2.5 miles easy

Ran a loop of Roman Drive, Bearsden Cross and Canniesburn Toll, heading back to Bearsden Asda via Ferguston Road, Beechwood Lane and West Chapelton Crescent. 2.52 miles in 18:48, average pace 7:28/mile, HR 129.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:50 (124), 7:19 (133), 7:05 (134)
HR zones: 7.5%, 89.9%, 2.6%, 0%, 0%

4.7 miles slow, 8.7 miles steady

The blisters turned out not to be bad enough to prevent me from running, so in the morning I went out with Natasha for our loop of Hyndland Road and Charing Cross. 4.66 miles in 38:39, average pace 8:17/mile, HR 126.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:22 (118), 8:17 (129), 7:50 (129), 8:20 (130), 8:47 (125)
HR zones: 11.6%, 88.4%, 0%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I dug the adiZero Tempo out of the cupboard and ran an old loop of Great Western Road, Lincoln Avenue, Danes Drive and Clarence Drive. It was hard work in the heat and on heavy legs. Finished the 8.74 miles in 1:01:08, average pace 7:00/mile, HR 147.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:31 (127), 7:01 (142), 6:55 (148), 7:01 (149), 6:46 (150), 7:10 (149), 7:06 (153), 6:42 (153), 6:39 (152)
HR zones: 3.0%, 11.0%, 84.1%, 2.0%, 0%
Weekly total: 35 miles

Round Arran Relay

I did no running on Thursday or Friday other than jogging a couple of miles round the club 5-mile trail course on Thursday to collect the signs after the race, although I had expected to be able to get a few more easy miles in. For the Round Arran Relay I had initially been assigned North 2 which supposedly contained a killer hill towards the end, so I had run a few hillier routes over the past couple of weeks. There appeared to be a last-minute change of plan but the assignments were finally resolved on the ferry and I was on North 2 after all.

After the bus trip across the island to Pirnmill, we hung around in the sun for a few minutes before being set off. I wore the Asics Hyperspeed 4. I had planned to go out only slightly slower than 10K pace and hope for the best on the hill. The runner from Central headed off at a fast pace and I stayed with a small group for the first half-mile before breaking away, settling on a pace around 5:45/mile which was easy enough on the flat course, despite a crosswind, before it began to undulate around the 4-mile mark. I wore the Garmin to keep an eye on my pace as there were no mile markers, and went through 10K in 36:04, by which time I could already feel some blistering under my toes. The hill started shortly after the distillery on about 7.25 miles and consisted of a rise of about 500 feet in the space of 2.5 miles. My pace dropped immediately as I struggled up the seemingly interminable hill, giving serious consideration to taking a walking break, although it did at least take my mind off the blisters. It felt like the last few miles of a particularly gruelling marathon, and within the last mile I was passed by Matt Williamson, which was far from unexpected. After reaching the summit I began to get my act together and set off in pursuit down the hill, at least until the stage came to a surprisingly early halt at a layby, where I had to hang around without any shade for the best part of an hour until all the other runners had finished and the bus came to pick us up.

The stage turned out to be 10.37 miles which I completed in 1:04:21, average pace 6:12/mile. This compares reasonably well with other performances, as it looks like nobody has ever run it inside an hour. We were second team overall.

Pace splits: 5:37, 5:45, 5:46, 5:52, 5:58, 5:49, 5:57, 6:58, 7:16, 7:17, 5:42

3.4 miles easy

Ran the usual West End loop. 3.35 miles in 25:15, average pace 7:32/mile, HR 128.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:53 (121), 7:24 (128), 7:17 (134), 7:41 (134)
HR zones: 9.1%, 85.1%, 5.8%, 0%, 0%

4.7 miles steady

Dodged the club's fartlek session which not unexpectedly involved the Kelvin Walkway, and ran a loop of Cleveden Road and Anniesland Cross. 4.69 miles in 32:18, average pace 6:54/mile. HR readings were nonsense and actually dropped while I was running up the Cleveden Road hill.

Pace splits: 7:15, 6:55, 6:35, 7:01

3.3 miles easy

Ran a lap of the old club 5-mile championship course, starting and finishing via Boclair Road. 3.32 miles in 24:48, average pace 7:28/mile, HR 133.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:48 (126), 7:17 (135), 7:25 (138), 7:03 (137)
HR zones: 6.1%, 70.2%, 23.7%, 0%, 0%

5.4 miles slow, 16.6 miles steady

Ran along Great Western Road with Natasha in the morning, turning back on my own at Dorchester Avenue to follow the side roads and head home via Shakespeare Street and Grovepark Street. 5.37 miles in 44:47, average pace 8:20/mile, HR 123.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:42 (114), 8:26 (119), 8:29 (124), 8:13 (125), 7:57 (130), 8:06 (130)
HR zones: 31.7%, 68.3%, 0%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran along the canal towards Clydebank this time, starting and finishing via Grovepark Street, wearing the Merrell Trail Gloves. Maintained a steady pace until the halfway point at Dumbarton Road, which I reached in 1:01:35, and with the prospect of finishing the entire run in 2 hours I was able to pick it up on the way back. Just as I reached Great Western Road it started to rain, and by the time I got to Maryhill it had become a torrential downpour. Ran the usual 0.42-mile warm-down round the block afterwards. 16.64 miles in 1:58:29, average pace 7:07/mile, HR 143.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:53 (128), 7:28 (134), 7:27 (135), 7:18 (137), 7:18 (138), 7:19 (138), 7:18 (140), 7:17 (141), 7:18 (141), 7:05 (144), 6:57 (148), 7:00 (149), 6:44 (151), 6:38 (152), 6:43 (154), 6:29 (154), 6:41 (151)
HR zones: 0.6%, 38.4%, 60.7%, 0.3%, 0%
Weekly total: 63 miles

5.2 miles slow, 4.8 miles tempo

Went out in the morning with Natasha for our usual loop of Hyndland Road and Charing Cross, extended by running a loop of Partickhill Road and Turnberry Road. Wore the new Piranhas with thick socks. 5.16 miles in 43:09, average pace 8:21/mile, HR 120.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:11 (117), 8:07 (123), 8:26 (116), 8:22 (120), 8:39 (122), 8:34 (118)
HR zones: 43.2%, 56.8%, 0%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran a loop of Grovepark Street, Garrioch Road, Winton Drive, Beaconsfield Road and Napiershall Street. Wore the Hyperspeed 4. It felt like hard work along Great Western Road until I crossed Kirklee Road and was suddenly able to pick up the pace. 4.83 miles in 31:05, average pace 6:26/mile, HR 147.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:16 (129), 6:36 (141), 6:37 (148), 5:56 (158), 5:40 (166)
HR zones: 4.9%, 21.7%, 47.3%, 26.5%, 0%

3.6 miles slow

Ran the usual West End loop with Natasha in the evening, extended by starting via Grovepark Street. 3.55 miles in 29:11, average pace 8:13/mile, HR 117.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:37 (113), 7:58 (119), 8:07 (119), 8:11 (119)
HR zones: 64.5%, 35.5%, 0%, 0%, 0%

2.9 miles slow, 3.9 miles hard, 2.9 miles slow

Ran up to training at an easy pace. Wore the Asics Hyperspeed 4. 2.93 miles in 23:02, average pace 7:51/mile, HR 127.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:01 (125), 7:44 (130), 7:50 (127)
HR zones: 6.0%, 91.7%, 2.3%, 0%, 0%

The club session was 2x2m around Anniesland Road and Southbrae Drive. We jogged the 1.48 miles down to the start. I ran at the front of a depleted fast pack and once we got out of the headwind on Anniesland Road I pushed on a bit. I was hopeful of beating 11 minutes for the loop, which I did, but only because it was slightly short of 2 miles. 1.95 miles in 10:52, average pace 5:34/mile, HR 165.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 5:37 (159), 5:31 (172)
HR zones: 2.0%, 3.5%, 7.1%, 87.4%, 0%

After a 0.39-mile jogged recovery I ran at the front for the second lap, expecting to burn up but managing faster splits. 1.95 miles in 10:38, average pace 5:27/mile, HR 174.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 5:29 (170), 5:26 (179)
HR zones: 0%, 2.0%, 4.1%, 74.6%, 19.3%

We jogged the 1.65 miles back to Garscube Estate and I ran back down the road at recovery pace. 2.86 miles in 24:45, average pace 8:39/mile, HR 132.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 9:01 (130), 8:43 (132), 8:08 (135)
HR zones: 2.8%, 97.2%, 0%, 0%, 0%

2.5 miles slow, 3.5 miles slow

Went out before breakfast for a loop of Queen Margaret Drive. 2.47 miles in 19:58, average pace 8:04/mile, HR 118.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:20 (116), 7:51 (118), 7:59 (123)
HR zones: 58.9%, 41.1%, 0%, 0%, 0%

In the evening I ran the usual loop of Shakespeare Street and Napiershall Street with Natasha, except starting via Grovepark Street. GPS trace was badly mangled for the first mile and took a while to repair. 3.53 miles in 29:30, average pace 8:21/mile, HR 115.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:39 (115), 8:03 (115), 8:19 (116), 8:27 (116)
HR zones: 77.2%, 22.8%, 0%, 0%, 0%

Hill reps

The scheduled club session was long reps, but it turned out to be in Dawsholm Park, so instead I ran ten hill reps from the railway bridge across Switchback Road up to the park entrance. Felt quite fit. Ran an easy loop inside the park with one of the packs afterwards. Total mileage for warm-up and hill reps was 4.52 miles, max HR 173. Warm-down was 1.32 miles.

HR zones: 25.7%, 29.8%, 32.8%, 11.7%, 0%

2.4 miles slow

Ran a recovery loop of Roman Drive, Bearsden Cross and Canniesburn Toll, heading back to Bearsden Asda via Gray Drive and West Chapelton Avenue. 2.37 miles in 19:24, average pace 8:11/mile, HR 120.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:23 (116), 7:58 (124), 8:15 (120)
HR zones: 42.1%, 57.9%, 0%, 0%, 0%

5.4 miles slow, 14.5 miles steady

Went out before breakfast for a run along Great Western Road as far as Dorchester Avenue, then back along the side roads as far as Kirklee Road, and home via Shakespeare Street and Grovepark Street. 5.36 miles in 42:40, average pace 7:58/mile, HR 124.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 8:17 (119), 7:50 (126), 7:57 (128), 7:56 (126), 7:48 (125), 7:59 (123)
HR zones: 13.5%, 86.5%, 0%, 0%, 0%

In the afternoon I ran up the canal as far as Glasgow Bridge and back in the Merrell Trail Glove, starting and finishing via Grovepark Street. Had to stop at the barrier just before the Stables while two girls wheeled their bikes round, even though they had seen me approaching. On the way back, I passed the same girls wheeling their bikes up the path from Lochburn Road and sprinted past them to avoid having to wait for them at the barrier again. Ran the usual 0.42-mile warm-down afterwards. 14.46 miles in 1:39:11, average pace 6:51/mile, HR 142.

Pace splits (ave. HR): 7:38 (128), 7:00 (136), 6:53 (138), 6:52 (138), 6:47 (141), 6:49 (143), 6:48 (143), 6:53 (145), 6:50 (144), 6:49 (145), 6:43 (146), 6:40 (146), 6:39 (148), 6:42 (146), 6:52 (146)
HR zones: 0.8%, 27.5%, 71.7%, 0%, 0%
Weekly total: 60 miles