Archives for 5-10k category
Posted on Mar 19, 2011 under 5-10k, 5k, Milestones, Tempo Runs |
Experimented slightly with breakfast today, had a banana and pure porridge with some pure fructose thrown in (am going to try glucose as is healthier apparently).
In any case, I wanted to do a sub 30 5k, so set off feeling good, and was feeling OK by the 1k mark which I managed in under 6 minutes. Then came the long incline to the top of the Haughton hill, which slowed me down, then it was coasting for a while, with intermittent bursts of exuberant running speed. I had to reign myself in a little to make sure I got the end at some points!
Felt another burst of speed near the end and wound down and stopped the Garmin on 29:01 – sub 29 should be easy next time I try it!
First k was quick, then there were a coupld of sedate ones, and the last 2 were both well under 6 minutes, which bodes well.
Seems the strategy of the slightly slower longer runs followed by a quick session, has worked on this occasion – and of course maybe the breakfast experiment had something to do with the running too.
Posted on Mar 16, 2011 under 5-10k, Hill Work, Regular Runs |
Wanted to try to get at least 5k in, and wanted to do a fresh route, or at least one I haven’t done for a while, so opted to do the Mill Lane circuit. This is an undulating route, starting with a mild incline, then featuring a sharp elongated descent, before a series of gradual but tough inclines. First k was relatively flat, and then used the descent to coast and get into gear, then took the inclines quite gently. At 4k I decided to try to keep going all the way up to 6k, and somehow managed it, even injecting some pace into proceedings as I felt endorphins swimming along my spine 
Posted on Mar 13, 2011 under 5-10k, Milestones, Regular Runs |
Noticed a problem with my Garmin, in that the battery housing seems a bit loose, so the battery contacts aren’t very flush, which might explain why the Garmin’s been switching itself off recently. Tried to wedge them in as best as possible, then set off, hoping to do at least 5k, and take it slowly. Noticed at someo point the battery issue had had an unknown side effect – my training assistant lap timer had reset itself to a mile, instead of the usual 1km, but I seemed to be running under 10 mins per mile just about, so that was good.
Got to 4k and was struggling, then at 5k had a second wind for about half a k, before staggering more or less through the final half k to reach the grand total of 6k! Hard work though!
Posted on Nov 28, 2010 under 5-10k, Milestones, Regular Runs |
A very cold day – frost still on the road outside at 12pm. Didn’t sleep too well, but wanted a run today. Donned the running clobber and the beanie Louise gave me for my birthday. Breath was pluming like smoke!
Set off and felt good straightaway, then hit a bit of a wall at Crown Point North shopping centre, – a wall of shoppers! Dodged through them but I was under the glass awning and this seemed to affect my Garmin, for once I was out from under the awning, it shot up to 1.6k when I done 1.2 at the most. That made the pacing of the run confusing thereafter, so I just tried to settle into a rhythm and run and added half a km on to the target to make sure I did the 4 miles. Soon got warm enough to remove running beanie. Big hill over Guide Bridge negotiated OK, then a long sloping ascent up the road that leads back to Corporation Road, then coasting in a straight line for a while before getting back to my neck of the woods.
Felt I was running faster at times but couldn’t really sustain it and the splits show I was just over 10 minute mile pace, but running in the cold didn’t help. I’ve done 14.62 miles this week, if I include last Sunday’s run, 20 miles, which is more than I have run in a week for quite some time. I am going to need a couple of rest days now as I could feel the miles in my legs a bit – need to take a step back and just let my legs strengthen up and the CV system have a break before coming back fresh again. Wish I could run every day, it would help with the SAD etc – but I need to be sensible as the last thing I need right now is overdoing the running and getting yet another 2 month disabling injury!
Posted on Nov 26, 2010 under 5-10k, Long Runs, Milestones |
So, after a couple of rest days it was time to attempt another slow 5 miler in Britain’s arctic weather; fortunately, for the time being, this area has escaped the snow despite being rather bitterly cold.
Set off very slowly to get warmed up, and with the intention of my head of completing 5 miles, never mind the speed. As usual took a while for my CV system to get into it, I ran down St Anne’s Road, then up Windmill Lane, and through Dane Bank to Reddish. At about 3-4k I was feeling pretty good and thought I might actually be able to run a little further than 5 miles without too much trouble. Due to traffic I went down the lane that leads back to Hyde Road eventually and goes past Cedar Mount, etc and I was feeling good. As 7k ticked over, I was on 43 minutes on the Garmin – I could easily do a sub 50 five miler, which would be a milestone! I managed to inject a little speed, and indeed this last km of the 5 miles was my quickest, though not very quick by pre-injury standards. In any case, 5 miles ticked over in 49:00 and that was quite a delightful feeling – it was still a ways to Hyde Road though, so I ran another km, at a slower pace, as a kind of cool down, and ended up finishing on the Showcase Cinema car park,whereupon I fished my trusty student annual bus pass from my pocket, and after cooling down with a walk, got the bus back home, having done 9.05km, my longest and fastest run since the April injury – and I felt quite comfortable in places and enjoyed it.
Posted on Nov 02, 2010 under 5-10k, Injuries, Milestones, Season's Best |
Had a bit of an enforced break from running after my lower back twinged a few Mondays ago – decided to rest up till it went away entirely, then had a few easy runs to ease back into it, and fortunately no further back pain (or a repeat of the leg injury I had the last time my back twinged like that!)
So on Sunday I did a 5k and managed sub 30, and today wanted to run a sub 37 6k, which I just about managed in 36:50. The route has a couple of tough hills which slowed a few k, especially the penultimate one, otherwise I could have got nearer 36, at least I managed to run the last k fastest despite feeling tired – good for mental toughtness, feel confident the times will start getting quicker week by week now. I hope1
Posted on Oct 13, 2010 under 5-10k, 5k, Tempo Runs |
Kind of a Tempo run, in that the intention was to run hard, ie sub 6 mins per k pace (which is hard for me at the moment!). Haven’t done the Haughton Estate circuit for a while so decided to run that. Set off and felt fine, looked at Garmin and seemed to be going a tad too fast, slowed a bit, but the initial incline into Haughton Village took it out of me a bit and I was breathing hard all the way after that. At 2k and 3k I just wanted to stop, and was ready to scream, and when I got to 4k I just had to keep it together, keep it together, just keep going!
At one point I thought I might go sub 29 but I was slowing and didn’t have anything left to do a faster last k, so just keep going as best I could and eventually staggered to a stop with the clock showing 29:38. No idea how I ran faster than that the other week! It took ages to recover and I didn’t feel great for a bit – crazy!
At this rate, I can’t believe I will get close to 25 mins for 5k, let alone quicker than that, so will just have to settle for sub 29 as my next target and chip away at it. A few lifestyle changes coming up might help – really need to cut out more fats and other stuff from the diet, and maybe when my spare tyre deflates a bit I will find the running easier
Posted on Oct 09, 2010 under 5-10k, Long Runs, Milestones |
A really lethargic sunday and had to force myself to get out. Decided to run out to the old fireplace shop than back round via windmill Lane.
Tough as usual to get going, but along the road to Gorton, after the Sainsburys hill etc, I settled into a rhythm and sped up, and actually felt comfortable and as if I could go on all day! Of course that only lasted for about 2k and then I started to flag, and wheeze, and gasp! Near the end at Windmill Lane this little kid pulled his kid brother out of way of me and I gave them thumbs up “No problem” said the kid I must look really cool to the kids 
I’ve heard they shout abuse at some people 
Anyway, longest run since comeback, and at times got up to some pace, and first run in quite some time that I actually felt comfortable on and enjoyed a bit of!
Posted on Oct 06, 2010 under 5-10k, 5k, Regular Runs |
Got up late after a late night working and felt really sluggish. There was thunder and lightning outside, and a deluge, but it cleared later, so decided to do my first run of the week, but had to really force myself out.
Really struggled despite slow pace, was breathing hard, but just kept plodding on. Hurting quite a lot as I got to 5k mark and stopped the Garmin in a super fast 30:56. Have had a couple of really hectic days so may be over tired but still feels a bit odd that I’m not quickening up and still struggling to complete 5k’s 
Posted on Oct 03, 2010 under 5-10k, Jogs, Milestones |
The Garmin was dead when I tried it – must have left it on last time – so I changed batteries and went out, and the signal bar thing wasn’t moving. Eventually it asked me if I was indoors etc, and if it was Oct 1st – so it had lost its settings apparently and needed to recalibrate. Had a frustrating wait, then finally set off – however after a few minutes the Garmin started freaking out again and said I’d done 1.5k after 3 mins. LOL.
So I just decided to run for 35 minutes and approximate that as the 3.5 miles I wanted to run, based on my recent times.
Was very very hard work and I was screaming and shouting by the end, gasping and struggling, but somehow carried on! So at least made my longest run since the knee injury! Slow, slow pace though, could tell that even though the Garmin was freaked out!
At one point I ran past an oldish woman in a blue coat, on the path back along Windmill Lane. She was hogging the path from one side to the other, so I sped round her on the grass verge. She didn’t hear me coming and as I passed her she grabbed her chest and shouted “Jesus effing Christ!” or words to that effect. I checked she was OK, she said she was miles away, I waved and carried on.
People really should be more aware of their surroundings – wandering along in a world of your own can lead to getting killed by cars, mugged, or shocked by being overtaken by groaning, sweating, gasping runners!!
