Tuesday 29 May 2012

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles moderate

Didn't feel up to running at all on Monday. On Tuesday I ran to work in 16:59, average pace 6:54/mile, and back home in 16:03, average pace 6:31/mile. Hamstring tightness still a problem, Dumbarton 10K only a slim possibility at this point.

Sunday 27 May 2012

4.6 miles easy

Leg tightness was still a problem so I went for an easy run up Baird's Brae, along the canal to Maryhill Locks, and back down Maryhill Road. Didn't feel so great and by Lochburn Road on the way back I was ready to throw in the towel. HR readings again look too high for my pace. 4.57 miles in 34:21, average pace 7:31/mile, HR 140.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:37 (135), 7:22 (142), 7:26 (141), 7:42 (141), 7:27 (144)
HR zones: 2.5%, 16.4%, 81.1%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 36 miles

Saturday 26 May 2012

4.5 miles slow

Ran a loop of Kelvingrove Park, Yorkhill and Anderston with Natasha. 4.45 miles in 38:54, average pace 8:45/mile, HR 133. HR evidently too high for the pace I was running at.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:44 (119), 8:48 (134), 8:16 (138), 9:10 (137), 8:46 (141)
HR zones: 10.2%, 62.0%, 27.8%, 0%, 0%

Friday 25 May 2012

2x2.5 miles easy

Ran to work in 18:27, average pace 7:30/mile, and back home in 18:18, average pace 7:26/mile. It was hard work and excessively uncomfortable for such a slow pace, most likely on account of the heat as well as the previous evening's race.

Thursday 24 May 2012

Polaroid Clydebank 10K

The hamstring problem was no worse than it had been before the Helensburgh 10K, but I still hadn't quite got used to the heat by the time of the race and felt quite fatigued. The Clydebank 10K had been designated the club 10K championship, of which I was the current holder. There was however a larger Garscube turnout than the previous week and I had little chance of being among our first three finishers, so the pressure was off with regards to counting for a team prize. I decided just to aim for the usual 3:25/K and see how long I could keep it up for. I wore the Brooks Green Silence as they had worked out OK at Helensburgh.

The course had been revised to avoid Dumbarton Road, so the start and finish had been moved back, and the route through the Business Park had been changed. I reached the first kilometre marker in a reasonable position in the field but definitely feeling like I was putting in more effort than I should have been, not least because the time on my watch was 3:45. This was pretty demoralising, but when I went through 2K in 6:45 without having noticeably sped up, I was quite relieved. By this point I was 4th for Garscube. On the towpath I could feel my pace starting to suffer and had to fight an urge to drop out over the next mile or so, telling myself that if I could just drag myself to the finish I wouldn't have to run at Dumbarton the following Thursday. Once I had got through the Business Park at the start of the second lap, it was just a case of getting it over with. On the canal, where I was sure my pace had dropped outside 6:00/mile, I could tell Marco wasn't far behind me, although he didn't seem to be getting any closer so I shouted back to him not to take his pace from me. He went past shortly afterwards, along with the leading lady.

Heading through the Business Park for the last time, I lost a place to a Maryhill Harrier, and I hadn't seen the 8K marker and thought there was still a fair way to go, but after turning a corner I saw that we were at 9K and managed to pick it up enough to gain back the place and open up a small gap before the end. I finished in 34th place in a pretty poor 36:54, average pace 5:56/mile, with a bloodstained sock from a blister which had developed during the race. The results showed that some people had clearly coped with the heat much better than others, so I would attribute my slow time to that as much as gradual loss of fitness.

Tuesday 22 May 2012

2.5 miles easy, 2.5 miles moderate, 3.6 miles easy

Ran to work in 17:12, average pace 7:00/mile, and back home in 15:49, average pace 6:26/mile. I might have left it at that for the day but decided I should try to acclimatise in case the warm spell lasted until Thursday evening, so later on I ran up Maryhill Road to Garrioch Road, back down Great Western Road and to the top of Napiershall Street. 3.64 miles in 24:54, average pace 6:50/mile, HR 149.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:15 (138), 6:48 (151), 6:31 (155), 6:45 (154)
HR zones: 1.9%, 13.2%, 81.1%, 3.8%, 0%

Monday 21 May 2012

2x2.5 miles moderate, 2.5 miles slow

Ran to work in 16:26, average pace 6:41/mile, and back home in 16:15, average pace 6:36/mile. In the evening I ran an easy loop of Manse Road and Canniesburn Toll from Bearsden Asda. 2.47 miles in 20:01, average pace 8:06/mile, HR 136.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:21 (134), 7:50 (137), 8:09 (141)
HR zones: 3.2%, 60.7%, 36.1%, 0%, 0%

Sunday 20 May 2012

4.7 miles slow

Ran an easy loop of Hyndland Road, Dumbarton Road and Charing Cross with Natasha. 4.65 miles in 41:35, average pace 8:57/mile, HR 118.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:53 (111), 9:02 (115), 8:43 (119), 9:01 (122), 9:12 (122)
HR zones: 58.4%, 41.6%, 0%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 26 miles

Friday 18 May 2012

2x2.5 miles easy

Ran to work in 18:27, average pace 7:30/mile, and back home in 18:18, average pace 7:26/mile. Found the going very tough and wondered if I should have taken the day off to recover.

Thursday 17 May 2012

Polaroid Helensburgh 10K

Thought after Tuesday that I could at least give the Helensburgh 10K a go and drop out if the injury flared up. Conditions were damp and only slightly windy, which was fine for racing, but meant I couldn't wear the new Hyperspeed 5 as they have a tendency to suck up surface water and cause blisters. Instead I went with the Brooks Green Silence. Decided to aim for 3:25 per kilometre and see how long I could sustain it. This went reasonably well for the first few kilometres - in fact, better than I had expected - and I found myself at the back of a group which gradually pulled away as my lack of fitness began to tell, and I struggled with mild stitches on both sides.

At 6K I was still a few seconds inside a 3:30/km average but by 7K I had dropped outside. I felt like my legs could manage a faster pace but the strength to pick it up just wasn't there. The stitches I had suffered practically from the start had conveniently masked any hip or hamstring pain, but my injury made its presence felt inside the last kilometre and I began to limp slightly. I crossed the line in a chip time of 35:32, giving me 17th place and 7th M40. Although not too bad under the circumstances, this was a frustrating 51 seconds down from last year's time, which would have been good enough this year for 1st M40. I was second finisher for Garscube. Average pace was 5:43/mile.

Tuesday 15 May 2012

2.5 miles moderate, 2.5 miles hard

Ran to work in 16:11, average pace 6:35/mile, and back home in a new PB of 15:19, average pace 6:14/mile. Felt much better in the morning than I had on Monday evening but the PB was a surprise.

Monday 14 May 2012

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles moderate

Ran to work in 16:54, average pace 6:52/mile, and back home in 16:00, average pace 6:30/mile. Later in the evening I didn't feel like I had recovered from Thursday very well, even after taking Sunday off. Helensburgh 10K looking doubtful.

Saturday 12 May 2012

4.7 miles moderate

Realising that my 10K shoes of choice, the adiZero Mana, were over 2 years old, I picked up a pair of Asics Hyperspeed 5 and tried them out in advance of a possible racing debut at the Helensburgh 10K with a loop of Garrioch Road, Winton Drive, Beaconsfield Road and Napiershall Street. 4.69 miles in 30:50, average pace 6:34/mile, HR 150. Just like the Hyperspeed 4, the shoes seemed OK with liberal application of an anti-blister stick, but I felt afterwards as if I might have been putting my recovery at risk with 9 consecutive days of running and some recent fast miles, so I took Sunday off.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:10 (136), 6:22 (148), 6:41 (156), 6:09 (159), 6:28 (157)
HR zones: 1.7%, 11.1%, 73.9%, 13.4%, 0%
Weekly total: 47 miles

Friday 11 May 2012

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles hard

Ran to work in 17:00, average pace 6:55/mile, and back home in 15:46, average pace 6:25/mile. Reasonably confident about being able to take part in the Helensburgh 10K at least.

Thursday 10 May 2012

2x2.5 miles moderate, 6.6 miles tempo

Ran to work in 16:34, average pace 6:44/mile, and back home in 16:02, average pace 6:31/mile. Decided that if I was going to have any chance of running in the Polaroid series I would have to test the water by training with the club. The planned session was a steady run down Maryhill Road, Queen Margaret Drive, Hyndland Road and Clarence Drive, heading back to Garscube Estate via Crow Road and Anniesland Cross. The faster packs were combined into one on account of low numbers. A steady run didn't really suit my purposes so it was fine that the pace gradually increased, and we ended up running it as a tempo session. I fell off the pace on Clarence Drive and ended my tempo section at Anniesland Cross. 5.29 miles in 33:17, average pace 6:17/mile, HR 161.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:13 (141), 6:21 (159), 5:59 (165), 5:45 (170), 6:05 (171), 6:32 (169)
HR zones: 1.0%, 5.9%, 30.1%, 62.9%, 0%

The warm-down came out at 1.28 miles and I was able to pick up the pace again towards the end. 1.28 miles in 9:17, average pace 7:17/mile, HR 157. Hip was tight afterwards but it could certainly have been worse.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:29 (158), 6:31 (154)
HR zones: 0%, 0%, 75.4%, 24.6%, 0%

Wednesday 9 May 2012

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles moderate, 3.5 miles easy

Ran to work in 16:42, average pace 6:47/mile, and back home in 15:49, average pace 6:26/mile. In the evening I ambitiously attempted an easy loop of Garrioch Road and Napiershall Street, wearing the Skechers Resistance Runners, to try to resume normal training leading up to the Polaroids. Hip/hamstring tightness nagged me a bit afterwards so I should possibly have worn lighter shoes. 3.52 miles in 26:22, average pace 7:29/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:00 (140), 7:19 (147), 7:09 (153), 7:28 (154)
HR zones: 1.3%, 10.6%, 87.6%, 0.6%, 0%

Tuesday 8 May 2012

2.5 miles moderate, 2.5 miles hard, 5.2 miles steady

Ran to work in 16:37, average pace 6:45/mile, and back home in 15:48, average pace 6:25/mile. In the evening I decided against the club's fartlek session and ran a steady loop of Garrioch Road and Anniesland Cross, starting and finishing in Garscube Estate. 5.2 miles in 36:05, average pace 6:56/mile, HR 152. Ran a 1.02-mile warm-down around the car park afterwards.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:18 (142), 6:47 (151), 6:55 (152), 6:45 (156), 6:54 (159), 6:53 (157)
HR zones: 1.0%, 3.1%, 90.2%, 5.7%, 0%

Monday 7 May 2012

6.1 miles hard

Didn't feel too bad after Sunday's efforts so I decided I was on my way to recovery and risked a run up Baird's Brae and along the canal to Dorchester Avenue, heading home along Great Western Road and North Woodside Road. 6.05 miles in 38:14, average pace 6:19/mile, HR 160.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:00 (140), 6:13 (159), 6:04 (163), 6:13 (164), 6:12 (169), 6:11 (167)
HR zones: 1.6%, 3.6%, 24.5%, 70.3%, 0%

Sunday 6 May 2012

6.4 miles slow, 7 miles moderate

In the morning I ran along Great Western Road to Anniesland Cross and down Crow Road with Natasha, heading home along the Kelvin behind the Art Gallery and through Kelvingrove Park. 6.44 miles in 53:39, average pace 8:20/mile, HR 130.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:20 (125), 8:17 (132), 8:10 (134), 8:22 (130), 8:15 (130), 8:27 (129), 8:39 (127)
HR zones: 5.5%, 92.9%, 1.7%, 0%, 0%

Later on I felt just about OK to run again, this time a familiar loop of Garscube Estate, Anniesland Cross and North Woodside Road, although it seemed like more effort than it should have been. 6.95 miles in 46:53, average pace 6:45/mile, HR 157.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:09 (140), 6:52 (153), 6:36 (157), 6:51 (159), 6:42 (160), 6:42 (163), 6:21 (168)
HR zones: 0.8%, 5.4%, 56.3%, 37.4%, 0%
Weekly total: 22 miles

Saturday 5 May 2012

3.4 miles steady

Got the Garmin HRM working again simply by resyncing it with the watch. Ran a loop of Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street in 23:32 for 3.36 miles, average pace 7:00/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:31 (132), 6:58 (154), 6:37 (157), 6:46 (157)
HR zones: 3.8%, 22.9%, 55.5%, 17.8%, 0%

Friday 4 May 2012

2x2.5 miles hard

Felt no better for taking a few days off so decided I might as well start running to work again, and got there in a new running-to-work PB of 15:37, average pace 6:21/mile, a huge and unexpected improvement of 45 seconds on my previous best. Ran back home in 15:39, average pace 6:22/mile.

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Gym

Having done no running since Sunday, I thought I had probably better pay a visit to the gym for an elliptical session, 3x5:20 with a 4-7-10 work level pattern.