5.5 miles moderate

The club training session consisted of a simple route via Maryhill Road, Queen Margaret Drive and Great Western Road, which came out at 5.5 miles by the time we got back to the bridge in Garscube Estate. I ran at the front of the pack most of the way round at a pace I considered fairly comfortable. Finishing time was 34:40 for a 6:18/mile average.

3.3 miles steady

Ran a few miles after playing football, via Shakespeare Street and North Woodside Road.

Medium reps

Feeling quite lethargic, I jogged down to the Kelvin Hall with Natasha for the club training session. It was a lot quieter than the last time and there were fewer people there from Garscube as well. The directions for the depleted fast pack were to run 16 400m reps at 10K pace, with a 60-second recovery. We started out at about 85 seconds per 400m and gradually sped up, running the second last rep in 73 seconds. Having taken it relatively easy up to this point, we ran the last one flat out and I managed 60 seconds.

6.7 miles hard

I waited until the rain had stopped before setting off on my usual Monday evening run. There were some clouds in the distance so I started out fast so I would at least not be heading West if the rain came on again. However, it was already starting by the time I got to Clober Road and then on Craigton Road I ended up running uphill into driving rain which was exactly what I had hoped to avoid. I still managed to reach the highest point on the route at Baljaffray roundabout in an average of 6:27/mile, by which time the rain had gone off, and took advantage of the long downhill section to knock my average pace down to 6:10 by the end, finishing in a huge route PB of 41:03. Run.GPS measured the distance this time at 6.66 miles. Last week's measurement of 6.6 would still give me a 6:13 average.

4.3 miles slow

Went out with Natasha before lunch for a few miles around the West End - up Maryhill Road, down Queen Margaret Drive and Byres Road, along Sauchiehall Street and home via St George's Road. I was suffering from tired legs so decided against going back out later on. Weekly total: 39 miles.

3.9 miles steady, 6.4 miles moderate, 3.4 miles slow

Went out before lunch for a predominantly flat route via Garscube Road, the path behind Abercorn School, the canal towpath as far as Shakespeare Street and back down Maryhill Road, 3.92 miles in 28:11. In the afternoon I had to make a minor shopping trip to Parkhead Forge so ran there and back via Dobbies Loan and Duke Street, 6.4 miles in 42:49. That would have been enough for one day but after I got home I ended up accompanying Natasha on our usual 3.4 mile route.

9 miles hard

The club's Thursday session wasn't listed on the web site and turned out to be a choice between 6 and 9 miles. Most of the faster packs went for the longer run. I had driven up as Natasha wanted to come to Thursday training for once. The longer route was up Rannoch Drive, over Mosshead Road and down Drymen Road, along Station Road and over Pendicle Road, then along Canniesburn Road to Blairdardie and back to Garscube Estate via Great Western Road and Bearsden Road, finishing at the bridge for exactly 9 miles. The fast pack consisted of three to begin with and held together until Blairdardie, where we joined up with the previous pack and a couple of them tagged on, although we were down to four shortly afterwards, then three at Anniesland Cross. Finished in 56:10 for a 6:14/mile average.

3.9 miles steady

Went for an untimed recovery run via Shakespeare Street, Cleveden Drive and Napiershall Street after playing football.

Hill reps

The club training session was hill reps on Crarae Avenue and Murrayfield Drive, six sets. We were halfway through the session before I was able to take advantage of the longer hill. Distance was around 5 miles including the jog down to Westerton and back.

6.6 miles moderate

Ran the same route as last Monday. I had some leg stiffness after Sunday's long run and felt quite slow over the first mile but it gradually wore off. Distance came out this time at 6.6 miles, time was 43:13 for a 6:32/mile average.

5.3 miles slow, 18.4 miles moderate

Went out in the morning for a longer run with Natasha - up Maryhill Road to join the canal at Lock 21, down to Dorchester Avenue and home via Great Western Road and Napiershall Street. It came out at 5.32 miles. I calculated that I was about 18 miles short of 50 for the week and had already been thinking about having another go at my Newton Mearns route, so despite feeling vaguely lethargic in the afternoon I set off in that direction, this time without taking anything to drink. I felt better once I had passed Shawlands and was just short of Whitecraigs station after 50 minutes, maintaining a reasonable 7-minute mile pace. The GPS-measured 9-mile mark was where I turned right at Mearns Cross in marginally over 63 minutes, well ahead of my fastest previous attempt. I made up more time down Capelrig Road and Thornliebank Road and was around 1:30 at the half marathon point. Got back home in 2:07:28 for a 6:55/mile average, distance was actually 18.42 miles. Weekly total: 50 miles.

Scottish Masters Indoor Championships, 3.4 miles steady

I jogged down to the Kelvin Hall in the morning to declare for the 1500m and 800m. I expected to do better in the former as I had hardly done any speedwork in ages other than the club's Tuesday training sessions. Warmed up in the gallery and felt in quite good shape. The 1500m was combined M35/M40/M45. One other M35 had entered although I couldn't identify him at the start. After about 300m I felt comfortable enough to take it on, and I led for several laps although there was somebody right behind me all the way. The clock was at the finishing line, which was halfway round every lap, and I soon gave up trying to calculate my pace. With maybe three laps left I started to fade slightly and was passed twice, albeit by runners I suspected were in a different age group, but I held on for third and finished in 4:25.03 which is my fastest 1500m for several years. It turned out that I was the only M35 in the race, so I won by default. I coughed for ages afterwards due to the dry air and at one point thought I would have to withdraw from the 800m, but after 15 minutes or so and a couple of trips outside for fresh air I was fine.

The 800m was just M35 with three entrants this time. I went through 400m in second place in a disappointing 66 seconds, a couple of seconds off the front, and not sure how far ahead of third I was. I didn't manage to make up any ground or even muster up any kind of kick and finished in 2:11.72, which did at least show a consistent pace and was also somewhere around my best time from last year.

After I got home I went out for a few recovery miles via Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street, measured this time at 3.36 miles, at a steady 7-minute pace.

5.9 miles hard

I drove up to training for a change, in order to start tapering for the Masters Championships at the weekend. The route was via Anniesland Cross, Anniesland Road, Southbrae Drive, Crow Road, Dorchester Avenue and Maryhill Road. We started off quite slowly but the average pace had dropped to 6:16/mile by the end. I found the pace quite comfortable over the last mile. The distance came out at 5.91 miles.

2.5 miles easy

Went out for 2.51 miles recovery via Queen Margaret Drive after playing football.