3.4 miles easy

I struggled through a game of football with a lot less difficulty than two weeks ago, although near the end I went over on my ankle quite badly. Afterwards, and before it got too swollen to run on, I took the opportunity to get in a few more miles via Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street in a steady 25:29.

6.1 miles moderate

I ducked out of the club's scheduled mixed reps session (just like I should have done 7 weeks ago) and went on a longer run from Garscube Estate, up Milngavie Road for a loop of Milngavie Station. It came out a bit shorter than I had hoped at 6.05 miles, although I hadn't fully recovered from the previous evening so I didn't try to add anything on. Finished in 39:59 again although I wasn't looking at the time. Average pace was 6:37/mile.

6.7 miles hard

Ran the same route as last Monday. I found the going a lot easier despite having to stop to check my phone a couple of times. This week it came out at 6.65 miles, finishing time was 41:52 for a much improved 6:18/mile average.

1.6 miles recovery, 6 miles moderate

In the morning I jogged along the canal to Firhill Road with Natasha to watch the North Glasgow 5K for a few minutes, before jogging back down the road. In the afternoon I felt too lethargic to run more than about 6 miles and tried an old route through Ruchill Park, along Balmore Road and Skirsa Street, then down to Summerston Station and back down Maryhill Road. It came out at 6.04 miles, completed in 39:59 although I wasn't really paying attention to the time. Average mile pace was 6:37. Weekly total: 38 miles.

3.9 miles slow, 5.8 miles moderate

Went out with Natasha before breakfast for my canalside run from the previous Saturday, measured this time at 3.88 miles. In the afternoon I ran my Dorchester Avenue route but extended it by returning to Maryhill Road via Kirklee Road and Shakespeare Street - 5.77 miles in 38:16 for a 6:38/mile average.

9 miles tempo

There was a choice between 6 and 9 miles for the club training session. I wasn't sure about running 9 miles and thought I would just decide along the way according to how I felt, as there were others in the fast pack who were planning only to run the shorter distance. We headed along Canniesburn Road, possibly having left Garscube Estate by the wrong gate, and joined the canal towpath at Blairdardie. The first couple of miles were run at an easy 7-minute pace but we got quicker along the canal, and approaching Anniesland we were below 6:10/mile. Not surprisingly, the pack started to split up. I decided I would be OK with 9 miles and we picked our way down the steps at Dawsholm to join the Kelvin Walkway. We took the shortest path through the Botanic Gardens, which was also probably a deviation from the planned route, and returned to Garscube Estate via Queen Margaret Drive and Maryhill Road. I kept up with Joe all the way to the end, and as we were a few hundred metres short of 9 miles, we ran all the way to the pavilion. Run.GPS measured the distance at 8.75 miles although I hadn't managed to get it going until we had already run about .2 of a mile. Average pace was 6:34/mile for the 8.75 miles.

5 miles fartlek

The scheduled club training session was a fartlek and although I didn't want to do any speedwork I thought I could just treat it as an easy run. The route was more or less the old Hares and Hounds 5-mile course, extended via the Kelvin Walkway and Kelvindale Road, although the fast pack went the wrong way towards the end and ran over Cowal Road instead of Dawsholm Road. This did however bring the distance up to 5.02 miles by the time we got back to Garscube Estate. I only raised my pace slightly on the fast bursts, apart from the last climb up to Maryhill Road when I was starting to loosen up a bit.

6.7 miles steady

Returned to my original Monday night route via Craigton Road, Baljaffray Roundabout and Kilmardinny Avenue, aiming for a steady overall pace of around 6:45/mile, although it was hard to judge on account of the first half being broadly uphill. I finished in 45:21 which worked out at an average of 6:47 for 6.68 miles.

3.5 miles slow, 7.7 miles moderate

After doing some IT band stretching on Saturday afternoon, I was feeling slightly better on Sunday morning so went out with Natasha before breakfast for 3.46 miles via Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street. I did a lot more stretching over the next few hours and decided to go back out for a longer run in the afternoon, to Canniesburn Toll (or at least the footpath through the nearby woods) and back via Anniesland Cross. I felt particularly unfit on Switchback Road but the hamstring pain was just a minor niggle with only the occasional vague threat of something worse. I extended the last part of the route slightly via Napiershall Street instead of North Woodside Road. Distance came out at 7.74 miles, time was 50:39 for an average pace of 6:33. Weekly total: 36 miles.

3.9 miles steady

Went out in the morning for 3.86 miles via Abercorn School and the canal towpath. It took exactly 28 minutes and although I had planned to get more miles in, I didn't feel in good enough condition to run again in the afternoon.

5.2 miles moderate

Went out in the evening for one of my usual routes via Dorchester Avenue. It came out as 5.17 miles, completed in 34:05 for a 6:36/mile average. It was a bit of a struggle and I felt somewhat the worse for it afterwards.

7 miles steady

The club training session was a 7-mile run with quite a large fast pack. I was still suffering from hamstring tightness and was trying to take it fairly easy, but luckily for me nobody was really pushing the pace on account of upcoming races or minor injuries. The route was challenging enough in places, leaving Garscube Estate through the top gate and following the canal towpath to Drumchapel Road, then over Pendicle Road, up Chesters Road, back down Drymen Road and along Maryhill Road to the finish. I didn't fall off the pace until the last couple of hundred metres. Distance was 6.97 miles in 47:04 for a 6:45 average.

3.4 miles steady

After struggling through a game of football I went out for one of my usual routes via Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street, completed in a steady 23:29.

2.5 miles steady, 3.2 miles slow

Went out before breakfast for 2.49 miles via Queen Margaret Drive, quite painful with the blister. It was worse in the evening but in order to start getting the miles back in I dragged myself around a single slow lap of the old club 5-mile championship route, starting and finishing at Bearsden Asda for 3.18 miles in total.

7 miles moderate

Ran my usual 7-mile route again and had less hamstring trouble than on Friday, although I was slightly slower. This time it came out at 6.97 miles in 45:36, average pace 6:33/mile. Other than a blister on my left foot caused by the wrong choice of socks and shoes, there were no ill effects afterwards despite my having run on four consecutive days for the first time in over a month. Weekly total: 27 miles.

4 miles steady

As a recovery run of sorts I went out for the Shakespeare Street - Cleveden Drive - Napiershall Street route, wearing my heaviest running shoes for a proper workout. Still some tightness but I ran through it without too much trouble, and without using heat spray. The distance came out at 4.03 miles, average pace 6:50/mile.

7 miles moderate

I thought of adding a groin stretch to my daily stretching routine in a further attempt to battle the hamstring problem, and by the afternoon I thought I would have another go at my usual 7-mile route via Maryhill Road and Garscube Estate. It seemed to go well enough, even without heat spray, and the tightness only started to bother me after mile 5. I was still able to drive my average pace below 6:30/mile in the closing stages and finished in 45:19 for a 6:28 average, although I felt very slow.

5 miles moderate

After a couple of days off to recover, I felt just about able to train with the club, although the scheduled session was a 7-mile run. That would have been the furthest I'd run since Balloch to Clydebank, so I thought I would probably fall off the pace at some point, depending on who turned up. While I was still in the car, trying to get a GPS signal, I saw a fairly large group head off in the direction of the top gate, and wondered if that might have been the fast pack, although I couldn't pick anybody out. I was ready a couple of minutes later but discovered that everybody had gone, so evidently the top two or three packs had been combined due to low numbers. I had no chance of catching anyone, so when I couldn't see anyone in the distance at Anniesland Cross I took the opportunity to run a shorter route along Anniesland Road, Southbrae Drive, back up Crow Road and in the top gate. The bridge over the Kelvin was exactly at the 5-mile point. I had applied quite a lot of heat spray before coming out, but I didn't help matters by setting out quite fast and hamstring tightness started to bother me along Southbrae Drive. Finished in 32:42 for a reasonable 6:32/mile average. As I was driving home, I saw Marco stretching away from the others along Maryhill Road.

3.9 miles moderate

In the evening I ran from home to Bearsden Asda with a backpack. I maintaned a reasonable pace and completed the 3.92 miles in 25:58 for a 6:37/mile average.

3.3 miles slow

Went out in the morning for 3.3 miles with Natasha, via Shakespeare Street and North Woodside Road. Didn't feel up to doing much more than that. Weekly total: 20 miles.

National Road Relay Championships

I decided on Friday that I would be able to run after all and I was placed in our A team, to run the second short leg (third leg overall). I was 5 seconds behind the leading women's team when I set off and after just a couple of steps I felt some hamstring tightness, which stayed with me all the way round. Within about half a mile I had overtaken a runner from Falkirk Vics and moved ahead of the first-placed woman shortly afterwards. The field was quite well strung out by this point and although I could see a runner from Kilmarnock just in front of me, the only other competitors I passed were still on the second leg. I maintained a fairly steady pace for the whole 3.15-mile route and wasn't able to pick it up near the end or even manage much of a kick in the final straight. My finishing time was 17:43, which was only 10 seconds slower than last year, so not too bad under the circumstances. I had vaguely hoped to post an improved time but the hamstring problem made it too difficult. As a team we finished 20th, 11 places down on 2008, although last year's performance would only have been good enough for 17th this year.

5.2 miles hard

Attempted a few fast miles in the evening to see what kind of shape I might be in for the National Relays on Saturday. I made it to the junction of Maryhill Road and Cowal Road inside 12 minutes, and to Dorchester Avenue inside 15, so was well on course for a route PB. I eased off very slightly after that as I still had some leg tightness, but finished in 31:55. The distance came out this time at 5.25 miles although I was again having some GPS problems so the true distance is probably slightly less. Average pace as measured was 6:05/mile.

3.4 miles steady

Went out in the evening for a steady run via Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street. Didn't feel any worse off afterwards. Some GPS difficulties probably accounted for the route being measured at 3.42 miles, completed in 23:43.