And I will Kiss - Underworld

More like and I will Pant!!! Especially after living and training at Altitude in the French Alps for all of last week... Yes that's where I've been... And an amazing experience it was too as it's some time since I was in the Atacama Desertrunning at 15,000ft in 2006 and Cardiff, (in God's Country) is only a matter of feet above sea level.

On day one just climbing a flight of steps caused mild panic in me as my lungs couldn't supply the necessary oxygen needed to stop me from going into mild asphyxiation... it's a feeling that I absolutely hate and the first run of five miles finishing with the aptly named Cardiac Hill bent me double and gave me back a shocking post run smokers hacking cough. It was total HELL...

Hmm, I am not sure that I am selling it very well so far BUT over the next week, boy what a difference the altitude running made. Jenny and I stayed with good with our good friend Chris Whistler who being roughly the same speed as myself made me a great partner in crime and we ran  out together up some mothers of hills... with very fast finishes.

Our maddest challenge was to run for 4 miles up a 1000m climb to a 2804m summit on very rough trail... it was pure pride that got us there the first day and we were in tatters at the top and laid down to recover... funnily enough we did it the next day too, this time a lot easier. I felt awesome! Really fit...

The training effect really works!

On our return I ran a Park Run 5km PB... beating my previous one set in 2011... just shows what you can do naturally with some good training and great belief in what you are doing is good for you.

It's good to be back... and more tomorrow!