One day one photo - 22: Paris-Versailles Grande Classique just got real

At the Palais des Sports, Robert Charpentier 

I arrived in Paris this morning care of FlixBus. I had left it to the last minute to book my transport to Paris, so this was the most cost-effective and hassle-free option. Also, because I travelled at night, it meant I arrived in the French capital in time to have a working day thanks to WIFI in the communal area of my lodgings in Montreuil.

Then after my day's work, and a little run in the nearby park, I took the tube to the Robert Charpentier sports complex at Issy-les-Moulineaux where I picked up my race number for the Paris-Versailles 10-mile running race.

It was a pretty straightforward, no-frills affair. Some volunteers from the local running club handed me my number on presentation of my ID, and then in another room was a map showing the route and a video on loop with GoPro camera footage of the route. 

One of the guys also described Côte des Gardes, the main climb to me. Basically, when I think I am at the top I shouldn't believe it because it climbs and levels out three or four times before I reach the summit. That was a handy tip, but it wouldn't necessarily help me go up it any faster!

There was also a little camera which would take a snap of you with your number and you enter your email address in order to receive it. That was quite handy touch to registration.

It was also while standing in the queue that I got chatting to a fellow runner, Patricia from Brazil. She had come over specially for this race, and was doing it as part of her 50th birthday celebration. Like me, she was staying in the suburbs of Paris - at Tolbiac, in the South, where I was in Montreuil, to the East.

We had contrasting apprehensions though after seeing the weather forecast for warm weather. While I was concerned that I might get too hot at 20°C, she was worried she'd be too cold! She was used to running in 25°C. In any case it would be our first time running this event and we were looking forward to the big day, albeit with a big hill to runner!

Interestingly, when looking on the event Facebook page there were many negative comments  from regulars about the event. They said it was the worst edition of the event in the many years they'd done it. The "event village" was just a simple place to sign on, with no exhibitor stands from sponsors or any other fanfare apart from the camera and the GoPro footage.

This is the 44th edition of the Paris-Versailles Grande Classique race, an event that has attracts almost 25,000 runners from France and all around the world. It must be the biggest 10-mile race in France, and takes place on closed roads between two of the most historic and visited landmarks in the world - the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles.

For such a premium event there should have been more fanfare to match. This year the organisers even decided not to provide a finisher's T-shirt (though lowered the entry fee). But they could have at least made T-shirts available for purchase. 

I couldn't really complain, as a first-timer to the event as I had nothing to compare it to. However, I did bemoan the fact that there were no safety pins provided in the envelope containing my number bib. That's not necessarily something I think of packing when travelling to a prestigious race, I must admit. So my task will be to find some pins before Sunday!

Despite all that, I am looking forward to the race, and the sight of lots of lean-looking people carrying Paris-Versailles envelopes around the streets of south-west Paris has definitely uplifted and inspired me for Sunday. This Paris-Versailles Grande Classique just got real.

Daily photo - 29: Paris - Versailles running race

I was meant to do this 10-mile running race today, but after all the faffing of trying to get there I didn't do it. I got my dates wrong, thinking that it was going to be last week.

Last year I was meant to do it but it clashed with Swim Serpentine so I wasn't able to get there. This year it clashed with the World Road Racing Championships.
Two years ago I missed the deadline as it sold out very quickly given that it was the 40th anniversary.

It just seems like I am destined to not run this classic running race from Paris to Versailles. I always like to do a sporting event in Paris - I ran the marathon there earlier this year. Doing an event that takes you to the regal residence of Louis XIV (and XV and XVI) in Versailles.

The last couple of times I have been to Paris, I cycled to Versailles and the area to the west of Paris is very scenic with lots of woods and forests. Hopefully it will be fourth time lucky next year when I make another attempt to enter and run the event.



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One day one photo - 24: Southern Road Relays

Years ago, when I took part in running races I was doing events where I would just run individually. The only relay race I recall doing were some cross country ones at a place called Horsenden Hill in Perivale, north-west London. They were traditionally the season opener.

Apart from those, the only other relays I did were sprint relays, i.e. 4 x 100 when I was at school, and then a few triathlon relays.

But it seems that relay races have become quite common now, and I find them fun. I have done the cross country one at Reigate Priory, and a road one in Wimbledon Park. There are relay races also at Nonsuch Park in Sutton, and at Beckenham, plus the Sparrows Den in West Wickham. My favourite ones though, are at Crystal Palace Park - and it's not just because it's round the corner from my home! Earlier in the summer I did the Dino Dash Relays, which is one where they raise money to restore the dinosaurs and the subway in Crystal Palace Park. That usually takes place at mid-summer, so it makes for a pleasant bright evening spent with a lot of local runners, and they keep the cafe open too.

Then today's race was the Southern Road Relays, held at Crystal Palace. That one involved running clubs from all over the south of England. At times like this I feel quite lucky to be able to just rock up at a race which is barely a 10-minute bike ride away, while others would have had to travel all morning to get here. Apparently this event is normally held at Aldershot, but it had to be relocated to Crystal Palace. Aldershot's loss is my gain, as I probably would not have travelled to Aldershot to do it! It was a lovely sunny day, and we ended up having quite a few people spectating and cheering us on - probably just by default of the fact that lots of people walk in the park at the weekends!

Anyway, it was a fun race, though I have no idea where my team finished as I was in the B-team. Our A team got a top 10 placing, which is good for the club spirit.

Note that my club for this event was Serpentine. That is my first claim club, so the default is to run for them, though I race for South London Harriers, my second claim club for the local cross country league races, and other local races where Serpentine don't have representation. It's nice to have that variety, though I do sometimes have a job trying to remember which running vest I should take to which event! Hopefully, I won't make the error of turning up at a Harriers event in my Serpie vest!

One day one photo - 2: Running race face!

Running the last leg at the relays

Not my best side, but does anyone have a best side when trying to be competitive in the closing stages of a running race?! I was part of a team of women representing South London Harriers at the Surrey Road Relays, held in Wimbledon Park. It was a nice area, and a part of Wimbledon I had not been to before. There is even a running track, which I hadn't previously known existed. It's not just all tennis in Wimbledon! You learn something new every day!

Our club fielded a lot of relay teams across various age group categories, and many of the teams won silverware in some shape or form. It was beginning to feel a bit like the SLH show at one point when the presenter kept on announcing the name of someone from our club as a winner of something or other! My team bucked the trend by not winning anything! But, despite coming home empty-handed we still had a good day!

For my part, I ran one of my fastest races over 4.5km. The time I ran it was exactly the same as what I had done in a 5km a couple of days earlier with my work colleagues at the Inter-Agency 5k run in Regents Park. That was a flat course where this Wimbledon route had a hill in it. So I clearly had a pep in my pace. 

I can only guess that running with other speedy runners such as those at SLH makes you raise your game that bit more - hence the race face! I hope I can keep on raising my game and maybe get somewhere near sniffing at a trophy (at least before I get all old and injury sets in)!