4.4 miles slow, 8.7 miles moderate

Went out before lunch with Natasha, although she was in a hurry and set off first and it wasn't until Kelvinbridge that I caught up with her. We continued along Great Western Road until she met Tanya, then I headed back up Beaconsfield Road, down Cleveden Gardens and Bellshaugh Lane, and home via Shakespeare Street. I could hardly move at all and felt like I was in the closing stages of a marathon, although it put me within easy reach of 50 miles for the week. Got back home in 37:11 for the 4.37 miles, average pace 8:31/mile, HR 131.

In the afternoon I felt very lethargic and considered running just the few extra miles necessary to reach my goal, but in the end I had another go at the same route as a couple of weekends ago, along Great Western Road to Lincoln Avenue and back via Danes Drive. For some reason it went a lot better and I was only a few seconds outside 20 minutes at the 3-mile mark. Assisted by a slight tailwind on the way back in, my average pace continued to drop all the way round apart from the climb up Clarence Drive, but I wasn't far enough ahead of schedule at Queen Margaret Drive to attempt the extra half-mile and still finish inside an hour. Got back home in 58:06, distance came out at 8.73 miles for an average pace of 6:39/mile, HR 154.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:11 (139), 6:37 (152), 6:38 (151), 6:37 (153), 6:28 (155), 6:39 (158), 6:45 (161), 6:29 (160)
HR zones: 1.6%, 4.0%, 73.3%, 21.1%, 0%
Weekly total: 56 miles

3.2 miles slow, 5.2 miles moderate

Ran down to the office before lunch, via Kelvingrove Park, Yorkhill and along the riverfront. Distance came out at 3.19 miles, time 25:07, average pace 7:53/mile, HR 137.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:50 (134), 8:04 (138), 7:44 (139), 7:59 (138)
HR zones: 1.5%, 77.3%, 21.2%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran an old route via Cowal Road and Cleveden Road. Felt very slow, especially going up the hill. On the way back I extended the route by heading back up Queen Margaret Drive - still felt slow but the average pace wasn't looking too bad. Stopped at Queen's Cross for a couple of minutes to talk to Ben. Finished the 5.23 miles in 34:41, average pace 6:38/mile, HR 153.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:02 (139), 6:40 (151), 6:50 (156), 6:15 (160), 6:28 (158), 6:14 (158)
HR zones: 2.5%, 7.0%, 60.0%, 30.5%, 0%

3.3 miles steady

Had just over 20 minutes to get some more miles in so I ran my usual West End route, starting off slowly in the cold and picking it up a bit as I warmed up. 3.33 miles in 23:24, average pace 7:01/mile, HR 143.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:24 (135), 6:59 (145), 6:46 (146), 6:46 (153)
HR zones: 2.1%, 15.3%, 82.5%, 0%, 0%

2.9 miles easy, 5.8 miles tempo, 2.9 miles slow

Ran to training for the first time in ages, expecting to get there in plenty of time as an 8-mile run was scheduled and this normally involved the fast pack going out closer to 7:30. However, they had already left by the time I got there, and the route described to me - Anniesland Cross, Great Western Road, Lincoln Avenue, Danes Drive, Crow Road - sounded well short of 8 miles. I set off on my own, not feeling particularly fast, and with nobody in view I took a short-cut via Anniesland Road to give me a chance of catching up. As it turned out I reached Lincoln Avenue just as the second pack got there, with the fast pack visible about 30 seconds up the road. I ran at the back of the second pack for a bit, expecting to try to go with the fast pack when they overtook us. On Danes Drive I thought it might be easier to do this from the front of the pack, and also suddenly felt quite fit, so I picked up the pace drastically and decided to try to delay being caught for as long as possible. I had good luck crossing roads and somewhere around Anniesland Cross I realised I wasn't going to be caught at all and eased off very slightly. It also occurred to me around this time that the others were probably taking it a bit easier because of Sunday's cross-country race. Ran back down the road with John afterwards. My short-cut took about 0.7 miles off the route.

2.88 miles in 21:57, 7:37/mile, HR 139
Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:44 (136), 7:32 (141), 7:33 (141)
HR zones: 1.8%, 40.3%, 57.9%, 0%, 0%

5.82 miles in 37:35, 6:27/mile, HR 160
Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:11 (141), 6:35 (151), 6:27 (156), 6:06 (172), 6:16 (172), 6:06 (171)
HR zones: 1.1%, 3.3%, 45.7%, 50.0%, 0%

2.88 miles in 24:09, 8:22/mile, HR 137
Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:32 (136), 8:05 (141), 8:31 (135)
HR zones: 1.9%, 63.1%, 35.1%, 0%, 0%

7.8 miles easy

Instead of playing football I racked up a few easy miles, to Bearsden Asda and back, taking a minor shortcut via Ancroft Street although if I hadn't it might have made it up to 8 miles for the run. As I was expecting a hard run with the club on Thursday I tried to maintain a comfortable pace with the minimum amount of effort. It came out at 7.77 miles in total, time 59:39 for a 7:41/mile average, HR 138.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:49 (134), 7:32 (139), 7:31 (140), 7:50 (139), 7:43 (134), 7:36 (142), 7:41 (138), 7:45 (136)
HR zones: 1.7%, 59.1%, 39.2%, 0%, 0%

7.1 miles moderate

Dodged the club's track pyramids session in favour of a steady long-ish run around the West End. I was aiming for somewhere inside 7:15/mile but it wasn't too much trouble to run a bit quicker. The route was along Great Western Road to Anniesland Cross, down Crow Road, up Clarence Drive, back down Great Western Road to Cowcaddens and up Garscube Road. The distance came out slightly shorter than expected at 7.1 miles. Time was 47:32, average pace 6:42/mile, HR 153. Felt fitter than on Monday although both hips were a bit tight. I was only in HR zone 4 climbing Clarence Drive, crossing a couple of junctions on Great Western Road, and in the last half mile, so the average pace isn't bad for comparatively little effort.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:03 (144), 6:38 (149), 6:28 (153), 6:40 (153), 6:51 (157), 6:32 (157)
HR zones: 0.8%, 2.1%, 88.8%, 8.3%, 0%

4.3 miles easy

Ran a shorter route from Bearsden Asda - half (i.e. one lap) of the old 5-mile course, down to the bottom of Rannoch Drive and back up Milngavie Road. Distance was 4.28 miles, time 32:03 for a 7:29/mile average, HR 136.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:54 (128), 7:29 (138), 7:28 (140), 7:11 (138), 7:11 (145)
HR zones: 3.0%, 60.3%, 36.7%, 0%, 0%

9.3 miles steady

Went for a swim in the morning and consequently only had one run available in the afternoon to try to bring my total distance for the week up to 50 miles, so I chose one of my longer routes along Great Western Road and over the canal at Blairdardie, then back along Canniesburn Road and down Maryhill Road. I started off pretty slowly and was suffering from heavy legs, but picked it up a bit and crossed the canal inside 30 minutes, before struggling up the hill to Drumchapel Road where I lost a lot of time. After another mile or so I started to get it back together and battled through sore quads to get my average pace below 7:15/mile. Got back home in 1:06:57. The distance came out at 9.32 miles, giving me an average pace of 7:11/mile, HR 142.

Pace splits: 7:27 (129), 7:09 (138), 6:52 (141), 6:57 (144), 7:44 (144), 7:23 (140), 7:07 (147), 6:58 (147), 7:08 (146), 6:55 (146)
HR zones: 1.6%, 24.1%, 74.3%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 50 miles

6.2 miles easy, 7.6 miles easy

In the morning I ran down to Kelvinbridge with Natasha and continued down Great Western Road to Cowcaddens, up the steps to the canal, along the towpath as far as the Maryhill locks and back down Maryhill Road. Distance was 6.19 miles, time 47:51, average pace 7:44/mile, HR 141.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:18 (127), 8:13 (142), 7:26 (145), 7:31 (144), 7:25 (143), 7:32 (142), 7:34 (143)
HR zones: 2.2%, 28.6%, 69.2%, 0%, 0%

In the late afternoon I ran a loop from Drymen partly along the West Highland Way. The second mile, which took me up the hill from the main road, was particularly hard work. Once in the forest, there was no snow underfoot for the most part, and the sun set pretty quickly, leaving me to peer into the gloom to try to make out the route, but I did remember some of it from last year. I only had to double back twice, once to check that I was actually going the right way, and the other time when I reached the gate at the start of the path to Conic Hill and realised I should have gone down the hill at the previous junction. The track down to Milton of Buchanan was very stony and I could easily have sustained an ankle injury, so if I ever tried this again it would need to be in better light. Once on the road from Balmaha, where the road markings were helpfully luminous, I managed to pick up the pace a bit and got back to the hotel in 57:01, distance 7.56 miles. Average pace was 7:32/mile, HR 150.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:39 (142), 8:15 (153), 7:58 (146), 7:38 (151), 7:36 (143), 7:17 (154), 6:50 (159), 6:42 (155)
HR zones: 0.9%, 7.1%, 86.1%, 5.9%, 0%

3.1 miles hard

My window for a run was limited to about 20 minutes and I still wasn't feeling too great, so I went out for a short loop via Queen Margaret Drive, giving the adiZero Mana another try. I reached Great Western Road well inside 10 minutes so I decided I could manage 3 miles quite comfortably in the time and extended the route via St George's Cross. I was still slightly short of 3 miles by the time I got home so I ran round the block to take it up to 3.08 miles, completed in 19:22 for a 6:18/mile average, HR 155.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:29 (145), 6:17 (155), 6:08 (163)
HR zones: 1.6%, 4.0%, 66.0%, 28.4%, 0%

7 miles easy

Unable to train properly due to injury and a bad cold, I thought I might still be able to get a few miles in as long as I took it easy, so I ran my usual 7-mile route via Garscube Estate. I would have been happy with 8-minute miles except coming back along Great Western Road turned into a bit of an ordeal with freezing rain in my face, so I tried to pick up the pace by moving onto the forefoot to get it over with. 6.95 miles in 53:36 for a 7:42/mile average, HR 137.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:07 (128), 8:01 (134), 7:32 (135), 8:00 (136), 7:42 (138), 7:23 (146), 7:11 (148)
HR zones: 1.5%, 63.6%, 35.0%, 0%, 0%

3.4 miles slow

Played football for the first time in ages, but probably also for the last time, as the hip injury recurred during the course of the game. I tried to run it off afterwards on my usual West End route and it did seem to improve after the first mile or so. Distance was 3.36 miles, time 26:50, 8:00/mile average, HR 133.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:18 (130), 7:59 (132), 7:45 (136), 7:50 (139)
HR zones: 2.5%, 89.6%, 7.9%, 0%, 0%

7.6 miles moderate

I dodged the club's hill reps session (although considered taking part as it involved my favourite hills in Westerton) and ran a longer loop which I had tried a couple of times in November, down Maryhill Road and Garscube Road to Phoenix Road, then back to Garscube Estate via Great Western Road and Crow Road. I would have been quite happy to average 7-minute miles but going a bit faster didn't involve much more effort. Finished the 7.61 miles in 50:37, average pace 6:39/mile, HR 153.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:02 (140), 6:48 (151), 6:37 (150), 6:37 (151), 6:42 (157), 6:19 (160), 6:51 (162), 6:00 (163)
HR zones: 1.2%, 3.6%, 70.6%, 24.6%, 0%

5.8 miles moderate

Tried last Monday's hilly route again except heading up Boclair Road to Rannoch Drive at the start. The first mile was consequently pretty slow but I managed to drive down my average pace fairly well, with splits varying according to whether a particular mile was broadly uphill or downhill. The extra distance took it up to 5.84 miles, completed in 38:38 for a 6:37/mile average, HR 158.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:13 (149), 6:35 (157), 6:44 (157), 6:18 (158), 6:40 (163), 6:07 (164)
HR zones: 1.0%, 3.4%, 52.1%, 43.5%, 0%

3.9 miles easy, 6 miles moderate

In the morning I ran a longer route along the canal, this time up to Shakespeare Street for 3.85 miles in 29:08, average pace 7:34/mile, HR 136. Noticed that my quads were finally starting to hurt from the increased mileage.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:11 (130), 7:26 (139), 7:22 (138), 7:14 (141)
HR zones: 3.3%, 66.1%, 30.5%, 0%, 0%

After lunch I tried out the adiZero Mana on another old route, through Ruchill Park, up Balmore Road, along Skirsa Street, past Summerston Station and back down Maryhill Road. I set off quite slowly but started to pick it up a bit on Balmore Road. I had expected to make up some time down the hill to Summerston but the path was dangerously icy, so it was only inside the last mile that I got my average pace below 6:45/mile. The Mana were fine, like a lighter version of the Tempo. Finished the 6.04 miles in 40:30, average pace 6:43/mile, HR 151.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:26 (141), 6:47 (146), 6:38 (149), 6:46 (153), 6:27 (157), 6:13 (161)
HR zones: 0.9%, 6.6%, 77.9%, 14.6%, 0%
Weekly total: 52 miles

2.4 miles easy, 8.7 miles moderate

Went out before breakfast to stretch the legs a bit with a quick run down Garscube Road, over the footbridge and up to the canal, along the towpath to Firhill Road and back home. It came out at 2.42 miles, time 17:18 for a 7:10/mile average, HR 142. The towpath was still icy in places, particularly between Spiers Wharf and Baird's Brae.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:27 (136), 6:55 (147), 7:01 (146)
HR zones: 3.4%, 22.3%, 74.4%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I tackled one of my standard longer routes via Great Western Road, Lincoln Avenue, Danes Drive and Clarence Drive which I had tried three times in the last year but only completed inside an hour in February, when I was far enough ahead of schedule to add an extra half mile or so, and had fallen a bit short in the two attempts since then. This time it was looking promising by the time I got to Balshagray Avenue and I also picked it up a bit in the last few miles, finishing the 8.73 miles in 57:44, average pace 6:37/mile, HR 155.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:02 (137), 6:33 (151), 6:45 (152), 6:31 (154), 6:35 (156), 6:45 (158), 6:37 (162), 6:20 (163), 6:19 (163)
HR zones: 0.8%, 4.1%, 65.8%, 29.3%, 0%

3.3 miles easy

Went out in the evening for an easy loop via Queen Margaret Drive and down Great Western Road to Garscube Road, 3.32 miles in 24:21, 7:21/mile average, HR 146.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:22 (151), 7:07 (147), 7:32 (143), 7:23 (140)
HR zones: 1.0%, 17.1%, 75.8%, 6.2%, 0%

7 miles steady

With the club training session relocated to the Kelvin Hall, I ran my usual 7-mile route instead, aiming for something inside 7-minute miles. Some more snow overnight and during the day made it the going heavy, particularly through Garscube Estate. Finished the 6.95 miles in 48:04 for a 6:55/mile average, HR 150.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:13 (143), 6:58 (153), 6:43 (148), 7:03 (151), 6:40 (152), 6:54 (155), 6:53 (153)
HR zones: 1.4%, 3.5%, 92.0%, 3.1%, 0%

6.1 miles hard

With conditions improving I decided to try my usual 6-mile route wearing the Newtons for an easy route PB, although the ice at New City Road cost me a bit of time. I was inside 6:20/mile on reaching Dorchester Avenue, fell slightly outside it over the next couple of miles due to a combination of hills and tired legs, but got back inside in the last mile. Finished via Maryhill Road instead of Garscube Road to avoid the worst of the side streets but I didn't quite manage to beat 38 minutes or even get into HR zone 5 as I had hoped. The distance came out at 6.05 miles, time 38:05 for a 6:18/mile average, HR 160.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:19 (143), 6:13 (158), 6:07 (161), 6:31 (163), 6:32 (166), 6:02 (167)
HR zones: 0.8%, 2.8%, 32.0%, 64.4%, 0%

8.7 miles slow/moderate

I ran the same route as last Thursday with Natasha except via Shakespeare Street instead of Queen Margaret Drive on my own to add an extra .9 of a mile or so, to give me a chance of pushing my average pace down to 8:00/mile. I was assisted by the fact that we had averaged about 8:40/mile for the route we ran together (around 5.3 miles) due to better conditions. My total mileage was 8.71 in 1:09:45 for the desired 8:00/mile average, HR 131.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 9:05 (118), 8:25 (120), 8:19 (125), 8:26 (124), 8:54 (129), 8:28 (131), 6:52 (143), 6:37 (153), 6:33 (159)
HR zones: 16.8%, 56.5%, 24.5%, 2.2%, 0%

5.5 miles moderate

Tried a quieter route from Bearsden Asda consisting of two laps of the old club 5-mile road race loop, so I could run on the road to avoid pavements which were still icy in places, although I considered giving it a miss altogether on account of light, freezing rain. I had loosened up a bit by the second lap and managed some decent splits despite feeling quite slow. Distance was 5.52 miles in 36:43 for a 6:39/mile average, HR 156.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:58 (148), 6:50 (154), 6:40 (155), 6:27 (155), 6:38 (162), 6:04 (163)
HR zones: 1.5%, 1.5%, 66.5%, 30.5%, 0%

4.5 miles slow, 5.2 miles moderate

Went out before lunch with Natasha for an old route through Kelvingrove Park and down to the Clyde, then back via Anderston and St George's Road. It came out at 4.5 miles, putting me within easy reach of 50 miles for the week and completed just inside 40 minutes, ave. HR 128. The only time spent in zone 3 was when I sprinted up a spiral footpath over the Expressway.

HR zones: 8.2%, 91.5%, 0.3%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran another familiar route via Maryhill Road, Dorchester Road and Great Western Road, again starting off via Maryhill Road instead of Garscube Road due to the condition of the side streets. Finished the 5.23 miles in 34:38 for a 6:38/mile average, HR 154.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:42 (144), 6:35 (155), 6:30 (155), 6:40 (157), 6:32 (158), 7:20 (160)
HR zones: 1.4%, 3.2%, 84%, 11.4%, 0%
Weekly total: 51 miles

3.3 miles slow, 6 miles moderate

The night splint to treat PF was working so well that I was able to go out for a run with Natasha within minutes of getting up, down to Botanic Gardens to meet Tanya, and while they continued to Anniesland Cross I headed back home via the reverse of our usual route, 3.32 miles in total.

In the afternoon I thought I would try out the heart rate monitor which came with the Forerunner. It wasn't much hassle to put on and seemed perfectly accurate while I was getting ready to go out, although I didn't know if SportTracks would even use the collected data. I went round the same route as the previous Sunday afternoon and didn't have much more success in trying to keep off the snow, due to traffic, but managed to knock a few seconds off my previous route PB, finishing in 39:44 for a 6:36/mile average for the 6.01 miles. SportTracks did indeed use the HR data and showed me an overall average (159) as well as an average for each mile, percentage in each of the five HR zones, and exactly where on the map I was running in each zone. I was in zone 4 all the way from Cowal Road to the end.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:49 (143), 6:37 (156), 6:28 (160), 6:34 (163), 6:40 (166), 6:26 (165)
HR zones: 0.8%, 2.7%, 39.2%, 57.4%, 0%

3.4 miles easy

The physio visit revealed fairly good progress so I went out for a few easy miles later in the afternoon, consisting of my usual West End route except starting via Maryhill Road, 3.39 miles in 26:31 for a 7:50/mile average. Pace splits: 7:59, 7:50, 7:48, 7:29.

6.9 miles moderate

With the club training session in doubt, I went out in the evening for a steady run along my old 7-mile route in what seemed to be the lowest temperatures so far, aiming for somewhere under 7:00/mile. My left heel was sore for the first couple of miles, so I resolved to tackle what was obviously PF when I got home, before it got any worse. The left hip, both hamstrings and even both quads played up at various times, possibly triggered by the cold - I noticed the Kelvin was partly frozen over in Garscube Estate. I was wearing the usual running tights, long-sleeved top and t-shirt which struck a reasonable balance between freezing and overheating, but some passers-by evidently thought I was underdressed. Got stuck for a bit at the junction of Great Western Road and Cleveden Road, but I finished what came out at 6.93 miles in 47:44, 6:54/mile average. Pace splits: 7:11, 6:51, 6:39, 7:01, 6:47, 6:58, 6:47.

4.6 miles hard

I tried a route based on my usual West End route which I thought would keep me on the roads which were easiest to run on in sub-zero temperatures with a lot of snow and ice around, as usual wearing the Tempo. It took me down St George's Road and all the way up Maryhill Road to Shakespeare Street, back down Great Western Road, up Queen Margaret Drive and home via Maryhill Road. Apart from snow underfoot at the start and finish, it was safe to run on and traffic was fairly light. Wasn't planning a particularly fast run after relatively high mileage over the last few days but it came out not too badly at 28:49 for 4.56 miles, 6:20/mile average. Pace splits: 6:45, 6:23, 6:07, 6:17, 5:55.

7.9 miles slow

In the evening I went out with Natasha for a combination of our usual West End routes, heading up Maryhill Road to Shakespeare Street and then down Hyndland Road to Sauchiehall Street. We managed an average of 9:00/mile in the snow for 5.25 miles or so, then I ran a loop of Queen Margaret Drive and Napiershall Street on my own to bring the total up to 7.85 miles. It took a while to get moving any faster in the cold, but I managed to push my average pace down to 8:21/mile by the end.

3.9 miles steady, 5.4 miles moderate

Went out before lunch for a recovery run via Maryhill Road, Shakespeare Street, Cleveden Drive, Great Western Road and Napiershall Street - 3.91 miles in 27:46 for a 7:06/mile average. Pace splits: 7:18, 7:11, 7:05, 6:50. In the evening I ran one of my usual routes from Bearsden Asda. The ice was particularly dangerous on Park Road and Clober Road but I was able to run on the road after that and was approaching Newton speeds in the adiZero Tempo. Finished the 5.35 miles in 34:26 for a 6:26/mile average. Pace splits: 6:58, 6:53, 6:27, 6:02, 6:03, 5:47.

Hogmanay Handicap, 6 miles steady

This year's Jack Shirley Memorial Handicap was run in the reverse direction on account of a long, icy hill. I opted for the Inov-8s again for a bit more traction in what I expected to be poor conditions. The temperature was about -3 so I wore running tights as it would most likely be colder out in the countryside. I was off scratch again and had made up about 10 seconds on Marco along Baldernock Road, which turned out to be almost entirely free of snow and ice. Approaching the mill, on what should have been the fastest mile of the course, I had noticed one of my laces was trailing. I tried to ignore it but the knot came undone completely as I passed a cottage on Dowan Road so I had to stop and tie it. The double knot on the other shoe was also untying itself, so I tightened it before continuing, but I had lost momentum as well as around 20 seconds through stopping, and it was hard to get moving again in the cold. The road was icy until we reached Auchenhowie Road, but it was easiest to run in tyre tracks, so the Inov-8s were no more help than ordinary running shoes would have been, and there were still some nasty moments on corners. I managed to pick it up a bit in the flat final mile and finished the 4.05 miles in 25:26, average pace 6:16/mile. This was over 2 minutes down on last year. Pace splits: 6:20, 6:32, 6:23, 5:54, 4:58 (sprint at finish).

In the afternoon I had no injury worries other than tight hamstrings, so I went out for a steady run around the same 6-mile route as Thursday, which seemed more dangerous than before, especially along New City Road and Great Western Road. This time it came out at 6 miles exactly, time 42:17 for a 7:03/mile average. Pace splits: 6:58, 6:52, 7:10, 7:00, 7:18, 6:58. Weekly total: 25 miles.

3.8 miles slow

Went out with Natasha in the late afternoon to try one of her own routes down St George's Road and along Sauchiehall Street, up and down some hills in the city centre until we reached Buchanan Street, then heading back home via Sauchiehall Street. It came out at 3.84 miles, mostly ice-free.