2x2.5 miles easy

Ran to work in 18:27, average pace 7:30/mile, and back home in 18:18, average pace 7:26/mile. Found the going very tough and wondered if I should have taken the day off to recover.

Polaroid Helensburgh 10K

Thought after Tuesday that I could at least give the Helensburgh 10K a go and drop out if the injury flared up. Conditions were damp and only slightly windy, which was fine for racing, but meant I couldn't wear the new Hyperspeed 5 as they have a tendency to suck up surface water and cause blisters. Instead I went with the Brooks Green Silence. Decided to aim for 3:25 per kilometre and see how long I could sustain it. This went reasonably well for the first few kilometres - in fact, better than I had expected - and I found myself at the back of a group which gradually pulled away as my lack of fitness began to tell, and I struggled with mild stitches on both sides.

At 6K I was still a few seconds inside a 3:30/km average but by 7K I had dropped outside. I felt like my legs could manage a faster pace but the strength to pick it up just wasn't there. The stitches I had suffered practically from the start had conveniently masked any hip or hamstring pain, but my injury made its presence felt inside the last kilometre and I began to limp slightly. I crossed the line in a chip time of 35:32, giving me 17th place and 7th M40. Although not too bad under the circumstances, this was a frustrating 51 seconds down from last year's time, which would have been good enough this year for 1st M40. I was second finisher for Garscube. Average pace was 5:43/mile.

2.5 miles moderate, 2.5 miles hard

Ran to work in 16:11, average pace 6:35/mile, and back home in a new PB of 15:19, average pace 6:14/mile. Felt much better in the morning than I had on Monday evening but the PB was a surprise.

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles moderate

Ran to work in 16:54, average pace 6:52/mile, and back home in 16:00, average pace 6:30/mile. Later in the evening I didn't feel like I had recovered from Thursday very well, even after taking Sunday off. Helensburgh 10K looking doubtful.

4.7 miles moderate

Realising that my 10K shoes of choice, the adiZero Mana, were over 2 years old, I picked up a pair of Asics Hyperspeed 5 and tried them out in advance of a possible racing debut at the Helensburgh 10K with a loop of Garrioch Road, Winton Drive, Beaconsfield Road and Napiershall Street. 4.69 miles in 30:50, average pace 6:34/mile, HR 150. Just like the Hyperspeed 4, the shoes seemed OK with liberal application of an anti-blister stick, but I felt afterwards as if I might have been putting my recovery at risk with 9 consecutive days of running and some recent fast miles, so I took Sunday off.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:10 (136), 6:22 (148), 6:41 (156), 6:09 (159), 6:28 (157)
HR zones: 1.7%, 11.1%, 73.9%, 13.4%, 0%
Weekly total: 47 miles

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles hard

Ran to work in 17:00, average pace 6:55/mile, and back home in 15:46, average pace 6:25/mile. Reasonably confident about being able to take part in the Helensburgh 10K at least.

2x2.5 miles moderate, 6.6 miles tempo

Ran to work in 16:34, average pace 6:44/mile, and back home in 16:02, average pace 6:31/mile. Decided that if I was going to have any chance of running in the Polaroid series I would have to test the water by training with the club. The planned session was a steady run down Maryhill Road, Queen Margaret Drive, Hyndland Road and Clarence Drive, heading back to Garscube Estate via Crow Road and Anniesland Cross. The faster packs were combined into one on account of low numbers. A steady run didn't really suit my purposes so it was fine that the pace gradually increased, and we ended up running it as a tempo session. I fell off the pace on Clarence Drive and ended my tempo section at Anniesland Cross. 5.29 miles in 33:17, average pace 6:17/mile, HR 161.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:13 (141), 6:21 (159), 5:59 (165), 5:45 (170), 6:05 (171), 6:32 (169)
HR zones: 1.0%, 5.9%, 30.1%, 62.9%, 0%

The warm-down came out at 1.28 miles and I was able to pick up the pace again towards the end. 1.28 miles in 9:17, average pace 7:17/mile, HR 157. Hip was tight afterwards but it could certainly have been worse.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:29 (158), 6:31 (154)
HR zones: 0%, 0%, 75.4%, 24.6%, 0%

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles moderate, 3.5 miles easy

Ran to work in 16:42, average pace 6:47/mile, and back home in 15:49, average pace 6:26/mile. In the evening I ambitiously attempted an easy loop of Garrioch Road and Napiershall Street, wearing the Skechers Resistance Runners, to try to resume normal training leading up to the Polaroids. Hip/hamstring tightness nagged me a bit afterwards so I should possibly have worn lighter shoes. 3.52 miles in 26:22, average pace 7:29/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:00 (140), 7:19 (147), 7:09 (153), 7:28 (154)
HR zones: 1.3%, 10.6%, 87.6%, 0.6%, 0%

2.5 miles moderate, 2.5 miles hard, 5.2 miles steady

Ran to work in 16:37, average pace 6:45/mile, and back home in 15:48, average pace 6:25/mile. In the evening I decided against the club's fartlek session and ran a steady loop of Garrioch Road and Anniesland Cross, starting and finishing in Garscube Estate. 5.2 miles in 36:05, average pace 6:56/mile, HR 152. Ran a 1.02-mile warm-down around the car park afterwards.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:18 (142), 6:47 (151), 6:55 (152), 6:45 (156), 6:54 (159), 6:53 (157)
HR zones: 1.0%, 3.1%, 90.2%, 5.7%, 0%

6.1 miles hard

Didn't feel too bad after Sunday's efforts so I decided I was on my way to recovery and risked a run up Baird's Brae and along the canal to Dorchester Avenue, heading home along Great Western Road and North Woodside Road. 6.05 miles in 38:14, average pace 6:19/mile, HR 160.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:00 (140), 6:13 (159), 6:04 (163), 6:13 (164), 6:12 (169), 6:11 (167)
HR zones: 1.6%, 3.6%, 24.5%, 70.3%, 0%

6.4 miles slow, 7 miles moderate

In the morning I ran along Great Western Road to Anniesland Cross and down Crow Road with Natasha, heading home along the Kelvin behind the Art Gallery and through Kelvingrove Park. 6.44 miles in 53:39, average pace 8:20/mile, HR 130.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:20 (125), 8:17 (132), 8:10 (134), 8:22 (130), 8:15 (130), 8:27 (129), 8:39 (127)
HR zones: 5.5%, 92.9%, 1.7%, 0%, 0%

Later on I felt just about OK to run again, this time a familiar loop of Garscube Estate, Anniesland Cross and North Woodside Road, although it seemed like more effort than it should have been. 6.95 miles in 46:53, average pace 6:45/mile, HR 157.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:09 (140), 6:52 (153), 6:36 (157), 6:51 (159), 6:42 (160), 6:42 (163), 6:21 (168)
HR zones: 0.8%, 5.4%, 56.3%, 37.4%, 0%
Weekly total: 22 miles

3.4 miles steady

Got the Garmin HRM working again simply by resyncing it with the watch. Ran a loop of Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street in 23:32 for 3.36 miles, average pace 7:00/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:31 (132), 6:58 (154), 6:37 (157), 6:46 (157)
HR zones: 3.8%, 22.9%, 55.5%, 17.8%, 0%

2x2.5 miles hard

Felt no better for taking a few days off so decided I might as well start running to work again, and got there in a new running-to-work PB of 15:37, average pace 6:21/mile, a huge and unexpected improvement of 45 seconds on my previous best. Ran back home in 15:39, average pace 6:22/mile.

Gym

Having done no running since Sunday, I thought I had probably better pay a visit to the gym for an elliptical session, 3x5:20 with a 4-7-10 work level pattern.