Here is my Rambouillet race report: I completed the Rambouillet Semi-Marathon with a finishing time of 1:48:20. Mixed feelings. The result was disappointing as it was 3 minutes slower than the initial target I gave myself, and 6 minutes slower than my personal best. However, I have to admit that my target dropped to 2h00 during the race.
Rambouillet Race Report: Steep Climbs
Rambouillet Semi-Marathon was a “green” race as about 75% of the race was conducted in the Rambouillet Forest. The route was a mixture of dirt trails and asphalt. As the weather had been rainy in recent weeks, there were puddles of water and slush on the route. One of the highlights of the race was that runners could get a glimpse of the famous Château de Rambouillet. Unfortunately, I was so into the race that I didn’t notice it.
Bad Start
Things went bad right from the beginning as we were hit with our first short (300m) climb with bits at a gradient up to 6%. It was then followed by another climb a few km later. My legs were tired and heavy, and my pace dropped to more than 5min/km. In hindsight, if I had walked or slowed down on the way up those climbs, I might have been able to save my legs. I knew my target finishing time would not be achieved, and there were several moments when I just wanted to stop and walk! That was when I reset my target: I would be happy if I could finish in less than 2h00!
False Flats, Headwind, Rain Mixed with Hail
There were also long, flattish parts which were great for picking up speed. Hélas, my legs were too whacked by then to take advantage of the flats. The rest of the race was not much better. There were little “faux plats” (“false flats” in English) where the road appears to be flat, but it’s actually ascending. In the last few kilometres, the runners had to deal with headwind, rain mixed with light hail.
Future Races
There is nothing else on my race calendar for now. The Championnats de France for Semi-marathon and Marathon are scheduled for October. I still have time to decide whether I would participate. Looking at the abysmal 10 km and the semi-marathon results, my decision would be “NO” for the two year-end races. However, our running mates from Orsay running club mentioned Trail des Lavoirs today, a short trail race of 23km or 34km on 12 May. Perhaps there will be another race report to come. That wraps up this Rambouillet race report for now.