Posted on Aug 05, 2008 under 5-10k, 5k, Milestones, PB's, Tempo Runs |
About time I did one of my 5k time trials, last week I ran more miles than ever before in a week with a mixture of an easy run and a couple of longer runs, but have been getting slower and slower - so wanted to get back to some quicker running over a shorter distance to make sure there is some speed in my legs!
The weather was kind today - almost chilly and threatening to rain, overcast but not humid. Set off a bit too fast I thought, but was able to keep going at that pace for 4k and felt great, although in the last k I could feel I was tiring. Pushed on and went as quick as I could for the last few 100 yards, but seemed to overshoot my normal lampost finish by a good few strides before the Garmin clocked 5k - but still finished 5k in 24m 45s - a new PB for my personal time trials!
Posted on Jul 30, 2008 under 5-10k, Easy Runs, Recovery Runs |
This was a very sedate and slow run, just to get back into the running after Sunday’s tough race.
I do have a problem with running slowly. OK, compared to an elite, I am very slow anyway - but what I mean is, once I get going, I am always tempted to up the pace, as I don’t feel I’m really doing much unless I’m breathing hard and feeling pain! Yet easy runs are very important (I am still not sure why scientifically - but will save that for a future post) - I think basically, you cannot keep pushing your body, so it likes to tick over in a lower gear for a bit, just as it likes to rest completely sometimes, just as it benefits from some harder punishment now and then 
Anyway, it was very hot and sunny, so I set my Garmin to alert me if I went any faster than 5:40 per kilometre. At first it kept bleeping, but I’ve noticed Garmins can be a bit erratic until you’ve done a few kilometres; in any case, it helped me to go very, very slowly - and every time I absent mindedly started going faster, my Garmin alerted me. When I reached the big steep hill leading to the little suburban place called Haughton Green, I took a leisurely walk up, and felt fresh when I started another slow jog back home, and by the time I finished I’d done 6k in a very sedate 36 mins and 30 seconds. With it being another really hot day, it was nice to do a run that I enjoyed - it reminded me a little of when I used to walk a lot - I felt I could have just jogged like that for miles and miles as if it was merely walking - but I would still have done a 10k in about an hour, which is what some people aim for going flat out.
I think my aim will be to slowly increase my comfort pace - so maybe one day jogging 6k in 30 mins will be just as easy - but I always want to make my easy runs easy now - and setting the Garmin really helped, although I couldn’t resist a speedy burst for about 20 metres near the end, just to stretch the legs and remind myself what it was like to go fast! I might do some more of this in future, combining speedy bursts with a slow jog - now whether that’s interval training, fartlek or speedwork I will have to figure out! 
Posted on Jul 08, 2008 under 5-10k, Easy Runs, Recovery Runs |
First run after my 10k race on Sunday, following rest day yesterday. Legs felt tight warming up. Had also bitten the bullet and ordered the Asics online, as I have a pair of neutral trail shoes which have served me fine for mixed/trail training, but don’t seem right for pure road running and races. The new shoes feel comfortable, and very well cushioned and didn’t feel any difference really (but they look quite cool!)
Started off on a random route, through local park then around the streets, ending up on my haughton route in reverse and running all the way back home. As it was a recovery run tried to keep pace slowish, but at one point did throw in some long strides and went up to 3.5 minutes per k for about a minute, before slowing down again, and slowly jogged down to a stop towards the end.
Felt relatively good - and was an easy run compared to Sunday’s race, I look forward to some 5k tempo runs, and some long runs now in preparation for next race, which is not all that far away really!
