Diary Of A Road Runner

5k Time Trial – 27:07

Felt the pinch on this one and a minute slower than the last one

12k Long Run – 1:14.58

Longest run since I hit the comeback trail – ended up in a graveyard, ran out through Gorton/Reddish and back via Hyde Road – totally done in by the end!

6k Tempo Run – 32:50

Idea of this run was to run sub 55 10k pace for 6k, therefore doing 5:30 per kilometre, just slightly slower than current race goal pace.  Managed this very well, but was tough going at points -  even though I can run 5k quite a bit faster, I still need to build up stamina to maintain it for longer – but all being well, come my first comeback race, I should be on course for at least a sub 55 10k .  I wasn’t particularly pushing out the boat on speed, but was able to run the last 2k slightly faster, so was a nice even paced run all in all with something left at the end and great stuff to build on now as race day approaches.

Splits:

1 5:28
2 5:30
3 5:33
4 5:33
5 5:25
6 5:18

First 10k training run of 2009 – 58:14

Was disappointed with time at first after I finished this run, even though I didn’t set off meaning to do a 10k time trial, I thought I would just jog around 10k and see how I did, but I felt so good in places I speeded up for some faster splits!  Still, it is only the first time I have run this distance in quite a while, so sub hour is good, and now have something to build on – at least I know I can run 6.2 miles again, and can now build up with some more long runs and feel ready for some hill work soon.  Seems to be starting to come together, and those times will start going down

Splits:

5:41
5:49
5:48
5:47
5:56
6:01
5:50
5:50
5:42
5:46

Last K included a steep hill or would probably have been quickest of the lot!  Guess first step now is to run at 5:30 pace over a 10k, which would equate to a 55 minute 10k.  Doing 10k in 51:40 and hoping for a sub 50 still seems a way off, but I was nearly there last September – hard to believe now!

5k Time Trial – Massive improvement – 26:19

After 4 days of rest, went out and did 5k time trial and knocked approx 90 seconds off last effort, felt good but much more even – think something may have gone wrong with satellite last time, or maybe I am just improving in leaps and bounds, but I did finish a few streets earlier than Garmin led me on last time!!

Splits:

5:27
5:24
5:08
5:10
5:09

All in all a good run. Sub 26 next!

5k Time Trial – Haughton Route – 27:57 FAIL!

Well kind of – was expecting to run a nice fast 5k based on how good I’d been catching up lately, but by the end of this I puttered over the 5k mark (albeit strangely to my naked eye an extra street than last time, exactly the same route and I set off at an earlier marker to boot – but Garmin computer said no!).  Only managed 27:57 – which is probably as a result of upping the running lately, only having one day’s rest since my longest run to date so I felt it in the legs, and also setting off at a harebrained suicidal pace which I was never going to be able to keep up.  Will compare it to the last splits and see where I went wrong!

Today’s 1k splits:

1. 5:06
2. 5:33
3. 6:13
4. 5:33
5. 5:31

Obviously I was feeling it bad in that middle K, although didn’t notice slowing so dramatically… Otherwise the pace was fairly even apart from the crazily fast (at my current level) first, and the strangely slow 3rd!!

Not a total failure though – experience has taught me that a “bad” run like this is actually good – because I pushed hard and even though I was struggling, sometimes a hard run that turns out slow, does as much good as an easy run that ends up effortlessly fast.  So I am going to indulge in a few beers and take three days off, then do another time trial and see how the rest does me!

8k Long(ish) Run – 46:58

Longest run since my comeback from injury, and felt pretty comfortable, just about 5 miles.  Was just intending to have a time on feet run to get used to running for longer, and generally ran 6 minute k’s, but blasted the last in 5:11 and found that pretty hard – scary that I was running 5 sub 5 k’s in a row last October – but will be back to that soon I hope!

Think a 5k time trial is in order on Friday before a 2 day rest   Maybe I can do one sub 5 k at least, but will see!

5k Easy Run – 29:12

The ever misnomered easy run! It was the first day of the heavy snow in the UK, and was snowing as I set off – the pavements were covered with ice and snow, so kept to the road.  Kept a nice slow pace, until I saw another jogger in the distance and decided to catch them, which I did, and then I turned back and returned home at a more leisurely pace – the quick middle section had me puffing hard by the end but recovered almost instantly.

Splits:

1 6.00
2 6.00
3 5:27
4 6:01
5 5:42