Sport has always been a significant part of Beatrix’s life: a former professional long jump athlete and tennis player for several years, she has always placed sports at the center of her concerns. Three years ago, in search of new challenges, she decided to start running. The reasons? To maintain her fitness and build good endurance for tennis. Today, she shares with RunMotion Coach her experience of the 10km of Bois de Boulogne. Story.
How did your 10km of Bois de Boulogne go?
I signed up for the 10km of Bois de Boulogne aiming for a very challenging time goal. It was about 1 year and a half ago when I managed to run 10km in under an hour for the first time. For this race, my goal was to do it in 49 minutes. So compared to the « old me », about 10 minutes less, which means going from 4:51/km to 6:00/km. I was stressed, I was afraid, I didn’t feel capable of reaching my goal, but I still wanted to try.
I knew that to achieve it, I had to give everything I had. My performance was much better than I expected, and therefore, I succeeded! It was very tough, but I was the happiest person in the world after crossing the finish line of the 10km of Bois de Boulogne.
How did you prepare for the 10km of Bois de Boulogne?
To prepare for the 10km of Bois de Boulogne, I followed a 14-week training plan, with 3 sessions per week. During my preparation, I didn’t think about my goal. I just wanted to do all my workouts rigorously and never give up. The preparation was not always easy. During all this time, the weather didn’t make life easy with rain and wind all the time. I remember a threshold session where the rain started 5 minutes after I started, so I still had over an hour left to complete.
I told myself, well, let’s keep going, and if the storm is too violent, I’ll go back. I didn’t go back. And I was so wet like never before. Drivers looked at me with a surprised look, they didn’t understand why I was putting so much effort into running when there was havoc outside. The only time I doubted myself was during the test race 1 month before the scheduled race. In the end, I managed to do the test at the planned level, but it was already very close to my limits. That’s why I still had doubts until the last moment.
What motivates you to run?
I am competitive, but I prefer to push myself rather than others. To push my limits, I always aim for a next goal or challenge, and I try to do everything necessary to achieve it. At the same time, with endurance runs, I try to enjoy myself. Running really helps me manage everyday stress.
How did you find the RunMotion Coach application?
I am on social media and on Strava, both showed me posts from RunMotion Coach. I opened the associated link and knew from the first moment that I would become a member of this team.
What encouraged you to download and try the application?
There are hundreds of articles published on the RunMotion Coach website regarding running, preparation, injuries, everything you need to know about running. I found them very useful, and I thought it was worth signing up and getting a specialized training program for my goal.
What do you prefer in the application?
I think the structure of the training plan is very well done. I understand very easily what I am supposed to do this week or next week. Plus, you can add test races at any time, and the plan could be adjusted if needed.
After the 10km of Bois de Boulogne, what is your next sporting challenge?
After the 10km of Bois de Boulogne, I would like to run a half marathon in the fall, so I have already started my new preparation. I want to do it in less than 2 hours. After setting my next goal, I found out that I won a bib for another 10km in June, so in the end, the next challenge will be more about maintaining my fitness until June.
Congratulations Beatrix, good luck with your upcoming goals 💪