4.3 miles moderate

Ran home from work via Lock 27 and the canal as far as the fire station in 28:20 for 4.28 miles, average pace 6:37/mile, HR 152.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:50 (137), 6:36 (152), 6:36 (158), 6:28 (161), 6:37 (161)
HR zones: 2.1%, 9.4%, 62.0%, 26.6%, 0%

4.3 miles steady

Ran home from work via Lock 27 and the canal as far as the fire station. 4.28 miles in 29:11, average pace 6:49/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:00 (137), 6:44 (149), 6:49 (152), 6:44 (153), 6:38 (155)
HR zones: 2.0%, 10.7%, 87.3%, 0%, 0%

2.7 miles moderate, 4.7 miles slow

Ran home from work in 17:12 for 2.67 miles, average pace 6:27/mile, HR 150.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:38 (139), 6:23 (156), 6:17 (159)
HR zones: 2.9%, 7.1%, 80.6%, 9.4%, 0%

In the evening I ran an easy loop of Hyndland Road and Charing Cross with Natasha. 4.65 miles in 40:50, average pace 8:47/mile, HR 129.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:54 (126), 8:39 (131), 8:43 (126), 8:48 (132), 8:57 (131)
HR zones: 8.4%, 90.8%, 0.7%, 0%, 0%

2.7 miles moderate, 1.8 miles easy

Ran home from work via my summer route in 17:33 for 2.67 miles, average pace 6:35/mile, HR 149.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:42 (140), 6:37 (152), 6:21 (156)
HR zones: 2.7%, 6.2%, 89.6%, 1.6%, 0%

In the evening I took it easier with a shorter loop of Roman Road and Canniesburn Toll from Bearsden Asda, albeit wearing my Skechers Resistance Runners. 1.79 miles in 13:42, average pace 7:40/mile, HR 142.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:56 (139), 7:20 (146)
HR zones: 1.3%, 25.4%, 73.2%, 0%, 0%

3.4 miles slow

Didn't seem to have made my foot injury any worse so I went out in the morning with Natasha for our usual short loop of Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street. 3.36 miles in 28:53, average pace 8:35/mile, HR 125.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:58 (122), 8:35 (124), 8:20 (127), 8:17 (129)
HR zones: 13.8%, 86.2%, 0%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 27 miles

National XC Championships

I had allowed my name to be entered provisionally for this race and decided during the week to give it a go, on the premise that I could just treat it as an exceptionally hard training session. We had a significantly better squad out than last year but I thought I stood a good chance of being one of the counters for the team, even with the foot injury. Although conditions were fine, I couldn't risk running in spikes so I went with the Inov-8 Roclite 285. I got off to a fast start and was third for Garscube for a while before I started to struggle to maintain the pace, having found it as difficult as last year to climb the long hill behind Callendar House, and I dropped to fifth counter later in the lap.

The trail shoes were working out OK but I was suffering from lack of fitness and losing quite a few places, eventually dropping to sixth counter just over halfway round the second lap. I fought the urge to give up and committed myself to completing the race by starting the final lap. However, on the path beside the lake I felt some foot pain coming on and would most likely have stopped if I hadn't still been a counter. I had also looked back a few times but there was nobody from Garscube close behind. Made it to the end of the lap, finishing the 7.44 miles in an anonymous 198th place and 48:13 officially but 48:10 on my watch, for a reasonable average pace of 6:28/mile, and just over a minute down on last year which wasn't too bad under the circumstances. I don't think it's really possible to run a decent 12K cross-country on just 20 miles a week. The team finished 11th, 1 point ahead of Carnegie, whose final counter was one place ahead of me. We'd have needed to score 100 points fewer to finish in the top 10.

Pace splits: 6:07, 6:14, 6:15, 6:47, 6:34, 6:51, 6:37, 6:03

2.8 miles hard

Ran home from work in 17:45 for 2.77 miles, average pace 6:25/mile, HR 159. Would have switched to my summer route but forgot until it was too late to cross, so I continued down Maryhill Road.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:39 (147), 6:29 (165), 6:01 (167)
HR zones: 2.5%, 1.6%, 30.3%, 65.5%, 0% 

4.3 miles moderate

Ran home via Lock 27 and the canal as far as the fire station, as it was finally light enough to see where I was going. 4.28 miles in 28:27, average pace 6:39/mile, HR 152.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:43 (139), 6:39 (154), 6:43 (158), 6:32 (158), 6:37 (157)
HR zones: 1.9%, 8.8%, 83.1%, 6.2%, 0% 

2.8 miles moderate

Ran home from work in 18:24 for 2.77 miles, average pace 6:39/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:51 (137), 6:41 (152), 6:20 (156)
HR zones: 4.1%, 10.3%, 80.8%, 4.8%, 0% 

2.8 miles hard, 3.2 miles easy

Ran home from work in 17:38 for 2.77 miles, average pace 6:22/mile, HR 152.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:45 (137), 6:22 (158), 5:54 (166)
HR zones: 3.6%, 16.7%, 42.2%, 37.5%, 0%

In the evening I felt OK to run a longer loop of Kilmardinny Avenue, Manse Road and Canniesburn Toll from Bearsden Asda. 3.23 miles in 24:44, average pace 7:39/mile, HR 144. Looked encouraging for the National Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:13 (138), 7:34 (146), 7:12 (148), 7:29 (155)
HR zones: 3.2%, 17.5%, 79.3%, 0%, 0%  

3.4 miles easy

Ran an easy loop of Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street in the late afternoon. 3.37 miles in 24:32, average pace 7:17/mile, HR 140.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:47 (130), 7:12 (141), 6:59 (146), 6:58 (149)
HR zones: 3.4%, 37.8%, 58.8%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 25 miles 

4.7 miles slow

Ran an easy loop of Hyndland Road and Charing Cross in the morning with Natasha. 4.65 miles in 39:11, average pace 8:26/mile, HR 130.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:15 (127), 8:31 (130), 8:17 (128), 8:26 (134), 8:46 (131)
HR zones: 5.8%, 90.7%, 3.5%, 0%, 0% 

2.8 miles moderate

Ran home from work in 18:06 for 2.77 miles, average pace 6:32/mile, HR 152.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:48 (142), 6:30 (160), 6:15 (157)
HR zones: 1.1%, 14.8%, 52.8%, 31.3%, 0% 

2.8 miles moderate

Ran home from work in 18:05 for 2.78 miles, average pace 6:30/mile, HR 150.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:41 (138), 6:39 (154), 6:06 (160)
HR zones: 3.7%, 10.2%, 65.5%, 20.6%, 0%