Joy Day 2 Mile Race - Gite de Briande

Another French Joy Day gathering, another idyllic location, another 2 mile race.

This time it was, yet again, a "comeback race" as I'm in that familiar cycle of injury, rehab & recovery. This time it's the patellar tendonitis that has kept me off running for a few months, not for the first time in my sporting career, and I'm at the stage where I can mix walking and jogging without ill effects. In fact, it seems to do me good, srengthening the knee so long as I don't push it too hard.

I decided to trust my self-restraint and walk/jog the 2 mile race just to be a part of it. A good decision! It was a heavenly morning, and being out on the silent hillside early doors was just what I needed. I kept the jogs down to a few minutes and held back very cautiously on the downhills - I was then able to push hard on the uphill that hardly affects the knee at all but is a decent workout for the lungs. Such a great feeling to be really out of breath on a run again for the first time since January!

I wasn't last, having made up time on the climbs, but the great thing was just to be a part of it.

Vive le Gite de Briande!

The scenery was almost Cotswold esque, but raised up a thousand metres or so - a feeling of isolation up above the valleys and towns. I really love this region of Haute Languedoc. Somehow I have a feeling I'll be back here a few more times over the coming years - I certainly hope that's true.

 

 

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