3.4 miles slow

Went out in the afternoon with Natasha for a slow loop of Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street. 3.35 miles in 28:11, average pace 8:24/mile, HR 128.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:30 (126), 8:16 (130), 8:20 (127), 8:43 (129)
HR zones: 5.2%, 94.8%, 0%, 0%, 0%

2x2.5 miles moderate, 4.4 miles slow

Ran to work in 16:24, average pace 6:40/mile, and back home in exactly the same time. In the evening I went out with Natasha to watch the Olympic Torch procession, heading down to Charing Cross and back up Woodlands Road and University Avenue, continuing a loop around the West End via Lawrence Street, Hyndland Road, Great Western Road and North Woodside Road. Had some trouble getting through the crowds along the torch route. 4.39 miles in 39:51, average pace 9:05/mile, HR 133.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:50 (137), 10:13 (128), 8:49 (135), 8:30 (131), 8:57 (134)
HR zones: 4.0%, 89.3%, 6.6%, 0%, 0%

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles moderate

Ran to work in 16:55, average pace 6:53/mile, and back home in 16:35, average pace 6:44/mile.

4.2 miles steady

Ran a loop of Grovepark Street, Garrioch Road, Cleveden Drive and Napiershall Street. 4.22 miles in 30:20, average pace 7:12/mile, HR 148.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:31 (129), 7:05 (152), 7:10 (150), 6:55 (159), 7:35 (156)
HR zones: 2.9%, 21.2%, 59.6%, 16.0%, 0.4%

3.7 miles steady

Dodged the club session and ran an easy loop of Cowal Road, Dorchester Avenue and Bearsden Road, with 1.17 miles around the Garscube car park afterwards to warm down. 3.74 miles in 26:53, average pace 7:11/mile, HR 145.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:19 (138), 7:06 (145), 7:11 (151), 7:06 (148)
HR zones: 1.0%, 15.0%, 83.8%, 0.2%, 0%

3.9 miles slow, 6.9 miles slow

Couldn't walk without discomfort on Thursday so I decided against taking part in the Dumbarton 10K and went to a sports physio on Saturday. On Sunday morning I resumed light training with a loop of Hyndland Road, University Avenue and Bank Street with Natasha. 3.90 miles in 34:05, average pace 8:44/mile, HR 123.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:47 (111), 8:34 (120), 8:43 (131), 8:53 (131)
HR zones: 34.8%, 59.3%, 5.9%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I felt like I could manage another easy run and went out for my loop of Garscube Estate, Anniesland Cross and North Woodside Road. Hamstring still fairly tight. 6.93 miles in 54:39, average pace 7:53/mile, HR 135.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:05 (127), 7:51 (134), 7:42 (134), 7:56 (137), 7:48 (139), 7:55 (138), 7:53 (135)
HR zones: 1.5%, 78.1%, 20.4%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 16 miles

2.5 miles steady, 2.5 miles moderate

Didn't feel up to running at all on Monday. On Tuesday I ran to work in 16:59, average pace 6:54/mile, and back home in 16:03, average pace 6:31/mile. Hamstring tightness still a problem, Dumbarton 10K only a slim possibility at this point.

4.6 miles easy

Leg tightness was still a problem so I went for an easy run up Baird's Brae, along the canal to Maryhill Locks, and back down Maryhill Road. Didn't feel so great and by Lochburn Road on the way back I was ready to throw in the towel. HR readings again look too high for my pace. 4.57 miles in 34:21, average pace 7:31/mile, HR 140.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:37 (135), 7:22 (142), 7:26 (141), 7:42 (141), 7:27 (144)
HR zones: 2.5%, 16.4%, 81.1%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 36 miles

4.5 miles slow

Ran a loop of Kelvingrove Park, Yorkhill and Anderston with Natasha. 4.45 miles in 38:54, average pace 8:45/mile, HR 133. HR evidently too high for the pace I was running at.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:44 (119), 8:48 (134), 8:16 (138), 9:10 (137), 8:46 (141)
HR zones: 10.2%, 62.0%, 27.8%, 0%, 0%

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. It was hard work and excessively uncomfortable for such a slow pace, most likely on account of the heat as well as the previous evening's race.

Polaroid Clydebank 10K

The hamstring problem was no worse than it had been before the Helensburgh 10K, but I still hadn't quite got used to the heat by the time of the race and felt quite fatigued. The Clydebank 10K had been designated the club 10K championship, of which I was the current holder. There was however a larger Garscube turnout than the previous week and I had little chance of being among our first three finishers, so the pressure was off with regards to counting for a team prize. I decided just to aim for the usual 3:25/K and see how long I could keep it up for. I wore the Brooks Green Silence as they had worked out OK at Helensburgh.

The course had been revised to avoid Dumbarton Road, so the start and finish had been moved back, and the route through the Business Park had been changed. I reached the first kilometre marker in a reasonable position in the field but definitely feeling like I was putting in more effort than I should have been, not least because the time on my watch was 3:45. This was pretty demoralising, but when I went through 2K in 6:45 without having noticeably sped up, I was quite relieved. By this point I was 4th for Garscube. On the towpath I could feel my pace starting to suffer and had to fight an urge to drop out over the next mile or so, telling myself that if I could just drag myself to the finish I wouldn't have to run at Dumbarton the following Thursday. Once I had got through the Business Park at the start of the second lap, it was just a case of getting it over with. On the canal, where I was sure my pace had dropped outside 6:00/mile, I could tell Marco wasn't far behind me, although he didn't seem to be getting any closer so I shouted back to him not to take his pace from me. He went past shortly afterwards, along with the leading lady.

Heading through the Business Park for the last time, I lost a place to a Maryhill Harrier, and I hadn't seen the 8K marker and thought there was still a fair way to go, but after turning a corner I saw that we were at 9K and managed to pick it up enough to gain back the place and open up a small gap before the end. I finished in 34th place in a pretty poor 36:54, average pace 5:56/mile, with a bloodstained sock from a blister which had developed during the race. The results showed that some people had clearly coped with the heat much better than others, so I would attribute my slow time to that as much as gradual loss of fitness.

2.5 miles easy, 2.5 miles moderate, 3.6 miles easy

Ran to work in 17:12, average pace 7:00/mile, and back home in 15:49, average pace 6:26/mile. I might have left it at that for the day but decided I should try to acclimatise in case the warm spell lasted until Thursday evening, so later on I ran up Maryhill Road to Garrioch Road, back down Great Western Road and to the top of Napiershall Street. 3.64 miles in 24:54, average pace 6:50/mile, HR 149.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:15 (138), 6:48 (151), 6:31 (155), 6:45 (154)
HR zones: 1.9%, 13.2%, 81.1%, 3.8%, 0%

2x2.5 miles moderate, 2.5 miles slow

Ran to work in 16:26, average pace 6:41/mile, and back home in 16:15, average pace 6:36/mile. In the evening I ran an easy loop of Manse Road and Canniesburn Toll from Bearsden Asda. 2.47 miles in 20:01, average pace 8:06/mile, HR 136.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:21 (134), 7:50 (137), 8:09 (141)
HR zones: 3.2%, 60.7%, 36.1%, 0%, 0%

4.7 miles slow

Ran an easy loop of Hyndland Road, Dumbarton Road and Charing Cross with Natasha. 4.65 miles in 41:35, average pace 8:57/mile, HR 118.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:53 (111), 9:02 (115), 8:43 (119), 9:01 (122), 9:12 (122)
HR zones: 58.4%, 41.6%, 0%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 26 miles