Archives for 5 miles category
Posted on Jun 09, 2013 under 5 miles, Regular Runs, Trail Running |
After a few days recovering from Dennis the Menace was ready for a nice Sunday run in the evening sun, knew it was going to be warmish so took water!
Headed down Town Lane and set off at a sedate pace, then decided to do a loop through the fields back to Denton. Traversing the narrow path next to the stables got stung by millions of nettles, having noticed a DANGER: Strangles sign on the stile….
Got past all that then got lost in the overgrown fields, ended up on Yew Tree Lane and lost in the council estate, then finally back to Denton woods,kept going though feeling very warm by now and had forgotten a hanky to wipe away sweat from my eyes 🙁
Decided to run up Meadow Lane (have always chickened out before!) and managed this, then I was on the home straight, sped up on the downhill and had to reel myself in. Close to home a girl on a scooter tried to race me and I put on a burst of speed which according to Garmin I was going at 4:40 per k, which is the sort of pace I used to be able to run.
All in all a good work out with a decent hill and some nice weather, will just have to hope I don’t turn into the Denton Strangler now, ha!!!!!
Posted on Jun 05, 2013 under 5 miles, Races, Trail Running |
Did some pyramids at SRC on Monday and was still feeling a bit heavy legged this morning, but today was the day of the Dennis the Menace race which I haven’t managed to run since 2009, a couple of months after my mum died.
After work etc I set off the the Pack Horse Pub and bumped into some familiar SRC faces (it’s funny how the last time I did this race I didn’t know a soul but now have lots of people I know to talk to), saw Tony and Glen, Rob and some other people, then headed to the start with another SRC runner. Did a quick jog through the woods to try to warm up and felt quite worn out already, so just hung around for the start, we moved back and suddenly the horn went. The rest of the runners seemed to recede into the distance immediately, and I was left wondering not whether I would finish last, but how long they would be waiting for me to finish!
I didn’t feel a temptation to try to keep up with them, just ran my own race, another runner fell behind me and there were 2 running together in front, I just settled in and enjoyed some banter with the marshals about it going dark before I could finish and how I didn’t know I had entered an elite race! I was so far behind at one point some dog walkers must have thought everyone was passed them as I had to jump over their dog – I will call it Gnasher in keeping with the theme, at least it didn’t bite me! As we got to the hill through the woods towards the end of lap one I overtook the 2 runners who gave me some encouragement, for some reason I felt much stronger on the uphills than elsewhere, and found a new gear on the second lap, I slowly started to reel a few more people in, though I had my sights on Rob’s yellow SRC shirt up ahead!
Going round the football field I overtook two more people and then along the canal reeled someone one, eventually moving up another gear and deciding that although I was hurting badly at this point, I was not going to give in. Up the hill again and I was getting closer to Rob, I powered up the hill and then started winding Rob in, pretty much sprinting at this point, went past Glen who gave me some cheerish to the finish, and I could see the finish and realised I was going to run out of trail before I caught Rob. I’d forgotten to start the Garmin until a few strides into the race and forgot to stop it, but it said 47 something, considering that’s only 5 minutes slower than my 41:50 of 4 years ago, it wasn’t bad, if there had been another 100 metres I might even have caught Rob.
Probably the lowest position I’ve ever finished in a race but enjoyed it and loved the banter with the marshals, just ran my own race and enjoyed the lovely evening weather, it was very warmish out there once I got going.
Thanks to all the marshals and the SRC runners for the support, encouragement, and banter 😀
Posted on May 19, 2013 under 5 miles, Milestones, Tempo Runs |
Not had much energy lately and felt sluggish during the day, been trying to take it easy, mainly lack of sleep and overwork! Hadn’t run in the week apart from a quick 3 miles with the SRC, cut a little short when I unofficially backmarked for a new runner at the end.
Had to really force myself out for this run, had been overcast all day and not looking great, but made myself put on my shorts and shoes and headed out, felt warmer than I expected, so off I went and within seconds my right hamstring was feeling a bit funny… Just carried on and headed towards Dukinfield, was going to do the Globe Lane – Ashton route, as it was dry I headed towards Jet Amber Fields and towards Shepley, then hit the bridge, and looked over the bridge at the canal and decided running via the canal would be nicer as the sun was struggling to come out.
My switchback briefly confused the garmin, but by this point I was warming up, and saw a few goslings and their parents as well as some rather grim works around the bridges as well as some stumps where there had been trees last time I was down this way.
Headed back along the canal towards Guide Bridge, dodging puddles, and heavy foliage and tunnels confused the Garmin a bit more, then hit the roads again and got up quite a bit of pace on the long stretch back home. Had a target of under 50 for sure and would have been nice to go under 48 but ended up just a little over, even so was my fastest 5 miles since last September and my legs survived the sustained extra pace, was really hot and puffed out by the end but felt good to run at a faster pace for a few miles and work up a sweat! 🙂
Posted on Mar 13, 2013 under 5 miles, All Weather Running, Regular Runs, Trail Running |
Wanted to get 5 miles in, and it looked sunny enough to make for pleasant trail running.
Set off and the Garmin was completely lost and had the wrong date so took a while to recalibrate itself, then I set off towards Mill Lane over the trails, and headed through the Haughton Dale nature reserve, over the steps and then back through the woods to Denton.
Decided to cut through the houses in the woods and extend the run by heading through the wilderness to the farm at the bottom of Town Lane, so it got quite hilly and muddy there, but I managed to avoid breaking my spine on the ground as I crossed the stile where I fell last summer! At this point flakes of snow were coming down and the sky had gone black! Staggered up the hill bit by bit and paused to stroke a horse, then mud stomped through a pile of utter crappy mud which coated my trainers, then the gradual ascent up Town Lane. Put on a burst of pace but not too much and cantered to a stop near home after struggling with the “Pedestrians this way” sign which actually led right in front of oncoming cars!!!!
Nice run all in all and felt good.
Posted on Feb 27, 2013 under 5 miles, 5-10k, Jogs, Trail Running |
Beautiful day at the end of February, managed to do 7k at the weekend and today was my first 5 miler in a while, run mostly on beautiful trails, even inspired me to write a poem during the run, which I captured on my return! Nothing like a run through the woods as the world starts to waken!
Twigs twist and crunch underfoot
in this push pull with gravity,
body borrowing oxygen, feet flying,
lungs gulping to the drum of heart
in this world of earth and trees
where sun drifts down to reflect
on a mind as still as winter water.
Legs, lungs, heart say stop, stop,
But mind nods to sun, earth, trees,
this motion, light – this urgent, precious life.
Not ready to cease this hardwon
effortlessness of being.
Not yet.
Posted on Sep 15, 2012 under 5 miles, Injuries, Regular Runs, Tempo Runs |
Had the week off running after a disappointing race and some soreness in my ankle when bearing weight, so wanted to get a run in, even though it was my birthday, not sure I have run on my birthday before!
Set off at a very gentle pace after a chap on the road had joked I should be running dressed in shorts! Legs felt a bit painful, not sure why, knees were protesting a bit but it settled down and first km ticked over in about 6:30. Decided I was in the mood more for 5 miles than 5k, and planned a route accordingly, as I hit the road towards Hyde a boy on his back high fived me, which was nice, and then I took the uphills without too much pain, and once 3k was completed I felt strong and moved up to a tempo pace. I felt the odd protest in my right leg, but kept going, trying to keep cadence up and stride length a bit shorter, and was hitting 5:30/km pace. At one point a little bou started racing me and kept up a good pace for a bit so I told him he was really fast, who knows, I may have inspired a future Olympian!
Had to stop for traffic in the latter stages, and started to hurt around the 6km mark, but kept up a decent pace and at one point the garmin was showing 4:25/km pace though I couldn’t keep that up consisently. I thought I had run really well and might be in with a shout of a season’s best, and clocked 47:16. I checked it against previous runs and it wasn’t quite a season’s best – in fact the 3rd fastest 5 miler of the season, a little bit of my 46:45 in May, and still way off my 40:01PB set in 2010 I think. Still, it’s hard to tell from this run, as I had just had a week off and normally feel very rusty, so for all I know a few more runs and I could see some improvements.
Unfortunately my right leg seemed to flare up a little bit afterwards, did some stretching but will have to keep an eye on it, as I would like to keep running, even if I have to slow down – it’s hard to judge what I should do sometimes!
Posted on Sep 06, 2012 under 5 miles, Slow Runs, Trail Running |
Just a very gentle 5 miles, with a hill in the middle!
Left ankle felt a bit niggly on starting, and when I got a little quicker in 2nd km, left hamstring started to protest a little too. Kept my stride length shorter and just plodded along, took it easy on the sharp descent to Denton woods, and enjoyed some nice trail running in the evening sunshine. Had a few bursts of quicker pace but didn’t sustain them.
Took the ascent up Stockport Road very easy but started to get really hot and felt hungry and thirsty. Plodded around random streets at a very slow pace until I got to the 5 mile mark, the legs were OK, not sure how they will respond to race pace on Sunday – and not sure what race pace will be, but will just run how I feel on the day, and see what time I end up with!
Posted on Jul 03, 2012 under 5 miles, Regular Runs |
With a very early start on Thursday and not feeling that my running form is that great at the moment, I decided to give the fast group at running club a miss tomorrow, and have a run with less pressure today.
Set off at a very easy pace and did the first km in 6:33 – felt good. Second one ticked over in 5:59 and I started to motor, feeling very positive and thinking the rust was behind me! Into the 3rd km the Garmin suggested I was going at under 5 mins per km at one point so I thought it prudent to slow a little, and the the 3rd km ticked over in 5:48. So a fair pace but nothing lightning fast!
And then somewhere in the middle of the 4th km I started to tire and feel a bit wobbly, so I slowed even more, and wasn’t even sure at that stage if I would make 5 miles. I slowed more, but things were getting harder and harder, I was pouring with sweat and breathing pretty hard, even though I’d gone to well over 6 mins per km by then. A couple of walk breaks helped and I managed to keep these few and short, and with 2k to go I managed to put on a bit more speed, thinking I might just do the 5 miles in sub 50.
With 1.05 km to go, I had just under 6 minutes so I went as quick as I could, but there were a fair few corners and this seemed to confuse the Garmin briefly. I managed to do the last km in 5:48 but ended up doing the 5 miles in 50:11 due to that extra pesky 50 meters! Still, I stuck at at, and it was an improvement on the run the other day, so hopefully my form will come back with more running!
Posted on Jun 14, 2012 under 5 miles, Regular Runs |
No attempts at any great pace today, aware the We Love Manchester 10k is looming next week! Decided I needed an easy 5 miler to keep my legs and lungs ticking over and blow away the cobwebs and stress of a few days of DIY (not my most natural skill!!)
Set of gently choosing a wide looping circuit via Mill Lane and back again, so a variety of up and downhill running early on. Felt ok and was going at quite a sedate pace, but after the climb up from Hyde started to get a bit breathless and was working hard to stay with it, ended up running around 6 mins per km and didn’t feel I wanted to go much quicker, just tried to maintain it but struggled in places and was breathing really hard. Managed to run through the pain to complete the 5 miles in 49 minutes and felt quite hot!!
Posted on Jun 10, 2012 under 5 miles, Regular Runs |
Having had a few more days of quiet meditation with some other stuff thrown in, was enjoying the French Open Final and planning to get a run in afterwards – except it then started to look as if it might either go 4 or 5 sets or start raining, so I decided to risk going for my Sunday run at the end of the 3rd set and take a punt on the next set not being over by the time I got back.
It looked cold out so I put my long sleeve top on (apart from anything else I couldn’t quite put my hands on a short sleeved on so just picked the first thing I found) – turned out to be a bit of a mistake as it soon got quite warm, but bearable. Did the first km pretty slowly, 6:20ish, then found my pace picking up without really trying. Decided to run through Haughton Green estates, so the incline that way was a bit punishing but then could coast down the slopes.
Kept feeling the pace pick up and was going down towards 5:30 in places so eased back on the throttle at times as my only intention was to run sub 50. In the end I smashed that and was only a minute off my season’s best, with a lot of slowing down the pace to complete a week of light, easy running after last week’s high mileage 🙂
And when I got back turned out I had only missed 3 games of the tennis since it was pouring at Roland Garros 🙁 and 🙂
