3.7 miles slow, 3.7 miles moderate

Went out before breakfast with Natasha for a slow run around Newquay and across Porth Beach, which came out at 3.67 miles. In the late afternoon I went back out for a different loop which took me up Treninnick Hill and over a level crossing. Lost a bit of time on the insanely steep hill and also on the winding uphill route back from Trenance Gardens, but I got back to the hotel in 24:54 which worked out at 6:39/mile for 3.74 miles.

8.5 miles moderate

I seemed to recover quite well from Saturday's efforts so went out for a slightly longer run on Sunday afternoon, up Maryhill Road as far as Canniesburn Toll, then down Switchback Road and Crow Road to Anniesland Cross, down Great Western Road and Phoenix Road, and back home up Garscube Road. Despite tired legs, I stuck quite well to a target pace of 6:45/mile and managed to speed up a bit in the last couple of miles. Finished in 57:04, distance was 8.49 miles for a 6:43 average. Weekly total: 30 miles.

3.4 miles steady, 7 miles moderate

Went out before lunch for the usual 3.4 miles to stretch my legs a bit, completed in 24:24. In the afternoon I felt well enough to attempt my usual 7 mile route via Garscube Estate. Felt quite slow but I arrived back home in a reasonable 45:59, 6:34/mile. Still some leg tightness.

Polaroid Dumbarton 10K

On Tuesday I had found a sore spot on my right calf, so I had been trying to massage it out, and by Thursday evening it wasn't too bad. Overall I felt slightly better than I had before the Clydebank 10K. I aimed for the usual 3:30/K, and some early hamstring tightness faded away quite quickly. For once I was 5 seconds down at the 1K marker, partly due to a more congested field. This put me third for Garscube, and although I moved up to second when Toby dropped out after about a mile, Danny was already quite far ahead by this point. I had won back a couple of seconds by the 2K mark, and at the halfway stage my time was about 17:35, although even maintaining this more sensible pace was starting to become quite difficult, and I didn't spot another kilometre marker until the end of the race, which didn't help either. After about 7K I started to pick it up a bit and moved up a few places. I recognised the course from where the race had started, which made me think we were closer to the finish than we really were, so I should probably have tried to hold something in reserve. As it was, I started to flag slightly over the final kilometre, but after the final corner I got involved in a three-way sprint for the line, which I wouldn't have attempted the previous week. This time I had a chip time of 35:24, which was OK. We also took the third team prize.

5.4 miles steady

I didn't really feel up to a run on Monday evening, but I wanted two days off before Thursday's race, so ran a shorter version of my usual route from Bearsden Asda, coming back via South Mains Road. It was hard work on a warm evening and I was still having some hamstring problems. Finished the 5.36-mile route in 37:10 for a 6:56/mile average.

4.6 miles slow, 4.5 miles moderate

Went out with Natasha before breakfast for 4.56 miles via Gibson Street and Kelvin Way to Yorkhill, along the Clyde, back through Anderston and up St George's Road. After recent GPS problems, the measured distance seemed to be more or less correct this time. In the late afternoon I felt like having a go at my usual 7-mile route, but I was short of time, so settled for one of my other usual routes via Shakespeare Street and Cleveden Drive. It was going OK so I extended it a bit by returning via Kirklee Road, for 4.47 miles in 29:22, 6:34/mile. Weekly total: 26 miles.

Gym

Instead of running, I went to the gym in the afternoon to work on strengthening my hamstrings. About half of the machines had been replaced since my last visit, which seems to have been over a year ago. I was there for about 45 minutes and spent most of the time on the hamstring curl machine, with a few minutes on the cross-trainer at the beginning and end of the session.

Polaroid Clydebank 10K

I wasn't sure about taking part in this race at all, and felt hamstring tightness as soon as it started. I still aimed for 3:30/K and passed the first marker in exactly that. The 2K marker was reached in 6:30 which was much too fast. The second kilometre can't be short in all these races, so I obviously need to watch my pace more carefully. However, the pace still seemed OK as we finished the first lap, and I went through 5K in 17:04. My hamstring was feeling increasingly tight by this point and coming back along the canal I started to lose touch with the pack I was running with, falling back into second for Garscube with no prospect of catching anyone. I was passed a couple more times within the last 2 kilometres, which were a bit of a struggle, and I felt like I couldn't risk a finishing kick so didn't want anybody closing in on me in the final straight. In the end I posted a chip time of 35:29 which wasn't much down on my Helensburgh time, although my immediate rivals seemed to do much better. It was also about 20 seconds faster than the same race last year. With three finishers inside 36 minutes or so, I thought I should hang around for the presentation, and we were indeed the third team.

3.4 miles steady

I was worried about hamstring problems and thought about not going out at all, but decided to run the usual 3.4-mile route at a steady pace. Finished in 24:10, didn't feel particularly injured but still not quite right. The distance was hilariously measured at 7.51 miles, a level of inaccuracy not seen since I was using the Nike+ sensor. I restarted the phone later on, which will probably fix it.

7 miles moderate

In the evening I ran the same route as the previous Monday. I seemed to be maintaining a fast pace without any trouble, although the first mile seemed slightly short and I wasn't convinced about the second one either. Passing the rugby club on the way back, I noticed I was still on schedule for about 45 minutes but my average pace should have given me a faster time. I picked it up in the last couple of hundred metres but still finished in 45:06. The distance was measured at 7.48 miles which is around half a mile too much. Assuming 6.95 miles, my average pace was still 6:29/mile. It did however feel a lot more comfortable this week.

3.4 miles slow, 5.2 miles steady

Went out with Natasha before lunch for our usual route. In the afternoon I ran another familiar route, up Maryhill Road, down Cowal Road, along Dorchester Avenue and back home via Great Western Road and North Woodside Road. More GPS problems led to the first mile being decidedly short and the whole route coming out at 5.35 miles, when I know it is closer to 5.2. Time was 35:41, around 6:52/mile for the corrected distance. Weekly total: 34 miles.

5.5 miles steady

Went out in the afternoon for the same route as on Tuesday 12th, and I was feeling fine by the time I got to the Kelvin Hall so continued all the way down Argyle Street, then back up North Street and over the footbridge across the M8. The tree cover and the spiral descent under West Graham Street caused some GPS problems and the distance came out a bit shorter than it should have been at 5.39 miles, in 40:13. I was comfortably around 7:15/mile before crossing the M8 so I think it was closer to 5.5 miles.

Polaroid Helensburgh 10K

I decided I was fit enough to take part, and not having any real idea how I was going to get on, I aimed for 3:30 per kilometre as usual. I passed the 1K mark in exactly 3:30 and paid careful attention to my pace as I'd gone through (supposedly) 2K last year in 6:30, but this time around my watch still said about 6:45, so I'm convinced the marker is out. I was further adrift from the leaders, and in third place for Garscube, although I made up one of those places before 3K. Approaching the halfway stage, I was starting to lose a couple of seconds per kilometre on my goal pace, and making up no ground at all on the leading Garscube runner, with no idea how close behind me the others were. Heading back along West King Street between 6K and 7K, I was dimly aware of somebody wearing white right behind me, but their shadow had a ponytail so I deduced that it was the leading female. Around 8K I became confident of beating 36 minutes and over the next kilometre I noticed I was closing quickly on the leading Garscube runner, moving ahead at 9K. I picked it up slightly in the finishing straight to hold my position, and thought on crossing the line in 35:18 that I could probably have run a bit faster towards the end, although it would only have saved me a few seconds.

It looked like Garscube might have won the second team prize, with only Shettleston heavily represented ahead of our first three finishers, so I stayed around for the presentation and discovered I had also won a prize for 9th senior man (14th overall).

6.7 miles moderate

I ducked out of the club's short hills session and ran a few miles on my own, down Maryhill Road to North Woodside Road, then back along Great Western Road and up Crow Road, finishing exactly where I'd started in Garscube Estate. Distance was 6.71 miles, time 44:21 for a 6:37 average.