5.4 miles steady

It was too icy to risk running in the Newtons so I ran my usual Monday night route in my Lunar Trainer, consequently a lot slower. Distance came out at 5.35 miles, time 38:31, average pace 7:09/mile. Pace splits: 7:40, 7:25, 7:10, 6:46, 6:52, 6:44.

3.4 miles slow

Went out in the morning for a recovery run around my usual West End route. Knee felt bruised, legs generally stiff. 3.36 miles in 26:01 (7:44/mile), pace splits 8:04, 7:34, 7:34, 7:44. Took the afternoon off to recover a bit more. Weekly total: 20 miles.

Dunbartonshire XC Championships

I would normally try to avoid a cross-country race as long as 6 miles but there was a chance of a team prize so I was talked into taking part, and as it turned out the weather had improved drastically by Saturday. I took along my new Brooks spikes as well as my trail shoes and decided on the spikes. I started near the front and kept up with the lead pack pretty well until I slid down the first significant downhill. It didn't cost me too much time, but there was more trouble on the far side of the course where a very muddy patch on an incline meant I had to run into a tree to stop or I would have fallen. On the way back there was a steep embankment where I couldn't find my footing at all. I tried to pull myself up using some nearby bushes but kept slipping backwards. Some of the other runners were having less trouble and I lost quite a few places. I eventually managed to struggle up at the side of the course and started moving through the field, but I had lost so much time that I was way out of contention. If I hadn't been the fourth counter for the team at that point, I might have thrown in the towel. On the second lap I had more trouble on the embankment, but on the final lap I was starting to get into it. Managed to bang my knee on a gate but picked up one more place before the end. I finished 26th in a pretty dismal 41:01. We were nonetheless second team, although due to an error with the results we were awarded third place on the day. I might have got on better in trail shoes or longer spikes than the 6mm ones which came with the shoes.

5.6 miles steady

As part of a tapering plan before Saturday's race I took a break on Tuesday (helped by terrible weather) and felt better than usual at the start of football on Wednesday, but worse after the game, and didn't go out for a run afterwards (also helped in this decision by terrible weather). I was more or less back to running condition by Thursday evening so went to training. Low numbers overall meant fewer packs than usual. The enlarged fast pack set off at a very slow pace and the two of us who would normally be in the regular fast pack broke away up Drymen Road, without really pushing it, as we all had half an eye on the cross-country - this was also why I left the Newtons at home and ran in my Brooks Racers although the sole started to peel off again in the rain. The route took us over Stockiemuir Avenue and back down Milngavie Road. Distance was 5.64 miles, time 40:31 for a 7:11/mile average. Pace splits: 8:31, 7:31, 7:02, 6:39, 6:40, 6:27.

5.3 miles hard

Both hamstrings were decidedly tight but I ran the same route as last Monday, again in the Newtons. I had some minor hip problems which didn't really improve but didn't get any worse either. Finished the 5.33 miles in a new route PB of 33:29, 6:17/mile. Pace splits: 6:24, 6:27, 6:26, 6:10, 6:05, 5:54.

3.4 miles slow, 8.8 miles steady

Went out before breakfast for the usual 3.37 miles with Natasha. In the afternoon I braved the terrible conditions to tackle the same route as last Sunday. Had no trouble this time at Queen Margaret Drive or Anniesland Cross and 7:00/mile looked just about within reach, but I got stuck for a while trying to cross Great Western Road and then Crow Road on the way back. No significant hip problems this time. Finished the 8.78 miles in 1:02:47, average pace 7:09/mile. Pace splits: 7:30, 6:47, 6:51, 7:34, 7:06, 7:40, 7:16, 6:43, 6:50. Weekly total: 43 miles.

1.3 miles very slow, 6 miles moderate

In the morning I was last runner marshal for a schools cross-country race and after a reasonably brisk start ended up having to walk most of the rest of the way. In the afternoon I didn't feel like doing anything at all but I had started a new stretching regime on Friday evening and wanted to see if there had been any improvement. I also dug out the Brooks Racer ST4 for the first time since I had glued the sole back on. The route I selected took me through Ruchill Park, up Balmore Road, along Skirsa Street, past Summerston Station and back down Maryhill Road. It went OK and I took advantage of the lighter shoes, completing the 6.04 miles in 39:44, 6:35/mile. Pace splits: 6:57, 6:28, 6:26, 6:34, 6:39, 6:26, 6:18.

7 miles steady

Didn't feel up to running with the club and the weather was terrible so I went out before dinner for my usual 7-mile route. The temperature wasn't too bad so I overheated a bit in my waterproof jacket. Distance came out at 6.99 miles, time 52:05, pace 7:27/mile. Pace splits: 7:44, 7:14, 7:01, 7:48, 7:27, 7:28, 7:25.

3.4 miles slow

Recovered well enough to get through a game of football and ran my usual route afterwards, 3.37 miles in 25:07, 7:28/mile. Pace splits: 7:45, 7:21, 7:19, 7:25.

7.6 miles steady

My legs felt a bit tight in the evening but I thought I should be OK for a run so I dodged the fartlek session and ran the same route as the previous Tuesday. Unfortunately this meant passing both packs. It was going particularly well and I thought I might sneak inside 6:45/mile overall until the hip started playing up around St George's Road, by which time I had no choice but to press on, and it wasn't until Anniesland Cross that I started to feel a bit better. 7.60 miles in 52:31, 6:54/mile. Pace splits: 6:49, 6:53, 6:42, 7:00, 7:21, 6:50, 7:05, 6:25.

5.3 miles hard

Ran the same route as last Monday, this time wearing the Newtons. It was tricky in light rain with wet leaves underfoot, although I was well on course for a decent time after the first two miles, mostly uphill. Didn't make up any time on the long downhill due to a headwind which struck up after the rain had gone off. Finished the 5.33 miles in a route PB of 33:58, average pace 6:22/mile. Pace splits: 6:29, 6:27, 6:23, 6:10, 6:22, 6:20.

2.5 miles easy, 8.8 miles steady

Went out before lunch for the Queen Margaret Drive loop just to stretch the legs a bit, 2.49 miles in 19:01. In the afternoon I felt able to tackle a longer run so tried a route that I would ideally complete inside an hour - Great Western Road, Lincoln Avenue, Danes Drive, Clarence Drive and home via Great Western Road. I thought an average of 7:00/mile should get me pretty close but I lost about 20 seconds waiting to cross Queen Margaret Drive and then another 40 seconds at Anniesland Cross when I had been starting to get my act together, so that was that. Otherwise the run went OK until the hip pain returned just inside the last mile, although I was able to run through it. Finished the 8.76 miles in 1:03:07, average pace 7:12/mile. Pace splits: 7:28, 7:19, 7:40, 7:04, 7:03, 7:17, 7:18, 6:46, 6:50. Weekly total: 43 miles.

3.9 miles steady, 5.2 miles steady

Went out before lunch for my usual route extended via Cleveden Drive, 3.89 miles in 27:43 (average 7:08/mile), fairly hard work in places, pace splits 7:36, 6:58, 7:00, 6:56. In the afternoon I ran another familiar route via Dorchester Avenue, 5.17 miles in 36:08 (average 7:00/mile), felt comfortable all the way round. Pace splits: 7:24, 6:56, 6:53, 6:47, 7:01, 6:40.

6.7 miles hard

In anticipation of a faster-than-usual fast pack I took my Newtons to training, and the pack turned out to consist of just me and Joe. We were only sure of the first half of the route so we didn't give the other packs too much of a start, and spotted some distant figures at the top of Cowal Road while we were on our way down the hill. After battling up Cleveden Road we picked it up a bit and caught the next pack on Byres Road. The part of the route we weren't sure of took us down Clarence Drive and up Crow Road, and we managed to overtake the last pack at Anniesland Cross, even though Joe was evidently taking it a bit easier than usual. Finished the 6.7 miles in 43:16 for a 6:27/mile average. Pace splits: 6:58, 6:47, 6:14, 6:18, 6:15, 6:31, 6:00.