belgium.

Next target is the 5k in Zaventem, and with the good result on Sunday I am going to aim for an ambitious time: below 25 minutes. I know the area well; if the weather is half okay (not too much wind please in the open fields along the airport) that goal may well be realistic.

Back once more

Not a whole lot of running happened since the Brussels 20k. And most of it was short runs, like 20 to 30 minutes. Over the past week though, benefitting from the freely available child care during our (Sanna's and mine) road trip through Holland, I did 30 minutes on 5 consecutive days (in Sterrebeek, Deventer, Ermelo, Hilversum, and Voorhout respectively). Today, after two days of rest, I'm running the 6k race in nearby Kortenberg, aiming at a time under 33 minutes.

I am going to stick with a regime of many short runs for a while, building up to one hour (or 10-12k) in the last months of this year. The aim is to make my running easier.

Still.... I saw an ad for the Dingle marathon. That must be breathtaking in all senses of the word: glorious landscapes and ocean views, horrific climbs and wind-ridden coastal roads. 2012, maybe?