Catching a cold 1.5 weeks out from Alpe d'Huez

The week started off brightly on the Sunday with a 20km run through Bushy and Richmond Parks. I completed the distance in a little under 1h 48m, so a relatively steady pace, but it still felt like a reasonable distance to have covered.

From then on the week went quickly downhill. After a rest day on Monday, around Tuesday lunchtime I could feel my throat starting to go and by the afternoon I'd succumb to taking Lemsip. I contemplated heading out for a run or a cycle on Tuesday evening, but soon felt this was a bad idea. Tuesday night was restless and my condition wasn't improving.

These things happen when you're training over such a long period for an endurance event. With hindsight, the best decision I made was to respect my condition, take it easy and not to have bounded on regardless, no matter how gutting it felt to be missing out on a crucial week of training. With a little over 1 week left to Alpe d'Huez, this wasn't ideal timing, but what can you do? After missing much of work, not all mind, on Wednesday, my last day, Thursday, before heading out to the Alps was hectic at work and I was still not recovered.

Come Friday morning, I was in much brighter spirits and we headed away from the house, with the car packed to bursting, at 6am, to catch an early ferry across to France. I restrained from doing any exercise until we'd properly arrived in the Alps, so in all I had 6 rest days, recuperating from a cold. Annoying, but necessary.

Here's a summary of the week's exercise:

Week commencing Sunday 18th July

Total exercise: 1h 48m
Distance covered: 20km

• 20km running