The Chaulieu-Sourdeval Run in Normandy.

Today's run (2 June 2013) with my runing buddies Francesca Bostock and Leaharna Marsden: 9.9 km - 57.22 min.

Struggling at 500 m to the finish.

Leaharna came second in 40 minutes, and Francesca, only after three years of running, has outrun me by nearly a minute! Congratulations! 

Lovely cool day, intermittently cloudy and sunny, +16ºC at the finish. 

It is a small local run organised by the Sourdeval athletic club. The crowd was just over a hundred runners, probably because the club couldn't get it put on the official French athletic federation qualifying roster for 10K. Hence the irregular distance - 9.9K. The participants were mostly local, very fit and motivated members of athletic clubs. 

No matter what, it is a pleasant, mostly descending course. It goes along the chemin vert from the old disused railway station at Chaulieu to a park in Sourdeval.  Most of the course is sheltered by overhanging trees. On a sunny day, like it was yesterday, you just can’t help admiring the beauty of the path itself, all dappled and lush green, and the surrounding countryside.

One drag is that the chemin vert has compacted gravel surface with quite a lot of loose gravel, which hampers the grip. And when it turns to tarmac in places, there are a few potholes to watch out for. 

Otherwise, I'd recommend this annual run to whoever happens within a driving distance. 

It was the third time I ran it. True, I wasn’t on top form this time, but I don’t regret I did it again. 

Full technical details and results on the Normandie course a pied site.

Francesca finishing (centre) with Leaharna Marsden pacing in support (right) and me only entering the final lap (left).

Photos by ©Jonathan Bostock. Published with permission.

Climb Every Mountain.

St Christophe de Chaulieu. Hill on the left.

Today's (8 April) run with Strelka and Leroy: 7.6 km - 46.10 min. 

Grey day but much warmer than yesterday. I decided to do a stamina-building run after yesterday's long 16 km race - and to check out one of my shorter courses with a steep short rise to the top of the Chaulieu hill through the woods and then a gentler but longer uphill stretch to St-Christophe de Chaulieu. It felt much easier than yesterday, no extra huffing-n-puffing. 

And the path through the woods was cleared, I suspect, by the neighbour who keeps horses for carriage driving. I saw tracks of hooves sliding in the mud and wheels going all over the place. Apparently someone really adventurous went down that path in a horse car. But brambles were neatly cut or bent not to go over the path. 

Thank you, horse people.