National Road Relay Championships

I decided on Friday that I would be able to run after all and I was placed in our A team, to run the second short leg (third leg overall). I was 5 seconds behind the leading women's team when I set off and after just a couple of steps I felt some hamstring tightness, which stayed with me all the way round. Within about half a mile I had overtaken a runner from Falkirk Vics and moved ahead of the first-placed woman shortly afterwards. The field was quite well strung out by this point and although I could see a runner from Kilmarnock just in front of me, the only other competitors I passed were still on the second leg. I maintained a fairly steady pace for the whole 3.15-mile route and wasn't able to pick it up near the end or even manage much of a kick in the final straight. My finishing time was 17:43, which was only 10 seconds slower than last year, so not too bad under the circumstances. I had vaguely hoped to post an improved time but the hamstring problem made it too difficult. As a team we finished 20th, 11 places down on 2008, although last year's performance would only have been good enough for 17th this year.

5.2 miles hard

Attempted a few fast miles in the evening to see what kind of shape I might be in for the National Relays on Saturday. I made it to the junction of Maryhill Road and Cowal Road inside 12 minutes, and to Dorchester Avenue inside 15, so was well on course for a route PB. I eased off very slightly after that as I still had some leg tightness, but finished in 31:55. The distance came out this time at 5.25 miles although I was again having some GPS problems so the true distance is probably slightly less. Average pace as measured was 6:05/mile.

3.4 miles steady

Went out in the evening for a steady run via Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street. Didn't feel any worse off afterwards. Some GPS difficulties probably accounted for the route being measured at 3.42 miles, completed in 23:43.

5.3 miles moderate

My calf felt fine on Monday evening and although I still had some hamstring worries I went out for the same route as the previous Monday. Felt like I was struggling in places but I only experienced any leg tightness during the last mile or so and finished in 34:15. The route came out at 5.34 miles this time so that worked out at 6:25/mile which was perfectly reasonable. Walked around very carefully afterwards.

5.2 miles moderate

On Thursday evening I found a sore spot at the top of my right calf and had been working on it since then. I had recovered enough by Saturday afternoon to go out for another few miles via Cowal Road and Dorchester Avenue. It was a bit of a struggle at times but I was well ahead of my target pace of 6:45. The route was previously measured at 5.15 miles but Run.GPS measured it at 5.21. Finished in 32:53, 6:19/mile. Hamstring felt a bit strained afterwards. Weekly total: 15 miles.

4.6 miles steady

Went out for a few miles around the West End, via Shakespeare Street and Cleveden Drive. Hamstring was still tight but I had no lower back pain by 3 miles so extended the route down to Cowcaddens and back up Garscube Road for 4.58 miles in 32:56, 7:11/mile.

5.4 miles steady

Ran an abbreviated version of my longer route from Bearsden Asda in order to cut out the steepest of the hills, via Clober Road and Craigton Road, then back via South Mains Road. First mile was slow but I gradually worked my average pace down towards 7:00/mile. Finished the 5.36 miles in 37:51, 7:04/mile.

3.8 miles steady

Went out in the afternoon for the same distance as the day before, except via Shakespeare Street, Cleveden Drive and Napiershall Street. Conditions were terrible and I was running into driving rain for the first mile. Got back home in 27:04, 7:03/mile. Weekly total: 12 miles.

3.8 miles steady

After suffering all week from hamstring tightness, I thought I would try and run through it on a fairly flat route via Garscube Road, the path behind Abercorn School and the canal as far as Shakespeare Street. Loosened up after a very slow first mile and completed the 3.84-mile route in 27:20, 7:07/mile. Didn't feel any worse afterwards.

4.6 miles moderate

After a blank weekend due to hamstring problems, I set out from Bearsden Asda on an old route via South Mains Road, Craigdhu Road, Stockiemuir Road and West Chapelton Avenue. I loosened up a bit after the first mile and was doing OK, but on Stockiemuir Road it got a lot more difficult for a while and I contemplated walking back. Recovered slightly as I headed downhill and got back to Asda in 30:41 for a 6:38 average which wasn't too bad under the circumstances.

3.4 miles hard

After struggling with upper leg pain for a couple of days I felt well enough to go out for a few miles, although I had abandoned any thoughts of taking part in the Dunky Wright 5K. I ran one of my usual West End routes via Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street, which came out at 3.37 miles. After a 6:30 first mile (mostly uphill) I arrived back home in 20:43, 6:09/mile, almost certainly a big PB for the route, so I might have been in reasonable condition to race the following day after all. Weekly total: 14 miles.

Mixed reps

The club training session started off with a jog around the warmup trail and across Maryhill Road to the Science Park, where we ran 8 400m reps with a 1-minute recovery. The instructions were to take it easy (for those who had been running the half marathon) but also to run each rep faster than the previous one. I was still suffering from some hamstring tightness so didn't put in much effort. Afterwards, we jogged up Maryhill Road and round to the other side of Garscube Estate to finish with some uphill sprints. This seemed a bit risky so I just jogged through them.

5.7 miles steady

Went on a recovery run from Bearsden Asda via South Mains Road, Craigdhu Road and Stockiemuir Road. The first mile was quite slow but I picked it up slightly after that, and felt OK enough by Drymen Road to take the Kilmardinny Avenue route. Distance came out at 5.68 miles in 41:53.

Balloch to Clydebank Half Marathon

There was a blizzard outside when I got up at 7am, and although it didn't look serious enough to put the event in doubt, I still had a quick look at the web site just in case. I got to the Playdrome in plenty of time to get one of the buses to the start, and the weather had improved a bit by the time of the race, although it was still quite windy. A few of us went on a jog around the first mile or so. My original plan for the race had been to try to stick to 5:50/mile but I had decided to aim for 5:45 and see how I got on. The field spread out soon after the start and I was just behind the third- and fourth-placed runners, with first and second gradually receding into the distance. We maintained a pace not far away from 5:45 for the first few miles and a gap began to open up behind us. I began to lose contact with the other two as we approached Dumbarton, although I was still around 23:00 at 4 miles. We had been running with a mild headwind or crosswind since the start, and the first time it disappeared was beside Dumbarton Central. My pace still seemed OK and there was a left turn approaching the 7-mile mark which gave me a chance to look back, and it looked like the next runner was another Garscube Harrier about a minute behind.

When we reached the A82 I immediately thought I had taken a wrong turn, as I couldn't see anyone ahead of me, and I stopped for a second in a panic, at which point the two runners immediately ahead of me emerged from a bus stop concealed by shrubbery where they had been following the pavement. The 8-mile mark was soon afterwards and it looked like my pace had dropped, but I was back on schedule by the next marker, despite the ninth mile containing one of the few notable climbs on the route, so I think the markers were maybe just a bit out. On 10 miles I was around 57:30 as planned and in no real danger of failing to beat my time from Helensburgh in August. Just after 11 miles we took a wide line over a roundabout and I had another look back, to see a Gala Harrier closing in fast. Gala's vest is like Garscube's but green instead of blue, and it's difficult to tell them apart in the distance. Within another half mile I had been overtaken, with little prospect of increasing my pace. Fifth place would have given me an individual prize so this was quite disappointing. By the time I reached the the footpath between Singer Road and North Avenue, the gap was already insurmountable. I had another look back at this point, and there was nobody to be seen, so I probably coasted a little towards the end, finishing in 1:15:27.

I stayed on for the presentation as we reckoned that Marco, Joe and I had won the Dunbartonshire team prize for Garscube, which we had, as well as the prize for second team overall. I was also surprised to get the individual prize for 5th place after all, as one of the earlier finishers had won the M40 prize.

In the later afternoon I went out for a slow 2.5-mile recovery run via Queen Margaret Drive, and it took me about a mile to loosen up a bit. My right hamstring was particularly tight, although not injured. Weekly total: 38 miles.