4+ miles slow, 2x3K steady, hill reps

Went out before lunch with Natasha for our usual 4.15-mile route around the West End. I had the Nike+ sensor secured under the laces of a different pair of shoes. On the mile mark the SportBand reported 1.60, and after exactly 1.5 miles it said 2.41 - I was hugely impressed with its accuracy until I discovered a couple of minutes later that it was actually measuring miles rather than kilometres.

In the afternoon I put on a more traditional sports watch and jogged down to Gardner Street for a few hill reps. Times were 55-50-52-53. Jogging back home seemed a bit tougher than last week.

3.5 miles recovery

Went out before breakfast for the same 3.5 mile route in a steady 23:49. Felt in better shape than I did last Friday, less stiffness. Due to the enormous difficulty of trying to calibrate the SportBand for two different sensors, I wasn't able to record the miles. It looks like merely linking the SportBand to the sensor you want to calibrate will not suffice as it only allows you to reset the calibration for the last sensor you actually recorded a run with (so last night I ended up resetting the calibration for my "training" sensor rather than the "racing" one as I intended). And of course then you have to record another run in order to have something to calibrate.

Polaroid Clydebank 10K

I was concerned I might have been over-training recently and although the sore quads had finally got a lot better during the course of the day, within the first couple of kilometres I was convinced I would run out of steam in the second half of the race. This may have been because I set off faster than in Helensburgh and went through 3K in 10:10, some 20 seconds ahead of my goal time for that point, although I was only 10 seconds ahead at 4K and had therefore already fallen outside 3:30 per kilometre. I was slowing down as the race went on, but a group of runners in front of me was slowing down even more and I caught them between 6K and 7K, although I wasn't able to stay ahead of all of them until the end. Around 8K I felt like I was moving very slowly but sub-36 still appeared to be a possibility. When we reached the last corner I discovered the finish was a lot further away than I'd expected, but I picked up the pace in the final stretch to consolidate my position, and noticed the clock was showing 35:53 as I crossed the line. Final position was 30th (in a much larger field), chip time was 35:49, so a big improvement on the previous week.

3.5 miles steady

Out before breakfast for the same 3.5 mile route as the day before. Quads still sore but no other problems. Finished in 23:18, SportBand said 3.49 miles which isn't too bad.

3.5 miles steady, 3 miles fast

Went out before breakfast for the usual route with a bit extra added on to take it just over 3.5 miles, completed in 23:49. Quads still a bit sore from Sunday (or maybe Saturday). I had reset the calibration on the SportBand yet again and it came out at 2.97 miles although Gmaps confirmed 3.53.

In the evening the club session was 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back along the canal after a somewhat lengthy warm-up. I managed to be 30 seconds faster on the way back although I was trying not to get dragged into a race ahead of Thursday. The distance I covered was just over 3 miles.

3.4 miles recovery

In the morning I went back round the usual 3.4 mile route as a recovery and to see if the SportBand would make a better job this time after I'd calibrated it again using yesterday's run. Completed the distance, which was overestimated by more than .2 of a mile, in a leisurely 23:55.

5K slow, 9.3 miles steady

Went out in the morning for a slow 5K or so around the West End with Natasha. This time I let her try the SportBand and new sensor with calibration reset to see if her shorter stride would give more accurate results, but it was already somewhat out by the first mile mark. The actual distance was 3.2 miles although it was measured at just under 3.

In the afternoon I went round the Great Western Road - Blairdardie - Canniesburn - Maryhill Road route for the first time in a while. I reached Drumchapel Road in exactly 30 minutes which was a couple of minutes ahead of schedule for a steady run. At the top of Queen Margaret Drive I noticed the SportBand display showed "1h00" and I thought it had crashed, but when it changed to "1h01" I figured it out, although I was less than impressed that it had stopped displaying seconds. Finishing time was 1:03:50 for 9.3 miles (SportBand said 7.45).

4.15 miles slow, 2x3K steady, hill reps

Went out in the morning with Natasha for just over 4 miles around the West End. In the afternoon I tried out a new and uncalibrated Nike+ sensor (attached to the laces of a different pair of shoes) on a steady run down to Gardner Street for 4 hill reps, and then back again. It underestimated the actual distance - just short of 3K - by about 10% both times. The hill reps were untimed. On this occasion I didn't have to walk on the way back.

5.5K recovery

In the light of complaints about running 3.4 miles every morning, I went out before breakfast in the rain for a recovery run around a somewhat familiar 5.5K course. The SportBand (with calibration reset) recorded it as 4.7K. Time was 22:45 which was OK for the morning after a race, which I seem to have got through uninjured.

Polaroid Helensburgh 10K

My plan for this race was the same as usual, 3:30 kilometres for as long as I could. Getting to Helensburgh in time to pick up my timing chip before the race had been a bit stressful but I felt reasonably OK before the start and my calf wasn't causing any problems. I went through the 1K mark in exactly 3:30 and was hanging just off the back of the main pack. On 2K my time was 6:30 so the marker was obviously incorrect. I wasn't making up any ground on the runners in front, but when I looked round there was a big gap behind me. I didn't see the 3K marker and just after 4K I heard a steward ask his colleague, "Where are the rest of them?" which was vaguely encouraging.

As we reached the water station just before the 6K mark I suddenly felt quite fit and picked up the pace a bit, passing a couple of runners who had started to slow down, although one was spurred into action and overtook me again shortly afterwards. Heading back towards the finish we were running into a strong headwind which I'm sure cost me a few seconds per kilometre, and I could see my time slipping further away from sub-36 at every marker. At 7K a football bounced towards me and I tried to kick it back but sliced it into a hedge and shouted, "Sorry!" as I ran on. In the last couple of kilometres there was little prospect of catching anyone or being caught, so I started to coast a bit and only picked it up in the final stretch in order to finish inside 36:30. Time was 36:27 in 24th position, second Garscube finisher. I had been wearing slightly heavier shoes than normal in order to use the SportBand, although during the race I was only keeping an eye on my time. At the end it said the distance had been 5.57 miles. 1.5% out yesterday, nearly 12% out today. I know the Nike web site says that accuracy can vary with terrain and speed etc. etc. but that's just ridiculous. I'm coming to the conclusion that it's a complete piece of junk.

3.4 miles tempo

I ran the same 3.4 mile route before breakfast - I'm getting a bit tired of it and would have liked to take a detour but needed to check whether the SportBand was now accurately calibrated. It seemed to be spot on at the 1 and 2 mile marks, but when I finished in 21:57 the run had been measured yet again at 3.35 miles. This is only about 80 metres out so I'll try it again at some point on a different route. The calf was a lot better after some stretching.

3.4 miles steady, hill reps

Out again before breakfast for the same 3.4 mile route, mainly to try to calibrate the SportBand again. At the end it reported 2.96 miles. Time was a more leisurely 23:10. In the evening the club was doing gentle hill reps on Dawsholm Road where we were supposed to concentrate more on running form than speed, so I took them fairly easy. Right calf was a bit tight when I got home.

3.4 miles moderate, 4 miles fast/recovery

Went out for the usual 3.4 miles before breakfast, completed in 22:30. The SportBand reported the distance as 3.35 miles. This is almost close enough to put up with, but in the evening I ran from Bearsden Asda and followed a route around the Science Park for what was recorded as 2.37 miles in 15:45 yet seemed significantly further. I jogged 1.5 miles back to the car as a recovery although I picked up the pace a bit halfway round. Gmaps showed later that the longer distance was actually around 2.5 miles. The SportBand is apparently less accurate with different running shoes or a faster pace - probably both - and the difference in this case is too great to ignore. I didn't delete the run from the Nike+ web site but will attempt to calibrate the device yet again. If I can get it accurate for one pair of shoes at a reasonable pace then it shouldn't be too far out for running faster in the other shoes. I suppose I could have a different sensor for each pair, though.

3.4 miles recovery

I dragged myself out in bright sunshine for a fourth morning session this week, 3.4 miles again. I felt quite fast after the previous evening's hard run and finished in a reasonable 22:38. The SportBand reported 3.34 miles which is the closest yet, although probably still just far enough out to be annoying over longer distances. Unfortunately, it looks like I am unable to calibrate the device without resetting it and going out on another run, with no guarantee of it being any better.

3.4 miles recovery, 5.5 miles hard

I had another go at calibrating the SportBand before breakfast on the same 3.4 mile route. I discovered straight away that I had left it on kilometres by mistake and you can't change the units without plugging it into a PC, but the default calibration reported the distance as 4.8km which is stunningly consistent. Time was a bit slower than usual at 23:46. I'd stretched my calves a bit the day before and the hamstring was a lot better.

In the evening I went out with the club for a run described as 5/6 miles. There was a small "fast pack" and the pace was a bit brisker than usual for the first couple of miles down the Kelvin Walkway to the Botanic Gardens. Comparing the distance on the SportBand with somebody's GPS unit suggested I was losing about 100m per mile - different shoes and a faster pace might have been making a difference. After three miles I fell off the pace and felt too sluggish to have any prospect of catching back up. Towards the end I made up a couple of seconds and finished about half a minute back, third out of four, in 34:34 for a distance reported by GPS as 5.5 miles (but recorded by the SportBand as 8.25km). I felt this wasn't too bad considering I'd managed three morning sessions so far this week. Decided against recalibrating the SportBand for now - I'll see what it makes of 3.4 miles tomorrow morning.

3.4 miles recovery

Went out before breakfast to try the 3.4 mile route again. I finished in 22:55 and the SportBand reported the distance as 3.64 miles. It had been consistently overestimating the distance all the way round. My right hamstring felt a bit sore although nothing too serious at the moment.

Pyramids

The club training session tonight was two sets of "short" reps consisting of 200m, 400m, 600m, 400m and 200m with between 60 and 90 seconds' rest. I had a bit of trouble picking up the pace at the beginning but loosened up as the session went on.

2.5 miles recovery, 3K fast

Went out before breakfast to test the SportBand calibration on a route measured by Gmaps as 2.57 miles. Time was 16:52 which is faster than I would usually run at that time in the morning. The reported distance was 2.69 miles so the SportBand is now overestimating although it's getting closer, and it looks like my calibration attempts are actually making a difference. In the evening I jogged down to the Science Park from Bearsden Asda and ran the 3K course again (after resetting the calibration) which was reported as 2.45K. My time was 11:10. Legs still quite stiff and I couldn't quite maintain a steady jog back up the road.

3.2 miles moderate

As a recovery run I had another go at calibrating the SportBand. The trick was to find the exact distance of a nearby route. I discovered Gmaps Pedometer which told me what I thought was 3.25 miles (and had been reported by the SportBand as 3.00) was actually more like 3.4. I tried it on Tuesday's 3K course (3K indeed) and my usual 7-mile route (6.93 miles) which convinced me of its accuracy, so I mapped out a simple 3.21-mile route for an afternoon run. I should probably have done it some other time as my hamstrings were still quite sore from the race, and my pace was all over the place, but I finished in exactly 20 minutes and the SportBand reported something like 2.7 miles. After calibrating the device and deleting the erroneous run from the Nike+ web site (it had automatically been uploaded), I went out again for a walk of about 700m round the block to carry out the recommended walking calibration. I'll see if that improves matters.

Dick Wedlock Memorial 10K

This was my first 10K since the start of the year, an invitational race in Pollok Park for firefighters and a few running clubs. A start time of 1pm meant a late breakfast and no lunch. It was very warm although I expected the trees in the park would offer some shade. The course was two laps mostly within the park and was fairly flat. As ever, the plan was to run 3:30 per kilometre, with the overall goal of running inside 36 minutes, and this pace put me in 3rd place from the start. I started to speed up a little after the 1K mark and went through 3K on about 10:24 which compared pretty well with 10:08 for a straight 3K on Tuesday, but then I began to slow down slightly and by the 5K mark I was just outside my goal pace. Some time around the 4K mark it had started to pour, which may actually have helped a bit in the conditions, and I also took advantage of the water station at the halfway point as my mouth was feeling quite dry.

On the second lap, the second-placed runner (also a Garscube Harrier) was quite far in the distance and I wasn't sure how far ahead I was of fourth. Between 7K and 8K I made a terrible mistake and missed a sharp left turn. When I couldn't see anyone ahead of me on a fairly straight road I looked back and saw an arrow I had missed. To make matters worse, just after I turned round my number fell off and I stopped to pick it up - although it turned out I needn't have bothered as most of the competitors finished without theirs. I could see the fourth-placed runner just behind me as I rejoined the course. The incident probably cost me between 10 and 15 seconds and was fairly demoralising. I now faced a battle to finish inside 36 minutes, and I felt like I was running very slowly. I went through 9K in 32:30 which meant I had to improve on my target pace in the last kilometre, and this seemed like a tall order. When I turned the corner towards the running track at Lochinch I dared to look back and saw I was probably safe in third place, although when I reached what should have been the 300m starting point on the (unmarked) track my time was 35:13 and I thought there was no way I would manage sub-36. Then I noticed that the finishing line was actually halfway down the home straight and I managed a kick for the last 100m or so to finish in 35:59, an average of 5:47 per mile. This knocked 15 seconds off my time from December although it should really have been 25 or 30.

My prize for third place was a New Balance t-shirt (in addition to the t-shirt I got for taking part) and a discount voucher for a sports massage. We also won the team prize and each received a bottle of wine. I don't think I've won a prize in a road race (other than Garscube events) since I was second in an 8K in Belarus in 2005.

After the race I took advantage of the running track to try to calibrate my SportBand. I ran 5 laps in 7:21 which wasn't too bad under the circumstances. The SportBand reckoned this was 1.08 miles which is of course somewhat short of 2K. Unfortunately, the run turned out not to be usable for calibration for some reason.

3.25 miles moderate

My Nike+ SportBand arrived on Wednesday so I set up the Nike+ widget on this blog in the evening (which appears to have messed up the formatting a bit and might take a bit of fixing) and then tried it out on Thursday morning before breakfast. I already had two pairs of compatible running shoes, but I wasn't about to buy an iPod Nano as I never run with earphones. Went out for a route via Garrioch Road that I was fairly sure was 3.25 miles, although after 3 minutes the (uncalibrated) SportBand was reporting the distance as 0.40 miles which seemed a bit on the slow side, and when I reached the mile point I had previously identified using GPS, the distance shown was only 0.9 miles. It looked like the default calibration was around 10% out, and on arriving back home in 22:31 the recorded total was 3.00 miles, although I had certainly been running faster than 7:30 miles. I won't update my Nike+ profile until I get it sorted out. My quads were quite sore, probably from playing football the previous evening.

2 miles recovery

I managed to drag myself out before breakfast to run a couple of recovery miles in a loop along the canal. It took something like 14 minutes although the time and distance were less important than the fact that I'd managed to get up early enough for once.

3K Junior/Senior team race

My primary goal for this race was to finish inside 10 minutes if possible, so I planned to run 3:15 per kilometre. Natasha had also been persuaded to take part with remarkably little difficulty. The course consisted of loops within the Science Park with only one awkward hairpin turn at the furthest point. Inevitably, a load of Juniors pushed to the front at the start and ran out of steam within the first 100m, but I managed to dodge them and moved into the lead when three of the faster Juniors took a slight wrong turn. I pulled away and made it to the 1K point in 3:15 as hoped although it was getting quite tough and I knew my pace would start to slip. My legs started getting heavy in the second half of the race. I didn't see any 2K marker and at the hairpin turn I had almost been caught. At the two-way section of the course there were a few near misses as some of the oncoming runners strayed over to the right. This may have helped me stay in the lead for a bit longer but I was finally overtaken at the bridge about 400m before the finish and was unable to give chase. Time was 10:08 which I suppose isn't too bad after not having tapered for the race, although it's marginally slower than my 3K split in the Dunky Wright 5K. Update: my official time was given as 10:04 (not sure how, maybe the finishing line wasn't where I thought) and Natasha's as 16:25.

5K slow and 4 miles steady

I went out with Natasha in the morning to stretch the legs a bit with a slow 5K round the Queen Margaret Drive - Napiershall Street route. In the afternoon I ran a loop from Bearsden Asda down to the Science Park at a steady pace, just to check out underfoot conditions for Tuesday's race.

16 miles steady

I decided to go out onto the South Side for a change and have a look at some running tracks while racking up a few miles at a 7:30 pace or thereabouts. Went through Kelvingrove Park and Yorkhill just like yesterday, then followed NCN 7 across Bell's Bridge and towards Pollok Park, which stayed exactly 2.5 miles away for a remarkably high number of signposts. The running track in Pollok Park was ash and the lanes weren't marked, as far as I could tell. I took a slight detour at Corkerhill Road to have a look at the Nethercraigs track which was synthetic and in excellent condition, with four lanes all the way round and six in the home straight. Returned to the cycle path and followed it as far as Crookston Road, then headed back towards the city centre via Paisley Road West. I ran around the outside of Bellahouston Park to have a look at the track there, which had been in terrible condition a few years ago, but since then had been converted into a concrete cycle track with more of an oval shape and slight banking at the ends. I got back to Paisley Road West and rejoined NCN 7 at Cessnock before following the same route home. Total time was 2:03:07 including stoppages for reconnaissance, distance 16 miles or so. It was quite warm and I hadn't brought anything to drink but I would probably have been fine for a couple more miles.

5K slow and hills

Went out before lunch for a slow 5K with Natasha, through Kelvingrove Park, Yorkhill and along the cyclepath past the SECC to the office to collect the car. In the afternoon I ran three reps of the long hill from the players' entrance at Firhill to the flagpole in Ruchill Park. Times were 2:29, 2:30 and 2:27, with a walk/jog back to the bottom as the recovery. My previous best from a couple of years ago was 2:29 so this session went surprisingly well. There was a slight tailwind up Firhill Road which might have helped a bit.

5.25 miles tempo

Ran my usual 5.25 mile route via Dorchester Avenue, trying to stay inside 6:30 per mile. I faded a bit in the second half and got stopped a couple of times by phone calls and traffic but finished in a reasonable 34:51.