Rob's Running Blog

Easy 3 miler – 28 mins with a stop at the pharmacy

Not only did the clocks go forward on Saturday night/Sunday morning, I also seemed to sleep in a funny position and my back was killing me when I got up, very difficult to move head as if I had compressed a nerve or something. So good job I was having a couple of rest days! Today I wanted to do an easy run to stretch legs and see how back would affect running, it seemed really bad timing with a race coming up – fortunately it always seems to be the upper back so running didn’t seem to bother it, though doing to touches or turning head does, so better be careful about looking behind me in the race. Stopped at the pharmacy after 1k to grab some nurofen, and just took it easy, but ran at race pace for half a minute in the last k.

Felt a bit tired but easy runs always seem to do that to me.

Later on sorted out transport arrangements for Salford 10k. Might do another easy 3 miles tomorrow just to keep legs ticking over.

Woodbank Park Run – 25:14 – Park Run PB From the Twilight Zone!

This was a weird, weird run…

I set off earlier than last week, but got there later, I didn’t get to bed too early and didn’t sleep and was feeling frankly rough when I got up, and felt a bit sick on the bus. Seemed to take longer than last time, and in fact when the bus dropped me off at the bottom of the hill near Vernon Park, I checked the time and it was 8:45 – and the start line was a 15 mins walk away, so I figured I could have a nice warmup to get there, although I still had to get out of my joggers and use the loo. And I felt bloody awful and breathless jogging up the hill and had to stop – then jogged through a veritable swamp as I took the shortcut over the field to get to the track. So had soaking wet feet. I managed to get out of my sweats and put my trainers on, and really needed to use the loo, but all the cubicles were occupied, then a kid went in one cubicle and came out screaming his head off. I went in, and saw why – let’s just say, how does a person manage to miss like that? It was just there, perched, staring at me… Still, needs must… and I improvised. By this point had about 2 mins left, and Garmin couldn’t find the satellite as I stood there kicking my own arse with my heels and trying to convince myself I was ready to run a tough 5k I did meet Mark, the triathlete, who ran into my blog the other week, and we had a brief chat.

On your marks, get set go, they said, and I thought I started the Garmin, but half way round the track I glanced at it – 0:00:00. Ooops. So I started it and after about 2 more minutes I was feeling half dead, but I kept going. Whatever official distance I’d done, the Garmin ticked over one k in 5:30 and the next one in 6 mins, I started swearing, I have not run that slowly apart from a warmup or cool down jog recently. So I just kept going, feeling half dead and wondering what the hell was wrong with me today. There was a blonde lady in front of me and she was very supportive and told me to take it easy as there would be plenty more runs – true of course, but I couldn’t understand why I was going so slow…. 6 mins for one k? On the second lap went past Mark who had started walking and tried to encourage him, then just kept going through the pain.

Sort of came alive after the last hill (attacked the hill twice this time) and had a bit of a burst of speed in the last K, and sprinted for the finish, leaving the supportive lady behind, and almost reeling in another lady, who put on a burst of speed to avoid my overtaking her, well done that lady .

Garmin time was going to be useless so awaited results – and somehow ended up with an improvement on last week so a course PB by 13 seconds in 25:14. God knows how I did that, and God knows what was going on with the Garmin telling me I was running 6 minutes per k for a large chunk of the run, I certainly didn’t run a sub 4 one to make up the deficit…

Well, am sure when feeling better and without Twilight Zone things happening, should be able to get that time down on future runs and need to work on those hills!

5 Mile Tempo Run – 40:36 – Season’s Best!

Today’s effort was a 5 mile tempo run. Ran the first kilometre in 5:27 as a warmup, and then increased the pace, intending to run around 5 mins/k or better pace, remembering that in my intervals the other day, I had “slowed” to 4:30/k and felt it was reasonably sustainable. Powered up the hill near Sainsbury’s and the 2nd k clocked in 4:59 – so I just decided to see how long I could hold that pace, and apart from a couple of k’s where I slowed a little, I managed to hold it all the way, over 5 miles.

Kilometre Splits:

5:27
4:59
4:55
4:53
5:05
4:56
5:13
4:50

Was interesting that the last k was the fastest, I did push, but felt I was barely moving as by that point I was keeping going by sheer will power and really hurting! But the split shows I managed to keep up the pace until the bitter end! The slower penultimate k had a big uphill over the motorway bridge which slowed me a bit – if not for that and the warm up k, I may have gone sub 40.

Still, a season’s best by over 2 minutes – and gives me confidence I can hold that kind of pace in a 10k race, despite not having done any big long runs as of yet. In fact it’s made me rethink my strategy, as my injuries have always seemed to coincide with long runs – and so far, I seem to be doing fine without them, though need a few 8 milers to improve 10k stamina. Will see how Salford 10k goes, just over a week to go, eek

Sunny Intervals session

Thought it was about time I did another intervals session to build on recent progress and see if I can improve my running further.

Did a 2k warmup that felt easy paced enough, but was actually 5:25 and 5:20 – so not far off 10k race pace! But it felt sustainable, more like a jog – be interesting to see if I can keep that up in my upcoming Salford 10k race!

Anyway then did 5x800m with the following splits:

3:18
3:34
3:16
3:37
3:21

Didn’t manage to run any quicker than my last intervals session (apart from the Garmin showing best speed as sub 3 mins/k!!!) but over the 5 intervals my average pace has gone up a notch – and looking at it, I was running at just over 21 minute 5k pace for 4k, even with breaks, this astonishes me a bit, and has me wondering if at some point I will be able to do that over 5k, and sustain it? I also remember easing back on the throttle a bit in the penultimate interval, to save a bit for an all out final effort – and was running 45minute 10k pace fairly comfortably (at least compared to the 4 mins/k all out pace the rest of the intervals were at).

So last intervals session – 4:28/k, this one 4:16/k – definite improvement, and it did hurt, but I felt like I’d worked hard, and am starting to reap some rewards now I’ve upped the training intensity a little bit.

Jogged an easy 1.5k cooldown and could have kept going as still felt fresh

Woodbank Park Run March 20th – 25:27 – Park Run PB!

I decided to rise at the crack of dawn and do the Woodbank Park Run again today – after a mile PB and a season’s best 5 mile time in the week, I’ve been feeling I’ve really got my running legs back of late

The logistics worked much better this time – buses went like clockwork and I got to the venue with 25 mins to spare, so I had time to use the loo and do a few laps of the track in the pouring rain, and get suitably warmed up without exhausting myself with a mad dash all the way from Denton to Stockport .

I set off at what felt and was a suicidal pace in the initial rush (sub 6 minute mile pace according to Garmin). I’m not used to starting so near the front of a field and chased the leaders before settling into my own rhythm, and didn’t try to go too fast, just went at my own pace. On the big downhill in Vernon Park, I conserved energy for the uphill, rather than trying to sprint down it and make up for the time I knew I’d lose going back up – then took the uphill slowly and steadily, and it sapped me a bit, and took a while to get back into my stride. Then another lap around Woodbank Park before the downhill and uphill for a second time.

I was kind of neck and neck with the older bloke who’d blown me away last week in the final k, this time, on the second uphill, I left him behind and although I slowed on the hill, I didn’t stop. I went past two blokes who were walking up the hill, they said well done to me – then in the last k I could hear them behind me, and one overtook me, and I thought, as I sometimes do, “Should I have walked up the bloody hill?” – then I overtook him, and in the last 200 we drew level and he encouraged me, so I then felt a bit bad for going into overdrive and finding a sprint finish and leaving him behind as I dashed over the line really gasping and gulping for air.

Official time was 25:27 which is a 52 second improvement on my Park Run of last week. I felt I held it together much better in the latter stages, so all the other running I have done has helped, and I’m just going to see how quick I can get on this course, and maybe try a 5k on the flat too at some point.

5 Mile Tempo Run – 43:00 – Season’s Best

Been doing some hard runs lately with the Park Run Adventure on Saturday and the mile PB yesterday. Wanted to do something longer today so opted for a 5 mile tempo.

Set off at a sedate, just under 6 mins/k jog pace and gradually got quicker. Felt flying in the early and mid stages but started to hurt in the later stages. However, managed to somehow maintain pace and averaged 5:20/k, but very definitely hurt.

43:00 is a season’s best but nowhere near the PB of 40:01 I set last year – probably need fresher legs to go that fast for that length of time, but felt this tempo run really did me good as I kept running on some very tired legs and screaming lungs!

Finally Joined the Sub 7 minute mile club – 6:52

Was wondering what kind of run to do today after yesterday’s recovery, didn’t want to do too much, but wanted to feel I’d had a run out, so figured I’d have a go at a one mile time trial again to see if I’ve made any speed progress.

Warmed up with a gentle 2k, with some faster strides in the second k. Felt pretty good. So walked a little bit, did some stretches, and got to my starting point. Felt a bit nervous – how would I do? Then off I went…

As seems to be usual for me, set off at a blistering pace, almost sprinting, then settled into something that felt reasonably sustainable. Pacing for running one mile is something that will come with experience, but for this run, I knew I could run an 800m split in 3:12, or at least sub 3:30 – so wondered if I could put two of those together. Started breathing really hard, my body responding to what was demanded of it, and it was hurting already – but I only had to keep this up for another kilometre now, I told myself, then it would be over. Glanced at the Garmin at 800m – wahey, 3:24, I was on schedule for sub 7. Then I hit a headwind and the uphill bit of the course which kind of flattened me a little and had me gasping for air, then I was almost staggering, just trying to keep going, thinking if I can just hold on for another 400m at this pace, I’m going to break my PB and go sub 7!

It was pure willpower that kept me going for the last 100m. I was gasping, hurting, my heart was hammer, and I got over 1.61k, or one mile, and stopped the Garmin on 6:52.

Started to sink in as I recovered, and did a very gentle 1k jog back to the house, feeling very pleased to have finally gone under 7 minutes, and now be only 52 seconds off my sub 6 minute mile target. I can see pain and anguish as those 52 seconds are whittled away – but also a lot of fun

Maybe in a few months of hard intervals and races and other running, I will be signing in to say I have joined the sub 6 minute mile club. But the interim target is 6:30

5k Recovery Run – 29 mins

Been feeling a bit tired since the Park Run episode on Saturday (not least because I was up a lot earlier than usual for me!!)

So, went for a nice gentle paced recovery run, and it felt a bit tough after a few k – but that was to be expected as it was afterall the definition of a recovery run is to recover from something, I think – and it seemed to help.

Woodbank Park Run – The Hills are Alive – 26:19

It’s been quite some time since I’ve run a race, and been able to soak up the atmosphere, and just enjoy running with other people (and OK enjoy the odd duel at the finish line!). Ever since they started a Park Run at Woodbank Park, I’ve been toying with the idea of popping along, and sacrificing my Saturday morning lie in I was a bit wary of that park though, having done the Offerton 10k there last summer, and basically died on the hills Finally, yesterday, I decided, yes, I am going to go and do it! Only 5k, afterall!

I had decided to jog the 4 miles to Woodbank Park from my house as I thought this would neatly kill two birds with one stone – a) getting there and b) warming up! I got up a bit late though, the dog wanted to sniff everywhere when I took it out for a walk, I still thought I’d be fine, and set off. Checked the time on the Garmin. Oops, I was cutting it a bit fine I thought. And so instead of a leisurely warmup, I ended up in a race against the clock to even get to the starting line!! When I got to the bottom of the massive hill in Vernon park it was 8:50 and I was calculating whether to make a graceful sweep around the park and back home, or whether I could still make it! No heroics up the big hill, but I did feel a frisson of fear when I saw running things marked out – I was going to have to run up THIS. Again… Twice… I Took a wrong turning, started cursing as it was 8:58 and I couldn’t even see the track/start, and then saw a lady in running gear and asked her the time, turned out she was doing the run too. We both made it 9am, but they hadn’t started yet. A sprint to the start line ensued, then after about 1 minute to get my breath back and set one of the runners’ dogs barking at me, off we went!

I was feeling fine, and raced ahead of a lot of people on the track lap, and did the first k in 4:33 and was flying after my extended warmup! Great! Then we got the the hill going down into Vernon park. Oh crumbs, thought I (well not crumbs, but another word!) – All the memories of the three laps of 10k Hell from last summer swam into my mind, but at least it seemed they weren’t going to make us run the entire hill, ie all the way from the bottom of the park…

Anyway, I managed to get up the hill the first time, and by the time we got round to the second lap I was getting a second wind and really going, and started overtaking a few people and felt great. Then the hill got me again. Kept going, but really started to hurt and felt I was losing pace, I overtook an older guy, but then he took me and sped off. Garmin seemed to click over 5k mark a long time before I got near the track and the finish line, I stumbled over and felt knackered and forgot to even stop the Garmin, although my official time was 26:19, which given the crazy warmup and the hills, was not too bad, and is a target to aim for. Saw the woman from the beginning and we exchanged well dones as I queued up to hand my token to the man with the laptop.

It seems a tough course for everyone, the first place time was about 19 minutes, and not 16 or 17 like it seems to be at most of them. Although not ideal for a time trial, it will be a good progress indicator, and of course doing the hills will be good for my 10k’s, especially if I do the Offerton one again!

I would really recommend the Park Runs to anyone thinking of doing a run, the good thing is they’re every week, they’re free, and fantastic fun for all ages and abilities. Visit the Park Run Website for more info!

Thanks to all the volunteers!

5K Easy Run – 32mins – little niggle in right calf

This wouldn’t be a running blog without a catalogue of injuries – or it sometimes feels that way. Late last evening, I started to get a bit of intermittent pain in my right calf – sometimes when I was walking, sometimes at rest, and that persisted this morning. It was kind of weird as it just kept cropping up without warning.

So I opted for a 5k easy run, and ran at slower than 6mins/k all the way, finding that the running didn’t really make the calf twinge, except maybe when I tried to speed up and forefoot strike… Could well be something to do with running faster with the interval training session yesterday, so I will take it easy for now, with a few rest days and some jogs, rather than do any out and out speedwork – think I will leave that until next week, but hope to fit in a long slow run on Saturday – possibly keep it to 6 or 7 miles if the calf is still playing up.