6.4 miles slow, 4.1 miles hard

Went on a run before lunch with Natasha. We headed along Great Western Road, intending to turn back at Dorchester Avenue, but this looked like being a bit short so we headed up Herschell Street. I tried to find a short-cut onto the canal, without success, so we ran up towards Lock 27 and then back along the canal. The path I had been looking for took us back to Strathcona Drive, and after reaching Crow Road we ran through the car park and back down Herschell Street. The detour had added a lot of distance for Natasha breaking in her Newtons and she eventually had to stop and lace her shoes tighter. 6.44 miles in 55:39, average pace 8:39/mile, HR 111.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:51 (103), 8:20 (110), 8:27 (114), 8:33 (116), 8:51 (113), 8:40 (110)
HR zones: 92.5%, 7.5%, 0%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran down to Cowcaddens and along the canal to Shakespeare Street. Wore the Merrell Trail Glove. 4.05 miles in 24:38, average pace 6:05/mile, HR 153.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:43 (137), 6:07 (153), 5:41 (160), 5:48 (164), 5:41 (164)
HR zones: 2.0%, 13.1%, 47.6%, 37.3%, 0%
Weekly total: 31 miles

3.3 miles steady

Ran a loop of Shakespeare Street and North Woodside Road in the morning. 3.27 miles in 25:10, average pace 6:56/mile, HR 129. Didn't go back out in the afternoon in order to recover a bit more from Thursday's race.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:04 (120), 7:36 (128), 7:23 (134), 7:41 (146)
HR zones: 12.1%, 77.1%, 10.9%, 0%, 0%

Polaroid Dumbarton 10K

The weather took a sudden turn for the better in the afternoon and it had got very warm by the start of the race. I was about a second down on my 3:25 pace goal at the 1K mark but picked it up a bit after that and found myself sitting just behind a group of runners from Bellahouston and Greenock Glenpark. The pace felt as if it might be too fast, but as Dumbarton is traditionally the fastest race in the series, I wasn't too worried. After passing the runners from Greenock I went through 5K in 16:55, which was PB pace and also a reasonable 5K time in its own right. I found the going tougher between 6K and 7K and was passed by Euan Geddes, and soon afterwards the two Greenock runners. My margin of error for a sub-35 minute finish was diminishing rapidly but after 8K I began to make up some ground. There was a minor collision with about 600m to go when one of the Glenpark Harriers tried to go straight on at a left turn, just as I was trying to pass him on the outside, but I didn't lose any time and still managed to go past, although his team-mate managed a stronger finish. My chip time was 34:46, and I was 4th Vet and 13th overall. We took second team prize behind Shettleston.

6.22 miles in 34:46, average pace 5:35/mile

4.7 miles slow

Ran the Hyndland Road route with Natasha. GPS trail was mangled and about 300m too long so assumed distance was 4.65 miles in 38:54, average pace 8:02/mile, HR 121.

HR zones: 40.7%, 59.3%, 0%, 0%, 0%

2.5 miles slow, 3.5 miles moderate

Went out before lunch with Natasha for a loop of Queen Margaret Drive so she could try out her Newtons. 2.48 miles in 20:00, average pace 8:03/mile, HR 117.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:14 (117), 7:55 (117), 7:56 (118)
HR zones: 63.2%, 26.8%, 0%, 0%, 0%

In the evening I ran my Mosshead Road and West Chapelton Avenue route from Bearsden Asda. 3.48 miles in 23:10, average pace 6:39/mile, HR 152.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:57 (151), 6:56 (155), 6:14 (151), 6:22 (151)
HR zones: 1.8%, 1.5%, 85.6%, 11.1%, 0%

4.7 miles slow, 4.1 miles hard

Went out in the morning with Natasha for our usual loop of Hyndland Road and Charing Cross. Still some dubious HR readings during the third mile. 4.65 miles in 39:17, average pace 8:27, HR 131.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:39 (112), 8:34 (133), 8:09 (152), 8:27 (127), 8:29 (130)
HR zones: 32.2%, 46.5%, 9.6%, 7.9%, 3.8%

In the afternoon I went for a short, fast run down to Cowcaddens and along the canal to Shakespeare Street. Wore the Merrell Trail Glove. 4.05 miles in 25:55, average pace 6:24/mile, HR 149.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:07 (135), 6:20 (151), 6:13 (154), 5:55 (159), 6:08 (159)
HR zones: 2.9%, 12.5%, 76.5%, 8.1%, 0%
Weekly total: 34 miles

4.6 miles slow, 3.3 miles easy

Went out in the morning for a slow run via Garrioch Road, Winton Drive, Beaconsfield Road and Napiershall Street. Had some chest strap problems and the HR readings towards the end look like nonsense. 4.64 miles in 37:24, average pace 8:04/mile, HR 149.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:27 (125), 7:56 (140), 8:15 (157), 7:45 (161), 7:52 (174)
HR zones: 3.4%, 35.2%, 27.6%, 25.3%, 8.4%

In the afternoon, with an adjusted chest strap, I ran an easy loop of Shakespeare Street and North Woodside Road. 3.31 miles in 24:49, average pace 7:30/mile, HR 129.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:47 (126), 7:23 (129), 7:20 (130), 7:33 (131)
HR zones: 4.5%, 95.5%, 0%, 0%, 0%

2.5 miles easy

Went for a recovery run via Queen Margaret Drive. The Garmin battery gave up when I reached Great Western Road, 1.52 miles in. Average pace to that point was 7:37/mile, HR 128.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:42 (125), 7:29 (133)
HR zones: 9.1%, 90.9%, 0%, 0%, 0%

Polaroid Clydebank 10K

I had just about managed to take care of any injury worries so was confident of making a reasonable attempt at the second 10K in the series. The gale-force winds from earlier in the week had died down but it was still quite blustery. I attempted once again to run 3:25 per kilometre, with more success. I moved past a few folk between 2 and 3K and went through 5K in 17:05. On reaching the canal on the second lap, I had a quick look back, and there was a significant gap behind me, but I began to develop a stitch and gradually lost touch with the Bellahouston Road Runner in front of me, and was subsequently passed by his clubmate with just a couple of kilometres to go. Aware that I was struggling, I risked another look back in the Business Park and saw that I was fairly safe from being overtaken again. I finished in a chip time of 34:52, 3rd Vet and 11th overall. I was also first Garscube finisher, making me the club 10K champion. We took the third team prize behind Shettleston and Bellahouston. It was slightly disappointing not to improve on the previous week's time but I was still happy to finish inside 35 minutes again.

6.22 miles in 34:52, average pace 5:36/mile

5.2 miles easy

Dodged the club's fartlek session and ran a loop of Garrioch Road and Anniesland Cross from Garscube Estate. HR readings dubious again. Left hamstring felt tight and I worked on sore spots on my calf later on. 5.23 miles in 37:36, average pace 7:12/mile, HR 149.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:26 (128), 7:02 (139), 7:03 (156), 7:09 (168), 7:17 (156), 7:13 (149)
HR zones: 2.0%, 31.5%, 37.9%, 27.4%, 1.1%

3.5 miles steady

Ran a loop of Mosshead Road and West Chapelton Avenue from Bearsden Asda. HR readings were slightly dubious again. Legs seemed quite heavy. 3.48 miles in 24:03, average pace 6:54/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:12 (130), 7:07 (150), 6:28 (159), 6:45 (164)
HR zones: 3.5%, 21.8%, 56.5%, 17.0%, 1.1%

8.3 miles moderate, 1.9 miles easy, 2.5 miles easy

Jogged the 0.53 miles down to St George's Cross with Natasha in the morning to get the Underground to Shields Road for the M74 Bike'n'Hike. It wasn't actually a race, although we had to wear numbers. I had decided to aim for 6:30/mile regardless of who else might have turned up. I didn't recognise many people at the start and after about a mile I was in 6th place and only just outside my goal pace. The road was unfinished in a couple of places and cyclists were an occasional hazard. I was having some HR strap problems and noticed a reading of 208 which was clearly wrong, although after I adjusted the strap it settled down to something more plausible.

On reaching the halfway point we turned round and ran back up the opposite carriageway, straight into a headwind. I moved up a couple of places almost immediately, leaving a runner without a club vest, a Kirkintilloch Olympian and a Clydesdale Harrier ahead of me. The road was actually quite dull to run on but I battled the wind and stuck to my plan. I didn't lose any time climbing the last significant hill after Cathcart Road and continued past the start down the off-ramp in search of some kind of finish line. There wasn't one, just a lot of cyclists hanging about, so I restarted the Garmin and ran back under the bridge and up the on-ramp again at a much easier pace to meet up with Natasha and run back in.

8.29 miles in 53:31, average pace 6:27/mile, HR 169
Pace splits (ave. HR): 6:33 (174), 6:39 (169), 6:25 (191), 6:24 (159), 6:28 (165), 6:32 (166), 6:20 (162), 6:23 (165), 6:08 (162)
HR zones: 0.2%, 0.3%, 20.1%, 62.7%, 16.7%

1.92 miles in 14:17, average pace 7:27/mile, HR 148
Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:19 (149), 7:34 (146)
HR zones: 0.0%, 20.5%, 68.3%, 11.2%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran the Queen Margaret Drive loop at an easy pace. 2.49 miles in 18:47, average pace 7:33/mile, HR 132.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:01 (128), 7:19 (134), 7:06 (137)
HR zones: 4.0%, 92.8%, 3.2%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 34 miles

4.4 miles easy, 2.5 miles steady

Went out in the morning for an easy run around the West End, via Garrioch Road, Winton Drive and Napiershall Street. 4.36 miles in 32:30, average pace 7:25/mile, HR 137.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:36 (128), 7:08 (141), 7:30 (141), 7:18 (138), 7:43 (138)
HR zones: 3.1%, 54.9%, 42.0%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran a loop of Queen Margaret Drive. 2.51 miles in 17:41, average pace 7:03/mile, HR 136.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:29 (127), 6:45 (140), 6:48 (148)
HR zones: 4.9%, 50.0%, 44.7%, 0.4%, 0%

Polaroid Helensburgh 10K

Shortly after waking up I suffered a spasm in the upper back which was almost certainly due to pre-race stress. It got gradually better over the course of the day and didn't seem likely to affect my ability to run, but it wasn't until a few minutes before the start of the race that I began to relax. I had the goal of finishing inside 35 minutes and intended to run 3:25/km and see how I got on, using only the markers to keep an eye on my pace. The first kilometre marker was reached in 3:21, and I was soon joined by a couple of clubmates, although after getting to 3K in about 10:10 I began to pull away. After making up a few places, I went through 5K in 17:11 and then struggled against the wind from the seafront for part of the next kilometre, but at the next few markers I still had about 20 seconds in hand. I had to deal with a headwind again inside the last kilometre but crossed the line in a chip time of 34:41, my first sub-35 10K since 2003. I was 3rd Vet in the West District 10K championship, 4th Vet overall, and second counter for the Garscube men's team which was 3rd behind two Shettleston teams.

6.22 miles in 34:41, average pace 5:35/mile