I arrived in Font Romeu on Tuesday evening, it has been 7 weeks since i was here last. Font Romeu is in the South of France and is situated at 6000ft.
My trip to Font Romeu in April was my first time at altitude so i didn't know what to expect or how i would find training. When i returned to sea level, it was clear that it was certainly beneficial. Early season personal bests in the mile (4:30.51) and 5000m (15:27.03) indicates a good season ahead.
On Friday morning I ran at the Plateau with Mo (Farah) and his training partner. I say "with", but they dropped me after 10 minutes! The Plateau is at 7000ft and has the most beautiful 360 degree views. It is amazing how different I felt on my 3rd day compared to last time. I'm not sure if it is because I knew what to expect or if i am still running off the physiological benefits of my last trip.
On our drive back down we came across Paula Radcliffe looking very strong running hill repeats.
Yesterday morning I did my first session. The dam across the lake is perfect for repeats, it is almost 1000m across. There were a team of Australian Triathletes out there too, so I hopped in with one of the guys for my first rep. Shame he was on his last one, as I still had 5 more reps! It was a solid workout and i look forward to getting on the track on Tuesday.
My next race with be the Steeple at the Birmingham Diamond league. Our main goal will be the World Championship A standard. The World Championship trial is on July 31st, so in between time I will be looking to improve my times over the flat.
