4.6 miles slow, 4.5 miles moderate

Went out with Natasha before breakfast for 4.56 miles via Gibson Street and Kelvin Way to Yorkhill, along the Clyde, back through Anderston and up St George's Road. After recent GPS problems, the measured distance seemed to be more or less correct this time. In the late afternoon I felt like having a go at my usual 7-mile route, but I was short of time, so settled for one of my other usual routes via Shakespeare Street and Cleveden Drive. It was going OK so I extended it a bit by returning via Kirklee Road, for 4.47 miles in 29:22, 6:34/mile. Weekly total: 26 miles.

Gym

Instead of running, I went to the gym in the afternoon to work on strengthening my hamstrings. About half of the machines had been replaced since my last visit, which seems to have been over a year ago. I was there for about 45 minutes and spent most of the time on the hamstring curl machine, with a few minutes on the cross-trainer at the beginning and end of the session.

Polaroid Clydebank 10K

I wasn't sure about taking part in this race at all, and felt hamstring tightness as soon as it started. I still aimed for 3:30/K and passed the first marker in exactly that. The 2K marker was reached in 6:30 which was much too fast. The second kilometre can't be short in all these races, so I obviously need to watch my pace more carefully. However, the pace still seemed OK as we finished the first lap, and I went through 5K in 17:04. My hamstring was feeling increasingly tight by this point and coming back along the canal I started to lose touch with the pack I was running with, falling back into second for Garscube with no prospect of catching anyone. I was passed a couple more times within the last 2 kilometres, which were a bit of a struggle, and I felt like I couldn't risk a finishing kick so didn't want anybody closing in on me in the final straight. In the end I posted a chip time of 35:29 which wasn't much down on my Helensburgh time, although my immediate rivals seemed to do much better. It was also about 20 seconds faster than the same race last year. With three finishers inside 36 minutes or so, I thought I should hang around for the presentation, and we were indeed the third team.

3.4 miles steady

I was worried about hamstring problems and thought about not going out at all, but decided to run the usual 3.4-mile route at a steady pace. Finished in 24:10, didn't feel particularly injured but still not quite right. The distance was hilariously measured at 7.51 miles, a level of inaccuracy not seen since I was using the Nike+ sensor. I restarted the phone later on, which will probably fix it.

7 miles moderate

In the evening I ran the same route as the previous Monday. I seemed to be maintaining a fast pace without any trouble, although the first mile seemed slightly short and I wasn't convinced about the second one either. Passing the rugby club on the way back, I noticed I was still on schedule for about 45 minutes but my average pace should have given me a faster time. I picked it up in the last couple of hundred metres but still finished in 45:06. The distance was measured at 7.48 miles which is around half a mile too much. Assuming 6.95 miles, my average pace was still 6:29/mile. It did however feel a lot more comfortable this week.

3.4 miles slow, 5.2 miles steady

Went out with Natasha before lunch for our usual route. In the afternoon I ran another familiar route, up Maryhill Road, down Cowal Road, along Dorchester Avenue and back home via Great Western Road and North Woodside Road. More GPS problems led to the first mile being decidedly short and the whole route coming out at 5.35 miles, when I know it is closer to 5.2. Time was 35:41, around 6:52/mile for the corrected distance. Weekly total: 34 miles.

5.5 miles steady

Went out in the afternoon for the same route as on Tuesday 12th, and I was feeling fine by the time I got to the Kelvin Hall so continued all the way down Argyle Street, then back up North Street and over the footbridge across the M8. The tree cover and the spiral descent under West Graham Street caused some GPS problems and the distance came out a bit shorter than it should have been at 5.39 miles, in 40:13. I was comfortably around 7:15/mile before crossing the M8 so I think it was closer to 5.5 miles.

Polaroid Helensburgh 10K

I decided I was fit enough to take part, and not having any real idea how I was going to get on, I aimed for 3:30 per kilometre as usual. I passed the 1K mark in exactly 3:30 and paid careful attention to my pace as I'd gone through (supposedly) 2K last year in 6:30, but this time around my watch still said about 6:45, so I'm convinced the marker is out. I was further adrift from the leaders, and in third place for Garscube, although I made up one of those places before 3K. Approaching the halfway stage, I was starting to lose a couple of seconds per kilometre on my goal pace, and making up no ground at all on the leading Garscube runner, with no idea how close behind me the others were. Heading back along West King Street between 6K and 7K, I was dimly aware of somebody wearing white right behind me, but their shadow had a ponytail so I deduced that it was the leading female. Around 8K I became confident of beating 36 minutes and over the next kilometre I noticed I was closing quickly on the leading Garscube runner, moving ahead at 9K. I picked it up slightly in the finishing straight to hold my position, and thought on crossing the line in 35:18 that I could probably have run a bit faster towards the end, although it would only have saved me a few seconds.

It looked like Garscube might have won the second team prize, with only Shettleston heavily represented ahead of our first three finishers, so I stayed around for the presentation and discovered I had also won a prize for 9th senior man (14th overall).

6.7 miles moderate

I ducked out of the club's short hills session and ran a few miles on my own, down Maryhill Road to North Woodside Road, then back along Great Western Road and up Crow Road, finishing exactly where I'd started in Garscube Estate. Distance was 6.71 miles, time 44:21 for a 6:37 average.

7 miles moderate

After a fairly light weekend I tried a more challenging route from Bearsden Asda: up Milngavie Road to the rugby club, then the undulating route of the Hogmanay Handicap, and back down Milngavie Road. I was hoping for an average pace of around 6:30/mile, but the hills in the rural section were going to make it hard to judge, so I had to make up some time early on. I had dropped outside my target pace by the time I got back to Milngavie, but not by much. Finished in 45:04, distance was 6.95 miles for a 6:29 average.

3.4 miles steady

Went out before breakfast, starting at the Bourse again, and managed to identify the central ring road this time. We ran anticlockwise as far as Lemonnier and headed back to the Bourse. Distance was 3.41 miles, average pace 7:53/mile. Weekly total: 22 miles.

2.7 miles slow

Went out before breakfast for a run with Natasha through the centre of Brussels, starting at the Bourse and heading north-east along Boulevard Anspach looking for the central ring road, but we crossed it by mistake and only turned left near the Gare du Nord, and consequently ended up heading back along the Quai du Commerce instead of the ring road. On reaching Eglise Sainte Catherine it was obvious we had gone the wrong way and we soon ended up on Anspach again. We headed back towards the church and continued for a short while but threw in the towel when we arrived back at the Bourse.

2.5 miles hard

Only had time for a quick run at lunchtime so I went out for 2.49 miles via Queen Margaret Drive. Finishing time of 15:56 only gives me a 6:24/mile average but I had to wait at least 20 seconds to cross Garscube Road.

4.5 miles hard

Went out in the evening for 4.49 miles along my usual Cleveden Drive route but returned via Kirklee Road, Shakespeare Street and Maryhill Road. Finishing time was 28:22, average pace 6:19/mile.

5 miles slow

Went out in the evening for 5.03 miles around the West End with Natasha, along Great Western Road, down Hyndland Road and Hyndland Street, and home via Sauchiehall Street and St George's Road, finishing in 41 minutes.

3.5 miles moderate

I only had time for a shorter than usual run from Bearsden Asda, so I chose a more difficult route over Mosshead Road, back down Drymen Road and along West Chapelton Avenue. It came out at 3.54 miles, completed in 23:03 for a 6:31/mile average, although I was just inside 14 minutes at the 2-mile mark near the Stockiemuir Road junction.

3.4 miles steady, 9.4 miles steady

Went out in the morning for the usual 3.4 steady miles around the West End, finishing in 23:48. In the afternoon I was feeling a bit better than on Saturday and tried a longer route via Great Western Road to Blairdardie, over the canal and back along Canniesburn Road and Maryhill Road. The 30 minute mark was just as I was reaching Drumchapel Road, which was a bit down on my previous attempt in December but still not too bad. Shortly afterwards, heavy rain came on, mixed with hail for a while, and stayed on until I got home. GPS reception stopped abruptly at Canniesburn Toll so I had no reliable indication of my pace from that point on but aimed to finish inside 1:05. The distance as measured on my previous attempt was 9.4 miles, time on this occasion was 1:04:33 which is a couple of minutes down on my best time. Average pace was 6:52/mile. Weekly total: 40 miles.

7 miles steady

In the afternoon I ran my usual 7-mile route through Garscube Estate. Wasn't feeling particularly energetic and ended up with a 6:46/mile average. The route was flooded in a couple of places due to heavy rain.

7.9 miles tempo

The club training session was supposed to be an 8-mile run. I considered running there and back for the first time in ages but thought better of it, which was just as well as the fast pack set out very promptly and I would have missed them if I'd run. The route took us over Rannoch Drive and through Milngavie to Craigdhu Road and up to the roundabout, then back down Drymen Road with an optional diversion along Station Road and over Pendicle Road before heading back along Maryhill Road to the main gate. The first couple of miles were fairly steady but after 4 miles or so I was having to work quite hard not to fall more than a few metres off the pace. I got back on terms on the downhill section and on Drymen Road we started to drop below a 6-minute pace. After the hill on Pendicle Road I knew I wasn't going to be dropped, although I suspect a few people were taking it easier than usual on account of races at the weekend. Distance was 7.86 miles, completed in 51:52 for a 6:36/mile average.

3.8 miles moderate

Went out in the evening for the same route as Saturday morning. I felt not too bad and had to check my pace a couple of times as I was trying to take it fairly easy. Finishing time was 24:44 for 3.79 miles, average pace 6:32/mile.

3.4 miles slow, 5.7 miles moderate

Went out in the morning with Natasha for our usual 3.4-mile route (measured this time at 3.36). In the late afternoon I didn't have enough time for my normal route from Bearsden Asda so cut it short by heading up South Mains Road instead of Clober Road and Craigton Road. Distance was 5.67 miles, time 37:02 for a 6:32/mile average.

3.8 miles steady

In the morning I ran 3.83 miles via Shakespeare Street, Cleveden Road and North Woodside Road at a steady 7:18/mile pace. Legs were quite heavy and I didn't feel like going back out later on. Weekly total: 31 miles.

3.8 miles easy, 7 miles steady

Went out before lunch for 3.78 miles via Shakespeare Street, Great Western Road and Queen Margaret Drive at an easy 7:22/mile pace. In the afternoon I ran my usual 7-mile route via Garscube Estate in 6:50/mile.