Diary Of A Road Runner

7.5k Easy Run Through The Woods – 49:27

Think this may be the first time I’ve done an easy run that actually felt easy – apart from the last bit uphill!

Started running around streets then saw a path which lead to a trail leading to Mill Lane and Denton Woods, so was a scenic route. Had Garmin setup to bleep if I went quicker than 6mins per k, so was very slow and easy but what I needed.

Average pace was 6:35/k.  There is an art to running slowly!

8k Fartlek – cold day – 43:05

My first experiment with the world of fartlek!  Not sure if I get the concept fully, but since it is supposed to be flexible, doing intervals of 1k appealed to me as I could then measure my relative speeds for running and jogging on the Garmin.

Did a couple of k warmup then launched into the first hard k – struggled a bit and was only just under a 5 minute split, and was ready to give up!  But jogged the next k and then did a slightly faster one, before jogging again then blasting a 4:36 split which is getting into the realms of serious speed for me   Then jogged a very slow cool down.

In all an interesting experience and certainly felt my body being surprised as I am used to running at a fairly even pace or accelerating gradually over the course of a run.  So will repeat again as am sure this will help in improving my 10k performance

Splits:

5:39
5:36
4:48
5:40
4:57
5:39
4:36
6:03

Best pace 3:54/k

12k Longer Run – To Debdale Park & Back – Windy – 1:07:57

Longest run for a while, took the pace very easy as had a hard week last week, and was feeling tired for it, so took a few days off running before getting back into it with this longer, slightly slower run.  Felt good apart from a buffeting from the wind now and then, was feeling tired in the later stages but managed to put a burst on and do quite a speedy last kilometre, and recovered very quickly. Ran it 7-8 minutes quicker overall than my last 12k outing (which I found hard) so am improving, and was nice to stay under 6 mins per kilometre all the way and run at just over 55 minute 10k pace.

Average pace 5:40/k

5k Time Trial – 24:27

Did 5-10 minutes jogging before setting off on this time trial, which I actually ran as a time trial – went for it all the way!  Set off pretty fast, not knowing if I would be able to maintain it, and was surprised when I clicked over the first k in 4:48 – haven’t run a sub 5 split since my 5k PB last September!  The 2nd k involved the uphill stretch on the way to Haughton Green so that slowed me a bit, then it was into cruise control mode, and managed to keep the pace up.  By the time I got to the last K I knew I was on course for a sub 25, thought I might even get sub 24 by some crazy miracle but my legs were gone by that point and I slowed a little in the last 400 yards.  Nonetheless this has smashed my most recent 5k time trial which was 26+ and to run 24:27 felt fantastic!

Splits:

4:48
5:04
4:55
4:52
4:47

Average pace 4:53

6K Hill Work – Sunny – 33:57

First session of hill work since my return to running.  Did the usual up and down Stockport Road route and the uphill bits were murder as usual, but felt good and not overloaded – didn’t attack to much with it being first session will aim to build up slowly. Only a minute slower than the 6k yesterday and with half of it uphill!

Splits:

5:21
5:38
5:54
5:29
6:02
5:29

Average pace 5:39/k

6k Recovery Run 32:56

First run after Sunday’s race, took it easy starting off, ran the loop out along Hyde Road and back along Windmill Lane, put on some bursts of speed but not too much and slowed towards the end.

Splits:

5:16
5:30
5:11
5:37
5:42
5:37

Average pace 5:29

Mizuno Trafford 10k March 2009 – sunny – 53:11

My first race back since that horrible injury, and what a glorious day for it! The sun was out, it was really spring like, although decidedly chilly early on.  I arrived in good time and found a locker, stowed my jumper away and soaked up a bit of the atmosphere, and it didn’t seem long before we were lining up at the start.

One runner went over in the melee at the beginning, I tried to keep a very sedate and conservative pace, thought I was running excruciatingly slowly and in fact did the first k in 5:11!  Settled into a nice rhythm and felt good at 2k, then at 4, and just pushed the slightest bit, overtaking a few runners at a time, but not trying to go for broke.  It was lovely and sunny. At one point heard a shotgun go off, or it may have been a vehicle backfiring!

At 5k was feeling good even though my split was 27:00 – pretty fast for me recently for a 5k on its own! But I still kept finding a little bit more and sped up, overtaking more runners as we reached the last few kilometres.  By the last K I was starting to hurt a bit, but put on a burst of speed and kept it going until the finishing line, clocking 53:11 with the Garmin. On a day where I thought a sub 55 might just be possible, that represented a fantastic time for me – only a minute or so off my course time last September, which I ran with a recent races and a lot more training under my belt.  With plenty of 10k’s coming up, the 50 minute barrier is now only a matter of time I feel!

Race Splits:

5:11
5:34
5:35
5:21
5:19
5:16
5:12
5:11
5:12
5:06

Average 5:18/k

It seems strange to me that I was trying to run pretty slow at the beginning, and trying to run as fast as I could at the end, but the splits are the two fastest, lol! But that’s running!

Photo Courtesy of Flaming Photgraphy Race Sponsored by Sweat Shop Hyde

5k Time Trial – sort of – 26:10

Didn’t set out to do a time trial, just to run 5k comfortably hard.  Felt good so pushed just a little – my first run of the year in shorts!  Some undulations in the route I took (streets near my house, going in a few circles) but the best 5k time since my comeback, and felt good, and didn’t feel half dead by the end.

All in all a good preparation for Sunday’s Mizuno Trafford 10k.  I am conservatively going to aim for around 55 minutes, depends how I react to race conditions again, maybe I will surprise myself, but will aim to start off carefully and work up speed, rather than get carried away!!

Splits for today:

5:22
5:12
5:14
5:18
5:02!!!

8k Regular Run – Nice and Sunny – 45:30

Been a bit worried about my running form lately, as have felt a few colds trying to start, sore throat etc, which have got rid of but had to take it easy – and with my first race of the year coming up, I wanted to be pushing harder!  So it was nice to fit in an 8k today mid week before race day – after running a painful 4k on Sunday, it was refreshing to be able to run twice as far and a little faster overall as well!

Set off at a steady pace and found it hard going early on, in fact it wasn’t easy at any stage, just kept going somehow, and was starting to get really warm as the sun was out, so sweated quite a lot in my warm clobber – will soon be time to start taking water out with me again!  Was pleasantly surprised with how fast I was runnning without putting any more effort in other than just to make 8K (at one point I considered trying 10k but didn’t want to exhaust my resources!).

Splits:

5:26
5:43
5:33
5:39
5:44
5:48
5:42
5:50

Last K was as seems to be usual uphill, so all in all a steadily paced run.  Might now do an easy run Friday and a very easy run Saturday, but still need to decide if I am race fit – at this pace I could probably do 56:00 for 10k, but will see!

4k Easy Run – 23:24

An easy run but felt really puffed out by the end – been feeling chesty though so lungs evidently not at full capacity Got caught in violent hailstone squall!)

Splits

5:37
5:51
6:02
5:53